Ive found it pretty much impossible to compress our New York experience into 1 post, so decided to break it up over 2. Here’s the first instalment, and given my inability to keep this thing up to date, I don’t want to commit to any time line. The second will be soon I hope.
New York City Day 1
For a couple of reasons, both logical and because it felt it was the right thing to do we decided to start with the World Trade Centre Memorial, so we walked to the ferry terminal, $7 each (we wont be doing that again) and caught a ride across the Hudson to Battery Park. A 10 minute walk brought us to the memorial which is actually 2 huge square holes in the ground on the original footprint of both buildings, with water cascading down into the centre and the names of those lost engraved around the edge. There are an awful lot of names, and the really shocking thing is how many are listed as firemen or police. There was a large crowd but we weren’t sure if it was due to being the morning after 9/11 or just because New York. Regardless, it was a very touching place, despite so many needing intrusive selfies and starting our NYC experience there was sort of our tribute. I’m very glad we did it that way.
And then we headed over the amazing Oculus Building to start decoding the subway. An impossible task actually, but we did give it our best shot.
We’d decided one of the best ways to see the city and get a feel for it was to walk the High Line. They took an old disused elevated railway line and turned it into a pedestrian walkway, complete with artwork and musicians. It’s close to 2.5 kms long and crosses 22 city blocks and we walked most of it. Such a great way to get a feel for city. Here’s a selection of photos.
The High Line dropped us off at Penn Station so we grabbed a quick coffee and got our bearings. A quick 6 block walk to the closest subway and a simple connection to the train to NJ. So easy huh? Wrong! First it started raining, then Manhattan disgorged its workforce on us, and then it got dark. We found the station ok but were completely out of our depth trying to find which train and which platform. In the end, after a minor meltdown and a significant soaking, I texted Rich who saved the day with instructions. It was fairly easy then, we only had to negotiate the New York Subway in peak hour. I wont bore you with the details, but believe me there were quite a few. But a surprisingly brief time later we came up on the Jersey side, found our way back to the apartment and thought we were incredibly cool for surviving the experience without needing a divorce.
A small restaurant a block or so away completed the days adventure and we shut ourselves in for the night we again sent a silent mental thank you to Rich for the amazing gift of this apartment.
New York City Day 2 Somebody’s (minor) significant birthday.
As if the apartment wasn’t enough, Rich’s partner Flavia just happened to work at the New York Museum Of Natural History and she arranged us free admission and 4 of the special events thrown in. One of those special events was a screening of Dark Universe at the Hayden Planetarium.
The museum itself is quite overwhelming but the planetarium was just beyond description. What an amazing experience to sit in a reclining chair in a huge room where the huge domed roof is the screen. It’s a step beyond Imax and if you ever get the chance, do yourself a favour.
The other exhibit that really blew us away is the (copy of) the skeleton of a whole new species of dinosaur they called Titanosaurus. The photos below give you some idea.
We stayed in the museum until closing time, but could have spent much longer. A very exceptional experience that, seeing as we were in the area, we decided to follow up with a visit to the Dakota Building, where John and Yoko lived.
While it wasn’t really that big a deal, for a musician like me it was kind of a nice thing to do. So we walked the few blocks along Central Park and took a few respectful snaps. Then virtually straight over the road is the area they’ve set aside as a memorial to him called, obviously, Strawberry Fields.
Now those who have followed our previous travels would have noted that I have formed quite of habit of borrowing buskers guitars. And so it was there too. And although I was extremely rusty, and although I hadn’t prepared at all, there was a busker there playing John Lennon music. So, yes of course I relieved him of his guitar and I played a very bad version of Imagine while he sang it.
It wasn’t my best, far from it. But hey, I played Imagine at Strawberry Fields in New York, on my birthday. For a crusty old musician it doesn’t get any better. A very special memory indeed.
So then Janelle wanted to buy us some cupcakes to celebrate, and she knew of just the place, best cupcakes in New York (Magnolia Bakery) were only 3 blocks away apparently. That was sorted quickly and we found ourselves back in Central Park, sitting by the lake watching all the locals go about their Central Parky routines. We thought to join them and so it was that as the sun set we walked around the lake in the centre of Central Park. And got some pretty amazing photos in the process.
That was pretty much it, we found somewhere to have dinner, although that wasn’t worth the effort, navigated the subway back, we were getting pretty good at this now, and finished the day off with a nice little stroll back to Rich’s apartment.
And that was our first 2 days in New York. A mix of sights, sounds, experiences, memories and an awful lot of walking.
A fun fact to leave you with. If you wanted to rent a 3 bedroom apartment in lower Manhattan you’d be looking at $15,000 USD a month, but that again as an agents fee for letting you have it.
And we think Sydney real estate is out of control!
That’s it for now.
Goodnight.