Wave Hill

A friend of mine took me on a surprise bike ride. OR a bike ride with a surprise. Two in fact. It was a beautiful day in New York City. The perfect Fall day where you wear shorts and carry a sweater. He met me on the westside and I rented a bike and we rode up through the top of Manhattan, through Harlem, through Morningside Heights, through Inwood. Just stunning architecture and stunning parks and woodlands. It was the day one would do a post card shoot of this area. That was how perfect it was. (Keep in mind all these photos are taken in New York City.)

We went over into the Bronx and he showed me some beautiful homes in Riverdale. Finally we came to the surprise. It was Wave Hill.

This once private estate on 28 acres overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades was built by William Lewis Morris in 1843. It was deeded to New York City in 1960. I was in awe at how incredible it was. The Bronx, who knew?! I know a lot of people do, but I did not. We sat out on the terrace and had lunch overlooking the river. Squirrels and birds and butterflies were happy here. It was what I would call so incredible, it was "stupid beautiful." Afterwards we biked along the bike path along the Hudson River and back to the Upper West Side. A perfect, perfect day.

Until I dropped off the bike.