SuperForester Jordan Presents: Accidental Tourist SF Tips

Hello All,

Jackson here.

Last week I had the pleasure of running into an old friend, SuperForester Jordan.
I told him about SF and a few days later a wonderful email from him appeared!

So here it is, SuperForester Jordan's: Accidental Tourist SuperForest Guide to NYC!

1. The Natural History Museum.

Ok, so I'm aware in posting this that I'm not breaking new ground here. I think every new yorker in the city and all boroughs has been here. And now probably every preteen in the country took a virtual tour in Night at the Museum. But still, I stumbled into the HALL OF BIODIVERSITY last summer just before closing time, and found myself floored. Literally. Sitting on the ground until they made me leave, watching every video, reading every caption. And this summer I had to go back. Because while the news ain't really news anymore, it still hits like a EKG shock to the system. And maybe it's the plastics and taxi-dermy stuffed animals that'll do it to you... but I'm talking specifically about the left half of the hall. The hall of sustainability. Which outlines the effects human beings have had on the planet, in both macro and micro ways. It's eye-opening, informative... and depressing. Which is when you should turn to the quotes, and the back walls outlining ideas and ways anyone can and should get involved in turning it all around. It's like the best high school class lecture you never had, and it only takes 40 minutes to absorb. And if you can't handle that much time, then just spend the 2 standing in front of the population explosion screen and wait for our world to ignite in the last 5 seconds.

2. Staten Island = Awesome?

I've done two things in the 10 days I've been here that have generated either outright shock, laughter, or snickers of disbelief from every New Yorker I've told. One was riding the bus. The other was spending a day on Staten Island. Yes, a whole day. And I want to stress that part, because I didn't plan on spending a day, or any time on Staten Island. But you can. It happened to me. And the whole thing was cheap and for the most part... green!

It started with a stop by David Byrne's "playing the building": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NizlkL0DU-A. Ok, so this ain't Staten Island yet, but it's worth checking out. The former Talking Heads frontman has converted the old Maritime Building by the Staten Island Ferry into a giant instrument. A piano sits central connected by tubes to pipes, old heaters, anything around. It looks a Tim Burton set-piece and is conceptually very cool (though I didn't find the "music" as relaxing as one comment to the video claims). And hey, it's right next to the Staten Island ferry! You go to use the bathroom there, next thing you know, you find yourself at sea!

The Ferry is free, takes 25 minutes, is full of tourists, and is actually a blast. It's got the best views of lower Manhattan, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and most of Olafur Eliasson's waterfalls: www.nycwaterfalls.org. Not bad for no money down.

And then you're on Staten. Most people buy a snapple and turn right around. But if you venture out just 3 minutes down the road, to the right you can have a great meal at the all organic, made from scratch, (with optional vegan and gluten free menus) -- Tuttoriso Cafe: http://www.tuttorisocafe.com/. Before you then head off to the botanical gardens of Snug Harbor, just a short (10 minute bus ride away). We were amazed at how quiet, unpopulated, and pretty these grounds were, with a greenhouse, a medieval children's castle and hedge maze, and the east coasts' only authentic Chinese Garden. Apparently only one of two in the United States (the other one's in Portland). Having been to the official version in Beijing, I have to say this one's a banzai version, but still... two minutes in and you'll forget you're even in a borough of New York. It's beautiful, relaxing, and practically free ($4 for the chinese garden): http://www.statenislandusa.com/pages/botanical_garden.html.

3. Storm King: http://www.stormking.org/

Ok, so I haven't done this yet, but am planning on it for this weekend. Aside from having a name I want to steal for a future project, this massive outdoor sculpture garden looks pretty amazing. It's mission is about "celebrating the relationship between sculpture and nature". And from the pictures on their website alone, the scope and size of the artwork seems both highlighted and enhanced by the beauty of the natural surroundings in which they are placed. Ok, so the sculptures don't exactly look like they were made from sustainable material... but hey if it gets the kids outside. Now if only we can figure out how to get there?


Huge thanks to SuperForester Jordan for the great guide and fresh perspective on this gorgeous city and its many splendors.

I'm trying to coerce Jordan into becoming a regular writer for SF, so if you like his Accidental Tourist Guide, why not comment about how fab his writing is and how he'd be a real sucker not to join the Team. Ha ha!

Love to All,

Jackson