what to do in nyc: central park zoo

so i've been asked many a time what i like to do in nyc. in other words, people want to know what i suggest. and always, always i think...euf, i'm just about the worst person to ask because i don't get out... nearly enough. 

but. 

in truth. 

i do have a few ideas. 

and i'll go one at a time.

so how's this for a start?

when in the summer it becomes unbearably hot and i in turn become unbearably overwhelmed, i take great comfort in the penguin house at the central park zoo. 

the central park zoo, located at the southeast corner of the park, is small and carries a $10 price of admission for adults ($5 for kids). but it is home to an oasis of vegetation and a welcome respite from the daily grind and grit of manhattan. 

so why the penguin house, you ask? it's blissfully cool, you can sit on the bench that lines the wall for just about as long as you want, and those little creatures amaze me to no end. 

you see, they're just about the most awkward little things on land. waddling and tipping this way and that. but then they make up their minds to jump into the water, a more graceful animal has never existed. 

and i think there is something to be learned from that--i'll let you figure out what i think it is.

not to mention, they mate for life and i find that endlessly romantic. 

ps: when going to the zoo make sure to catch the sea lion feeding. the best part is just before the show begins and the sea lions know that at any moment their trainers will arrive with plentiful goodies--so they start to look for them and turn around in around in hopes that the goodies might arrive just a wee bit sooner.