Friday, August 26, 2011

How to Be a Tourist with Your Dog Series: New York City, New York

We always talk about how we have big dogs in a small space, but then there's our friends Two Grad Students & a Pittie who manage to all live together in 500 square feet. But what could be more amazing than having New York City as your backyard?
 We started our blog to keep in touch with our friends and family, and get advice about raising our rescued pitbull, Havi.  As we look back, it seems to have evolved into a tribute to raising a pup in New York City.  Our friends frequently tell us they can’t have a pup because their space is too small, they don’t have time, and its too expensive.  Well, we blog about living with out 65-lb. pitbull in 500square feet, while attending Dental and Law school, on government loans! New York City gets HOT in the summer.  All that concrete!  So most people hit the Shore, Fire Island or the Hamptons.  The Two Grad Students and their pittie love NYC in the summer because it has SO MUCH to offer! Dental Student’s favorite thing about NYC in the summer are the street fairs.  There are usually 10 on any given day.  We usually check out Time Out NY online before heading out (http://newyork.timeout.com/things-to-do/this-week-in-new-york/34677/nyc-street-fairs-guide-aug-11–17).  Havi loves the long walk, adoring fans, and food that may drop on the floor.  The Grad Students love the fun crafts and new vendors at each fair.  We especially love the Hester Street Fair (http://www.hesterstreetfair.com/) , known for its gourmet foods and grassy area to enjoy.
The best thing about a long walk in NYC is you never know what you may run into!  A parade of music from around the world, Gay Pride Parade, the NYC Tenement Museum, or a free Fashion Show!
Havi is always ready for her long walks with a water bottle, backpack, and a snack!  And whenever she needs to cool off, the ground in New York’s beautiful Grand Central Station is perfect for a pit stop and picture.
Law Student’s favorite spot is the Farmer’s Market in Union Square (http://www.grownyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket).  Havi helps pick out the perfect flowers, bread, and fruit from local, sustainable farmers.  Or maybe she just loves seeing all the other pups!
Outdoor restaurants are extremely friendly in New York, and usually even invite Havi with a bowl of water.   Although, her favorite has always been the Barking Dog (http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/barking-dog03/).
If you are in a bind, or moving fast, NYC has taken over the Food Cart and Food Truck craze!  Grabbing something to eat and sitting outside is perfect with a pup!  You can even attend the Vendy Awards (http://streetvendor.org/vendys/) on Governor’s Island!

If you ever need a break from the city, NJ and Long Island are a nice hour away for a quick jump in the pool!
If you want to leave your pup home for the day…there are baseball games (we have two teams, you know!), nightlife, and movie theaters!   We didn’t get to go this year, but other pups seem to love watching a movie outdoors under the Brooklyn Bridge!
So when our friends tell us the don’t have enough time, space or money we kind of just roll our eyes, strap on Havi’s backpack and go on and explore NYC at its finest!


You can read more about Havi and the gang on their blog: Two Grad Students & a Pittie. In case you missed them, you can also read about things to do with dogs in Austin, Florida, Portland, Richmond, Seattle,  Kansas City, Nashville, Alaska, and Chicago. And you can read about roadtripping with 4 large dogs, boating to the Bahamas with a pit bull, and specific tips for roadtripping with a large dog (NYC to rural Tennessee), and Chicago Dogs Sidetrip to Harbor Country. We are still accepting posts, but we would like to receive everything in the next week.If you would like to share your hometown, please click here for more information or contact us through our Facebook page. 

21 comments:

Maisie's Mom said...

love Havi and the Two Grad Students blog! but didn't realize your place is only 500 sq. ft, it looks so much bigger in your pics...though I realize that's considered "spacious" in NYC!

http://maisieme.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

This is a great tour of NYC. Almost makes me want to bring our Chick if we get back up there before we leave the east coast! Thanks, grad students!

Anonymous said...

Yay Grad Students!!! I'd always heard it was impossible to have a big dog in a small space but they seem to be doing it...and doing it well (like my LL Cool J lyrics?)! I love the photo of Havi with her tongue out...so cute!

Jaime said...

Love this! We live right across the river in Hoboken and Izzy has ventured into the city just a few times. One stop was NYC Water 4 Dogs where she went swimming for the first time! They have an awesome Elderbull lifeguard there too! He just hangs out on the side of the pool and makes sure everyone is safe.

I wish Izzy could handle herself while we eat or grab a few beers outside. There is just too much going on for her to relax!

Froggy said...

I love me some Havi! Great tour of NYC and pics to boot!

Two French Bulldogs said...

Love it! Moms from NJ, she misses the thrills and excitement of going into the city. So much to do or see and overall dog friendly
Benny & Lily

Two Grad Students and a Pittie said...

Thanks so much A, E, M,B! Sorry for the technical difficulties last night! Thanks everyone, so fun to participate in this contest!

Kari in Alaska said...

NYC is so much fun!

Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Love to see someone else's perspective on NYC. And even though we live probably 15 minutes away from each other there's a good chance we've never even met! I'll have to check out a few of the places they wrote about. Thanks for a great post!

Sheltie Times said...

I love following your blog. The thing that still amazes me isn't the space, although that is impressive, it is finding a dog friendly apartment. We waited to rescue our Shelties because finding an apartment in this area that will take dogs in next to impossible. Cats, yes dogs legally no. There are people that sneak pets, but the risks are not wise. Humans who get evicted can generally find alternate living situations. Dogs often land in rescue when they lose housing.

It has been cool reading about dog friendly areas in the city.

Two Pitties in the City said...

E's brother and girlfriend live in the lower east side and they always talk about adopting a dog, but they worry about the space. You guys are the perfect example of how to live in NY with a big dog. We hope to visit his brother and girlfriend soon, and we will definitely let you know when we are out there.

Kate said...

Love Havi!! I love her even more know that I know she's a city-savvy pup! :)

Kirsten (peacefuldog) said...

I grew up in NYC, then lived with my parents--with my two big dogs and their one--while I went to grad school. I was dreading it, but it was actually a great time! NYC has such great parks and dog runs and even woods where off-leash is possible. Thanks for the great reminder!
Kirsten
www.peacefuldog.blogspot.com

Tucker The Crestie said...

I love NYC - and consider it a true HAFH. And sure I love the the theater, the shopping, the restaurants, and just about everything else about the place, but quite honestly the thing I love the most is what a dog friendly place it is. One of my favorite things to do when I'm there is get up early and hit Central Park, where I'm sure to see at least one representative of every dog breed known to man, plus a motley parade of mixes.

Thanks Grad Students for an insider's look at dog friendly things to see and do in NYC!

Of Pit Bulls and Patience said...

Havi, you're such an ambassadog! And you've definitely picked up some stylish tips in NYC- pretty collar, functional backpack, fabulous harness, all on one sleek B&W coat? I bet you even have a fantastic runway walk!

Unknown said...
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A Wonderful Dogs Life said...

You make city life look like so much fun. I wonder if I could talk my peoples into a city trip.

Enjoyed your NYC adventure.

Emma

Bobby said...

Great to see New York and Havi enjoying her life there. It does look very interesting.
We hope the Hurricane does not cause to much damage and everyone is safe.
Licks Bobby

Unknown said...

I love Havi I follow all of her activities! :)

They about you guys and hoping you stay completely dry and safe at except for of course when Mr. B and Ms. M's nature calls!!!!

tdotcopeland said...

Great job, guys! One of the main reasons I don't feel guilty about Michael not having a backyard is because he has three: Central, Riverside, and Morningside Park. Using the unvalidated poop patrol survey method, I think the Upper West Side is the dog-friendliest neighborhood in the city--almost enough to warrant a separate blog post (wish I had time to document it)!

Mary said...

I was glad to see Havi featured in this series! Havi is a lucky dog to get to see so much of such a great city.

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