Uptown. Downtown. All Around Town...MaiTaiTom's NYC 2015
Jan 14th, 2016, 05:22 PM
#41
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Very entertaining report -- the one-liners are great.
Regarding the cold luggage story, hilarious description but way to keep it together -- I've been there before
I've been meaning to go to the cloisters (and also to church one of these days), so I really enjoyed your description of your visit . . . seems like I may be able to pull off two birds with one stone!
Finally, I commend you on your subway resilience!
Regarding the cold luggage story, hilarious description but way to keep it together -- I've been there before
I've been meaning to go to the cloisters (and also to church one of these days), so I really enjoyed your description of your visit . . . seems like I may be able to pull off two birds with one stone!
Finally, I commend you on your subway resilience!
Jan 14th, 2016, 07:05 PM
#43
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MaiTai...
Thanks for writing about the Woolworth Building Tour. We've had Bob G. as a guide at a Chelsea Market Tour and a Central Park Tour and thought he was great. My mom and I are planning a mid-March visit to NYC and have put the Woolworth Building tour on our "list" of things to do.
Several years ago we followed your lead with a visit to the Morgan Library in NYC and loved it!
Thanks for writing about the Woolworth Building Tour. We've had Bob G. as a guide at a Chelsea Market Tour and a Central Park Tour and thought he was great. My mom and I are planning a mid-March visit to NYC and have put the Woolworth Building tour on our "list" of things to do.
Several years ago we followed your lead with a visit to the Morgan Library in NYC and loved it!
Jan 16th, 2016, 08:15 AM
#44
Original Poster
Talk about the perfect day! Day Four in New York City might have been the best weather day we’ve ever had on a trip, which was fortuitous since we started out the day with an incredible morning stroll through Central Park (the pictures tell the story of a stunning autumn morning in New York). Although we could have spent all day there, we then went to see the famed Woman In Gold painting. After a wacky little taxi ride (and I mean little), we hit beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral (the real one), a Winter Carnival in Bryant Park and a walk along the High Line. Another busy day…but there’s no other way we like to roll in NYC! (click on link below for a look at the incomparable Central Park on an autumn morning)
http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/21205-2/
Day Four - Where’s Cary Grant, Autumn In Central Park, Got Milk, What’s Neue, Copped Klimt, The Picture In The Bathroom, Get Me Off This Taxi, Trumped, Window Shopping, You Mean This Is St. Patricks, We Don’t Make It To Toledo, The Dessert Drink To End All Dessert Drinks, Christmas Shopping In The Park, Getting High, How Do These Kids Afford This Place and You Can Drop Me Off Here
All I can say about this day is, “Wow, what a morning!”
Somehow, I was able to navigate to the correct subway platform and within a short period of time we were exiting at 59th Street and 5th Avenue at the south end of Central Park. The first view of the park was more than gorgeous on a postcard-worthy day in NYC.
I chose this as a starting off point, because across the street was a hotel featured in one on my favorite movies of all-time, North By Northwest. After nearly being run over by a horse-drawn carriage, Tracy and I hoofed it into The Plaza Hotel. My goal was to go to the Oak Room Bar, where Cary Grant sipped a martini shortly before being kidnapped. It was too early for martinis (even for us), but it made no difference.
Sadly, the Oak Room is only open for private functions (it’s been closed to the public for three years, but I think I read it will reopen), so we were unable to enter and be kidnapped. Tracy was even going to ask the hotel to page “George Kaplan.” Yes, my wife is a real (Eva Marie) saint.
Instead we walked around the interior of the hotel (so this how the other half lives), but it was so beautiful outside we quickly exited for our two-hour stroll through Central Park.
Autumn was in full glory! The trees and pond were mesmerizing. I believe we used up half our battery capacity in our Central Park Photo Marathon.
Entering near the pond at the southeast corner of the park, we began our hike. The NYC skyline behind the pond made for an interesting juxtaposition.
After chatting with some Canadians from Toronto, we made our way onto boulders overlooking the Wolman Ice Rink. Since I’m on blood thinners and one fall would be my last, we deferred from taking the ice.
Next we walked by The Dairy/Visitors Center. The dairy was constructed in 1870 after scandals and a cholera outbreak put the dairy industry in a bad light (cholera will do that), so this place provided families a place to purchase milk.
Tracy said, “Let’s go to The Mall.” I told her I really wasn’t in the mood to shop, but she assured me this mall contained no Brookstone or Gap stores.
Instead we headed down a pathway of elm trees. According to literature we read, “The trees of Central Park have an important impact on the urban environment. They improve the quality of our air and water; reduce storm water runoff, flooding and erosion; and lower the air temperature in the summer. This is why Central Park is called the lungs of New York City.”
Speaking of literature, the southern end of the Mall is called Literary Walk. The first statue we saw was of that great literary figure, Christopher Columbus.
Well, Robert Burns WAS a poet, and we walked past his statue.
Soon we were at the statue of composer Ludwig von Beethoven. This sculpture originally stood on the site of the present Bandshell, but now resides at the site of the original cast-iron bandstand that was demolished in the 1920s. I guess you could have called that transition “Beethoven’s first movement.”
After giving a couple of bucks to a gentleman playing a mean saxophone, we carried on toward the Bethesda Fountain, which was dry. The fountain has the only statue that was commissioned for the Park. It was created by Emma Stebbins, which was the first time a woman received a public art commission in New York City.
From there, we walked over to the Cherry Hills Fountain that some dub the “Friends Fountain,” mistakenly thinking this was the fountain where the characters from that TV show frolicked. That fountain was actually located on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles, but that didn’t deter my beloved wife from being photographed in the fountain. Fortunately, it too, was dry.
Not dry was the 18-acre Central Park Lake, which up until the mid 20th century was open for ice skating in the winter and boating during the summer months. The 27-story San Remo Building (a co-op apartment) stands majestically behind the lake. It opened in 1930.
Up ahead was the graceful Bow Bridge, the first cast-iron bridge built in the park (1859 -1862) and the second oldest in the United States.
As you can see, the autumn colors were vibrant.
We (and lots of others) paused for photos on this bridge.
The colors were popping.
We rambled over a wooden bridge in the Ramble, a 36-acre “wild garden.” This is the spot in the park to get lost...literally.
Paths go every which way, and if you had a short memory, you’d be hard pressed to believe you were in the middle of a huge city.
Everything was beautiful, especially this tree with red leaves, where we could not take enough photos.
The other trees were no slouches either.
At every turn, it was a photographer’s dream.
Once we passed the Great Lawn and hit the Reservoir, it was time to head over to 5th Avenue. There was a painting with our name on it that we wanted to see in person.
We popped out on 86th Street, took a quick left at the MET, and after passing an array of gorgeous flowers, we arrived at our appointed destination: The Neue Galerie, a museum for Austrian and German Art. The painting we wanted to see was the famed Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (aka The Woman In Gold) by Gustav Klimt, a work of art that Tracy has more than a passing acquaintance.
Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881–1925) was a wealthy member of Viennese society. She was a patron and close friend of Klimt. After she died, her husband had to flee when the Nazis annexed Austria. For those of you who don't know the background on this painting, Maria Altmann was the niece of the Adele Bloch-Bauer, the woman in the portrait, Woman in Gold.
Her aunt gave her the diamond necklace as a wedding gift. When they were forced to flee Austria, the painting, the necklace and many other items were seized by the Nazis. This painting spent decades at the Belvedere Gallery in Vienna and is considered Austria's Mona Lisa. Mrs. Altmann took the Austrian government to court and ultimately won the return of this and four other paintings. The necklace was never recovered.
In June 2006 the work was sold for $135 million to Ronald Lauder for the Neue Galerie, at the time a record price for a painting. See the movie (Woman in Gold) or read the book! Fascinating painting and even more fascinating history.
Tracy happens to work with an attorney who was Mrs. Altmann's longtime neighbor and who told her that the movie (Woman In Gold) was pretty darn accurate (90%).
It was $20 apiece to get inside this beautiful building with an ornate staircase. There are no photos allowed inside (the staircase was ok).
We saw the painting, and similarly to the Mona Lisa, it’s much smaller than we had envisioned. I know a lot of people are enamored with this museum, but truthfully after viewing a couple of other Klimt paintings that we liked, there was nothing that interested us throughout the rest of the museum, so we hightailed it out within a half hour.
Tracy then took out her phone and showed me a photo of The Woman In Gold. “How did you get that?” I asked. She smiled and replied, “The bathroom.” It turns out there is a poster in the bathroom where you can take a picture of it.
By now our feet were aching, and we wanted to have lunch at a Spanish restaurant called Toledo that was all the way down at 36th. With memories of yesterday’s fiasco, I hailed a cab when we got to the MET. Now, we had a new fiasco.
Traffic on 5th Avenue in the early afternoon travels slower than molasses. I swear I saw a guy in a wheelchair zoom past us.
By the time we reached the Plaza Hotel, the fare was already at $12. We got out there and instead of The Woman In Gold, there was The Statue In Gold. At the Grand Army Plaza in front of the hotel is a golden equestrian statue. It features Union General William Tecumseh Sherman sitting on his horse right behind Winged “Victory.”
We were standing at 5th Avenue and 59th Street, and when Tracy asked me what street Toledo was located, I wished I were in Toledo...Toledo, Ohio. “36th,” I whispered. Fortunately it was sunny so Tracy had no umbrella to impale me with, so on we marched.
After just a couple of blocks, we looked across the street and there stood Trump Tower. We didn’t hear any insults, so we figured “The Donald” must be in Iowa or New Hampshire yelling at someone.
The ritzy stores along 5th Avenue had window displays awash with rich clothing and richer jewelry. I told Tracy I would have bought her a bejeweled necklace, but the cab ride wiped me out.
Soon, we were at Saint Thomas Episcopal Church located at 53rd Avenue, which is the fourth church to be built at this site. This one dates from 1913.
The High Altar and Reredos of Saint Thomas Church was designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue.
The New Chancel Pipe Organ also stood out.
A few blocks later we were faced with an embarrassing moment. “Wow, look at that cathedral across the street! What is that?” I asked.
To backtrack a moment, when we visited NYC in 2011, we thought we had visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We left underwhelmed. After walking across the street on this day to find out what this church was named, we came to the stark realization that we were, indeed, idiots. We found out that we were standing in the incredibly beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
“Where the heck did we go last time?” I asked Tracy. We were at a loss, but since there was a service going on, we crept around as quiet as a church mouse.
St. Patrick’s was dedicated in 1879 and is in the final stage of a $175 million restoration.
It is the largest decorated Neo-Gothic-style Catholic cathedral in North America.
We walked by the Pietà sculpture. The pietà is three times larger than the Michelangelo's Pietà.
There are Gothic-style carvings and...
..I, of course, had to pay respects to my buddy and hospital mate, St. Michael. His altar was designed by Tiffany & Co.
The windows were made by artists in Chartres, Birmingham and Boston.
So let me right now offer my apologies St. Patrick’s Cathedral. You really are quite stupendous, and I am quite stupid.
Walking outside, we looked toward Rockefeller Center, made a left and soon our steps were becoming more and more of a chore. At 45th Street, it actually felt like we had hiked to Toledo, Ohio. “Let’s make a right and have lunch in Bryant Park,” I said. Once again, I believe I barely saved our marriage with that call.
After walking past the NY Public Library and upon entering the park, we saw that the Bryant Park Winter Village was set up with numerous booths that I knew would cost us some money later. First, however, the Bryant Park Grill beckoned.
After being seated, I enjoyed a White Bean and Tomato Soup, while Tracy started with a Country Pear Salad. We split the chicken sandwich on a brioche roll, but it was dessert that had caught our eye.
Knowing that if we each had a Salted Caramel martini that we’d probably be asleep before we reached the subway platform, we split this delicious cocktail made with Stoli Salted Karamel Vodka, Bailey’s and Patron Tequila. It was fantastic, and I made many of them over the holidays.
Back outside we hit a few booths (I bought a new wallet and Tracy bought some scarves), walked by the skating rink, fountain and carrousel, and we took the correct subway (miracoli) back to the hotel.
No nap today...next stop: The High Line. Built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side, we had walked this nearly 1 1/2 mile stretch a few years back, but on this day, we only went a small distance.
I didn’t know you could see the Statue Of Liberty from here.
The sun was setting as we walked out past Einstein.
There were a few colorfully decorated stores on our stroll and a restaurant called Fig & Olive. We had planned to go to Greenwich Village for dinner, but my feet told me, “Stay close to the hotel old man!”
Our next stop took us to the nearby Chelsea Market. Inside are a number of shops from a great bakery we visited on our last trip, wine stores, floral shops and a wonderful restaurant, The Green Table (ate there in 2011).
There’s always something colorful going on at Chelsea Market, and today was no different.
We hung out for about 20 minutes just walking around. The place was jamming on this Friday evening.
Back at the hotel, the desk person made 8 o’clock reservations for us at Fig & Olive. This place was also bustling with mostly hip 20 somethings (we fit right in). “How the hell do they afford these NYC prices?” I thought.
After our $13 Manhattans, Tracy ordered three crostinis ($13), and they were a “Wow” dish. The apple gorgonzola/roasted pepper, prosciutto/ricotta/fig and goat cheese with caramelized onion and chive crostinis were “amazing,” so I was told. By the time I took the photo and put my camera away, they were gone. Fortunately, I loved my Butternut Squash & Chestnut zuppa ($13...seems to be a theme).
For dinner, my “Wow” dish was the Fig & Gorgonzola risotto. Fabulous! Less fabulous was Tracy’s roasted chicken, but it was still very good.
Since I could still fit into one pair of my pants, I ended up with a chocolate and orange fondant with vanilla ice cream for dessert. We got out of there for slightly less than $200 (the $58 bottle of pinot noir kind of jacked up the price).
We walked slowly back to the hotel. I might have eaten a tad too much. Nearing the hotel, I joked to Tracy, “You can just drop me off here.” We were standing next to Redden’s Funeral Home, a place I almost ended up the previous evening.
Asleep before our heads hit the pillow (ok, that’s not really possible), we got a good night’s sleep before our last day in NYC. Tomorrow, we’d get up early to check out another outdoor market in the park. Then we’d head to our favorite NYC food store before hanging out with the throngs at a famous NYC shopping mecca ready to sponsor a Thanksgiving parade.
Next: Day Five - A More Perfect Union, Yep It’s Still Flat, The Best Coffee I’ve Ever Tasted, Our Eataly Fix, No Parrots Please, Police Presence, Miracle On 34th Street, You Can Never Have Enough Squirrels, Death Escalators, Taco Time, I Think You Have The Wrong Fare and Adios NYC
http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/21205-2/
Day Four - Where’s Cary Grant, Autumn In Central Park, Got Milk, What’s Neue, Copped Klimt, The Picture In The Bathroom, Get Me Off This Taxi, Trumped, Window Shopping, You Mean This Is St. Patricks, We Don’t Make It To Toledo, The Dessert Drink To End All Dessert Drinks, Christmas Shopping In The Park, Getting High, How Do These Kids Afford This Place and You Can Drop Me Off Here
All I can say about this day is, “Wow, what a morning!”
Somehow, I was able to navigate to the correct subway platform and within a short period of time we were exiting at 59th Street and 5th Avenue at the south end of Central Park. The first view of the park was more than gorgeous on a postcard-worthy day in NYC.
I chose this as a starting off point, because across the street was a hotel featured in one on my favorite movies of all-time, North By Northwest. After nearly being run over by a horse-drawn carriage, Tracy and I hoofed it into The Plaza Hotel. My goal was to go to the Oak Room Bar, where Cary Grant sipped a martini shortly before being kidnapped. It was too early for martinis (even for us), but it made no difference.
Sadly, the Oak Room is only open for private functions (it’s been closed to the public for three years, but I think I read it will reopen), so we were unable to enter and be kidnapped. Tracy was even going to ask the hotel to page “George Kaplan.” Yes, my wife is a real (Eva Marie) saint.
Instead we walked around the interior of the hotel (so this how the other half lives), but it was so beautiful outside we quickly exited for our two-hour stroll through Central Park.
Autumn was in full glory! The trees and pond were mesmerizing. I believe we used up half our battery capacity in our Central Park Photo Marathon.
Entering near the pond at the southeast corner of the park, we began our hike. The NYC skyline behind the pond made for an interesting juxtaposition.
After chatting with some Canadians from Toronto, we made our way onto boulders overlooking the Wolman Ice Rink. Since I’m on blood thinners and one fall would be my last, we deferred from taking the ice.
Next we walked by The Dairy/Visitors Center. The dairy was constructed in 1870 after scandals and a cholera outbreak put the dairy industry in a bad light (cholera will do that), so this place provided families a place to purchase milk.
Tracy said, “Let’s go to The Mall.” I told her I really wasn’t in the mood to shop, but she assured me this mall contained no Brookstone or Gap stores.
Instead we headed down a pathway of elm trees. According to literature we read, “The trees of Central Park have an important impact on the urban environment. They improve the quality of our air and water; reduce storm water runoff, flooding and erosion; and lower the air temperature in the summer. This is why Central Park is called the lungs of New York City.”
Speaking of literature, the southern end of the Mall is called Literary Walk. The first statue we saw was of that great literary figure, Christopher Columbus.
Well, Robert Burns WAS a poet, and we walked past his statue.
Soon we were at the statue of composer Ludwig von Beethoven. This sculpture originally stood on the site of the present Bandshell, but now resides at the site of the original cast-iron bandstand that was demolished in the 1920s. I guess you could have called that transition “Beethoven’s first movement.”
After giving a couple of bucks to a gentleman playing a mean saxophone, we carried on toward the Bethesda Fountain, which was dry. The fountain has the only statue that was commissioned for the Park. It was created by Emma Stebbins, which was the first time a woman received a public art commission in New York City.
From there, we walked over to the Cherry Hills Fountain that some dub the “Friends Fountain,” mistakenly thinking this was the fountain where the characters from that TV show frolicked. That fountain was actually located on the Warner Bros. lot in Los Angeles, but that didn’t deter my beloved wife from being photographed in the fountain. Fortunately, it too, was dry.
Not dry was the 18-acre Central Park Lake, which up until the mid 20th century was open for ice skating in the winter and boating during the summer months. The 27-story San Remo Building (a co-op apartment) stands majestically behind the lake. It opened in 1930.
Up ahead was the graceful Bow Bridge, the first cast-iron bridge built in the park (1859 -1862) and the second oldest in the United States.
As you can see, the autumn colors were vibrant.
We (and lots of others) paused for photos on this bridge.
The colors were popping.
We rambled over a wooden bridge in the Ramble, a 36-acre “wild garden.” This is the spot in the park to get lost...literally.
Paths go every which way, and if you had a short memory, you’d be hard pressed to believe you were in the middle of a huge city.
Everything was beautiful, especially this tree with red leaves, where we could not take enough photos.
The other trees were no slouches either.
At every turn, it was a photographer’s dream.
Once we passed the Great Lawn and hit the Reservoir, it was time to head over to 5th Avenue. There was a painting with our name on it that we wanted to see in person.
We popped out on 86th Street, took a quick left at the MET, and after passing an array of gorgeous flowers, we arrived at our appointed destination: The Neue Galerie, a museum for Austrian and German Art. The painting we wanted to see was the famed Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (aka The Woman In Gold) by Gustav Klimt, a work of art that Tracy has more than a passing acquaintance.
Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881–1925) was a wealthy member of Viennese society. She was a patron and close friend of Klimt. After she died, her husband had to flee when the Nazis annexed Austria. For those of you who don't know the background on this painting, Maria Altmann was the niece of the Adele Bloch-Bauer, the woman in the portrait, Woman in Gold.
Her aunt gave her the diamond necklace as a wedding gift. When they were forced to flee Austria, the painting, the necklace and many other items were seized by the Nazis. This painting spent decades at the Belvedere Gallery in Vienna and is considered Austria's Mona Lisa. Mrs. Altmann took the Austrian government to court and ultimately won the return of this and four other paintings. The necklace was never recovered.
In June 2006 the work was sold for $135 million to Ronald Lauder for the Neue Galerie, at the time a record price for a painting. See the movie (Woman in Gold) or read the book! Fascinating painting and even more fascinating history.
Tracy happens to work with an attorney who was Mrs. Altmann's longtime neighbor and who told her that the movie (Woman In Gold) was pretty darn accurate (90%).
It was $20 apiece to get inside this beautiful building with an ornate staircase. There are no photos allowed inside (the staircase was ok).
We saw the painting, and similarly to the Mona Lisa, it’s much smaller than we had envisioned. I know a lot of people are enamored with this museum, but truthfully after viewing a couple of other Klimt paintings that we liked, there was nothing that interested us throughout the rest of the museum, so we hightailed it out within a half hour.
Tracy then took out her phone and showed me a photo of The Woman In Gold. “How did you get that?” I asked. She smiled and replied, “The bathroom.” It turns out there is a poster in the bathroom where you can take a picture of it.
By now our feet were aching, and we wanted to have lunch at a Spanish restaurant called Toledo that was all the way down at 36th. With memories of yesterday’s fiasco, I hailed a cab when we got to the MET. Now, we had a new fiasco.
Traffic on 5th Avenue in the early afternoon travels slower than molasses. I swear I saw a guy in a wheelchair zoom past us.
By the time we reached the Plaza Hotel, the fare was already at $12. We got out there and instead of The Woman In Gold, there was The Statue In Gold. At the Grand Army Plaza in front of the hotel is a golden equestrian statue. It features Union General William Tecumseh Sherman sitting on his horse right behind Winged “Victory.”
We were standing at 5th Avenue and 59th Street, and when Tracy asked me what street Toledo was located, I wished I were in Toledo...Toledo, Ohio. “36th,” I whispered. Fortunately it was sunny so Tracy had no umbrella to impale me with, so on we marched.
After just a couple of blocks, we looked across the street and there stood Trump Tower. We didn’t hear any insults, so we figured “The Donald” must be in Iowa or New Hampshire yelling at someone.
The ritzy stores along 5th Avenue had window displays awash with rich clothing and richer jewelry. I told Tracy I would have bought her a bejeweled necklace, but the cab ride wiped me out.
Soon, we were at Saint Thomas Episcopal Church located at 53rd Avenue, which is the fourth church to be built at this site. This one dates from 1913.
The High Altar and Reredos of Saint Thomas Church was designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue.
The New Chancel Pipe Organ also stood out.
A few blocks later we were faced with an embarrassing moment. “Wow, look at that cathedral across the street! What is that?” I asked.
To backtrack a moment, when we visited NYC in 2011, we thought we had visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral. We left underwhelmed. After walking across the street on this day to find out what this church was named, we came to the stark realization that we were, indeed, idiots. We found out that we were standing in the incredibly beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
“Where the heck did we go last time?” I asked Tracy. We were at a loss, but since there was a service going on, we crept around as quiet as a church mouse.
St. Patrick’s was dedicated in 1879 and is in the final stage of a $175 million restoration.
It is the largest decorated Neo-Gothic-style Catholic cathedral in North America.
We walked by the Pietà sculpture. The pietà is three times larger than the Michelangelo's Pietà.
There are Gothic-style carvings and...
..I, of course, had to pay respects to my buddy and hospital mate, St. Michael. His altar was designed by Tiffany & Co.
The windows were made by artists in Chartres, Birmingham and Boston.
So let me right now offer my apologies St. Patrick’s Cathedral. You really are quite stupendous, and I am quite stupid.
Walking outside, we looked toward Rockefeller Center, made a left and soon our steps were becoming more and more of a chore. At 45th Street, it actually felt like we had hiked to Toledo, Ohio. “Let’s make a right and have lunch in Bryant Park,” I said. Once again, I believe I barely saved our marriage with that call.
After walking past the NY Public Library and upon entering the park, we saw that the Bryant Park Winter Village was set up with numerous booths that I knew would cost us some money later. First, however, the Bryant Park Grill beckoned.
After being seated, I enjoyed a White Bean and Tomato Soup, while Tracy started with a Country Pear Salad. We split the chicken sandwich on a brioche roll, but it was dessert that had caught our eye.
Knowing that if we each had a Salted Caramel martini that we’d probably be asleep before we reached the subway platform, we split this delicious cocktail made with Stoli Salted Karamel Vodka, Bailey’s and Patron Tequila. It was fantastic, and I made many of them over the holidays.
Back outside we hit a few booths (I bought a new wallet and Tracy bought some scarves), walked by the skating rink, fountain and carrousel, and we took the correct subway (miracoli) back to the hotel.
No nap today...next stop: The High Line. Built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side, we had walked this nearly 1 1/2 mile stretch a few years back, but on this day, we only went a small distance.
I didn’t know you could see the Statue Of Liberty from here.
The sun was setting as we walked out past Einstein.
There were a few colorfully decorated stores on our stroll and a restaurant called Fig & Olive. We had planned to go to Greenwich Village for dinner, but my feet told me, “Stay close to the hotel old man!”
Our next stop took us to the nearby Chelsea Market. Inside are a number of shops from a great bakery we visited on our last trip, wine stores, floral shops and a wonderful restaurant, The Green Table (ate there in 2011).
There’s always something colorful going on at Chelsea Market, and today was no different.
We hung out for about 20 minutes just walking around. The place was jamming on this Friday evening.
Back at the hotel, the desk person made 8 o’clock reservations for us at Fig & Olive. This place was also bustling with mostly hip 20 somethings (we fit right in). “How the hell do they afford these NYC prices?” I thought.
After our $13 Manhattans, Tracy ordered three crostinis ($13), and they were a “Wow” dish. The apple gorgonzola/roasted pepper, prosciutto/ricotta/fig and goat cheese with caramelized onion and chive crostinis were “amazing,” so I was told. By the time I took the photo and put my camera away, they were gone. Fortunately, I loved my Butternut Squash & Chestnut zuppa ($13...seems to be a theme).
For dinner, my “Wow” dish was the Fig & Gorgonzola risotto. Fabulous! Less fabulous was Tracy’s roasted chicken, but it was still very good.
Since I could still fit into one pair of my pants, I ended up with a chocolate and orange fondant with vanilla ice cream for dessert. We got out of there for slightly less than $200 (the $58 bottle of pinot noir kind of jacked up the price).
We walked slowly back to the hotel. I might have eaten a tad too much. Nearing the hotel, I joked to Tracy, “You can just drop me off here.” We were standing next to Redden’s Funeral Home, a place I almost ended up the previous evening.
Asleep before our heads hit the pillow (ok, that’s not really possible), we got a good night’s sleep before our last day in NYC. Tomorrow, we’d get up early to check out another outdoor market in the park. Then we’d head to our favorite NYC food store before hanging out with the throngs at a famous NYC shopping mecca ready to sponsor a Thanksgiving parade.
Next: Day Five - A More Perfect Union, Yep It’s Still Flat, The Best Coffee I’ve Ever Tasted, Our Eataly Fix, No Parrots Please, Police Presence, Miracle On 34th Street, You Can Never Have Enough Squirrels, Death Escalators, Taco Time, I Think You Have The Wrong Fare and Adios NYC
Jan 17th, 2016, 07:24 AM
#47
MTT,
You did yeoman service to my home town! Your photos are stupendous! And the narrative, well,there's nothing like an MTT pun to get one rolling their eyes and smiling at the same time!
I'm very partial to the Cloisters having lived across the street from the north end of Fort Tryon park during college, and I've visited the site countless times. The shots of the Cloisters are are terrific -- I've always felt like I've been transported to Europe when visiting. And the location is especially stunning in the fall.
Your shots of Central Park are truly beautiful -- each more stunning that the last. The park really showed her best colors to you that day!
I sympathized when you got so lost on the subways and wet during that huge rainstorm. Unfortunately, in the rain, it's close to impossible to find a cab (tho these days, many people seem to use Uber with great success).
Just want to add that I made reservations for our upcoming anniversary at Chez Napoleon thanks to your rave (and others' endorsements). Perfect for a pre-theater dinner.
Thanks again for the fabulous report on NY!
You did yeoman service to my home town! Your photos are stupendous! And the narrative, well,there's nothing like an MTT pun to get one rolling their eyes and smiling at the same time!
I'm very partial to the Cloisters having lived across the street from the north end of Fort Tryon park during college, and I've visited the site countless times. The shots of the Cloisters are are terrific -- I've always felt like I've been transported to Europe when visiting. And the location is especially stunning in the fall.
Your shots of Central Park are truly beautiful -- each more stunning that the last. The park really showed her best colors to you that day!
I sympathized when you got so lost on the subways and wet during that huge rainstorm. Unfortunately, in the rain, it's close to impossible to find a cab (tho these days, many people seem to use Uber with great success).
Just want to add that I made reservations for our upcoming anniversary at Chez Napoleon thanks to your rave (and others' endorsements). Perfect for a pre-theater dinner.
Thanks again for the fabulous report on NY!
Jan 17th, 2016, 11:56 AM
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We continue to enjoy your great NYC report! Central Park is always a "must do" of ours, and your pix are fabulous. Your accompanying vivid description had us feeling like we were following along in your footsteps.
Re: the Neue Gallery. We probably liked it so much because of our fall trip which included Vienna and Berlin. We really enjoyed our brunch in the Sabarsky Café. . .it felt a little like Vienna. And, like Tracy, I took a photo of the Woman in Gold downstairs near the women's room.
Even though we enjoyed our meal at the Toledo Restaurant, with the 100's of restaurants in NYC, we think you made a good decision not to travel to 36th. We had been at the Morgan Library, so it was convenient.
Glad you found St. Michael in St. Patrick's Cathedral!
We look forward to your next chapter!
Re: the Neue Gallery. We probably liked it so much because of our fall trip which included Vienna and Berlin. We really enjoyed our brunch in the Sabarsky Café. . .it felt a little like Vienna. And, like Tracy, I took a photo of the Woman in Gold downstairs near the women's room.
Even though we enjoyed our meal at the Toledo Restaurant, with the 100's of restaurants in NYC, we think you made a good decision not to travel to 36th. We had been at the Morgan Library, so it was convenient.
Glad you found St. Michael in St. Patrick's Cathedral!
We look forward to your next chapter!
Jan 17th, 2016, 01:16 PM
#49
It's snowing in Central Park right now!
Visitors really should be given more information (warnings) about midtown traffic during the day. It has become absolutely out of control. My dentist is on Central Park South a few doors up from the Plaza. I live on E. 86. Taxi drivers and I have found the quickest way to get there is thru Central Park , down CP West and around Columbus Circle. ( One of life's great joys is being stuck in traffic on 59th St. between 5th and 6th.)
Have you been to the cathedral of St. John the Divine on any of your visits?
Visitors really should be given more information (warnings) about midtown traffic during the day. It has become absolutely out of control. My dentist is on Central Park South a few doors up from the Plaza. I live on E. 86. Taxi drivers and I have found the quickest way to get there is thru Central Park , down CP West and around Columbus Circle. ( One of life's great joys is being stuck in traffic on 59th St. between 5th and 6th.)
Have you been to the cathedral of St. John the Divine on any of your visits?
Jan 27th, 2016, 06:00 AM
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Maitaitom, we're putting together a "coffee table album" of memories from our two most recent trips. Our experience of the Rose Parade with you & Tracy will be a special feature, to be sure.
As we assemble our pix from NYC, we're eager to hear about the day you bid "Adios" to the Big Apple. We've enjoyed following along with your trip, and learned new things about places we've visited a number of times. And you've sparked our interest in exploring Chelsea!
We're looking forward to your final chapter!
As we assemble our pix from NYC, we're eager to hear about the day you bid "Adios" to the Big Apple. We've enjoyed following along with your trip, and learned new things about places we've visited a number of times. And you've sparked our interest in exploring Chelsea!
We're looking forward to your final chapter!
Jan 27th, 2016, 11:56 AM
#54
Original Poster
The Finale...Finally! We only had about five hours to explore on our last day in NYC. It was another gorgeous autumn morning, so we walked from our hotel to a Holiday Market at Union Square and then headed down 5th Avenue. The buildings seemed to climb even higher in the bright, blue skies. We stopped in our favorite NYC store (which hopefully will be opening a branch here in L.A. in the next year) and then headed to an iconic department store gearing up for a famed parade. No Santa sighting, however. Although our trip was short, we packed a lot into it (as usual) and look forward to our next visit to The Big Apple. Click link for report with photos!
http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/21468-2/
Day Five - A More Perfect Union, Yep It’s Still Flat, The Best Coffee I’ve Ever Tasted, Our Eataly Fix, No Parrots Please, Police Presence, Miracle On 34th Street, You Can Never Have Enough Squirrels, Death Escalators, Taco Time, I Think You Have The Wrong Fare and Adios NYC
When we woke Saturday morning and looked out at what would be another gorgeous NYC day, Tracy commented, “I wish we had booked an extra day.” Instead we had a mid-afternoon flight, so we only had until about 1:30 to check a few more items of interest off our list.
We walked down 14th Street to Union Square where they were gearing up for a Holiday market. Booths featuring everything from fresh produce...
...to Moorish lights were nearly ready for the hordes of shoppers who would visit shortly.
We also ran in to some corgis, which reminded us that our two corgis were missing us.
Speaking of shoppers (not to mention hordes), Tracy and I would join them shortly at two completely different NYC shopping venues. We headed down 5th Avenue on this beautiful crisp morning.
Walking by the Flatiron Building, we knew we would shortly be at stop #1....Eataly.
With the bright, blue sky as the backdrop, the NYC skyline seemed even more spectacular.
We had visited here in 2011 and were very impressed (supposedly there is one coming to L.A. in the not-too-distant future). Eataly is owned by a partnership that includes Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich and Joe Bastianich, and offers Italian food, fresh produce and a lot more. It’s also a good place to grab a bite to eat.
On this morning, it was the coffee that got me (in a good way). There is a coffee place as you enter Eataly (Caffé Lavazza) and while standing in line I had my second corgi encounter of the morning...
...it must have been a sign we needed to get home to see our kids.
I attempted to order my usual vanilla latte, but they don’t serve those. However, the barista instead recommended a chocolate/orange latte. Wow! It was, no kidding, the best latte I have ever had in my life.
We walked by some Eataly employees who looked like they really kneaded the dough.
Speaking of dough, we almost bought some panettone, but since it was about 20 bucks more expensive than the one I get at Trader Joes, we passed.
Some parts of Eataly are a little, fishy...
...while other spots you can just pig out.
I felt like toasting this place with champagne, which we could have done.
The fruits and vegetables at Eataly are so colorful...
...that it seems a shame to eat them.
They really do a wonderful job of presentation.
Want to feel like the big cheese?
All these varieties were in our wheel house.
In 2011, we had lunch on their rooftop when we visited with Kim and Mary.
Unfortunately the restaurant would not open for another hour, and we didn’t have time to wait. We wandered for about a half-hour and amazingly we got out of there without buying anything.
Walking across the street, we paused for a minute in Madison Park where I met a parrot in 2011, who spent some time on my arm.
Since it drew a little blood then, and now that I’m on blood thinners, I’m quite happy the parrot was nowhere to be found on this morning. Tracy placed me under a protective shield.
My parrot incident had been quite the folly, so I was happy to run into William Seward. After singing a quick verse from “North To Alaska,” we were back on our way.
Wandering toward our next destination, we came upon a statue of Horace Greeley. When I saw the statue of the famed newspaperman, I knew, although I am no longer a young man, we would be headed west soon.
Spying what looked like the entire New York City Police Force shortly thereafter, our next destination could not be far away. Tracy had read that 16,000 people per hour shuffle past Macy’s window displays, and there seemed like there were 16,000 cops. The city was on high alert because ISIS had made threats against NYC and Washington DC.
It is quite unusual for me to go in a department store on vacation (or any other time), so this was Tracy’s version of Miracle On 34th Street.
Of course, Macy’s was gearing up for the Thanksgiving Day Parade the following week.
The big balloon of Snoopy was a giveaway.
As you can see, just the thought of me going inside gave Tracy a huge smile.
I’m glad we did.
Inside we strolled through the lavishly decorated bottom floor.
The glittering displays were quite festive...
..and I even got my squirrel fix (for those who don’t know, I love squirrels...yes, I’m nuts).
Tracy and I were led astray by an employee who said to go to the 9th floor to see all the Christmas stuff. So up the escalators we started. By about the third or fourth floor, I noticed the escalators had a strange look to them...they were wooden!
Aesthetically speaking, I’ve never thought much about escalators, but these were cool looking. I didn’t feel in (much) danger riding this bad boy, although I found out afterward that in 2010 a little kid dropped a water bottle on an escalator and as he tried to grab it, his right little finger was caught under a comb plate. A Macy’s employee was able to stop the escalator, but the kids finger was severed and an attempt to reattach it surgically proved unsuccessful. Danger aside, I liked the escalators.
Outside of a train, the 9th floor was rather a bust, except for a couple of posters of a movie that I’ve seen about 34 times.
Back downstairs, we wandered outside and became part of the 16,000 shufflers. We had wanted to come here at night when the displays would really be spectacular to witness, but those pesky dinners had gotten in our way.
We took the subway (successfully, I might add...although it’s only a couple of stops, so I really would have had to be an idiot to screw up) back to Union Square. George Washington’s statue was magnificent in the sunlight...
...as we toured the booths.
I was tempted by some of those colorful, mosaic lights that I wanted to buy when we visited the Albayzín district in Granada, Spain, but looking at our phones (remember watches?) we barely had time to grab lunch before our driver would pick us up for the airport.
Walking at a brisk pace, just a block or so past our hotel was Dos Caminos (675 Hudson Street, opposite the Apple Store). The bar was relatively empty, so we sat down and I ordered three of the best carne asada tacos I have eaten in quite some time. I’m glad they were good, but they cost 20 bucks, as did Tracy’s Surf & Turf tacos (also good).
A double margarita poured quite generously from our nice bartender put me in what I hoped would be a good place for our flight home. Luckily, I still retained a few of my faculties for what happened next.
When we got back to the hotel (our bags had been stored for the morning), they received a call and said that our ride to the airport had arrived. He was about 15 minutes early, but anyone who knows me realizes I like to get to the airport long before our flight departs.
As he started to pull away from the curb, the driver confirmed that we were “going to La Guardia Airport”, which I’m sure is a fine facility, but unfortunately not the airport where our flight was to originate. When we corrected our airport destination, he replied,, “Oh, it will be a little more to go to JFK.” We said, “Fine.”
After making the u-turn and heading on 14th Street, he said, “Are you Mr. I Don’t Remember His Name?”
“No,” I replied. “Perhaps we should turn the car around, because I have someone waiting for me, and you have someone waiting for you.” Sure enough, just as we pulled to the curb, another car pulled up in front looking for us. Somewhere in the midst of this, I’m sure there was also some guy looking for a car to take him to La Guardia.
It was no harm; no foul, and soon we were heading out to JFK and getting our last look at the great city of New York as our new driver traversed the city streets at a high rate of speed (fortunately, no tourists were hurt or killed during this trip report).
Once again, our autumn journey to NYC turned out to be nothing less than perfect. The weather was great, and we were fortunate to experience a couple of gorgeous days to witness the colors in their full splendor.
We always leave wanting more of The Big Apple, and I’m sure we’ll back sometime in the next few years to take another quick bite out of the most exciting city in the world.
Enjoy The Journey! Attitude is Everything!
http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/21468-2/
Day Five - A More Perfect Union, Yep It’s Still Flat, The Best Coffee I’ve Ever Tasted, Our Eataly Fix, No Parrots Please, Police Presence, Miracle On 34th Street, You Can Never Have Enough Squirrels, Death Escalators, Taco Time, I Think You Have The Wrong Fare and Adios NYC
When we woke Saturday morning and looked out at what would be another gorgeous NYC day, Tracy commented, “I wish we had booked an extra day.” Instead we had a mid-afternoon flight, so we only had until about 1:30 to check a few more items of interest off our list.
We walked down 14th Street to Union Square where they were gearing up for a Holiday market. Booths featuring everything from fresh produce...
...to Moorish lights were nearly ready for the hordes of shoppers who would visit shortly.
We also ran in to some corgis, which reminded us that our two corgis were missing us.
Speaking of shoppers (not to mention hordes), Tracy and I would join them shortly at two completely different NYC shopping venues. We headed down 5th Avenue on this beautiful crisp morning.
Walking by the Flatiron Building, we knew we would shortly be at stop #1....Eataly.
With the bright, blue sky as the backdrop, the NYC skyline seemed even more spectacular.
We had visited here in 2011 and were very impressed (supposedly there is one coming to L.A. in the not-too-distant future). Eataly is owned by a partnership that includes Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich and Joe Bastianich, and offers Italian food, fresh produce and a lot more. It’s also a good place to grab a bite to eat.
On this morning, it was the coffee that got me (in a good way). There is a coffee place as you enter Eataly (Caffé Lavazza) and while standing in line I had my second corgi encounter of the morning...
...it must have been a sign we needed to get home to see our kids.
I attempted to order my usual vanilla latte, but they don’t serve those. However, the barista instead recommended a chocolate/orange latte. Wow! It was, no kidding, the best latte I have ever had in my life.
We walked by some Eataly employees who looked like they really kneaded the dough.
Speaking of dough, we almost bought some panettone, but since it was about 20 bucks more expensive than the one I get at Trader Joes, we passed.
Some parts of Eataly are a little, fishy...
...while other spots you can just pig out.
I felt like toasting this place with champagne, which we could have done.
The fruits and vegetables at Eataly are so colorful...
...that it seems a shame to eat them.
They really do a wonderful job of presentation.
Want to feel like the big cheese?
All these varieties were in our wheel house.
In 2011, we had lunch on their rooftop when we visited with Kim and Mary.
Unfortunately the restaurant would not open for another hour, and we didn’t have time to wait. We wandered for about a half-hour and amazingly we got out of there without buying anything.
Walking across the street, we paused for a minute in Madison Park where I met a parrot in 2011, who spent some time on my arm.
Since it drew a little blood then, and now that I’m on blood thinners, I’m quite happy the parrot was nowhere to be found on this morning. Tracy placed me under a protective shield.
My parrot incident had been quite the folly, so I was happy to run into William Seward. After singing a quick verse from “North To Alaska,” we were back on our way.
Wandering toward our next destination, we came upon a statue of Horace Greeley. When I saw the statue of the famed newspaperman, I knew, although I am no longer a young man, we would be headed west soon.
Spying what looked like the entire New York City Police Force shortly thereafter, our next destination could not be far away. Tracy had read that 16,000 people per hour shuffle past Macy’s window displays, and there seemed like there were 16,000 cops. The city was on high alert because ISIS had made threats against NYC and Washington DC.
It is quite unusual for me to go in a department store on vacation (or any other time), so this was Tracy’s version of Miracle On 34th Street.
Of course, Macy’s was gearing up for the Thanksgiving Day Parade the following week.
The big balloon of Snoopy was a giveaway.
As you can see, just the thought of me going inside gave Tracy a huge smile.
I’m glad we did.
Inside we strolled through the lavishly decorated bottom floor.
The glittering displays were quite festive...
..and I even got my squirrel fix (for those who don’t know, I love squirrels...yes, I’m nuts).
Tracy and I were led astray by an employee who said to go to the 9th floor to see all the Christmas stuff. So up the escalators we started. By about the third or fourth floor, I noticed the escalators had a strange look to them...they were wooden!
Aesthetically speaking, I’ve never thought much about escalators, but these were cool looking. I didn’t feel in (much) danger riding this bad boy, although I found out afterward that in 2010 a little kid dropped a water bottle on an escalator and as he tried to grab it, his right little finger was caught under a comb plate. A Macy’s employee was able to stop the escalator, but the kids finger was severed and an attempt to reattach it surgically proved unsuccessful. Danger aside, I liked the escalators.
Outside of a train, the 9th floor was rather a bust, except for a couple of posters of a movie that I’ve seen about 34 times.
Back downstairs, we wandered outside and became part of the 16,000 shufflers. We had wanted to come here at night when the displays would really be spectacular to witness, but those pesky dinners had gotten in our way.
We took the subway (successfully, I might add...although it’s only a couple of stops, so I really would have had to be an idiot to screw up) back to Union Square. George Washington’s statue was magnificent in the sunlight...
...as we toured the booths.
I was tempted by some of those colorful, mosaic lights that I wanted to buy when we visited the Albayzín district in Granada, Spain, but looking at our phones (remember watches?) we barely had time to grab lunch before our driver would pick us up for the airport.
Walking at a brisk pace, just a block or so past our hotel was Dos Caminos (675 Hudson Street, opposite the Apple Store). The bar was relatively empty, so we sat down and I ordered three of the best carne asada tacos I have eaten in quite some time. I’m glad they were good, but they cost 20 bucks, as did Tracy’s Surf & Turf tacos (also good).
A double margarita poured quite generously from our nice bartender put me in what I hoped would be a good place for our flight home. Luckily, I still retained a few of my faculties for what happened next.
When we got back to the hotel (our bags had been stored for the morning), they received a call and said that our ride to the airport had arrived. He was about 15 minutes early, but anyone who knows me realizes I like to get to the airport long before our flight departs.
As he started to pull away from the curb, the driver confirmed that we were “going to La Guardia Airport”, which I’m sure is a fine facility, but unfortunately not the airport where our flight was to originate. When we corrected our airport destination, he replied,, “Oh, it will be a little more to go to JFK.” We said, “Fine.”
After making the u-turn and heading on 14th Street, he said, “Are you Mr. I Don’t Remember His Name?”
“No,” I replied. “Perhaps we should turn the car around, because I have someone waiting for me, and you have someone waiting for you.” Sure enough, just as we pulled to the curb, another car pulled up in front looking for us. Somewhere in the midst of this, I’m sure there was also some guy looking for a car to take him to La Guardia.
It was no harm; no foul, and soon we were heading out to JFK and getting our last look at the great city of New York as our new driver traversed the city streets at a high rate of speed (fortunately, no tourists were hurt or killed during this trip report).
Once again, our autumn journey to NYC turned out to be nothing less than perfect. The weather was great, and we were fortunate to experience a couple of gorgeous days to witness the colors in their full splendor.
We always leave wanting more of The Big Apple, and I’m sure we’ll back sometime in the next few years to take another quick bite out of the most exciting city in the world.
Enjoy The Journey! Attitude is Everything!
Jan 27th, 2016, 12:22 PM
#55
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What a joy to read. Perhaps you should start a travel blog. This trip report heightened my excitement for our upcoming trip.
If you had to choose your favorite eating experience of this trip, which would it be and is it suitable for families with older kids or more of a bicycle built for 2?
If you had to choose your favorite eating experience of this trip, which would it be and is it suitable for families with older kids or more of a bicycle built for 2?
Jan 27th, 2016, 12:32 PM
#56
Original Poster
"What a joy to read. Perhaps you should start a travel blog."
Thanks Cjar...and I do have a travel website that I continually update.
http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/
"If you had to choose your favorite eating experience of this trip, which would it be and is it suitable for families with older kids or more of a bicycle built for 2?"
I believe our favorite dining experience was at Chez Napoleón, although the Strip House was not far behind. Older kids would appreciate either, but you might appreciate the prices at Chez Napoleón better.
Thanks Cjar...and I do have a travel website that I continually update.
http://travelswithmaitaitom.com/
"If you had to choose your favorite eating experience of this trip, which would it be and is it suitable for families with older kids or more of a bicycle built for 2?"
I believe our favorite dining experience was at Chez Napoleón, although the Strip House was not far behind. Older kids would appreciate either, but you might appreciate the prices at Chez Napoleón better.
Jan 27th, 2016, 05:29 PM
#58
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"We always leave wanting more of the Big Apple".
Our feelings are simpatico with yours. We're already talking about when we can return. Our next trip will be in spring or fall and will definitely including the Cloisters.
And Chez Napoleon sounds like a restaurant which will be on our list. It's walkable from where we usually stay.
Thanks so much for your always enjoyable TR with the great pix!
Our feelings are simpatico with yours. We're already talking about when we can return. Our next trip will be in spring or fall and will definitely including the Cloisters.
And Chez Napoleon sounds like a restaurant which will be on our list. It's walkable from where we usually stay.
Thanks so much for your always enjoyable TR with the great pix!
Feb 1st, 2016, 03:40 PM
#59
Original Poster
"Where's your next trip?"
Right now we're planning a trip (hopefully) to Burgundy, Provence and Languedoc (and a little Paris). We haven't told the corgis, so please keep it between us.
Right now we're planning a trip (hopefully) to Burgundy, Provence and Languedoc (and a little Paris). We haven't told the corgis, so please keep it between us.
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Oct 18th, 2009 10:19 PM
