Big Screen in the Park

Happy belated 4th of July to all my fellow Americans out there! Yesterday, on the actual holiday, I headed to Byrant Park for the HBO summer series of movies. Last summer I went to a similar set up next to the Brooklyn Bridge ( I'll insert some photos from that below). For the Brooklyn one, my friends and I planned maybe a week in advance and discussed what snacks to bring and who was bringing blankets, etc. We were going to a showing of Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! We are all fans of the silly franchise, so we thought this would be a great way to watch the newest one. I made shark themed cupcakes, the venue gave out hats and had a photo taking station. Generally, these types of movies don't actually start until sundown, but the  lawns open earlier for picnics and claiming the good grass. We arrived as it opened, plopped down our stuff and ordered pizza from the nearby famous Grimaldi's. Although the line for the sit- down section can be quite the wait, we ordered take out and grabbed in in about 20 minutes. The event itself is free, and you're  more than welcome to bring as much food as you would like. However,they also had a booth open for refreshments like buttery popcorn and sodas. We waited the few hours and LOVED the atmosphere. Everyone was relaxing and singing along to the music. It did get a little chilly by the water, so a sweatshirt/ extra blanket is highly recommended. 

Emmi showing off the brick oven masterpiece

Shark cupcake anyone? 

As for Bryant Park, it was a last minute why - not? decision- so we quickly grabbed what we could and headed to the train. The lawn opens at 5, but we arrived around 7: 15 and still were able to find a good spot on the grass. No spot seemed to be bad, as the screen was a large, built just for the series screen. We chilled out on our very patriotic blanket (see photo below) and snacked on the free popcorn ( butter and carmel) and water as well as the treats we brought ourselves. I took a trip to the bathroom ( not recommended, the line was quite long, and most stores were closed due to the holiday- yay 'merica) and soon enough the sky changed to a chalky dusk. As the movie was just about to begin, the worst possible thing happened- yep, a rainstorm. Everyone quickly pulled up blankets and whipped out umbrellas, hoping the storm would pass, but it didn't, just intensified. We packed up with grim faces and headed to Penn Station for some no-movie condolence pizza. Although we didn't actually get the see the film, I would most definitely go back. It was such a cute, little spot with friendly faces all around. If it was anything like the Brooklyn Bridge movie, I will be back in a heartbeat. Here you can find a listing of all NYC outdoor movies for the summer- rooftop ones tend to have age restrictions (21+) and do have a fee. 

Some goodies we ate

How cute is this blanket? Me, Leah and Kayla waiting for sundown

See you soon!

Claire