Statue of Liberty
I have kept saying for years that I need to go back to New York. I grew up on New York’s Long Island and officially left there in 1962. Since then, I have only been back to New York City and Long Island once and that was in 1994, not staying very long in either place. This summer the stars were aligned for me to take this trip: my daughter Britt is working freelance for the summer in New York City and has an apartment in Manhattan, some people I know from Long Island would be in my hometown for a class reunion, and another reunion was to be held at this time as well. So, everything just came together for a trip home, but one that I really was very nervous to go on––it is emotional to think about going home again.
Statue of Liberty
Joe Camel
Friday, July 25, 2008. View from Britt’s apartment––7th Avenue and 51st Street, in the Theatre District. I was very happy to see Joe Camel as that meant I finally had arrived in Manhattan. My plane did not leave LA at its 9:00 a.m. departure time, which made me have to rush at Dulles in Washington, DC, to catch my connection to LaGuardia. I was the last one to board that plane and then we waited on the tarmac for over 1 1/2 hours. At LaGuardia, I made the mistake of taking the Super Shuttle rather than a taxi into Manhattan––the Super Shuttle took 2 1/2 hours. I didn’t get to Britt’s apartment until 11 p.m.
Joe Camel
7th Avenue
I was hungry, so we went out after 11 p.m. to eat––the city was still jumping and all the restaurants were open. It is said that NYC never sleeps. We walked along 51st Street past 7th Avenue.
7th Avenue
7th Avenue
More of 7th Avenue.
7th Avenue
The Azalea
We ate outside at the Azalea––it is very warm in NYC at night during the summer. Azalea is an odd name for an Italian restaurant, especially since the inside wall decor is of Georgia O’Keeffee flower prints. The food was okay.
The Azalea
Circle Line Tour
Saturday, July 26, 2008. We got a late start on the day as I was having trouble getting up because of the three–hour time difference from LA, but we did make the 12:30 p.m. Circle Line Tour of Manhattan Island. We took a taxi from Britt’s apartment to Pier 83. Actually, except for one subway ride, we took taxis or walked to get from one place to another. Taxi rides around Manhattan are not expensive. I have put most of the photos I took in New York City on slide shows––For the “The Manhattan Island 3–hour Cruise,” go to Movies, United States, New York. The cruise was fun––one thing that was not hard to take notice of was the huge number of tourists in NYC, many of them at Pier 83. A good number were here mainly to see one last game at the old Yankee Stadium. There were also many British tourists taking advantage of the pound to dollar exchange rate.
Circle Line Tour
Upper Westside
After the cruise, from Pier 83, we took a taxi to the Upper Westside to have a late lunch.
Upper Westside
Upper Westside
More of the Upper Westside residential area.
Upper Westside
Upper Westside
On a main street. Here there were many walkers, but most looked liked residents, not tourists.
Upper Westside
Upper Westside
We ate a late lunch at 4 p.m.––at Sarabeth’s, the late lunch begins at this time and it has a separate menu. I had unbelievably excellent gourmet–style crabcakes. However, if we had sat down before 4 p.m., they wouldn’t have been on the menu, and a different crab cake recipe is on the dinner menu. A number of restaurants in this area have fixed–priced lunch and dinner menus.
Upper Westside
Upper Westside
There were several of these horses in NYC. This one I saw in a park and was a Saratoga, NY, art project. It reminded me of the painted ponies of Santa Fe.
Upper Westside
Upper Westside to 50th Stree
Our only subway ride. After being surrounded by gypsies on the Madrid subway, I have an strong adversion to taking subways.
Upper Westside to 50th Stree
Jersey Boys
Tonight was to be “see a Broadway play night”––something almost all NYC tourists do. Britt decided on Jersey Boys (she had seen it in Chicago and knew that I would enjoy it). Only problem was that it was completely sold out for the night.
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
We couldn’t even buy a ticket for $97 to $122.
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
But they did have standing room seats. They were to give out 10 standing room tickets. Britt and I got on line––we were nos. 9 and 10. Photo: The standing room ticket line sitting down. We only had to wait about 1/2 hour for our tickets––$27 each, though Britt says standing room tickets are usually only about $22. (Other ways not to pay full price for a ticket: buy them at a discount ticket office in the city, usually for the same day, or put your name in a raffle at the theatre’s box office for first row seats––though you don’t get a great view from these seats.)
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys
The show was great, standing room was more than okay, and we were given 6th row seats after the intermission.
Jersey Boys
New York City Half-Marathon
Sunday, July 27, 2008: Britt was awakened early by cheering this morning (I was already awake). She looked out her window to see the New York City Half–Marathon runners on 7th Avenue. The run was from Central Park to the Statue of Liberty. I like this photo of Joe Camel telling the runners that they can smoke Camels and also run a marathon.
New York City Half-Marathon
New York City Half-Marathon
Britt sent me down to the street to take more photos. I also like this one of the Dalai Lama giving the runners some spiritual inspiration.
New York City Half-Marathon
New York City Half-Marathon
Do these runners really look like they are having fun?
New York City Half-Marathon
Top of the Rock
Our first attraction to visit this morning was the observation tower at Rockefeller Center––the Top of the Rock, just around the corner from Britt’s apartment. I have put these photos and also ones of Rockefeller Center and of Fifth Avenue on another slide show: Go to Slide Shows, United States, New York, “Rockefeller Center & Fifth Avenue.” We chose Top of the Rock to get a panoramic view of NYC over the Empire State Building on the advice of a tourist we had talked to who had been to both.
Top of the Rock
Dean & Deluca
Before taking a walk along Fifth Avenue from 50th Street to Central Park, we ate lunch at Dean and Deluca, a very good deli on the side of Rockefeller Center.
Dean & Deluca
Dean & Deluca
I was surprised to find potato pizza––I hadn’t seen potato pizza since my trip to Italy in 2005. It was excellent in Italy and not too bad here.
Dean & Deluca
Central Park
We walked up to the Plaza Hotel area and took a taxi to the center of the park and then we backtracked back to the Plaza. It was starting to get very humid, and if you don’t figure out ways to cut down on walking in the heat, you really are not going to see as much as you would otherwise. Photo: Central Park. I put my photos of Central Park on another slide show: Go to Slide Shows, United States, New Yokr, “Central Park.” I also have put on a movie clip entitled “Central Park Jazz.” Go to Movies, United States, New York. It kept getting more humid and we could tell that a storm was coming in soon (many sudden storms in NYC during the summer). We made it back to Britt’s apartment right before the storm hit and took some needed naps during it. We ate dinner at the Azalea tonight.
Central Park
Night Cruise
Tonight we went back to Pier 83 to go on a New York City Harbor Lights Night Cruise––we both wanted to see Manhattan at night from the water. Photo: Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges at night. I put our night cruise on another slide show: Go to Slide Shows, United States, New York, “New York City Harbor Lights Night Cruise.”
Night Cruise
Being a Real Tourist
I was on my own for two Mondays in New York City while Britt was at work. After the first Monday, I went out to Long Island for six days and I’ll put my photos of LI on after my NYC photos. Even though I have been to NYC numerous times while growing up, I never really got to know the city all that well, so I decided that I would be a real tourist here and see all that I had time to see. On the first Monday, 7/28/08, I took an escorted “New York in One Day Sightseeing Tour.” On the second Monday, I went on the Hop–on Hop–off bus to visit places that I still hadn’t been to or to places that I wanted to see more of that I had been on my first tour. I have put the photos from both of these tours on three slide shows,(1) Midtown, Soho, Battery Park, etc.; (2) Chinatown, Little Italy, Wall Street, etc.; and (3) Uptown: Grants Tomb, Harlem, etc. Go to Slide Shows, United States, New York. If I put a photo in the wrong category, I am not going to worry about it. The buses went every which way and sometimes it was hard to figure out where you were. Photo: One of the biggest tourist spots, Times Square, not really a square and definitely garish.
Being a Real Tourist
Ground Zero
I didn’t feel comfortable about putting my Ground Zero photos on a slide show, so I am putting them on individually here. This is the view that you get of Ground Zero from the street.
Ground Zero
Ground Zero
My escorted tour took us to the second floor of the World Financial Center to view Ground Zero. Another tour guide recommended the Winter Garden for viewing.
Ground Zero
Ground Zero
Ground Zero. The twin towers imploded––they were much taller than any of these buildings. Hence, many surrounding buildings survived with little damage to them.
Ground Zero
Ground Zero
One surviving building was St. Paul’s Chapel––in the right–hand back of the photo.
Ground Zero
Ground Zero
A closer–up view of St. Paul’s Chapel. The only damage to the chapel was some singeing of its steeple and the burning of one of its trees. Its stained–glass windows remained intact.
Ground Zero
St. Paul’s Chapel
I visited St. Paul’s Chapel on my own. Sign outside the chapel.
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel
Inside the chapel.
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel became a very important resource after 9/11. Many of the rescue workers slept and ate here.
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel
One of the photos in the chapel’s 9/11 memorial.
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel
The “Hug Across America” teddy bears that were collected for the rescue workers.
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel
Memorial Altar of photos and momentos of those missing.
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel
Badges of the rescue workers.
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel
Not from 9/11, but George Washington’s pew is also in St. Paul’s Chapel, where he went to pray after being inaugerated at the Federal Hall in New York City.
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel
Remains of a 100–year–old sycamore next to the chapel that was toppled on 9/11.
St. Paul’s Chapel
St. Paul’s Chapel/Trinity Church
This statue is on the side of Trinity Church, which is nearby and the mother church of St. Paul’s Chapel. It is called “Trinity Root” and was made from the castings of the roots of the tree that was toppled at St. Paul’s Chapel on 9/11.
St. Paul’s Chapel/Trinity Church
In Battery Park
This sculpture stood originally in the plaza of the World Trade Center. It is called “The Sphere”––a symbol of world peace. “It endures as an icon of hope and the indestructible spirit of this country.”
In Battery Park
Shubert Theatre
On Monday, July 28, we ate at Carmine’s on West 44th Street (a good recommendation from Northport friends), across from the Shubert Theatre. The dishes Carmine’s serves are large enough for two or even three people, so we had dinner to take home for my last night in New York City. Photo: The Shubert Theatre.
Shubert Theatre
Shubert Theatre
Painting on the theatre.
Shubert Theatre
Shubert Theatre
Another of the paintings.
Shubert Theatre
Gypsy
Gypsy starring Patti LuPone was also playing on 44th Street. Patti grew up in Northport, NY, my hometown.
Gypsy
Gypsy
Patti LuPone on the left.
Gypsy
Last Night in NYC
We had leftovers from Carmine’s for dinner and then took a walk up 7th Avenue to Lindy’s. I remembered that this was the New York cheesecake that we used to eat. We both had slices of it––very very good. The next morning, I left Britt’s apartment at 4 a.m. to get to JFK in time for my flight back to LA. I very much enjoyed seeing NYC again, even though at this time it really was very hot and humid and your clothes start sticking to you. There is so much to see in the city and so much to do that I think I have only scratched the surface of it. You do have to put some blinders on while in the city––not all is attractive, much is garrish, there is too much cement, but if you are successful in putting on those blinders, you can really have a great time in New York City.
