selclark | Selwyn Clark | Travel Blog

Geo: 40.7394, -74.0082A cold, blustery day today, but luckily no rain. Tomorrow we intend to catch the New Jersey Transit Line train to the Newark Liberty International Airport, so decided to conduct some reconnaissance at Penn Station. The underground station is huge, a couple of blocks at least, and it was reassuring to find out exactly where to go. As it turned out we bought our 2 x $9 train tickets for tomorrow, vs $90 or so by taxi. Then we decided to brave the conditions and walk the length of the High Line Park. The 2,300m linear park is built on an elevated section of a disused railroad spur, on the lower West Side. It's a great idea (copied again from the French) to make community use of such a derelict asset.Stops at the Chelsea ... read more

A "Day" at the Museum

North America » United States » New York October 21st 2016

Swish subway sign...

selclark

Geo: 40.7813, -73.974Rainy this morning, so we headed uptown west side to visit the American Museum of Natural History. I think half the tourists in town had the same idea! Although the museum is about the same floor area as The Met, it's made up of 25 buildings that have been added and joined over the years, so the spaces aren't so big and overwhelming. The diorama presentations were excellent.The Ben Stiller/Robin Williams movie used some exterior shots of the museum, but we were told that all the interiors were shot on a set in Canada. Damn, I was looking to take a photo at the diorama featured in the movie!At the subway four policemen by-passed the turnstiles and invited the people waiting to follow them without having to use our metro cards. After some hesitation, ... read more

New York, NEW YORK

North America » United States » New York October 21st 2016

Brooklyn Bridge

selclark

Geo: 40.7792, -73.9632A busy and fun day. Subway'd to Brooklyn and walked back across the Brooklyn Bridge to the Financial District and the World Trade Centre. A good look around then subway again a long way uptown to the Metropolitan Museum of Art - The Met.After detouring via a knitting store, we thought we'd do some surface travel and caught the bus back along 5th Ave, ending up at Penn Station near our hotel around dinner time.The original 1910 Penn Station was demolished in 1963. There was a great hue and cry because the station had become iconic, and it was the inter-city hub for east coast rail. The great building had been inspired by Paris' Gare d'Orsay (which was converted into the Musee d'Orsay in 1987). The 21 railway lines below the ground remained operational ... read more

Mapping 9/11

North America » United States » New York October 21st 2016

selclark

Geo: 40.7115, -74.0127... read more

Mapping BB

North America » United States » New York October 20th 2016

selclark

Geo: 40.7059, -73.9967... read more

Empire State Building

North America » United States » New York October 19th 2016

ESB Foyer

selclark

Geo: 40.7483, -73.9856Smooth drive to NYC but we got hopelessly snarled in traffic for several blocks in Manhattan's Garment District. It's definitely every person for themselves: drivers and pedestrians alike! Traffic lights are advisory, with pedestrians ignoring the police, even when they are directing traffic at the same crossing. No problems checking in to our hotel or returning the hire car.So we paid our US$52 each to go to the Empire State Building outdoor viewing platform (86th floor) and then on to the observation deck on floor 102. The fee was a bit steep but I don't expect to do this again. I seem to recall the "Top of the Rock" was better value.Then we walked to the Stephen Sondheim Theatre and bought tickets to Friday night's performance of "Beautiful" - the Carole King musical. I ... read more

Gilded Age Mansions

North America » United States » Rhode Island » Newport October 18th 2016

Now that's a gate"

selclark

Geo: 41.4885, -71.3176We visited Newport, Rhode Island today. A little less than two hours drive east of here. Who knew that at the turn of the 20th century this is where the richest families in the USA built their summer houses? For example, the mansion in the Brad Pitt/Anthony Hopkins movie "Meet Joe Black".The incredible extravagance of these massive dwellings generated criticism, plus the rising property taxes in the post-depression world saw a decline in the desirability of these status symbols. They started to be sold off for demolition until a group of concerned citizens banded together in 1945 to preserve the heritage of this remarkable period.We toured two of the houses and had a stroll through the old town and lunch at a convivial Irish pub.... read more

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