The Beautiful Greenery of the Elevated Acre in Lower Manhattan

We spent the past weekend exploring some different parts of Manhattan in New York City. We have visited New York previously and did most of the traditional tourist items like going Rockefeller Plaza, the Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, and seeing a play on Broadway, so this trip we wanted to do some different things. It was quite hot over the weekend, so one thing that we certainly appreciated along with the people who live in New York is taking advantage of whatever green spaces there are in the city. One of the places we went to see was the Elevated Acre, which is located at 55 Water Street.

Flower Garden
Views of the City
Great Place to Relax

The Elevated Acre is an outdoor park with flowers, benches, and views of the river, making it a great spot to relax on a summer afternoon. There is also an area of artificial grass where people can rest or play. Part of the appeal is the fact that it is somewhat elevated, which provides for a slight breeze as well as the interesting views. There were several tourists boats out on the river as well as a helicopter pad nearby where we saw a few different helicopters landing and taking off.

People on the Artificial Grass
One of the River Cruise Ships
Green Space

We went to a few different parks during our weekend trip, including returning to Central Park for further exploring, but we certainly enjoyed going to the Elevated Acre. We could certainly see it being a place where local businesspeople could go for a relaxing lunch break and almost forget about the fact that they were in the midst of the big city. There was a groundskeeper in the plaza while we were there and clearly, they take good care of the plants and green spaces.

Helicopters Landing and Taking Off
Looking Down at Another Park
Forgetting About the City
Trees and Skyscrapers

Free Music at the First Thursday Festivals in Canton

On the first Thursday of the month from May through September, there is a free concert at the Canton Waterfront Park in Baltimore, Maryland. There are several local bands who play on the main stage and there are also food trucks and vendors selling a variety of arts, crafts, and other goods. This was our first time going to the festival, which can get very busy, so it was interesting to see and enjoy some of the live music. The concert goes on rain or shine and on this day, rain was in the forecast, which caused the crowds to gather later than normal, but the rain held off making it a wonderful evening.

Main Stage
Water in the Background
Colorful Bus Used as a Stall
One of the Bands
People Sitting on the Lawn

Since the concert is located at the waterfront park, the backdrop to the concert is the water of the bay and the large trees of the park provide a place to find some shade. People come with blankets or chairs and sit on the lawn to listen to the variety of bands that play throughout the evening. The music starts at 6:00 pm and the bands play until almost 10:00 pm. This is the first year since the start of the pandemic that the concerts have been held, so the excitement in the area for their return was very obvious. With three more concerts to be held this summer, we look forward to enjoying them in the coming months.

Vendors Selling Items
Crowds Gathering

Lawn Chairs on the Grass
Entering Into the Park

Our First Stunning Baltimore Sunset

We always enjoy seeing sunsets and since we have some wonderful views from our new place, we enjoyed watching the sun go down from our rooftop deck. Sunsets near water are almost always very vibrant due to the humidity in the air and this one was no different. We will certainly have the opportunity to see many more, but we will definitely remember our first sunset in Baltimore. The sun set near the downtown area of Baltimore, which silhouetted the skyscrapers with an orange hue that was quite stunning. Obviously, we enjoy seeing sunsets during our travels, but seeing them at home can be equally calming and relaxing.

Last Hints of the Sun
Sunset and the City View
Focusing on the City