My last day of tourism in the Big Apple found me starting off in the Bronx. I had initially intended to go to one of their museums, but discovered that it didn’t open until 11:00 - and it was only a bit past 9. So I thought for a minute: what else is in the Bronx?
That’s right - Yankee Stadium!
Pulled up the route on my iPhone, and walked the several blocks toward the House that Steinbrenner built. Along the way, I stopped at a cafe for a bit of breakfast and a dose of orange juice. “Dose” - because that’s the size of orange juice I received (I thought I ordered a glass). Needless to say, I’m not naming the cafe - more as an act of mercy than anything else.
I made it to the stadium property, and took some photos of Gate 6 and the Main Gate. I also stopped in the gift shop for a look around. I asked one of the workers in the shop as to where the original stadium grounds were - he pointed me across the street to the big bat that marks the direction of the original diamond and thus, the original home plate area. This area is situated in what is now known as McCombs Dam Park, where within this multi-purpose complex is Heritage Field. On the far end, I found the original Yankee Stadium “Big Bat” and the old diamond. I envisioned the events witnessed in this very area years ago: Chris Chambliss’ home run in 1976, Reggie Jackson in 1977, the World Series’ won and lost, Mickey Mantle’s epic blasts, and countless other Yankee heroes and heroics. I’m not a Yankees fan by any means - I never was - but I could not help but to reminisce about those moments, even teasing a fantasy for a second about wearing the pinstripes as I rounded the base paths (which I did), or stand in approximately the same spot that Chris Chambliss did when his 9th inning blast off of Mark Littel in 1976 sent the Bronx Bombers into the World Series, and the stadium into a pandemonium-filled, seats-clearing celebration on the field. I even took a “pitch” on the old pitcher’s mound and rubber. In spirit, I left about 38 of my 48 years on what was the visitor’s bench, and for a few minutes, allowed myself and my imagination to take flight. Heritage Field is now, truly, a Field of Dreams.
In the distance is the "new" Yankee Stadium, built in 2008. This picture was taken on the diamond of the original stadium. The dark patch you see on the lower-right is the home plate area.
Here is the famed Yankee Stadium "baseball bat". You'll see it in old flyover pictures of the original stadium.
The view from behind home plate.
After a bit of wandering around this area, I headed back on the Subway, to the 59th Street Station at Columbus Circle. Since this represented the southern end of Central Park, I made it my mission to traverse the entire park to the North End (110th Street). I didn’t pay too much mind to the pathways I used - the entire route I took represented a picturesque way to get into shape with all of the hills and undulations. I passed wedding parties, street musicians, the Onassis Reservoir, various arches and bridges, hues of green everywhere in front of a cloudless late morning sky, and the expected allotment of field nappers, couples, joggers, families and strollers, and other passers by on foot and on bicycle. With breaks, it took between 60-90 minutes to make the trek to 110th.
I started on my trip back to the hotel, having found a promising cafe, Birch Cafe on Columbus Ave., on my Google Maps app. I found the nearest southbound bus stop, and waited, and waited, and waited….only to discover that according to the posted schedule, the bus was supposed to have arrived twice at that stop by then. At that point, I started the southbound slog on foot, stopping by succeeding bus stops in the ultimately futile hope that a bus will arrive that will offer me at least a couple of minutes of walking relief while I continued to my destination. I kept up the walking pace, counting down the numbers to my cross street - 100th, 99th, 98th - and after arriving at 94th, made my right turn. Thank you for getting me into better shape, MTA. After getting to Columbus, I checked my iPhone, and after a bit of confusion, found the Birch Cafe across the street.
I had my “acid test” beverage at the Birch - a nonfat mocha - which passed with low-flying colors. It was generally well-balanced, and most importantly, it kept my energy up for the time I would need to get back to the hotel for a bit of afternoon respite. The Birch also has a smallish selection of health-related juices and food offerings in the chiller next to the cashier, which were on the expensive side. I liked the overall, wood-toned, slightly retro atmosphere of the place, in which the denizens there were engaged in more conversation than buried in name-your-computing-device. The Birch Cafe represents what may be a growing trend in espresso houses nationwide - those that do not offer wi-fi service. The theory behind this may have something to do with enhancing a communal, conversational atmosphere where people are encouraged to connect with speech, gestures and facial expressions as opposed to typewriter keyboards, smilies, and instant messages. There is something to be said for that philosophy.
I finally made it back to the Pennsylvania. After a couple of hours of relaxation, I thought that a good way to cap off this East Coast jaunt would be a return to the High Line, and the surrounding Chelsea and Meatpacking districts. I walked - again - up to the 30th street entrance where prior to climbing the steps, I encountered Think Coffee. I had my “acid test” beverage earlier in the day, so I settled for a single-source pour-over (I forget the exact kind of coffee). I’d recommend this place, in part for the coffee but also for the reasonableness of the prices.
I hiked up the steps of the 30th street entrance. I wanted to take some sunset photographs along the Line, but it was too early at that time, so I wound my way to the northernmost point. I looked around a bit and checked out the posters describing a bit of the history of the High Line. It was originally used for hauling freight to and from the former factories and businesses, and after the line was retired, was purchased by the City. A few years of development later, and this model “rail trail” was formed.
I started, slowly, at the High Line’s northbound endpoint, heading south. Through the flowers, shrubs, and other foliage one can see the original rails and rail ties, combined with benches that seems to grow out of the concrete strips that constitute the walkway. Many of the species of flora are listed on small signs next to the said flora. There are several observation areas that jut out from the main walk path, overlooking the streets below and in one case, the Hudson Rail Yards. Some of the areas are covered, and on the southern end, cut through two existing buildings. Sculptures and other art pieces appear on the path - such as the Smart Car covered in Tire Treads with the tree coming out from the top. Toward the southern end of the route, loud music can be heard from one of the buildings with hundreds of people congregating and dancing - a festive sight and sound, indeed. Finally, at the southern end, I arrived at the entrance to the Whitney Museum of Art - a place that, looking back, I should have made time for and will make a point to visit when I return.
After about 90 minutes of absorbing all of this stimuli, the sun finally began its daily rendezvous with the western horizon. I pulled out my iPhone and, like many others around me, took what seemed to be like dozens of pictures of the setting sun. The sky seemed to transition to darker hues of blue, with the yellows of the sun changing into reds and oranges - and these changes gave the industrial structures in front their own shades of those same colors.
I found a restaurant on the corner, Bubby’s, which looked to specialize in higher-class comfort food. The atmosphere and clientele certainly looked to be a step above the typical diner, and while the pricing of the entrees reflected that “step above”, the appetizers looked like something my budget could handle. Over an order of nachos and a small macaroni/cheese, and a bottle of Fever Tree ginger beer , I continued to research and work on this blog.
After staying for about an hour, I had the idea of heading back to the Village for some live music before heading back to the hotel for the last time. But I thought, I didn’t know who was playing and didn’t want to waste the time trying to find something worthwhile. Then, I remembered that a hotel I had considered reserving a room in when I first came here in 2013 was in the neighborhood - The Jane. I decided to check it out - and was not disappointed. The hotel was originally used by sailors in the early 1900s, and the rooms and facility layout implied as much. There are three levels of room - single bed, bunk, and Captain. The single and bunk rooms are smallish to be sure, but still, they use their space efficiently for storing luggage and other things. These rooms, as expected the least expensive in the hotel at $115-125/night on average, also feature shared bathroom facilities - not my favorite arrangement by any means, but doable if I’m there for a couple of days and the place isn’t booked to the gills. The porter, who showed me these rooms, also showed me a Captains room, which contain their own bathrooms and wet bars. These rooms are quite luxurious, even more so than what I’ve seen at the Pennsylvania, and the prices for them range from $150/night (off-peak) to as much as $300 or more per night (peak). That the porters were willing to give me a tour of the place, including the shared bathroom facilities, implies to me that they are customer service-oriented, and for that tour alone, entice me to seriously consider booking the Jane for my next trip.
I’m not finished at the Jane just yet. The place has a ballroom, on the small side, but used for dance music between Thursday and Saturday each week, and a live comedy show on this night. The ballroom seems to shout “vintage” all around, with the antique furnishings and dark wood hues. There were several examples of taxidermy around, including a mounted ram above the fireplace. I was invited to the stand-up comedy show, which was free. Fun was had, and at the conclusion, I decided to call it an evening, and a vacation.
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