All Things Brooklyn - Brooklyn Sting: BK New Year’s Resolutions
Happy New Year, everybody! As 2008 draws to a close, it’s time to start thinking of New Year’s resolutions for 2009. Burn off those Christmas cookies. Climb out of debt. Get a better job. All those resolutions sound like hard work! Let’s add some fun stuff to the 2009 to-do list.
Swim With the Polar Bears! Like skydiving, jumping into the Atlantic Ocean in winter is something that everyone should do at least once in their lives. There’s no better day to take the plunge than on New Year’s Day, when hundreds of people show up to ring in the New Year with a shiver. New Year’s Day is also when the Polar Bears swim to benefit Camp Sunshine, a retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The swim starts at 1pm sharp in Coney Island, late enough to sleep off New Year’s Eve partying. Get there early to participate in pre-swim exercises that get the blood flowing. If you can’t drag yourself out of bed on the first, the Polar Bears swim every Sunday through April, no matter the weather. Bring surf boots or old sneakers and a change of warm clothes. Take my word for it – after submitting yourself to freezing cold water for five minutes, you’ll feel like you can do anything.
Get your Roti on! What is Roti, you ask? Roti is an Indian bread that is filled with curry. It is one of the national dishes of Trinidad, which explains why I never saw it on menus until I moved to my BK hood. I’ve yet to start sampling the Roti (or oxtail or Jamaican beef patties) here in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, so this year, I am resolving to try all the new types of food that are available just outside my door.
Cheer for NY’s other baseball teams! Baseball fans in NYC are a lucky bunch: we have two powerhouse MLB franchises and two minor league teams, all within the city limits. In my four plus years in NYC, I’ve been to 40-odd Yankees games and two Mets games, yet I’ve never once seen their minor league affiliates play. This year, that’s all going to change. Minor league ball means tickets are cheap, the stadium is cozy, and there’s not a bad seat in the house. A minor league game is the perfect chance to see up-and-coming players or minor leaguers who are recovering from injuries. Mets fans, head to Coney Island to see the Brooklyn Cyclones. I’ll be taking the ferry to cheer on the Staten Island Yankees. Play starts in June.
What are your NYC New Year’s resolutions?
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