An Impromptu Visit to the Brooklyn Bridge & City Hall Park

At least twice a year, I find time to take a jog across the Brooklyn Bridge, and immediately after that, I take a relaxing stroll through nearby City Hall Park to cool down from an always delightful run.

So when I woke up this morning, turned on my television, and saw an image of the Brooklyn Bridge and City Hall appearing on my TV screen, I thought to myself, is this going to be the day I partake in one of my semi-annual visits to those iconic places? ??

Since you are now wondering what image I saw on my Samsung big screen TV, it was a scene from the hit Showtime series Billions, one of the few shows I like to watch on cable television.

Before I go any further with my story, I must acknowledge Wendy Rhoades, the psychiatrist and executive coach, one of my favorite characters in the popular show.?

Played by Maggie Siff, Wendy's coaching sessions are fascinating, and I learn something every time she conducts a session with one of her Wall Street clients.?She does a masterful job at demonstrating the value of coaching.

Also, a big shout out to all of the executive coaches in my LinkedIn community, whose work is significant and has a tremendous impact on their clients.

Now back to my story!

As I continued to stare at the iconic images on my television screen, I began to feel a strong desire to visit my favorite bridge and one of New York City's most famous parks.

So without a second thought, I leaped out of bed, rushed into the bathroom to take a hot shower, then threw on some cold weather running gear, and headed over to lower Manhattan for "An Impromptu Visit to the Brooklyn Bridge and City Hall Park." Let's do it!

Before long, I was standing on the corner of Spruce Street and Park Row, right across from Pace University, preparing to cross the street as a city bus was driving by.

While I was waiting for the traffic light to change to cross the street safely, out of nowhere, a guy riding one of those blue Citi-bike rentals came cruising by alongside the city bus I mentioned, grabbing my attention.

Interestingly enough, the reason why he grabbed my attention was that he was screaming at the top of his lungs, engaging in an intense phone conversation with someone via his Apple EarPods. You gotta love it!?

So after making my way to the other side of the street, I rolled onto the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway in full stride, soon to be zooming by several people that were already jogging on the bridge en route to Brooklyn.?

Before I knew it, I had made my way to the center of the Brooklyn Bridge, and that's when I decided to turn around and start making my way back to Manhattan.

Within a few minutes, I was racing downhill, quickly approaching a lady wearing black and yellow sneakers and a cool-looking black windbreaker speed-walking towards City Hall.?

In true Anthony Sledge fashion, I waved at her as I was running by, and she waved back and added a welcoming wink of an eye. ??

After giving her a friendly wink right back ??, I took a look to my left and spotted the World Trade Center, nestled beautifully behind Pace University, standing strong and tall.?

Seconds later, I exited the bridge's walkway and sprinted towards City Hall Park, looking to finish this run strong. Let's go!

When I arrived at the front entrance of City Hall, shown below, I ended my run and calmly transitioned into my cool down, and proceeded to walk around the park slowly.?

As you might expect me to do, I stopped on a few occasions to take some pics and eventually sat down for a couple of minutes to journal my thoughts. ??

Like I typically do on Saturday mornings at 11 am New York City time, I decided to bring you along via my words and photography in this newest article to brighten your day.?

I sincerely hope that our latest virtual walk together around the Big Apple ?? was as much fun for you as it was for me.?????

Closing Thoughts

As I made my way over to a nearby Starbucks to enjoy a venti cup of coffee before heading to the subway station, I thought about how grateful I was to have had another memorable mindfulness experience.

Moreover, I am also glad that I satisfied my sudden desire to visit these two noteworthy landmarks, then taking the time to document my experience followed by sharing what I captured in my journal with you on this cold Saturday morning.???

Friends, please know that I share portions of my journal entries intending to inspire and keep my global LinkedIn community connected, which I think is important, especially during this unprecedented time due to this pandemic.?

Lastly, before you go, take a good look at the sign on the bus in the photo below and then go out and reward your cravings by seizing the day!

Are you with me?

BTW - I just saw you smile. ??

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