Daily Archives: July 3, 2012

July 3, 2012

7-2-12 Queens Is The New Brooklyn (Birthday Edition)

Today was day 4 of the long Birthday weekend but the difference was…it is the actual birthday. We started the day at PS1 in Long Island City. Katherine particularly wanted to visit the installation by James Turrell called Meeting. It was inspired by the Quaker Meeting shape and idea. We both were knocked out by Janet Cardiff‘s sound installation The Forty Part Motet and we both enjoyed Saul Melman‘s Central Governor. There is also a truly inspirational piece entitled Wendy by HWKN that is in the front courtyard.

Wendy

Wendy (from the 3rd floor) w/ 5Pointz in the background

Meeting

Central Governor

Wendy at work

We headed back to the car and

circled 5Pointz

before heading out to Spa Castle in College Point. Spa Castle is a spa so I refrained from taking pictures. However, New Yorkers, if you haven’t been you must go. Tourists when the tension of the city gets to be too much…

The 3rd (top) floor is a health club and restaurant. The second floor consists of a number of outdoor pools with all sorts of jets and relaxation spots in a variety of temperatures. There is also several indoor bathing areas and an indoor pool bar. Floor 1.5 has the hand and foot massage rooms and a sleeping area. The ground floor has six saunas and an Ice room as well as a true “spa” facials, mani/pedis, waxing, full body massage etc. as well as a food area. The Lobby floor are the locker rooms. Spa Castle provides uniforms for the co-ed floors but the pools in the single sex locker rooms (ranging from 61 degrees to 104) and the 187 dry sauna and the steam room are full monty.

This place attracts a full cross-section of NYC. More languages than you can shake a stick at, every color, creed and religion is here. They do allow kids which some people object to. Don’t go on weekends or holidays!!!! There si some nuzzling that occurs. I made a discovery here. Some time in the last few years, tramp stamps have become big with the 20-30 year old male set…

From there we headed to Chinatown in Flushing and ate at a nice little restaurant called Biang (if you are counting that is Chinese food four days in a row – I think someone likes it)…and ended the evening back in Long Island City just as the sunset at Gantry Plaza State Park.