My birthday is on March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day. 🍀 While I love to see all the decorations and parades, it unfortunately makes going out on my actual birthday a little… messy. So, I choose to celebrate the entire month of March and fill it with joy.
Though some people bemoan getting older, I never do. I know many people who never had the privilege to get older. I almost didn’t either. I’m so grateful to get every minute of this life. I love my birthday, and truthfully I’m so happy to get every day that each one feels like my birthday.
This year, I put together a list of things I’d love to do this birthday month. It’s mostly a list of things I’ve never done before and places I’ve never been. Most of them have been on my list for a long time and I want to mark my birthday by weaving them into the fabric of my life. Some are free. Some are paid. Some are simple. Some are more elaborate. Some are on specific dates and some can be done at any time, or when weather permits.
Have you done any of these things? Are there any I missed that you would add? I’d love your input and ideas.
Here’s the list (so far!) in no particular order:
- The Morgan Library visit (Free Fridays with music)
- Roosevelt Island Tram ride
- A Gratitude Walk in Central Park / Prospect Park (Maybe March 20th – the start of Spring)
- Jim Dale storytelling show (March 9th)
- See Six on Broadway
- Lincoln Center show (March 11th)
- Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with a bagel and coffee
- ARTECHOUSE visit
- Spa day at World Spa in Brooklyn
- Japan Village in Industry City
- Tea at Brooklyn High Low
- Queens County Farm Museum
- Cooking class – would love suggestions!
- NYC’s Secrets & Lies show at Seaport Museum (March 29th)
- Ghost tour – would love suggestions!
- Catacombs under St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral
- Pizza (See No Evil underground at 50th Street; Arthur & Sons; Roey’s; Paul Gee’s; Williamsburg Pizza)
- Brooklyn Grange tour – they do yoga there, too
- AIA New York Architecture tour by boat
- Go to a reading party with Reading Rhythms
- Ford Foundation garden
- Go to Nonna’s of the World Restaurant
- The NY Earth Room – 141 Wooster Street, New York. The “Broken Kilometer” in SoHo – sister installation to the Earth Room. It’s 500 polished brass rods in a silent, high-ceilinged room. It’s a space designed for pure contemplation. Both are free, silent, and very powerful.
- Paloma the Bakery
- Lectures on Tap (March 24th)
- Redecorating my apartment
- Raphael exhibit at the Met Museum (March 29th)
- See a movie at Rooftop Cinema Club
- A class at Brooklyn Brainery
- A dining oasis inside the 50th Street 1 Station with a cozy cafe Tiny Dancer, craft cocktails at Nothing Really Matters, and See No Evil’s excellent pizza.
- Hilmalayan Salt Cave and Red Light Sauna at FloLo Holistic
- Mani / Pedi
- Acupuncture sessions – started on March 2nd
- Ellicottville visit (Feb 27th – March 1st)
- Spend an hour at a beautiful library (like General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen on 44th St or The New York Public Library’s East Room) writing a letter to my future self to be opened in 10 years.
- Candlelight Concert at the Church of the Heavenly Rest featuring the best works of Hans Zimmer (Interstellar, Inception, The Lion King). (March 20th)
- Ophelia Lounge’s “Luminosity” – Located at the top of the historic Beekman Tower, this lounge is currently doing an installation called Luminosity. They have filled the space with 1,000 flickering candles and projections of the Northern Lights. It’s quiet, incredibly beautiful, and feels like a literal “temple” to the city.
- “First Light” at Pier 3. Grab a coffee and go to Pier 3 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. It has a “labyrinth” garden made of hedges and is one of the best spots to watch the sun hit the Manhattan skyline.
- Electric Lemon’s Terrace: Perched on the 24th floor in Hudson Yards, this terrace has a massive Jaume Plensa sculpture and incredible, unobstructed views of the Hudson River. It’s much quieter than the nearby “Edge” and feels very sophisticated.
- The Staple Street Skybridge: Go to Tribeca and find this tiny, iconic bridge connecting two buildings over a cobblestone alley. It’s one of the most “old New York” photo ops in the city.
- Sunset from the South Brooklyn Ferry: Instead of a tourist cruise, take the NYC Ferry (South Brooklyn route) from Wall Street to Sunset Park. It’s $2.90 for a 45-minute “cruise” that passes right under the bridges.
- A Sound Bath at Woom Center: They use 3D sound and “vibrational therapy” in a dark room. It’s an incredible way to clear the mental clutter and focus on the health and strength of your body.
- Evening Star at SVA Flatiron Project Space: This is an immersive exhibition (running through March 19th) that explores “feminine folk wisdom” and ancestral magic. It’s a very cool, atmospheric space to wander through.
- Arte Museum New York: A brand-new immersive digital art space in Chelsea that engages sight, sound, and even scent. It features “Eternal Nature” exhibits like crashing waterfalls and blooming flower fields—a perfect sensory celebration of life.
- Gratitude postcard writing
- A “Life at Sea” Visit to the Brooklyn Museum. They have an exhibit right now called Oliver Jeffers: Life at Sea. It is whimsical, meditative, and focuses on our connection to the ocean and the environment. It is a great way to spend a quiet afternoon.
- The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered at the Center for Brooklyn History
- Chamber Magic at the Lotte New York Palace. It’s held in a private suite at the Palace Hotel. It’s “parlor magic” for a small audience in cocktail attire.
- The “Lobby of the Future”: Visit the brand-new STORIED Chelsea. It’s a landmark building that was recently restored into a stunning event and art space.
Christa Avampato 