Manhattan, NYC

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Monday 14th October

Columbus Day

Fine and sunny - 20'C

We had breakfast in the apartment before heading out to explore some of Central Park. It was Columbus Day today, with some businesses observing it as a public holiday and not opening. Many people were out strolling through the park due to the long weekend and we really enjoyed wandering the winding pathways in the warm sun. There was some great talent busking in the park which we stopped to check out. We could hear the Columbus Day parade heaving and jostling up 5th Avenue towards us so we found a few vantage points along the way as we headed back down from Central Park towards Times Square. We wanted to see what the opportunities were for buying cheap theatre tickets as we're thinking of seeing Wicked if possible, and will endeavour to purchase some returned tickets tomorrow night so as to avoid the higher price of the remaining premium seats. Next stop was Grand Central Station on the way back to the apartment. The fresh market on the ground floor of the station is wonderful and we purchased some yummy looking raspberries for our breakfast tomorrow. We found some of the best coffee at Macchiato's on E44th Street which was a welcome break and we sat in the window watching the world go by. A very productive evening was spent publishing the last blog and catching up on bills and trip planning. We also booked some seats for a night at the Apollo - amateur night this Wednesday.

Tuesday 15th October

Fine and sunny - 20'C

A big walking day today. Off we set towards the Port Authority bus terminal on 42nd street and 8th Avenue. On Saturday we need to make our way out of town to collect our motor-home. Always conscious not to fall into the trap of thinking in "small-town Wellington" terms we wanted to see how complicated it would be to catch the regular bus. The bus terminal was rather large and it took some time to work things out. We also discovered that there are staff called Red Caps who will assist getting luggage to the gate for a tip. This will be handy as with all our luggage it would be a little tricky navigating the steps and escalators to the designated gate on the 4th floor! We will ponder all this over the next couple of days. The alternative is a huge taxi fare - so if we can avoid that and have a little adventure on the way we'll be happy. Next, a quick subway ride across to the West side where we walked The High Line. The High Line is located on Manhattan's West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meat packing District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues. It is a public park built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It is owned by the City of New York, and maintained and operated by Friends of the High Line. Founded in 1999 by community residents, Friends of the High Line fought for the High Line’s preservation and transformation at a time when the historic structure was under the threat of demolition. We enjoyed the tranquillity it offered above the hustle and bustle of the streets below. The meandering design of the wide paved walkway with flowers, trees and plants growing up though the old train tracks is really well done. There are some great quiet zones and interesting features littered along the elevated greenbelt like park benches, sculptures, cafe's, rustic wooden recliners and an awesome large glass window facing out above the street where people can relax and gaze over the madness. When we exited into the Meatpacking District the day was really starting to heat up. We took a waterfront walk along the Hudson River down to the Ground Zero 9/11 Memorial site. This morning we had booked a visiting time (recommended) and had printed our visitor passes. This meant a little less time in the queue - although there was still a short wait. The two large pools over the site of the twin towers are lovely and very impressive. The names around these on bronze plaques really do honour those who died, in a very respectful way. We saw the Survivor Tree and marvelled at its story of surviving not only the 9/11 attack but also being uprooted during the 2010 storm as well. Right across the street at BLT Bar and Grill we grabbed a drink and our first pizza in New York this trip, as we knew we wouldn't have time for dinner. The 5-6 mile cab ride back to the apartment was necessary as we had been on our feet all day and time was ticking, as we wanted to get into the Wicked cancellation line early enough to improve our chances of buying tickets. The wait in the line at the Gershwin Theatre was unsuccessful for us but a few ahead of us did obtain tickets so at least the system does work if you are early enough. So instead, we opted for Chicago at The Ambassador Theatre, purchasing the tickets at the Time Square ticket booth at a 50% discount - which was great value for an excellent show! What an exhausting day and so bed by 11.30pm for a good rest.

Wednesday 16th October

Fine, overcast and mild - 17'C

We eased into the day with a slow start having our breakfast at the apartment. We ventured out for a walk and had a lovely late lunch at Bryant Park cafe near the central library. It was lovely sitting under the trees (despite the little bugs flying around) and relaxing amongst the hustle and bustle of central Manhattan. We checked out a large luggage store to view some bags and backpacks, did some window shopping and headed back to the apartment to get ready for a night out and about. We met friends at the Bookmarks Poetry Garden/Patio Bar on the 14th floor of the Library Hotel. It was quaint and unique sitting above Madison Avenue, with a view of the New York Library After a couple of cocktails (outrageously priced for their size) we hailed a cab to take us to Harlem. Our destination would be the Apollo Theatre. On Wednesday nights it is Amateur Night at the Apollo. It is one of New York’s most popular live entertainment experiences, attracting performers and audiences the world over. The classic competition is known for its notoriously “tough” audience, gleefully deciding who will “be good or be gone” to win the grand prize. Who will be the next Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown or Michael Jackson? We were presented with three teenager acts and about 8 adult performers. Most were excellent but a couple were sent off by the "executioner" as the result of adequate boos from the audience. The ultimate winner of the night was Robot Ryan - a truly jaw dropping performance. It was a very entertaining night in Harlem, topped off with a crazy, high-speed taxi ride (think Dukes of Hazard!) downtown to grab dinner. We came across the Olive Tree Cafe in MacDougal Street where a selection of dips and salad washed down with beer and cocktails really it the spot. Downstairs there is the Comedy Cellar club. It was clearly popular with queuing out the door before each sitting. Later we discovered that Wednesday and Thursdays is the Nasty Club.

Thursday 17th October

Fine and overcast, mild 22c

Today is shopping day and laundry day. Just around the corner we dropped off 12lbs of laundry to be washed and folded. The cashier told us it will be ready tomorrow evening - just in time for packing. Hoping to buy some new things, we tried on some clothes at Desigual and walked through Macy's -came out empty handed in both cases - we are terrible shoppers! We then spent some time at B&H electrical goods. We were tempted by a new tablet, but in the end we only managed to purchase some essentials from the local convenience store (Duane Reade) for our night in.

Friday 18th October

Overcast 17'C

We did some organising this morning as we decided the bus idea to collect the motor-home could possibly be unreliable and stressful - so to be sure we confirmed a town car from Carmel limos for the trip tomorrow morning. We also called Camper Travel to ensure the booking was all good and confirmed our arrival time. Once done we caught the Metro to downtown about 12 noon, bound for Staten Island. Staten Island is the only borough that is not connected to the New York City subway. The free Staten Island Ferry connects the borough to Manhattan and is a popular tourist attraction, providing views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Lower Manhattan. This is why we were keen to take the trip - for the views mainly. We had attempted to buy tickets to the monument, but unfortunately the government parks stop-work had put paid to that. We joined hundreds of others on the ferry across to the island at 12.30pm and disembarked to check out a bit of the area. There was a 9/11 memorial located on the boardwalk that had the silhouettes of the people’s faces from Staten Island carved into plaques all facing the site across the water. All their names and occupations were listed which gave a personal touch. We wandered back along the boardwalk into the town and past city hall where there was a wedding taking place. The Supreme Court was also close by and some of the restaurants were appropriately named -The Gavel Grill and The Not Guilty Deli. We chose The Gavel Grill on Hyatt Street and sat down to a great home cooked lunch by the family that appeared to run it. Lots of great Greek fare and the endless supply of perked coffee was very filling. Back on the ferry about 3pm and then straight on the subway up to midtown, bound for the MoMA - The Museum of Modern Art. It has free entry on Fridays between 4pm and 8pm - sponsored by the UNIQLO. When we arrived we were met with a line than encircled over half the block that the museum is housed in! Surprisingly the line moved very quickly and we found ourselves inside within about 12 minutes! The six level art museum was packed but we still managed to see quite a bit, finding the free audio device a tad useful for the task. The large iPod given to us had photos, audio and plenty of information about the pieces, suggested tours and much more. We could even register our email and take photos which then gave an account of our time there. It didn't come as a surprise at the end that we had only see a handful of the 1700 works on display. We didn't really use the device to its fullest as we only had a couple of hours so were rushing through. The gift shop was wonderful but we resisted the temptation to buy anything. Next stop was the laundromat to collect our 12lb pack of shrink-wrapped clothing - the parcel looked so much smaller than what we had dropped off so we checked its weight before departing happily. Once back at the apartment we did a quick change and flew out the door to meet our friends for our last dinner together before they flew out. They chose the restaurant - Seafire Grill - fabulous! Among the dishes ordered were scallops, jumbo shrimp, salmon, calamari, swordfish and scampi. Some delicious drinks helped wash it all down and we were back at the apartment packing by midnight. Bed at 2am! - here ends another chapter.

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Comments

[Annmaree]

Wonderful trip
Hey gorgeous pair, what a trip !! I hear the High Line is amazing and a fantastic idea - who thought of it ? The Apollo would be amazing ! Love the Fireman's Prayer and the memorial pond. I NEED to get to New York ... but thanks for sharing, kinda feels like being there ;-)