Urban Exploring: Exploring 2016 (Episode 8)
THE SYNOPSIS
Happy New Year Artoholiks! Iquan woke up excited about the new year and he made it his business to go visit a few of his creative friends in Newark just to learn what their excitement is for 2016. This impromptu episode is packed with inspiration, motivation and pure positive energy all based around Iquan’s personal goals and short comings from 2015. Enjoy!
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www.youtube.com/user/TheArtoholiks
THE DISCOVERIES
Rebecca Jampol on twitter
Eric of New Wave Barber Shop his shop
Andres Jimenez his social
Tehsuan Glover his blog
Tamara Fleming her work
Akintola Hanif his stories
THE MUSIC
Playlist
1. Sángo — Só Você (Ft. Elhae & ESTA.)
2. MORE // NIGHT — Relax yo
3. PYRMDPLAZA — House Bump For Joe Kay
4. JLL — Blue Skies
5. Mozaic (AGO) — Rachel Foxx Strong (Mozaic Flip)
6. Kurai Noir — Corinne Bailey Rae – Put Your Records On (Nehzuil Remix)
7. AbJo — Loop 544 (for Dilla)
8. PYRMDPLAZA — Rush Feat. Abjo
Urban Exploring: Adam Padilla (Episode 7)
THE SYNOPSIS
In our 7th episode of the season, Iquan takes a solo trip to NYC to visit long time design friend Adam Padilla at the Brand Fire Agency HQ. During the time, Adam gave Iquan a tour of the studio and they discussed life, family, design and holding yourself accountable for making time to do the things that makes you happy. The two also had a drawing session, ordered food via Seamless and just caught up.
THE DISCOVERIES
ADAM PADILLA
President & Chief Creative Officer of BRAND FIRE Creative in NYC is a giant ball of creative genius. Adam has pretty much touched greatness in everything between the worlds of Graphic Design and Fine Art. Adam has a in depth portfolio and resume to back those words up including the Creative Director position for Nets Basketball. To learn more about Adam and his work follow him on Instagram here.
BRAND FIRE
creates brand names, logos, messaging, packaging, point-of-sale, website and collateral to give their clients a competitive advantage. brandfire.com
SEAMLESS APP
Order food delivery from your favorite local restaurants from your mobile phone. Download
NATURAL WORKS
A NYC based restaurant offering up delicious food without all of the crap. Bare ingredients with no artificial preservatives and unhealthily fats.
Next time your in the city, check them out. Visit
THE MUSIC
Urban Exploring: Boston pt2 (Episode 6)
THE SYNOPSIS
Iquan, Aaron, Steve and Guru… Grab a true American belly up breakfast, explore the Essex Salt Marsh as well as downtown Boston. The crew paid visits to Bodega and Johnny cupcakes and then wind down in the Boston Seaport District.
Watch and Subscribe
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheArtoholiks
THE MUSIC
THE DISCOVERIES
BODEGA
Founded in 2006, Bodega has been a refuge and tool for the clandestine group of artists behind … Visit the shop. Bodega 6 Clearway Street Boston, MA 02115 shop.bdgastore.com/
JOHNNY CUPCAKES
A food themed clothing brand created by Johnny and now managed by his family started with their first shop in the downtown Boston area and now can be found in major cities across the country. kitchen.johnnycupcakes.com/story/
17 STATE STREET CAFE
A traditional cafe/diner located on the main shopping strip in Newbury Massachusetts. Known for their amazing breakfast dishes and specialty french toast. Yum! www.17statestreetcafe.com/about/
ESSEX SALT MARSH
In Massachusetts, the North Shore’s Great Marsh is the largest continuous stretch of Salt Marsh in New England, extending from Cape Ann to New Hampshire. The Great Marsh includes over 20,000 acres of marsh, barrier beach, tidal river, estuary, mudflat, and upland islands extending across the Massachusetts North Shore from Gloucester to Salisbury. In recognition of these extraordinary resources, a portion of this area was designated by the state in 1979 as the Parker River/Essex Bay Area of Critical Environmental Concern. http://www.greatmarsh.org/
Urban Exploring Season 2 - INTRO
YES! YES! Season 2 of Urban Exploring has arrived, IquanW is taking his talents across the county this season. Making stops in Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, LA, Brooklyn and of course Newark! Check out the season 2 Intro, oh and episode 1 is coming April 22!
Urban Exploring: Open Crates + Sweet Chick (Special Edition)
THE SYNOPSIS
In this Lost Episode of Urban Exploring, Guru and Ike share clips about the success and growth of Open Crates in the earlier part of 2014. The duo also spent a day in Williamsburg Brooklyn at CMJ to catch up with drummer Layton Weedeman of Courtesy Tier as he performed with his friends Isle Of Rhodes. Lastly, they grabbed grub from Sweet Chick, a soulful Chicken and Waffle restaurant also located in Williamsburg Brooklyn.
THE DISCOVERIES
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OPEN CRATES
Open Crates curates music, breaks records and builds culture for progressive vinyl heads. We vibe on all genres of heavy percussive music.
Check them out monthly in Jersey City for Open Dig, click the flyer for more details.
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SWEET CHICK
Sweet Chick's philosophy is simple: Great Food, a Cool Vibe, and interesting Cocktails at a great price.
Along with some of the best fried chicken and waffles in New York City, we're serving what we like to call American cuisine with a Southern accent: Rustic but Modern American comfort food and twists on classic dishes and cocktails, plus home-baked desserts that will make you feel like a kid again. The dining room, on the bustling corner of North 8th and Bedford Ave, is as cozy and inviting (and locally-sourced) as our food. Check them out on Yelp
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CMJ
CMJ connects music fans and music industry professionals with the best in new music through interactive media and live events. CMJ also produces a legendary Music Marathon, the largest and longest-running music industry event of its kind, in addition to live events across the US. LEARN MORE[/one_half]
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ISLE OF RHODES
Isle of Rhodes is the moniker for Rob Farren's hard hitting indie rock project. Known for interweaving dynamic stylings and virtuosic abilities, while fashioning rock with an ensemble flair, Isle of Rhodes, draws upon on blues, funk, and classical elements, with influences ranging from Gershwin, Beethoven, Radiohead, The Beatles, Arcade Fire, to Roy Orbison. LEARN MORE[/one_half_last]
LAYTON WEEDEMAN
Layton Weedeman is a drummer and DJ from Moorestown, NJ who graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Music from the Berklee College of Music in 2004. He moved to Brooklyn, New York soon after with his alt-rock-indie band Courtesy Tier. As a drummer, he’s been featured on records by local artists Jessi Robertson, Isle of Rhodes and Man Made West. With Courtesy Tier, Layton has toured the US, played showcases for CMJ in New York City as well as SXSW in Austin, TX and has been named one of the top artists in New York’s indie rock scene by the Deli Magazine three years in a row. As a DJ, he goes by the alias DJ Laytonic and exclusively spins vinyl records highlighting hip-hop instrumentals from the 90’s. His mixes include music by A Tribe Called Quest, DJ Premier, J Dilla, Buckwild and Pete Rock. For more on Layton Click Here
THE MUSIC
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PAT VAN DYKE - Frequency
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PAT VAN DYKE - Swindle
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DJ CENTER -
Dem Say Ah
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HäZEL - Badoowap
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LAYTONIC - Until You Were Gone
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BIG JACK - Live @ OC
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Urban Exploring: Bongo Boy + Mikey's Burgers (Special Edition)
THE SYNOPSIS
In this Special Edition of Urban Exploring… Iquan and Guru dig through files shot earlier this year and came across YouTube star Bongo Boy. From the LES to Midtown the duo spent an afternoon learning how young Matthew got his start. Lastly, The Artoholiks were blessed with the opportunity to create their own burger at Mikey's in the Lower Eastside.
THE DISCOVERIES
MATTHEW COHEN B.K.A. BONGO BOY
At the age of 13 Matt decided that he wanted to ditch the slow and boring New Jersey suburb life and pursue his curiosity for Music and Fashion. Since then, Matt has produced over 200 video interviews under his nickname “Bongo Boy”. Interviewing big name brands and artists such as Johnny Cupcakes, Benny Gold, Flo Rida and French Montana just to name a few... Today, Matt and his production team are producing music videos and working on a top secret video series. For more info on Matt aka Bongo Boy check him out here
MIKEY'S BURGERS
We’ve eaten at this spot a number of times while hanging around in the LES. Mikey’s is one of those spots that you find yourself in after walking the strip and just needing something to eat. Surprisingly, this hole in the wall serves up one of the best burgers in the area and the Lower Eastside community loves their cheese fries. We tried the shakes and loved them, we ate the fries and loved them, long story short… We don’t have anything bad to say about this Burger joint, especially since they have The Artoholik burger on the menu! Learn more about Mikey’shere
THE ARTOHOLIK BURGER
The Artoholik burger consist of American cheese, corned-beef, caramelized onions and mustard topped on a Turkey burger in between warm toasted buns.
Get yours at 134 Ludlow St. New York, NY 10002
MODERN AMUSEMENT
Shout out to our peeps at Modern Amusement for the hooking us up with the fresh threads in this episode. Shop now at PACSUN.com
THE MUSIC
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J-Louis - THAT DUDE JAY ( J-LOUIS x JBIRD )
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Digable Planets - Jettin'
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lAlexGl - Harco Pront – Trust
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PHOTOS
Urban Exploring: Agenda New York / Las Vegas 2014 (Episode 9)
THE SYNOPSIS
In the season finale of Urban Exploring season 1, Iquan & Guru discover the Agenda Trade Show in New York City. By building connections with brand reps, getting the latest drops from the major brands and getting inspired by the new kids on the block, the duo loved the experience so much that they decided to send Iquan out to Vegas. While in Vegas, Iquan connects with a few friends including a very special person. Enjoy!
THE DISCOVERIES
AGENDA TRADE SHOW
Agenda is the most diverse and creative lifestyle fashion trade show in the world. Since 2003, Agenda has emerged as the premier destination for brands and retailers to converge. Agenda is where passion becomes profit and the business of creativity is conducted in a truly authentic environment. Buyers, brands, investors, distributors, and media hail from around the globe, gathering at Agenda to build partnerships, participate in the community, and grow their businesses. For more info click here
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IN-N-OUT BURGER
In-N-Out Burgers, Inc. is a regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations in the American Southwest. It was founded in 1948 by Harry Snyder and his wife Esther, upon establishing the first In-N-Out burger in Baldwin Park, California. The chain is currently headquartered in Irvine. In-N-Out Burger has slowly expanded outside Southern California into the rest of the state as well as into Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Texas. As the chain has expanded, it has opened several distribution centers in addition to its original Baldwin Park location. The new facilities, located in Lathrop, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Draper, Utah; and Dallas, Texas, will provide for potential future expansion into other parts of the country.
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DAL TORO RESTAURANT
Dal Toro Las Vegas is an exciting multilevel restaurant, car gallery and events center located on the lower level of The Palazzo Hotel. Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Dal Toro features a menu of authentic Italian cuisine. The chef's signature dishes, as well as traditional Italian favorites, incorporate natural, artisanal ingredients that make dining at Dal Toro a truly memorable experience.
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ROCAWEAR BLAK
Rocawear BLAK is a new streetwear collection aimed at the fashion-minded young male consumer and debuted at AGENDA LAS VEGAS last week. The collection will be available at major department and specialty stores this Holiday season.
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WILLIAM PAINTER
Polarized Titanium Sunglasses - Anodized Black Titanium Arms, High End CR-39 Polarized Lenses, Double-Barrel Nickel/Silver Hinges, Built in Bottle Opener
and Comes with Hard Case and Cloth. williampainter.com
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FLY SUPPLY
Fly Supply Clothing is a feel-good brand that provides the consumer with quality products, inspires confidence, encourages freedom of speech and fosters creativity. Express your sense of style with Fly Supply Clothing and remember, "Being fly is a way of life". Flysupply.com
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RASTACLAT
For Daniel Kasidi Nyaggah, it all started when he was in High School. As a 17 year old, he made his first bracelet when he was waiting for a ride from a friend to go skateboarding, and the rest was history. Here we are today, a growing company with a message of Spreading Positive Vibrations®, encouraging everyone around us to contribute to one another and follow their dreams. The skate community and the sneaker community were among the first two groups to really adopt and embrace the Rastaclat® brand from the beginning. From there, our products have become a staple in the action sports, urban and streetwear sectors. We are a LIFE brand, so our products are made to be a symbol, a constant reminder of how our differences keep us intertwined. Learn more about Rastaclat
BRAND BLACK
Brandblack, is the Sports brand of the 21st century, focused on image and performance. Brandblack’s mantra, is look good winning. Our mission is to fuse the aesthetic sensibility of high fashion with the most advanced technology in the industry, to provide today’s athletes with the most innovative products in the world.
Brandblack is dedicated to the individual, to personal style, both on and off the field of play. Our athlete is a style icon, we believe in a different way to fly”. LEARN MORE HERE
THE MUSIC
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Lakim - Mountain High
Haan808 - Caldera
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Savon - Tokyo Pt. 2 (Feat. Sango)
Toro Y Moi - High Living
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PHOTOS
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Urban Exploring: Episode 8 – Color Me Rad
THE SYNOPSIS
In this installment of Urban Exploring, The Artoholik's Ike & Guru head to Metlife Stadium to participate in the Color Me RAD 5k race. Prior to arriving at the stadium Ike & Guru get into a mini debate over directions and just so happen the camera was rolling. On arrival, Guru checks in and volunteer for an hour or so while Ike roams the crowd in search of flicks. The duo met back up, murdered the 5k run and then spent time enjoying the party with the rest of the crowd all while documenting the event. What good is an episode of Urban Exploring without food? Ike & Guru hit up local juice bar HLS in Maplewood, NJ to recharge on a healthy note. Enjoy!
THE DISCOVERIES
COLOR ME RAD
Color Me Rad is a 5K that fires off in a blaze of color bombs, color cannons, color mortars, and multi-toned courses that guarantee your outlook will be brighter, your boyfriend will be more affectionate, your boss will finally remember your name, the hair on your head will grow back and the hair on your back will fall out, and your gray outlook will turn green like a spring morning.
Historically, running has only been acceptable when trying to escape the law, personal responsibility, the truth, and grizzly bears.
Instead of running FROM something, get ready to run FOR something at this year's Color Me Rad. Run for the hell of it. Learn More
HLS (Health Love & Soul)
Our mission is to prove that foods and beverages can be delicious and fun without sacrificing nutrition or principles. We strive to be the destination of choice for selective meat eaters and vegetarians alike by offering a menu that caters equally to both. We pride ourselves on bringing diverse groups together in one warm and welcoming environment. HLS: Many choices. One love.
- Arinze and Emeka, Proud owners of HLS Learn More
THANK YOU
THE MUSIC
Music truly make our episodes, great music gives great energy. In this episode, we did something never done in any of our videos, we told the story with four different tracks, so it's only right that we thank these wonderful musicians for the sound.
Track1: 1000 BONUS JOINT by DJ Day
Track2: Until Then Overdue by SAVON
Track3: LoveNothing by Haan808
Track4: Byram's Groove by Slakah the Beatchild
Be sure to check out the photos from this event in our photo booth.
Urban Exploring: Episode 7 – Smorgasburg
THE SYNOPSIS
Episode 7 is totally a wild card episode. As we work towards ending season 1 of Urban Exploring we had two other episodes already filmed and in line for publishing. But this past weekend Iquan and Guru set out to have their weekly bike ride throughout NYC and this time the duo dared themselves to ride across the Williamsburg Bridge ending up in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. After a few blocks of riding they ended up at the weekly food festival by Brooklyn Flea Market called Smorgasburg, where they discovered a ton of people and smelled an array of delicious food. Come to find out Iquan was familiar with the event but never really shared it the way he normally would. Long story short, the guys ended up documenting their hangout and created another episode filled with fresh and yummy discoveries. Enjoy!
THE DISCOVERIES
SMORGASBURG
Smorgasburg happens in two locations every weekend: Saturdays at East River State Park—Kent Ave. and N. 7 St.—on the Williamsburg waterfront; and Sundays at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 5. Both locations are open from 11am to 6pm, and feature packaged and prepared foods, beverages, and more from purveyors from New York City and across the region, for a total of 75-100 vendors. The markets are always open rain or shine. For all inquiries, please email us at info@brooklynflea.com. Learn More
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POTPURI
Potpuri is a labor of love to bring authentic Indian street fare to NYC. Different than most Indian food, this food is cooling and refreshing on a hot day and entirely vegetarian and organic. We are very excited to be a part of the Saturday Food/Flea market on the Williamsburg waterfront. Learn More[/one_third]
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PIZZA MOTO
Pizza Moto cooks made-to order, wood-fired Pizza in our one-of-a-kind ovens. Over the years we have designed and built 4 mobile ovens, which can be found all over Brooklyn and Manhattan between April and November. Customers’ overwhelming curiosity and excitement about our ovens, our pizza, and our tinkering ways inspired us to keep searching for engineering projects in the pizza-verse. Learn More[/one_third]
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BON CHOVIE
Anchovies. Highly traveled and beloved around the world. Though they're called by a variety of names, from Spain to China to the U.S., they represent a global tradition of small fish recipes and sea-borne nutrition. What's more, these guys are pivotal in global food security and reduction of our environmental footprint; if you want to make a difference, well, the way to do it is by eating a little lower on the food chain - it's true! - which reduces pollution AND resource consumption. Learn More[/one_third_last]
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ASIA DOG
Asiadogs are hot dogs with Asian-inspired toppings. Born from a love of NYC, we wanted to push the limits of one of its most popular street foods by adding our own personal touch with super-fresh ingredients.
Coming from mixed Asian backgrounds, we celebrate NYC's diversity by incorporating flavors found in China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and more. Learn More[/one_third]
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CHED BRED
Cornbread has gone from side dish to being sidelined. The soul of cornbread lives mostly in your long-lost southern relative or haunts an obscure hole in the wall restaurant. The retail alternative just doesn’t cut the cake, so to speak. Jack’s Chedbred is here to revive this authentic All-American classic and get it back in the game and on your table. Learn More[/one_third]
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MR CUTTERS
Mr. Cutters is the ONLY Barbadian/Bajan food stand in NY that serves the traditional sandwich known as a “cutter.” So what exactly is a Cutter? Cutters are found in many of the island’s rum shops and street stands and are made using salt bread (a Bajan bread roll) and filled with anything delicious such as fish, ham, or cheese. Learn More[/one_third_last]
THANK YOU
JAMES W.A.T.T.
Jersey emcee/producer James Watts blessed us with four tracks for Season 2 of Urban Exploring however we couldn't wait to use at least one. The track used in this episode is titled "Is this love" and we choose to use this one because of the slow build up. It give the feeling that something is coming. James is far from a discovery to us, he is actually a long time friend of the crew and produced all the tracks on Aaron Brown's Poetry Album earlier in the year. For more on James and his music Click Here
Urban Exploring: Jake x GoPro in NYC
I was a little pissed that I had to give up an entire day just to take my son Jacob to the dentist all the ways in midtown NYC. See my wife and I go there and absolutely love our dentist, he offered to take a look at Jacob's problem even though he doesn't work with kids. Anyway living in Hillside, New Jersey means that we would have had leave New Jersey at 10:30a in order to make it there by 12p. Again, I wasn't happy with the thought of messing damn near an entire day of work just for an hour dentist appointment. But just like everything else in my life, I find a way to turn the bad into good and I did exactly that by turning Jacob's visit to an NYC dentist into an Urban Exploring Journey.
We parked the car in Newark and as we walked to Penn Station I saw the perfect photo opportunity and that's how the story started. During the train ride, Jacob asked... "Why are we riding the NJ TRANSIT train instead of the PATH train" I then explained... Because we're headed to midtown and NJ TRANSIT is faster than the PATH when heading to midtown. Then, following question was..."Dad, when I'm 33 years how old will you and mom be?" I answered... Mom and I are twenty five years older than you and in school you're currently learning how to add nickels, dimes and quarters. So... Add two dimes and a nickel to 33 and that's how you'll forever get your answer. He goes... "Ahhh 33 plus a dime equals 43, add another dime to get 53 and then a nickel to get 58. Y'all will be 58 when I'm 33." We played that game for a few more minutes. I thought that was fun and made the train ride easier.
Now that we're here in the big city, we got the perfect opportunity to grab another awesome picture. The Empire State Building is behind us and the essence of Madison Square Garden is to the side.
Unfortunately the dentist office was too dull and too serious for a photo op, but fire me for not taking a pic anyway.
Because I'm the dad there was absolutely no way I could handle the project alone of bringing the kid to NYC yet alone the dentist without any supervision. So super mom came to the rescue, well actually she only works a few blocks away so she came just to check on her boys... Isn't she a beauty?
But just like in our bedroom, she couldn't stay long, so Jake and I were once again on our own, I decided to feed my kid by taking him somewhere unique and fun.
Check out where we ended up, Shake Shake! Heard of it? Nah? Well, here's a new discovery for you! Word on the street is that this place has some of the best burgers around and Jake and I was determined to test them out even if we had to wait in this long line.
Finally, after waiting for a half hour, we got our food. But that didn't mean we were in the clear, we still had to find a seat. When super mom isn't around super dad steps up to the plate, and with that being said I got us a seat by utilizing my pretty smile while hugging my beautiful son and damn right someone offered HIM a seat.
Time to eat, I got the burger and he got a hot dog. We shared fries while slurping down vanilla and strawberry milkshakes. And if that's not fat enough, we got a COKE just to ensure that all the goodness is flushed all the way down. Yum!
Do we look full enough?
So we chewed up an entire hour at Shake Shack, which was perfect because we had to be at mom's office by 2, we had about 45 more minutes to burn. We started on 44th and 8th and had to troop to 41st and Broadway. Now to you New Yorkers you might say "that ain't far" but try walking with a lazy seven year old, however I had a plan! I knew he never been to Times Square, which was in the near area and with that came more photo opportunities...
My super dad powers also reminded me of the dressed up characters that pose up out here looking for tips, so I decided to take a walk in the opposite direction, felt it would be worth it...
What do you think?
Fun is over, let's get mom...
We made it, however she's busy so we'll wait...
Finally, we recused super mom, thank god for summer Fridays she got off at two and now we head back to Jersey. Jake is tired, but he's with his favorite super hero's so he can rest his head easy.
Moral of the story... Sometimes we can't control everything, so instead of soaking in disappointment or frowning down on change you should always try to make the best out of the situation. Today my kid is happy and got to explore parts of New York that he never got to see. And if that's not enough, none of my clients called, emailed or checked for me today, so you can say that it was a much need QT dad and son day planned by the universe. It was a WIN WIN WIN! I got quality time with my kid, he enjoyed a day off from school and The Artoholiks got another story out of me. Hope you enjoyed!
