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Big, full day yesterday. So full that I fell into bed last night without sharing! And when my feet hit the floor this morning, they let me know what they thought about all the ground we’ve covered so far.
We set out with a rough plan, and sat for a moment in Bryant Park. It was all set for a 9/11 memorial service this weekend, with chairs arranged in tidy rows. It’s a lovely place full of flowers, and as we walked out we could see the top of the Chrysler Building peeking between the others. Next stop was the NY Public Library, where we reminisced about Ghost Busters action. There cannot be a more impressive library in the world than this one, it’s just incredible.
Moving on, we ogled Grand Central Terminal, trying not to disrupt the streaming crowds or look ridiculous with our heads tilted all the way back to see the ceilings. Sights, sounds, smells – just what you would imagine. Exiting there, one more block into the art deco lobby of Chrysler. I had not seen this before, and although it is small, it was completely original marble and brass straight out of the past. It looked to have been planned right down to each marble wall slab, so that the grain pointed just so into the pattern.
Next we circled back up Fifth Avenue, stopping at several iconic shopping venues. I have shopped in some super places, and must say the Bloomingdales off Fifth Avenue was too much for my tired brain. We walked through most floors, browsed a little – especially the shoe plaza – but it was mind boggling to see the volume of goods as well as the huge range of prices. It reminded me of Harrod’s, where it was fun to look but intimidating in its size and it seemed impossible to wade in.
We had a very nice late lunch at Napoli, wood fired pizza and home made pasta in Carl’s (as expected) lasagne. Little upstairs cafe with its red checked tablecloths, window table just above the heads of the folks outside. This late lunch let us head for MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) for Free Fridays at 4:00. We passed Central Park’s Soldier Gate, VanCleef & Arpels, Trump Tower (with Donald’s signature embroidered on all the shirt collars in the window), and so many familiar names in the shop windows.
At MOMA, we started at the top with the impressionists, my top vote-getter. And I’m probably the only one voting in the museum department. We saw several Picassos I did not know, saw the Monet Water Lilies panels that were on display in KC over the summer. Several Van Goghs, Cezannes, Gauguins. One floor down, Andy Warhol and so many others. As much as I enjoyed the top floor, I was a little disappointed in general. Not sure why, but it did not impress as I had hoped. Wrong museum choice? Maybe. If time allows, maybe we’ll try another.
Back to the hotel via a backtrack to walk through just a corner of the massive Central Park. A little break and wash up, then we headed out for someplace memorable to have cocktails and a light snack. Turning corners in the theater district, there it was – Sardi’s! From our window seat in the lounge, we could gaze out at nearly a dozen theaters just on that street. Carl noticed that the two billboards across the way advertised the two big hits that we’ve seen. But the highlight was the walls covered with caricatures of famous visitors over the past decades. Think back over the old movies about Broadway, you may recall seeing opening night – the curtain falls and the stars head to Sardi’s to wait for the reviews to come out. Not instantly via Twitter, but in an actual newspaper.
We strolled back through the Times Square area, shoulder to shoulder with thousands of others as the lights and video screens flashed everywhere we looked. It is close to sensory overload, to be sure! Another pub window seat with the glass folded back, we felt like part of the crowd but safely behind those brass railings. We participated on the fringes of a birthday party, clearly a pub regular, since he scored a nice BD cake and the live entertainment focused on his day and his requests. We got just a little fuzzy headed, then wandered the few blocks back to the hotel for the night. We are ticking the big items off the bucket lists, as planned.
Today we’re headed for the Empire State Building, then noplace in partcular until we head for the ferry to Water’s Edge. Our 8:00 pm reservation at this restaurant across the East River will give us those spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline as the lights come on. It’s been on the ‘list’ from the beginning, so we are excited to have gotten a prime reservation on a Saturday night and hopeful for a table with a good view.
I have to say a bit about the heightened security in NYC this weekend. There is a huge police presence, funneling traffic down to a single lane to take a close look as they flow through. It does not seem to be an imposition, as they conduct their business very professionally. Can’t wait to share pics of tonight’s dinner!