The New York 7 - Jones Beach 18:01

JonesBeach1, originally uploaded by syllienovice.

one thing I absolutely love is the beach @ nite. the above pic does not reflect that.

what it DOES represent is one of my favorite beaches (probably b/c of childhood reasons) - jones beach state park. I grew up on this beach, spent some class picnics there, honed my short game @ its pitch-n-putt course, climbed massive mtns of sand, saw concerts, and think there's nothing wrong with parking in a massive concrete lot and walking a bit to a generous stretch of sand and waves. even though jones beach isn't the best beach I've visited (uh, hello Maui!), I feel forever linked to it and, as such, cherish any time spent there. it's one of those things about NY that I miss lots and really regret not going to more often when I lived up there. and that's what makes it so special.

we're only going to be on the island for a couple of days, but I definitely plan on spending an evening there. there's nothing like the beach once the sun goes down. the temps cool, the crowd gets more sparse, and it is so peaceful and calming. it honestly just doesn't get better than that. if there's an opportunity to pull out a beach chair and just claim an area on the beach while the sun goes down, you better take it. it's one of the best feelings in the world.

The New York 7 - Manhattan @ Sunrise 22:31

Empire State, originally uploaded by pmarella.

so lame, this I know, but can you really beat waking up to that? I mean, seriously now. greeting the morning on the beach is all fine and whatnot, but I cannot wait to be a part of Manhattan mornings for a few days. enough said?

The New York 7 - Subway 22:14

DSCF5750, originally uploaded by robbie dee.

outside of metro Atlanta, there is a tremendous lack of mass-transportation. there are no local bus routes and there are absolutely no trains. it seems like a blessing that there are so many methods of getting around in New York and I completely miss that. there's something special about traveling by train, I just can't explain it. it's probably a little of the hustle, a bit of the bustle, and a lot of the coordination that makes it all run fluidly.

it's easily one of the two things I definitely took for granted when I lived up north (the other being beaches). I really do think I have some strange fascination with transporting the masses from here to there. I love airports and anything having to do with that - like the fact that something that large can fly or the aesthetics of air travel. the same applies with rail travel. I love train stations, the practicality and dependence on timetables, and the speed of life underground. it's something I definitely miss while down south. even though MARTA can fall into this category of public transportation, it certainly doesn't have the same feel as it does when you try to get around one of the largest cities in the country.

The New York 7 - Bagels 22:09

The First Bite, originally uploaded by Inside_man.

let's be honest here - New York bagels are perfection. from the hard exterior to the soft, delightful doughy insides, you cannot beat a New York bagel.

the way I like 'em is w/ a little cream cheese and some lox. too much cheese makes the experience a little too creamy and too much lox makes it too fishy. it's all about the balance. oh yeah, and b/c I do it crazy w/ the lox, i have to keep my bagels plain. no poppies, no sesames, no eggs (yuck!), and especially no everything. just plain w/ lox and cream cheese.

and my favorite place to get these jewels is in Hicksville @ Bagel Boss. it was absolutely perfect having a great bagel place right around the corner from your house... or a few blocks away. another great deli is Gold and Meyer's Gourmet Deli and Bagelry in Plainview. for an eatery to feature the word BAGELRY in it's name, you know it has to be special!

I don't know many places in NYC that do bagels, but you really cannot go wrong. I'm sure you can find an amazing bagel ANYWHERE in the 10001. but I know that I'm extremely excited to walk out of a deli, dip my hand in a brown paper bag, unwrap a sliced bagel w/ lox and cream cheese and savor the moment!

The New York 7 - Metric 21:36

Metric, originally uploaded by Toni François.

we first stumbled upon Metric years ago, maybe 2004? at any rate, we were at the show b/c of the main band, South, and Metric was opening. in hindsight, it was an odd pairing. however, Lindsey and I walked out of the Cotton Club that evening and were instantly won over by Metric. we loved the funness of the music, the odd stage presence of frontwoman Emily Haines, and the novelty of something new.

fast-forward some years later and we find ourselves absolutely loving their new record, Fantasies, and excited to see them once again, only this time it will be in New York @ Terminal 5. it's seemed like forever since we've been to a big show, and this one is huge for us. I think the last big show we went to might've been Radiohead... LAST YEAR. aside from that, the only shows we go to are for local bands or some nat'l bands that play in bars-turned-venues.

w/ a show like this, there's just a certain "feel" to them that makes them special. you can sense it even before you walk in. from the moment you walk out the door and make your way to the venue, you know that this show is going to put you over the edge and be amazing.

well, I'm not necessarily saying that will be the case w/ Metric, but I do know that we are excited about seeing one of our favorite bands in another town that's not Atlanta. and there's the fact that we've seen 'em live before and we know that they can rip the venue to shreds w/ their in-your-face jams.

The New York 7 - 2009 U.S. Open 16:43

usopen01, originally uploaded by robbie dee.

next week, we're taking a trip up to my home state of New York and I'm just gonna give y'all seven reasons why I'm excited to make the drive up north.

BTW, please pardon the creepiness of the pic above. however, take note of the background, which is the eighth hole of the Bethpage Black, home to this year's 2009 U.S. Open golf tournament.

we went in 2002 and it was so bad-ass. in '02, it was the first time a major golf championship was held on a public course. usually these kinds of things are reserved for the private clubs and the only people who would have experience w/ it are the pros. when the Open was previously @ Bethpage, it was so strange b/c most of the attendees there felt as if it was "their" course, as they've played it every weekend or slept in cars overnite to play. they knew the tricks, the nuances, and the yardage. many times, players would discuss strategies w/ their caddies, patrons would overhear these candid discussions, and they (as typical New Yorkers would) chimed in with their knowledge and insight, much to the chagrin of the experienced player.

it was the combo of that along with the fact that there is no crowd like a New York crowd for a major sports event. New Yorkers wear their passion on their sleeve and can easily get behind a player (i.e. Phil Mickelson) or tear a player apart (i.e. Sergio Garcia). it's an amazing and electric atmosphere for a sports event of that caliber and it makes you wonder who will be the player who earns that support or is on the receiving end of some good ol' fashioned New York 'tude.

w/ all of that said (and really b/c it's the main reason we're going), I bring you my #7 reason to be excited about our New York trip in a little over a week.