http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/travelswithdan/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from travelswithdan en-us Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:50:20 +0000 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:50:20 +0000 OKSay that 5 times fast Unique New York Unique New York Newique Yew York Nuyeek New Nork etc... Try it out loud right now and you'll see what I mean. I suppose that every little city or town has some unique aspect to it some feature or other that sets it apart and perhaps helps define it. Mine certainly doesdoesn't yours Well if that is so then in a city of THIS size one http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-345178.html Of course I had experienced all the varieties of weather before in my life. But having them occur HERE is like experiencing them anew. What is 'rain' like when it falls on a city of twelve million How does the quiet of a new snowfall sound in the City Do New Yorkers play in snow or simply see it as an inconvenience hindering their ability to conduct business at a 'NewYorkminute' rate http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-345172.html Getting around a city this large is always a challenge especially when you're a tourist and not really sure where the heck you ARE. You can always rent a car but then you're in danger of being swallowed by a pothole that New Yorkers seem to be able to avoid. AND you have to PARK the darned thing which is a difficultyand expensefar beyond what most of us are used to. Luckily when i http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-345106.html I have no idea as to the origin of that quote but I first saw it scrawled on the wall of an old building in Berkeley CA where it resembled the handwriting of a street person being pushed over the edge of mental stability by the sheer inundating power of the beauty around him. It's amazing what you see when you really look... So these images are all stuff I happened to notice while on http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-345104.html Hello again Sorry to keep perseverating on buildings but there are just so MANY of them here that have interesting architectural historical or visual features... So maybe this will be the last blog on this topic. I don't have a lot to say about this group so I'll attach any information needed to the photos themselves with this exceptionyou probably haven't heard of most of these b http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-272277.html Since 911 the management companies of many wellknown buildings in New York have closed their doors to visitors. Others will allow you to enter the lobby but not take any photos photography evidently being the hallmark of terrorists and tourists alike can you imagine Osama with his Nikon. Virtually all require some form of coded identification to enter security gates before gaining ac http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-271378.html This area is probably familiar to most of uswe've maybe walked through the Center on a visit it's centrally located and near both Times Square and St. Patrick's Cathedral watched the New York City Christmas Tree being lit on a news program seen the ice skating rink on post cards can recognize the goldcolored sculpture of a man behind the rink or know the shape of the building beyond kn http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-270970.html Of the many beautiful buildings in Manhattan this is probably the handsdown favorite. Built in a little over a year and a half for a while they averaged four floors a week and completed in May of 1930 the Chrysler Building was for a time the tallest building in the world. It is now the third tallest in New York a distinction it shares with the New York Times building they are the ex http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-265894.html Have you ever gone to a movie and noticed all the product placements that appear as various companies pay the producers to advertise their products in the film Sometimes it's hard not to notice when every character is drinking a Coke or driving some variety of Ford vehicle or wearing only New Balance shoes the brand name always facing the camera. Well the next film you see count the n http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-263871.html Actually the NY Philharmonic was in North Korea when this concert featuring the Julliard Orchestra took place but it was in their home theater in Lincoln Center Avery Fisher Hall. Having been to the other two buildings around the central courtyard there The Metropolitan Opera House and the New York State Theater for balletsee earlier blogs we attended this performance to complete th http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-263865.html One of the unique aspects of New York is the abundance of metal plates covering construction holes in roadsI mean they're EVERYWHERE About the two hundredth time I walked over one I noticed that someone had written 'FELIX' on the iron plate with an arc weld often multiple times. I wonderedis Felix the name of the welder The company that produces andor installs the plates I have no i http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-263849.html Frederick August Otto if you were wondering. A German immigrant he and his brothers opened a toy store in Baltimore then Philadelphia and Boston and finally New York where they first used this name. The company has since changed hands multiple times and been in and out of bankruptcy. One of the originators' main contributions was the idea of entertainment retail the idea that the c http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-263844.html Judging from what sells on Broadway most tourists who come here want to see musicals. It is much easier and cheaper for a regionallocal company outside of New York LA to produce a drama they usually have a smaller cast fewer set changes no orchestra to pay than a musical and if they ARE host to a travelling production of a major Broadway musical it is more likely to be played in http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-263679.html Hello to all First a hearty sincere and warmly felt THANK YOU to Marianne Brushwiller Patricia Smith Lee Starkey Earl Hunsaker and Richard Camp They are in order my 11th grade English teacher who first told us Madison Heights Michigan kids about Broadway and musicalsplaying her vinyl record of 'The Fantasticks' for us m http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-263143.html Several years ago the Director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem had jury duty and had to report to the beautiful building that houses the Supreme Court of New York. As he looked around the central rotunda of the structure he thought it would be a fantastic place to have a ballet... After many letters meetings and permissions it came to pass and a free lunchtime demonstration ballet has been he http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-263123.html I have written in an earlier blog about being sick in New Yorkduring my stay I had conjunctivitus a cold the flu a sore throat a sinus infection a back sprain and a 'mild' case of shingles which like a mild case of pregnancy is sufficient.... I was very very fortuneate however to meet a physician who treated each and every one of these conditions. Dr. Alexander Krishtul http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-263115.html GOLLY Lamarlook at all them TALL buildings Truth is we're all goobers when we first arrive in this vertical city walking around with bent necks mouths agape staring upwards as we run into people on the sidewalk another reason why New Yorkers just love tourists. As a photographer trying to capture this sense of wonder and awe is challenging. In winter the skies are mainly http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-263090.html Hello once again No it is not really February 15th but I'm trying to keep things in order... Yes it IS Easter and I'm back in Vancouver about to colordocorate Easter eggs as soon as I complete this entry. As promised I will be writing of our further adventures in Manhattan in the coming week to tell as Paul Harvey used to say the REST of the story. As this is a time when http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-258751.html No folks it's obviously not Valentine's Day despite the date I chose for this blog entry my first in 3 weeks. Here's what's happening Since the cessation of the back pain mentioned in the prior blog Feb. 13th I have been able to function more normally which means I have virtually doubled how much I'm able to do each day. The one activity then exhaustion day planner has been replace http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-253280.html BACK being the key word here... My back pain became significantly worse overnight such that by the morning I had only one position on the bed in which I was not in pain. Moving like to the bathroom was an exercise in pain management and trying not to yell out loud in agony. After several calls to find out what I should or should not do Thank You Omar I got in touch with Dr. Alexander http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-York/New-York/Manhattan/blog-246696.html