NEW BRITAIN MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
http://www.nbmaa.org/
When people think about New Britain a great museum doesn't usually come to mind. But the New Britain Museum of American Art was founded in 1903 and is notable as the first museum in the country dedicated to American Art. In 2007 it was awarded the Excellence in Art award by the State of Connecticut.
The cost of amission for members is free. While it costs $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for students, free for children under 12, and on Saturdays from 10 to noon admission is free to the public.
It is located close to downtown at 56 Lexington Street. The museum is in a beautiful part of New Britain basically in Walnut Hill Park. It now boasts more than 5,000 pieces of art from different genres such as colonial portraiture, the Hudson River School, American Impressionism, the Ash Can School, and the very important mural series called "The Arts of Life in America" by Thomas Hart Benton.
My first visit to the museum happened when I was nine or ten years old and I remember it very clearly. I went with my family and I was amazed right away. We slowly walked the entire museum and we talked about everything that we saw. My parents asked me what I liked and why I liked them. I remember basically liking everything but especially enjoyed the sculpture display that was there at the time. It was mostly abstract sculptures and for some reason they just totally intrigued me at the time. I clearly remember wanting to touch them to feel what they were made of and being told, "Dont touch" over and over again by my dad.
Later on in life I found this museum to be a great place to bring a date. I guess because I love it and it always seemed to make a great first impression. Your date might actually think you have some style and culture. It's also very quiet and relaxing so you can take your time, talk, and get to know each other while enjoying amazing art.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Six Great Places to Visit in New Britain - Part 2
WALNUT HILL PARK
http://www.new-britain.net/recnpark/directions/park-walnuthill.html
http://www.tripadvisor.in/Travel-g33847-d639799/New-Britain:Connecticut:Walnut.Hill.Park.html
Walnut Hill Park is one of many parks in New Britain where a person can spend a beautiful day. It's located close to downtown just off of West Main Street. If you want to spend a quiet day laying on a blanket reading a book in the sun, exercising, playing tennis, people watching, or spending quality time with your family then this is the perfect place for you to visit.
The main part of the park consists of a huge field surrounded by trees and a walking/jogging path. There are exercise stations placed along the path where a person can do sit-ups, push-ups, chin-ups, and a variety of other exercises. There is also two clay tennis courts, two baseball fields, a cricket field, a kids playground, gardens, a war memorial, and the "shell" that hosts musical concerts throughout the summer. The surrounding neighborhood is very safe and has some of New Britain's oldest and largest homes.
On a typical day you will see people walking or jogging around the park. It's also a dog friendly park so you will see many people slowly walking their dogs enjoying the beautiful surroundings. The playground is well maintained and families spend quality time on the swings or see-saws.
If your ever in New Britain and need a place to unwind, get a little exercise, and enjoy the sunshine then Walnut Hill Park is a must see.
http://www.new-britain.net/recnpark/directions/park-walnuthill.html
http://www.tripadvisor.in/Travel-g33847-d639799/New-Britain:Connecticut:Walnut.Hill.Park.html
Walnut Hill Park is one of many parks in New Britain where a person can spend a beautiful day. It's located close to downtown just off of West Main Street. If you want to spend a quiet day laying on a blanket reading a book in the sun, exercising, playing tennis, people watching, or spending quality time with your family then this is the perfect place for you to visit.
The main part of the park consists of a huge field surrounded by trees and a walking/jogging path. There are exercise stations placed along the path where a person can do sit-ups, push-ups, chin-ups, and a variety of other exercises. There is also two clay tennis courts, two baseball fields, a cricket field, a kids playground, gardens, a war memorial, and the "shell" that hosts musical concerts throughout the summer. The surrounding neighborhood is very safe and has some of New Britain's oldest and largest homes.
On a typical day you will see people walking or jogging around the park. It's also a dog friendly park so you will see many people slowly walking their dogs enjoying the beautiful surroundings. The playground is well maintained and families spend quality time on the swings or see-saws.
If your ever in New Britain and need a place to unwind, get a little exercise, and enjoy the sunshine then Walnut Hill Park is a must see.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Magic Hits Big At CCSU
By Billy...
--It's Feb. 25, loud music is booming, a full house is chattering away and filling the Torp Theater with a hurricane of energy. Then, all of the sudden, Norman Ng bursts onto stage, smiling bright and ready to perform.
What is it exactly that Ng will be doing? Magic of course. Before you get ready to sigh and yawn, know that Ng isn't the typical magician we're all used to. His philosophies on magic are far different than that of shock magicians like Chris Angel or the slick tuxedo wearing gimmicks of the Las Vegas magic scene.
"Most guys in Vegas are too flashy and guys like David Blaine are douchey," said Ng jokingly after a well-received performance at Central Connecticut State University.
So what kind of magician is Ng? Well, first off, he's a good one. The audience had nothing but enthusiasm for the young performer. If members of the audience didn't have their jaws dropped in amazement at his illusions, they were laughing at his hilarious stories and improvised jokes.
"I would say that 70 percent of my tricks are original, the script however is all me, 100 percent. I write all of my own material," Ng said. "That's because for me it's all about relatability. Some of my script is about my life; it's easier for the audience to get into it when you share yourself with them. What I'm going for is conversational magic, I like to get the audience as involved as possible."
Ng accomplished involvement right at the beginning of his act by offering up some cold, hard cash to audience members in exchange for assisting him in his tricks. He did the same later on in his on-stage game show.
Participation also seemed high because the audience really seemed to like him. There's a certain amount of charm in his act that other magicians lack. He injects many stories about his life and his own personal interests into his act.
"I'm an artist. My art comes all from me, my story. The best way to derive emotions from people is to relate to them. That's why I have the stories about Maine and the restaurant chain and hockey," Ng said.
As most artists know, doing what you love isn't always an easy gig. Most people entering a career in the arts face tough times, old and young.
"It's wasn't easy. Right out of school, when I was 18, I moved out to California with only $500 in my pocket and started my own entertainment company. I was living in Oakland, in poverty," Ng said. "I would recommend magic as a career to people who have a passion for it, but let me says this, it's hard. There are under 20 magicians who make a good living touring and doing what I do."
Ng knew how to work the crowd. It seemed like making people happy was the most important thing in the world to him. There's a certain type of passion we attach to soul-singers and actors, people who perform for a living. Even comedians can often times capture our hearts. Rarely would you think that a magician puts every once of his heart and soul into a performance. On Ng's face can see it from when the lights go out to when the lights go on. Instead of exiting, leaving his crowd satisfied and separate from him, he dives into the audience instead, offering answers to their questions and spending as much time as possible talking to them. Someone this passionate has a mission, and Ng's is clear, unlike the tricks behind his illusions.
"The new wave of magic is coming. It's got to be brought back, magic is cool. So spread the word, because it's my mission to help make it mainstream again. I want people to be inspired by magic," Ng said. "After all, making someone truly amazed is what magic is all about."
For more information about Ng and his magic visit normanmagic.com.
Shippin’ Off To McGreevy’s
This past weekend a close friend of mine invited myself and a few of our mutual friends to come out to his place in
We arrived at his place Friday and took the T into the city that night for what he called a ‘pub-crawl’. For those not in-the-know, a pub crawl consists of going from bar to bar to enjoy a couple beers, experience the environment, move to the next bar, rinse and repeat. Every bar that we went to seemed pretty mundane, no real difference from the last one, until we reached
The scruffy-bearded bouncer at the door had informed us that “we just missed out… a few Bruins old-timers had just left.” This automatically sparked my interest in the place even before I set foot into McGreevy’s 3rd Base Saloon.
Once inside, the first noticeable thing was that this bar was definitely unique and could only be found in
I moved from exhibit to exhibit, revisiting my memories from when I went to Fenway with a couple of friends in the third grade. One picture in particular caught my eye; it was of the corridor right before entering the stadium. I remember the feeling of walking through the dimly lit tunnel to be awe struck by the bright lights of the immense ball field. I stood in that bar feeling like I was 8 years old surrounded by adults, until I was passed a Bud Light.
My friend noticed that there was a signed bag pipe from the punk group Dropkick Murphys. I brushed it off at first because the band originated from
We took a seat at one of the tables in the back. My wondering eye had to be put to a rest for the time being. Usually at a specialized bar such as this, you might as well through away your wallet. This wasn’t the case at all. When the 3rd alternate Bruins jersey clad waitress told us that drinks were only $3.50, the appeal of the bar was heightened dramatically. Not only could we have fun in a sports bar but we didn’t have to file for bankruptcy before leaving.
Enjoying my third green-bottled Bud Light of the night, a familiar song filled the bar. “Tessie, "Nuf Ced" McGreevey shouted, we're not here to mess around.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Five Guys Burgers and Fries: Something New, yet Old Fashioned
You should never try to be something you are not, or try to appear classier than you are; that is why you should never be ashamed to admit that the best restaurant you’ve been to in years, wraps the food in tinfoil, serves it to you in a brown paper bag, and allows your to stand up and eat circus peanuts while you’re waiting for your order. I’m of course talking about Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a good old fashioned burger joint that packs in the quantity, and never skips on the quality.
When you walk into any Five Guys Burgers and Fries location you won’t be impressed by th
e décor, but then again, if you’ve come to Five Guys for the ambiance, you’re in the wrong place. While you probably won’t be impressed by the industrial sized sacks of potatoes stacked in the corners, or the red and white tiled walls, your senses will be aroused by the time you reach the counter to order. The smell of fresh sizzling burger patties, and french fries will fill you with the excitement you felt before eating the perfect burger as a kid.
Although the official Five Guys website reports an astounding 250,000 possible ways to order a burger at the restaurant, the ordering process is always easy, moderately priced, and catered to the customer. There are two kinds of burgers; little and regular. The little burger ($3.39) is a single, and succulent, fresh beef patty on a warm toasted bun. The regular burger ($5.89), is two, fresh beef patties piled high, on a warm toasted bun. After ordering your burger size, customers can choose up to sixteen different, and free toppings. After completing your perfect made to order burger, just the way you like it, you have your choice of two different sizes of fries; regular ($2.69) and large ($3.89). Although the fries are a bit on the pricey side, you most definitely get your money’s worth. As a point of reference, a regular sized fry is usually enough to split between you and a friend.
After your burger is crafted into a work of art, it is wrapped tightly in tinfoil, locking in the plethora of flavors you are about to experience. After your burger and fries are placed into a large brown paper bag, an additional cup of fries is showered directly into the bag (a Five Guy’s signature). When the process is complete, a burger chef will shout your order number out into the restaurant air.
By the time you walk from the counter to your table, and open your brown paper bag of deliciousity, you will be ready to experience something new, yet old-fashioned, and nostalgic. Your first bite into your flavor packed hamburger will remove you from a world swamped with paper-thin fast food burgers, and over priced trendy restaurant burgers; and return you to a time when you were excited to get a hamburger, because it was delicious, juicy, and just the way you liked it.
Convenient Connecticut and East Coast Locations5 things to remember when going to 5 Guys
1. Go Hungry. Besides the quality of the food, the portions are best tackled with an empty stomach.
2. Don't Wear a Tuxedo. The food isn't known for it's health benefits, your probably going to get a little grease, salt or ketchup on your hands, and then on your shirt.
3. Get the Regular burger and the regular fries. The little burger is just that, a little too little, and the large fries, well they are freakin' huge. The regular fry and regular burger are a perfect combination.
4. Don't bring a girl there on your first date, well unless she's perfect and your going to marry her. It's not the ideal meal to get to know a date over, your going to be full when you leave, and its going to get messy. Actually take her to Five Guys, if she sticks around for date number 2, she's a keeper.
5. Make sure you're afternoons and nights are open. Although this food is out of this world, its not the ideal meal to eat before trying to be productive. Think of the Thanksgiving dinner aftermath meets the cheeseburger.
Raindrops Falling From the Ceiling
"I keep getting drips on my forehead" said an older woman wearing a floppy green fisherman’s hat and blue rain slicker. "I know, yeah" agreed the woman she came with, also outfitted in a rain 
slicker, cap, and blue jeans. Besides that small comment neither woman seemed phased by the raindrops falling from the ceiling. Both women couldn’t stop staring at the endless rows of flowers surrounding them in the greenhouse at Elizabeth Park, in Hartford.
Despite that the weather outside was rainy, the sky was still bright and natural light lit up the greenhouse. Stepping into the greenhouse was like stepping into another world and suddenly upon entrance the room was filled with a light perfumed scent, similar to honey. The air was warm and damp, quite a change from the cool temperature outside. And of course there were flowers covering every surface, from floor to ceiling.
Walking in, it was hard not to notice the never-ending array of tulips that lined the center table. The tulips outnumbered any other flower and came in almost every color imaginable; groups of yellow, white, pink, purple and white, red, and orange tulips rested on the hip level metal tables. While the tulips were separated by color on the long center table, other flowers lined the perimeter of the room. Besides tulips, other flowers at the greenhouse were rieger begonias, daffodils, violets, hanging plants, and bell-shaped flowers.
Each flower had its own unique scent that spectators couldn’t help but indulge their curiosities in smelling. In between the sounds of adoration, small conversations took place between on lookers. People of all ages came out on this rainy day to admire the flowers on display in the greenhouse. Each year the greenhouse is only open to the p
ublic for two weeks in March. At the end of the two weeks there is a flower sale that takes place. Some of the onlookers were prospective buyers, selecting which flowers they would like to take home with them when the sale was to take place on March 21st, others were photographers, and others flower enthusiasts.
Walking towards the back of the hundred year old greenhouse, the light sound of fans became clearer and I could finally see the end of the tulip covered table. Beyond the tulips was an area of tropical-looking trees. These trees are part of the year round collection of plants that flourish in the greenhouse, among them are: palm trees, cacti, a banana tree, a bird of paradise, and a ponderosa lemon tree. The area of trees has an exotic feel with vines and flowers crawling their way towards the ceiling.
Making my way around the rectangular path one last time, I had a hard time letting the tranquil and fresh feeling of spring go. As I parted from the building I felt the crisp, cool air brush against my skin. With each step on the red pebble path back to the parking lot the bright colors began to fade and blend into each other, reminiscent of a Monet painting.
While I was sad to leave, I look forward to visiting the rose garden that thrives at Elizabeth Park each summer. Even if flower lovers were unable to make it to the two week showing at the greenhouse, the rose garden is open to the public all summer long. I walked away knowing I’ll be back again, and I took a little of the spring-like feeling home with me.
slicker, cap, and blue jeans. Besides that small comment neither woman seemed phased by the raindrops falling from the ceiling. Both women couldn’t stop staring at the endless rows of flowers surrounding them in the greenhouse at Elizabeth Park, in Hartford.Despite that the weather outside was rainy, the sky was still bright and natural light lit up the greenhouse. Stepping into the greenhouse was like stepping into another world and suddenly upon entrance the room was filled with a light perfumed scent, similar to honey. The air was warm and damp, quite a change from the cool temperature outside. And of course there were flowers covering every surface, from floor to ceiling.
Walking in, it was hard not to notice the never-ending array of tulips that lined the center table. The tulips outnumbered any other flower and came in almost every color imaginable; groups of yellow, white, pink, purple and white, red, and orange tulips rested on the hip level metal tables. While the tulips were separated by color on the long center table, other flowers lined the perimeter of the room. Besides tulips, other flowers at the greenhouse were rieger begonias, daffodils, violets, hanging plants, and bell-shaped flowers.Each flower had its own unique scent that spectators couldn’t help but indulge their curiosities in smelling. In between the sounds of adoration, small conversations took place between on lookers. People of all ages came out on this rainy day to admire the flowers on display in the greenhouse. Each year the greenhouse is only open to the p
ublic for two weeks in March. At the end of the two weeks there is a flower sale that takes place. Some of the onlookers were prospective buyers, selecting which flowers they would like to take home with them when the sale was to take place on March 21st, others were photographers, and others flower enthusiasts.Walking towards the back of the hundred year old greenhouse, the light sound of fans became clearer and I could finally see the end of the tulip covered table. Beyond the tulips was an area of tropical-looking trees. These trees are part of the year round collection of plants that flourish in the greenhouse, among them are: palm trees, cacti, a banana tree, a bird of paradise, and a ponderosa lemon tree. The area of trees has an exotic feel with vines and flowers crawling their way towards the ceiling.
Making my way around the rectangular path one last time, I had a hard time letting the tranquil and fresh feeling of spring go. As I parted from the building I felt the crisp, cool air brush against my skin. With each step on the red pebble path back to the parking lot the bright colors began to fade and blend into each other, reminiscent of a Monet painting.
While I was sad to leave, I look forward to visiting the rose garden that thrives at Elizabeth Park each summer. Even if flower lovers were unable to make it to the two week showing at the greenhouse, the rose garden is open to the public all summer long. I walked away knowing I’ll be back again, and I took a little of the spring-like feeling home with me.
How to Book a Cheap Flight to London
Although spring break is made for summer-like week long trips, not everyone gets to go somewhere warm and full of sunshine. As most people were frolicking in the sunshine in their bikinis or getting a mocha colored tan in their swim shorts, I was stuck in my hometown of Wallingford Connecticut. Okay, so that isn't so bad however, the highlight of my spring break vacation was booking my summer vacation, a trip to London England for two weeks! :). Although this sounds very exciting, and in fact is, booking it was tedious and very drawn out. It took me the entire week to find the best deal. In this post, I hope to transform my experience and inform others on the crucial steps towards getting the best deal on your next flight to London and/or Europe.
The first step to booking any flight especially to Europe is check prices online and check them often. It is easy to do a search online for any flights thanks to travel websites like travelocity and priceline, but the check is your search results. You may search on Monday and find a flight for about 500 dollars, but if you do book then or you may get screwed. Simply just pushing off booking at that low price by a day may mean you can no longer get that price hours later. For example, I found a flight into Heathrow London Airport for 450 dollars on Monday, but went back Tuesday (less than 12 hours later) and the price has risen to 600 +. 600 + is still cheap, but the point is to try to get the best deal. If you find a lowfare instantly take it, but never settle for the first quotes you get, check different travel sites and again check them often.
Next beware of special offers, although they look clean cut and awesome, you need to read the fine print. Certain websites such as travelocity, hotwire, and orbitz offer deals to European destinations during off weeks of the summer season. Such offers often advertise on the home screen of the website and are in bold print, and often read something like "Special Offer: Go to London this Spring for $289 dollars out of Boston or JFK", but again never take any thing at face value. Click the link and read the terms and conditions. Fine print is crucial! The original ticket may only $289, but this does not include taxes and fees! Also, you need to pay attention to the dates the offer applies to. The offer may only available until a certain booking date and only be avalible through date to date. For example: Fly to London for $289 dollars from April 2nd-May 29th.
Always incorporate taxes and fees! Your original ticket price is never the final cost. You are going to get hit with surcharges and other fees. You need to estimate about 100-200 extra dollars in taxes and fees. A lot of airlines now have what is called "September 11th tax" that goes towards extra security and other precautions.
Consider booking a flight through an airline's website or a travel agent. Sometimes getting a cheaper flight to Europe is about going cutting out the middle man so to speak. Contact your favorite travel agent and have them do the investigative work, or even go directly to your favorite airline's site to check out their deals. I ended up booking my flight through the Virgin-Atlantic Airlines actual site and that came out cheaper overall then any other deal I could find online or even through my aunt's travel agent.
If you do book through a travel agent or even online, you need to specify which airports you are looking to go through. I found that Bradley International is about $200 more expensive for a European than Boston or JFK. Even Boston was more expensive than JFK, but you also can look at Providence or Newark, all are within a 2-3 drive from here.
Also, everyone loves direct flights to avoid the lay over hassle, but I've found when booking European flights, connecting flights are USUALLY cheaper. Changing planes in Ireland or Spain is often common and cheaper when flying into London.
The first step to booking any flight especially to Europe is check prices online and check them often. It is easy to do a search online for any flights thanks to travel websites like travelocity and priceline, but the check is your search results. You may search on Monday and find a flight for about 500 dollars, but if you do book then or you may get screwed. Simply just pushing off booking at that low price by a day may mean you can no longer get that price hours later. For example, I found a flight into Heathrow London Airport for 450 dollars on Monday, but went back Tuesday (less than 12 hours later) and the price has risen to 600 +. 600 + is still cheap, but the point is to try to get the best deal. If you find a lowfare instantly take it, but never settle for the first quotes you get, check different travel sites and again check them often.
Next beware of special offers, although they look clean cut and awesome, you need to read the fine print. Certain websites such as travelocity, hotwire, and orbitz offer deals to European destinations during off weeks of the summer season. Such offers often advertise on the home screen of the website and are in bold print, and often read something like "Special Offer: Go to London this Spring for $289 dollars out of Boston or JFK", but again never take any thing at face value. Click the link and read the terms and conditions. Fine print is crucial! The original ticket may only $289, but this does not include taxes and fees! Also, you need to pay attention to the dates the offer applies to. The offer may only available until a certain booking date and only be avalible through date to date. For example: Fly to London for $289 dollars from April 2nd-May 29th.
Always incorporate taxes and fees! Your original ticket price is never the final cost. You are going to get hit with surcharges and other fees. You need to estimate about 100-200 extra dollars in taxes and fees. A lot of airlines now have what is called "September 11th tax" that goes towards extra security and other precautions.
Consider booking a flight through an airline's website or a travel agent. Sometimes getting a cheaper flight to Europe is about going cutting out the middle man so to speak. Contact your favorite travel agent and have them do the investigative work, or even go directly to your favorite airline's site to check out their deals. I ended up booking my flight through the Virgin-Atlantic Airlines actual site and that came out cheaper overall then any other deal I could find online or even through my aunt's travel agent.
If you do book through a travel agent or even online, you need to specify which airports you are looking to go through. I found that Bradley International is about $200 more expensive for a European than Boston or JFK. Even Boston was more expensive than JFK, but you also can look at Providence or Newark, all are within a 2-3 drive from here.
Also, everyone loves direct flights to avoid the lay over hassle, but I've found when booking European flights, connecting flights are USUALLY cheaper. Changing planes in Ireland or Spain is often common and cheaper when flying into London.
Overall, in order to get the best flight to London or any European destination, if you follow these six steps, you should come out with more money in your pocket. In the end I found a DIRECT flight to London round trip for about $665 on Virgin Atlantic. Other sites also have hotel + flight package deals that are great to look into, but I luckily get to stay with my old roommate for free for two weeks. I will be in London from June 2nd-16th :)
Here's are some links you might want to look into when booking your next European flight!
Good luck!
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