July 6, 2013
Today is my departure day from Gotham. I decided to spend the morning in Greenwich Village, at Caffe Reggio. Took the subway down a few stops, used my map function on my phone quite a bit since I took a couple of wrong turns, but eventually wound up on Macdougal Street
Jamie McDonald, on his TV show, recommended this place, so I took a chance. It was early enough in the day where the crowds didn't materialize as of yet, so there was a chance to really experience this place. Walk in, and you'll notice the coffee-brown interior paint, vintage wire chairs and wood furnishings,
and original artwork all around - a remarkable atmosphere, and something
that fits in perfectly with Greenwich Village. You'll also see the vintage espresso machine in the back corner (that thing is HUGE! Jamie's TV Show doesn't do it justice.) In short, this place
fits the definition of an "authentic" espresso house. But it's more -
it offers a full menu with breakfast and lunch offerings. I spent about one hour here, imbibing two Italian sodas, a croissant, and my customary nonfat mocha (my acid test for any mom and pop espresso shop), a concoction which perfectly balanced coffee and chocolate.
Greenwich Village is definitely worth spending at least a full day exploring. Next time...
Got back to the Hotel Pennsylvania, packed, got a bit of rest, then walked across the street to Penn Station (situated right underneath Madison Square Garden) for train #88 to Boston South Station.
This train trip, four hours in duration and at a ticket price of $50, was worth every penny, and taken alone, was worth the trip to the East Coast. I've ridden trains for several years, and have never seen such beautiful scenery - many of the oohing-and-aaahing passengers in my car seemed to agree with me. It was mid-day, a baby-blue sky and temperatures in the 70s-early 80s. To the right of me was the Atlantic Shore - old sailboats mixed with more modern vessels, set in the water against the buoys and the spire-adorned homes, like scenes from a post card. To the left of me was green meadows set inside green forests, and old rivers which cut through the meadows and ran alongside those white-washed East Coast spire homes. The way the colors contrasted as they passed in our windows reminded me of a modernist painting. If you get the chance to take this New York to Boston trip (or going in the opposite direction) - take it, especially considering the recent rumblings in Washington about Amtrak funding (or lack of).
Boston's up next. Stay tuned.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Saturday, July 6, 2013
New York State of Mind, part 3.75
...and after a few hours of badly needed rest from all of the walking in 80-90 degree heat and humidity, and doing some schoolwork, back out of the hotel I came for more...
>>Top of the Rock
"The Rock", of course, is the GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Center, and the headquarters of NBC Universal. It's easy to get to, as the subway will whisk you directly underneath the Center so you don't have to subject yourself to the elements. Having the City Pass will shorten your time in line considerably, as like the lines at the Empire State Building, they can get looooong. Once the elevator takes you up to the 80th floor, you can choose between indoor and outdoor for your observation and picture taking pleasure, and like any good tourist trap, there are trinket shops both at the top, and at the bottom, of the attraction.
Vantage points from 80th floors and outdoor decks are actually superior, in my opinion, to those from the Empire State Building, as you can actually get the ESB in your shots. You're closer to the visuals of Central Park, as well, and less obstructed. As was the case with the ESB, the visitors were from around the world - I was hearing various accents and languages (I was able to pick up French, Spanish, and a few Far Eastern dialects).
Again, I highly recommend getting the city pass. The $106 price gets you into five attractions - MOMA, Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, etc. The cost of admission for Top of the Rock? $100.
(The math does itself. GET THE CITY PASS.)
>>The Rock's Happy Fellers
The entirety of Rockefeller Center is worth checking out, not only for the tenants that inhabit the Center, but also for the architecture and the art. Part of it is a pedestrian mall, and even with the crowds a very enjoyable stroll. During the summer months, the central "skating rink" is converted into an outdoor restaurant, and the sculpture of the flying guy is set in colored light, making for interesting photography and viewing.
The ribbons of water behind the sculpture change color periodically. Imagine having this as your backdrop as you enjoy dinner at the outdoor restaurant below.
In front of 30 Rock, there were a set of sculptures which reminded me a bit of Stonehenge. Within the same building, of course, is the NBC Experience Store and "box office", which serves as the starting point of the NBC Studios tour. (BTW, for trivia's sake, 30 Rock actually has three addresses, or at least three different access points from the street level: 30 Rockefeller Center (of course), but also 1250 Avenue of the Americas and 50 W. 50th Street.)
Right next to 30 Rock is another iconic structure: Radio City Music Hall. I didn't go in, but was content to take lots of snaps of the neon signs and the medallions on steroids which decorated the NBC side of the building.
I then headed out to Avenue of the Americas. This street was once considered (and in many ways, still is) a "broadcast row", as three of the four major broadcast networks (NBC, Fox, CBS) have their headquarters either on, or accessible from, this iconic street. At one point, ABC famously had their headquarters at the 1330 building, before moving to their current digs near Central Park.
(A warning to you, in case you start to get bored with media industry trivia: this has been a weakness of mine since childhood. For example, I can tell you not only where Elektra Records is located now, but where it was located in the 1960s and 1970s, and where it was located before that. Same with Atlantic Records, ABC, and a bunch of other companies. It's an Aspergian curse I bear.)
In the stretch I visited, I identified:
>> CBS Black Rock (which looked like a big shadow in the night)
>> The McGraw Hill and Time-Life Buildings (check out the sculptures and decor in front of these buildings, BTW)
>> News Corporation's headquarters, home of all things Fox, including the American Bullshit Factory itself, Foxymoron News. The electronic ticker which surrounds the building makes for some lightly entertaining reading and guffaws.
>>The headquarters of the National Hockey League
>>1290 Avenue of the Americas, home of the Warner Music Group (and Microsoft, and...)
>>A lot of different restaurants and food carts.
No, you are probably not going to see anybody you would recognize entering these buildings. These are mostly administrative complexes, full of suit stuffing and business bluffing. But if you're a fan of architecture, and have just a bit of curiosity as to where your favorite (or not so favorite) shows and music are created, this stretch of Avenue of the Americas might just be worth a look.
>>Top of the Rock
"The Rock", of course, is the GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Center, and the headquarters of NBC Universal. It's easy to get to, as the subway will whisk you directly underneath the Center so you don't have to subject yourself to the elements. Having the City Pass will shorten your time in line considerably, as like the lines at the Empire State Building, they can get looooong. Once the elevator takes you up to the 80th floor, you can choose between indoor and outdoor for your observation and picture taking pleasure, and like any good tourist trap, there are trinket shops both at the top, and at the bottom, of the attraction.
Vantage points from 80th floors and outdoor decks are actually superior, in my opinion, to those from the Empire State Building, as you can actually get the ESB in your shots. You're closer to the visuals of Central Park, as well, and less obstructed. As was the case with the ESB, the visitors were from around the world - I was hearing various accents and languages (I was able to pick up French, Spanish, and a few Far Eastern dialects).
Again, I highly recommend getting the city pass. The $106 price gets you into five attractions - MOMA, Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, etc. The cost of admission for Top of the Rock? $100.
(The math does itself. GET THE CITY PASS.)
>>The Rock's Happy Fellers
The entirety of Rockefeller Center is worth checking out, not only for the tenants that inhabit the Center, but also for the architecture and the art. Part of it is a pedestrian mall, and even with the crowds a very enjoyable stroll. During the summer months, the central "skating rink" is converted into an outdoor restaurant, and the sculpture of the flying guy is set in colored light, making for interesting photography and viewing.
The ribbons of water behind the sculpture change color periodically. Imagine having this as your backdrop as you enjoy dinner at the outdoor restaurant below.
In front of 30 Rock, there were a set of sculptures which reminded me a bit of Stonehenge. Within the same building, of course, is the NBC Experience Store and "box office", which serves as the starting point of the NBC Studios tour. (BTW, for trivia's sake, 30 Rock actually has three addresses, or at least three different access points from the street level: 30 Rockefeller Center (of course), but also 1250 Avenue of the Americas and 50 W. 50th Street.)
Right next to 30 Rock is another iconic structure: Radio City Music Hall. I didn't go in, but was content to take lots of snaps of the neon signs and the medallions on steroids which decorated the NBC side of the building.
I then headed out to Avenue of the Americas. This street was once considered (and in many ways, still is) a "broadcast row", as three of the four major broadcast networks (NBC, Fox, CBS) have their headquarters either on, or accessible from, this iconic street. At one point, ABC famously had their headquarters at the 1330 building, before moving to their current digs near Central Park.
(A warning to you, in case you start to get bored with media industry trivia: this has been a weakness of mine since childhood. For example, I can tell you not only where Elektra Records is located now, but where it was located in the 1960s and 1970s, and where it was located before that. Same with Atlantic Records, ABC, and a bunch of other companies. It's an Aspergian curse I bear.)
In the stretch I visited, I identified:
>> CBS Black Rock (which looked like a big shadow in the night)
>> The McGraw Hill and Time-Life Buildings (check out the sculptures and decor in front of these buildings, BTW)
>> News Corporation's headquarters, home of all things Fox, including the American Bullshit Factory itself, Foxymoron News. The electronic ticker which surrounds the building makes for some lightly entertaining reading and guffaws.
>>The headquarters of the National Hockey League
>>1290 Avenue of the Americas, home of the Warner Music Group (and Microsoft, and...)
>>A lot of different restaurants and food carts.
No, you are probably not going to see anybody you would recognize entering these buildings. These are mostly administrative complexes, full of suit stuffing and business bluffing. But if you're a fan of architecture, and have just a bit of curiosity as to where your favorite (or not so favorite) shows and music are created, this stretch of Avenue of the Americas might just be worth a look.
New York State of Mind, Day 3.5
July 5, 2013
A warm day today, but breezes kept the humidity and heat in check.
>>New York Public Library
This looks like one of those archetypal, Greek-influenced parthenons to an enlightened populace. Marble is everywhere - the steps, the interior and exterior walls, and all of the artwork within, suggest a level of respect we as a society one gave to education and enlightenment. There are three levels to browse in, and it's all too easy to lose oneself within the reading rooms and public stacks. Many of the books, however, are "behind the railings", and available upon request. I found the map room to be especially interesting, since it showed how the art of mapmaking evolved over the centuries. Some of the accuracy that was obtained during the Renaissance period and after is remarkable, considering we obviously did not have satellites back in those days. The section on Jewish literature and the Torah was also of interest, and from appearances, remarkably complete.
In short: if they don't have it, it probably hasn't been written.
>>Grand Central Station
More marble-constructed majesty, a time machine back to the days when railroad was the primary means of city-to-city travel. It's still a working train station - now primarily for the subway system. New York Central may not exist anymore, and Penn Station is the point of departure for Amtrak passengers, but it's still worth the visit - for the sheer size and grandeur of the main room, and for the extensive food court below, serving cuisine from what seemed to be every known culture on earth. The MTA museum/shop is also worth a peak.
>>St. Agnes Church
A small (by NYC Standards) Catholic church, but also containing one of the most vividly colorful altar murals I have seen in that type of church. For practicing Catholics, daily mass is held, confession times are frequent, and they have a full complement of Saturday Vigil and Sunday services (several on Sunday, meaning fewer excuses for practicing Catholics to play holy hooky).
>>JJ Hats (310 Fifth Avenue)
This place was recommended by Jamie McDonald on his recent TV series on mom-pop businesses in the NYC area. I agree with his approach - the true flavor and sense of a town is found in the small businesses, not in the chains. Here, you can find men's hat styles of virtually every kind - English racing (my favorite), Stetson, straw - you name it, they'll either have it or can get it. The level of service here, however, is what really sets this place apart. Their staff are thoroughly knowledgable, and they have the means of "tweaking" a hat (through hot steam and cold AC venting) to fit a customer exactly. Yes, the hats can be somewhat pricy (as the website demonstrates). But for the quality of goods and services, plus the satisfaction that comes from supporting a small business, it's actually money well spent, in my book.
A warm day today, but breezes kept the humidity and heat in check.
>>New York Public Library
This looks like one of those archetypal, Greek-influenced parthenons to an enlightened populace. Marble is everywhere - the steps, the interior and exterior walls, and all of the artwork within, suggest a level of respect we as a society one gave to education and enlightenment. There are three levels to browse in, and it's all too easy to lose oneself within the reading rooms and public stacks. Many of the books, however, are "behind the railings", and available upon request. I found the map room to be especially interesting, since it showed how the art of mapmaking evolved over the centuries. Some of the accuracy that was obtained during the Renaissance period and after is remarkable, considering we obviously did not have satellites back in those days. The section on Jewish literature and the Torah was also of interest, and from appearances, remarkably complete.
In short: if they don't have it, it probably hasn't been written.
>>Grand Central Station
More marble-constructed majesty, a time machine back to the days when railroad was the primary means of city-to-city travel. It's still a working train station - now primarily for the subway system. New York Central may not exist anymore, and Penn Station is the point of departure for Amtrak passengers, but it's still worth the visit - for the sheer size and grandeur of the main room, and for the extensive food court below, serving cuisine from what seemed to be every known culture on earth. The MTA museum/shop is also worth a peak.
>>St. Agnes Church
A small (by NYC Standards) Catholic church, but also containing one of the most vividly colorful altar murals I have seen in that type of church. For practicing Catholics, daily mass is held, confession times are frequent, and they have a full complement of Saturday Vigil and Sunday services (several on Sunday, meaning fewer excuses for practicing Catholics to play holy hooky).
>>JJ Hats (310 Fifth Avenue)
This place was recommended by Jamie McDonald on his recent TV series on mom-pop businesses in the NYC area. I agree with his approach - the true flavor and sense of a town is found in the small businesses, not in the chains. Here, you can find men's hat styles of virtually every kind - English racing (my favorite), Stetson, straw - you name it, they'll either have it or can get it. The level of service here, however, is what really sets this place apart. Their staff are thoroughly knowledgable, and they have the means of "tweaking" a hat (through hot steam and cold AC venting) to fit a customer exactly. Yes, the hats can be somewhat pricy (as the website demonstrates). But for the quality of goods and services, plus the satisfaction that comes from supporting a small business, it's actually money well spent, in my book.
Friday, July 5, 2013
New York State of Mind, Day 3
July 5, 2013
Culture Espresso, 72 W. 38th St. 11:07 am.
I took a morning stroll down to the Financial District, taking the 1 subway to the Staten Island Ferry building and beginning my saunter down Water Street. Next door to the Ferry Building is the Vietnam Veterans memorial - a worthy and moving tribute to those lost during that undeclared and ill-advised conflict. I almost sensed my father there, looking over the inscriptions and the surrounding area. Especially moving was an inscription of a letter to home from one of the soldiers, telling how the heroes of that war were nothing like what was depicted on TV - these were everyday people trying to survive. Now, perhaps if our foreign policy can stop creating veterans in the first place...
Walked down Wall Street, past the Deutschebank Building, past the Museum of Economic History (with an inscription saying someting along the lines of "money is power" - how appropriate), past the New York Stock Exchange building (honestly, I'm surprised at how narrow these streets are - in the movies, I always thought they were much bigger, and the the Stock Exchange building was much bigger), then at the end of Wall Street and on Broadway, Trinity Episcopal Church. I walked in and sat for a few minutes, amazed and awed by the atmosphere within - the stained glass, the vaulting, and the overall reverence the place generates. Took a few snaps of the interior - which is frowned upon in a few places - and before leaving, noticing the two cemetaries on either side of the church. Some of the tombstones note birth and death dates in the 1700s - helping to date the region in general and this church in specific. As I walked out, I noticed the plaque at the entrance, noting the exact spot where Queen Elizabeth II stood in her gracious visit in 1976. It also noted that Prince Phillip was standing nearby. I guess they didn't get his exact standing spot - vicinity must be good enough for princes.
Walked over to the iconic Merrill Lynch bull.
A bevy of foreign tourists surrounded the beast, but I was able to get a few shots of the bull's ass as people were placing their hands on the family-making parts of said bull. How ironic and appropriate is this - our entire economy is based upon what comes out of this male bull's ass.
And people were fawning all over this bull.
Volumes were spoken at this site.
Finally walked over to the Museum of the Native Americans, but not inside as it was too early. Read a few of the inscriptions regarding the building and it's evolved purpose over the years. Perhaps this building will be a destination on a return trip - time is limited for me, and I had to get back uptown to find a mom-and-pop espresso shop - no 'Bucks for me on this trip.
More later.
Culture Espresso, 72 W. 38th St. 11:07 am.
I took a morning stroll down to the Financial District, taking the 1 subway to the Staten Island Ferry building and beginning my saunter down Water Street. Next door to the Ferry Building is the Vietnam Veterans memorial - a worthy and moving tribute to those lost during that undeclared and ill-advised conflict. I almost sensed my father there, looking over the inscriptions and the surrounding area. Especially moving was an inscription of a letter to home from one of the soldiers, telling how the heroes of that war were nothing like what was depicted on TV - these were everyday people trying to survive. Now, perhaps if our foreign policy can stop creating veterans in the first place...
Walked down Wall Street, past the Deutschebank Building, past the Museum of Economic History (with an inscription saying someting along the lines of "money is power" - how appropriate), past the New York Stock Exchange building (honestly, I'm surprised at how narrow these streets are - in the movies, I always thought they were much bigger, and the the Stock Exchange building was much bigger), then at the end of Wall Street and on Broadway, Trinity Episcopal Church. I walked in and sat for a few minutes, amazed and awed by the atmosphere within - the stained glass, the vaulting, and the overall reverence the place generates. Took a few snaps of the interior - which is frowned upon in a few places - and before leaving, noticing the two cemetaries on either side of the church. Some of the tombstones note birth and death dates in the 1700s - helping to date the region in general and this church in specific. As I walked out, I noticed the plaque at the entrance, noting the exact spot where Queen Elizabeth II stood in her gracious visit in 1976. It also noted that Prince Phillip was standing nearby. I guess they didn't get his exact standing spot - vicinity must be good enough for princes.
Walked over to the iconic Merrill Lynch bull.
And people were fawning all over this bull.
Volumes were spoken at this site.
Finally walked over to the Museum of the Native Americans, but not inside as it was too early. Read a few of the inscriptions regarding the building and it's evolved purpose over the years. Perhaps this building will be a destination on a return trip - time is limited for me, and I had to get back uptown to find a mom-and-pop espresso shop - no 'Bucks for me on this trip.
More later.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
New York State of Mind, Day 2
July 5, 2013
12:55 EST. Room 905, Hotel Pennsylvania.
Regarding July 4, 2013
>>Empire State Building
I walked over to the ESB from my hotel on 7th Avenue, and stood in the serpentine line to pick up my NYC City Pass Booklet (well worth the expense, especially when you get the voucher off Travelelocity). More serpentine lines later, through the 30s art deco marble flooring and interior that time warps the interior denizens to that era, you get to the elevators, which after your stuffed with about 20 other people, whisk you to the 80th floor, where stands a gift shop and a plethora of historical information about the building, and another elevator which takes you to the 86th floor observation deck. This deck is structured such that you can walk outside and around, and even on busy days like July 4th, there were plenty of opportunities to get good pictures of the signature skyline and boroughs of the city, as well as parts of Long Island, New Jersey, and on a clear day, the eastern mountains of Pennsylvania.
Be warned - it's a tourist trap. There are two souvenir shops within, and a single ticket is a quite pricy $50 for adults. But if purchased as part of the City Pass, it then becomes a more reasonable proposition.
>>Central Park and Columbus Circle
If you're willing to hoof it from downtown Manhattan, it's not that far of a walk. I took the subway there - the #1 from 34th to 59th Street/Columbus Circle and the southern end of the Park. On this day, the southern tip was full of life - food cart vendors everywhere, serving up the usual hot dog/kabob/gyro faire, as well as the ice cream which was especially in demand on this humid day. Bike rental stalls, which are becoming increasingly common throughout the city, were getting plenty of business this day, even with the expense of $15-20/hour. There were horse-drawn and bicycle drawn carriages for hire, at varying prices between 2.50/minute, to the $40/hour which I paid for my bike carriage. It seems a bit pricey,but on this day where I did a lot of walking already, and in an unfamiliar area, it was a worthwhile investment. I got a bit of a guided tour of the park - what was on the West Side, what was on the East Side, where the Dakota Apartments were located and the exact apartment where John Lennon lived, the Strawberry Fields section which contained the "Imagine" circle on the pavement, the artificial lake where electric sailboats danced along the surface, the various bridges, and the rowboats. And all of the statues and sculptures.
Central Park is truly the urban oasis that it's depicted to be. Even with the large crowds that appeared for this Independence Day, there were still plenty of all-green spaces where one or two can lay out a blanket and watch the overcast pass by. I was struck by how winding the paved paths were, not only "on a plane" but up and down as well - if you take a bicycle or jog through the park, be prepared for a big workout, in large part because of the changes in grade.
I liken Central Park to be much like Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, but on steroids.
>>Fourth of July Fireworks (Macy's)
To give you an idea of the type of crowds you can possibly deal with in a city of this magnitude - the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Display drew an estimated 3 million people, many of whom got to the 11th Avenue sight lines nearly two hours prior to the event (as I did.). Two hours of waiting for a 25 minute show - kind of like Beatles fans back in that day. There is a more apt metaphor to use for the procession out of this event - forget the sardine can, think of yourself as a cell within a piece of living tissue. You're bumping along, squirming along with the others in the moving crowd as it moves in generally the same direction, and as you look ahead, the people are so compacted that the distance begins to resemble various skin tones, without any discernment - they all melt together, the melting made easier by the humidity of the day. Very few cities can claim to handle crowds like this - New York's finest kept things in order, to where as I'm typing this, nothing made it to the news that was directly related to this event.
12:55 EST. Room 905, Hotel Pennsylvania.
Regarding July 4, 2013
>>Empire State Building
I walked over to the ESB from my hotel on 7th Avenue, and stood in the serpentine line to pick up my NYC City Pass Booklet (well worth the expense, especially when you get the voucher off Travelelocity). More serpentine lines later, through the 30s art deco marble flooring and interior that time warps the interior denizens to that era, you get to the elevators, which after your stuffed with about 20 other people, whisk you to the 80th floor, where stands a gift shop and a plethora of historical information about the building, and another elevator which takes you to the 86th floor observation deck. This deck is structured such that you can walk outside and around, and even on busy days like July 4th, there were plenty of opportunities to get good pictures of the signature skyline and boroughs of the city, as well as parts of Long Island, New Jersey, and on a clear day, the eastern mountains of Pennsylvania.
Be warned - it's a tourist trap. There are two souvenir shops within, and a single ticket is a quite pricy $50 for adults. But if purchased as part of the City Pass, it then becomes a more reasonable proposition.
>>Central Park and Columbus Circle
If you're willing to hoof it from downtown Manhattan, it's not that far of a walk. I took the subway there - the #1 from 34th to 59th Street/Columbus Circle and the southern end of the Park. On this day, the southern tip was full of life - food cart vendors everywhere, serving up the usual hot dog/kabob/gyro faire, as well as the ice cream which was especially in demand on this humid day. Bike rental stalls, which are becoming increasingly common throughout the city, were getting plenty of business this day, even with the expense of $15-20/hour. There were horse-drawn and bicycle drawn carriages for hire, at varying prices between 2.50/minute, to the $40/hour which I paid for my bike carriage. It seems a bit pricey,but on this day where I did a lot of walking already, and in an unfamiliar area, it was a worthwhile investment. I got a bit of a guided tour of the park - what was on the West Side, what was on the East Side, where the Dakota Apartments were located and the exact apartment where John Lennon lived, the Strawberry Fields section which contained the "Imagine" circle on the pavement, the artificial lake where electric sailboats danced along the surface, the various bridges, and the rowboats. And all of the statues and sculptures.
Central Park is truly the urban oasis that it's depicted to be. Even with the large crowds that appeared for this Independence Day, there were still plenty of all-green spaces where one or two can lay out a blanket and watch the overcast pass by. I was struck by how winding the paved paths were, not only "on a plane" but up and down as well - if you take a bicycle or jog through the park, be prepared for a big workout, in large part because of the changes in grade.
I liken Central Park to be much like Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, but on steroids.
>>Fourth of July Fireworks (Macy's)
To give you an idea of the type of crowds you can possibly deal with in a city of this magnitude - the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Display drew an estimated 3 million people, many of whom got to the 11th Avenue sight lines nearly two hours prior to the event (as I did.). Two hours of waiting for a 25 minute show - kind of like Beatles fans back in that day. There is a more apt metaphor to use for the procession out of this event - forget the sardine can, think of yourself as a cell within a piece of living tissue. You're bumping along, squirming along with the others in the moving crowd as it moves in generally the same direction, and as you look ahead, the people are so compacted that the distance begins to resemble various skin tones, without any discernment - they all melt together, the melting made easier by the humidity of the day. Very few cities can claim to handle crowds like this - New York's finest kept things in order, to where as I'm typing this, nothing made it to the news that was directly related to this event.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
My New York State of Mind
The following entries detail my trip to New York and Boston between July 3-9. I will try a new format for these entries - a quick-entry style as opposed to the long-form entries I've been accustomed to over the last three years I've been doing this. With that said...
July 3, 2013
3:54pm. American Airlines Flight 20, bound for JFK.
New York City.
I dreamt about the city off and on throughout my life, as a child with dreams of media stardom, as an adolescent with dreams of music success, to adulthood with pure curiosity in my head. Just what is this place that I've dreamed about all of these years? I'm hearing a Billy Joel song looping in my head as I type this...
Is it the overcrowded, smoggy steel and cement forest that the media often portrays it to be? Is there, and where is there, the glamour, glitz, and grime all associated with Gotham? Is it the "mini-country" that it's sheer size nearly dictates? Is it really the City That Never Sleeps? So many questions - and only two and 1/2 days to experience what I can of it, in-between homework stints and writing in this here blog, before taking the Amtrak Northeast Regional from Penn Station to Boston.
So many questions to be answered. Therein lies the adventure...
July 4, 2013
3:09am PST. Hotel Pennsylvania room 905, NYC.
I made it.
After 45 years of dreaming, I'm finally in Gotham.
Since my plan was not to use a rental car for my stay and use mass transit, getting here from JFK turned into it's own unique experience. As soon as I got out from the jetway and into the gate area proper, I felt the humidity hitting me. As I took my first whiff of the New York City air, I could tell right away that something is different about this place. And we're actually on Long Island proper, not Manhattan itself.
I decided that I would try to save some cash by taking the Air Train to the E-train (the Subway), which would whisk me to Penn Station in a little over one hour. So I walked, and walked, and WALKED, diligently following the signs to the Air Train depot. Warning to those thinking of taking said Air Train - it isn't free (unlike a lot of other airports). It's $5, which you pay after you get to your destination. The machines are not unlike those you find in other subway or other mass-transit rail systems like BART - in goes your cash, out comes an MTA pass. I took the Air Train to it's terminus, Jamaica Station, from which I walked some more, down to the city's legendary Subway. $2.50 takes you anywhere.
Remember in my first posting, about my wondering about the grime here? Well, you see it at the subway terminals (though the interior of the car I was in was clean and graffiti-free.) As I stood at the station stop with many of my co-passengers, I noticed that the place had a certain smell. A combination of grease, humidity, and old building materials which one identifies with "railroad" - it's a unique smell that I have only experienced at places having anything to do with any kind of railroad. I looked at the tracks themselves, to notice certain furry rodents scavenging through the litter between the rails, all the while playing Russian Roulette with the electrified third rail. I looked up and saw the blackened ceiling, the side walls covered with soot, and the tile floor covered with OLD, blackened chewing gum and the dust and memories of the decades which this subway system, and this stop, have apparently witnessed. This station, along with many of the others I passed on my trip here, seemed like an old, wise man utterly lacking in pretense.
As I traveled along the E route, I noticed several other things which struck me as unique. First, much of the subway route is not enclosed in tube-like structures like BART. It's a more open system, where you can see the other tracks bringing subway trains in the other direction. Most of the stations have the same basic look - ceramic-tiled walls, with the names of the station embedded within using smaller tiles of different colors. In this case, the station walls were usually cream-colored, with the station stop names in light and dark tile. Various advertisements fill the sidewalls, as well - for the latest movie, government program, or the like, and the station stops were remarkably graffiti-free. I got off at 34th street, one street away from my hotel.
More later.
July 4, 2013
3:09am PST. Hotel Pennsylvania room 905, NYC.
I made it.
After 45 years of dreaming, I'm finally in Gotham.
Since my plan was not to use a rental car for my stay and use mass transit, getting here from JFK turned into it's own unique experience. As soon as I got out from the jetway and into the gate area proper, I felt the humidity hitting me. As I took my first whiff of the New York City air, I could tell right away that something is different about this place. And we're actually on Long Island proper, not Manhattan itself.
I decided that I would try to save some cash by taking the Air Train to the E-train (the Subway), which would whisk me to Penn Station in a little over one hour. So I walked, and walked, and WALKED, diligently following the signs to the Air Train depot. Warning to those thinking of taking said Air Train - it isn't free (unlike a lot of other airports). It's $5, which you pay after you get to your destination. The machines are not unlike those you find in other subway or other mass-transit rail systems like BART - in goes your cash, out comes an MTA pass. I took the Air Train to it's terminus, Jamaica Station, from which I walked some more, down to the city's legendary Subway. $2.50 takes you anywhere.
Remember in my first posting, about my wondering about the grime here? Well, you see it at the subway terminals (though the interior of the car I was in was clean and graffiti-free.) As I stood at the station stop with many of my co-passengers, I noticed that the place had a certain smell. A combination of grease, humidity, and old building materials which one identifies with "railroad" - it's a unique smell that I have only experienced at places having anything to do with any kind of railroad. I looked at the tracks themselves, to notice certain furry rodents scavenging through the litter between the rails, all the while playing Russian Roulette with the electrified third rail. I looked up and saw the blackened ceiling, the side walls covered with soot, and the tile floor covered with OLD, blackened chewing gum and the dust and memories of the decades which this subway system, and this stop, have apparently witnessed. This station, along with many of the others I passed on my trip here, seemed like an old, wise man utterly lacking in pretense.
As I traveled along the E route, I noticed several other things which struck me as unique. First, much of the subway route is not enclosed in tube-like structures like BART. It's a more open system, where you can see the other tracks bringing subway trains in the other direction. Most of the stations have the same basic look - ceramic-tiled walls, with the names of the station embedded within using smaller tiles of different colors. In this case, the station walls were usually cream-colored, with the station stop names in light and dark tile. Various advertisements fill the sidewalls, as well - for the latest movie, government program, or the like, and the station stops were remarkably graffiti-free. I got off at 34th street, one street away from my hotel.
More later.
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