Excess with style

Roosvelt Tram ride with Queensboro bridge

Outside Holly Golighty's flat
from Breakfast at Tiffany's

A room inside the Frick mansion

Now I understand the saying as busy as Grand Central Station

One of the many examples of art adorning
the buildings of the Rockerfeller Centre

Jeff Koons installation in progress at Rockfeller Centre,
this one is Dino and will be covered in flowers in a few weeks time

Me at Top of the Rock with
Empire State Building in background,
I did not want to leave

First order of business is to walk a few blocks down the road, then whip out the metrocard and swipe onto the Roosevelt tram for a journey across the water. We travel high above the water, alongside the Queensboro bridge with sunlit views of Manhattan. A very pleasant experience. Coming back is a different story its peak hour, the carriage is packed and there is barely enough room to breath. Someone I still manage to take photos over the top of some guys shoulder.

Now for a walk through the Upper East side to a very important location on 71^st street. The streets are lined with big blocks of flats pouring out people on their way to work. So this is where everyone lives. There is some guy standing on a street corner handing brochures. We have a little chat. He says, “I was born in New York, live in New York I want to represent the people of New York and the odd Australia tourist” I have met my first real live democrat.

Finally I am on the right street and thankfully there are about 10 old brownstone houses in amongst the masses of flats. Yes, it is still here. I have found the outside of Holly Golighty’s flat from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I wonder if that nice lady wandering along the street will take photos for me. Yes, she will. Success.

Now that was all just a warm up to get to the Frick Museum when it opened at 10am. I like the look of this place from the outside an imposing 5^th Avenue mansion built by a family who made their money in steel. There are half a dozen people waiting out the front for the museum to open and a sign that says no children under 10. This feels like an exclusive club compared to all the other museums. The clock chimes 10 and we are in. I wander from room to room in awe of the art Clay Frick collected. A Vermeer here, Rembrandt there, a Renior tucked behind the staircase. Giovanni Bellini’s “The Ecstasy of St. Francis” stops me in my tracks. Then the audio guide tells me that Hans Holbein’s painting of St Thomas More will make you go weak at the knees and it really does. Clay Frick collected pictures that where pleasant to live with I am really glad he made lots of money in steel and then did something amazing with it. Amanda would love this place. With great reluctance I exit though the gift shop and leave.

Onto the subway and down to Grand Central train station. A quick shake shake burger to keep me going and the next tour starts. This is a pretty impressive space stuck in the middle of an amazing city. The guide tells us about all the interesting techniques the builders used to get people to walk faster when exiting by gradually narrowing the corridors or not lingering in a particular place by lowering the roof. But he does go on a lot, so once I learn we are not going to the whispering gallery, I bail out. Now can I find the gallery myself? I ask at the information desk, left, left, down the ramp. Hmm, which left. Then ask at another place. Then see a ramp and think I may as well try this one. Yes, it is it. Other tourists are here doing the same thing, there is noise and people everywhere. However if you stand on one side of the area and whisper into the wall. The person on the other side 20 metres away can hear you. Everyone is in fits of giggles, ok well maybe mainly me.

Now time to walk back up town, via library-massive, HBO shop-essential and New York Yacht Club, where they used to keep the Americas Cup till Australia won it and took it away! Finally I make it to my destination, the Rockerfeller Centre.

There are 19 buildings between 48^th and 51^st street that make up the Rockerfeller Centre, most built in the 30’s. Starting with the art and architecture tour, Jonathon explains the history behind the Rockerfellers and then takes us around to explore his favourite bits. Art deco is abundant, as well as politics and cooperation between countries. Most of these works are done between the two wars and peace is a strong theme. I can’t begin to explain the number of great ideas and works we see. Most I would not even have noticed if I was walking around by myself. The final part of the tour is in the plaza where the ice rink and famous tree are at Christmas time. What’s that big green thing in the middle, it’s a Jeff Koons installation in progress!

Thanks to Jan for recommending this tour, so worth it.

Now to get in the line and go to the very top of the Rockerfeller Centre, called Top of the Rock. Its quick and easy and I am here, Central Park is laid out in front of me, on the other side all the buildings of Manhattan with Empire State Building dominating the skyline. This is a perfect view. Time for a photo frenzy with all the other tourists. Now I find a ledge and sit in the shade and just soak up the changing light on all the buildings whilst the sun goes in and out behind the clouds. Reluctantly I have to leave my perch and head for home.

Must get sustenance, ready to collapse, not much on 5^th avenue except street vendors with big pretzels. I know I will go into the Shops at the Plaza and all is solved. What’s that a shop just for the Plaza, I go in and just can’t resist a little old fashioned book of essays on New York. I go to pay, would you like it gift wrapped Madam. Oh, yes please. Out comes the exquisite Plaza tissue paper, delicate wrapping ensues, followed by a gold embossed sticker. But wait there is more; the lovely guy is doing a total Mr. Bean. Now more tissue paper is waved in the air and folded to line the bag, then the bag is expanded with a flourish to the left and right and all is put together. It was worth buying a $10 book just for the experience of the gift wrapping, I think I will go back tomorrow and do that again.

A magical day finished with a flourish.

Art, culture and neon signs

The Dream by Rosseau one of my favorite jigsaw
 puzzles I do on the iPad, I like the
tigers and lions that sneak out of his paintings

How small is the melting clocks by Dali

Starry, starry night by Van Gogh

My personal interpretation of modern art,
 man with iPhone and soup cans

Is this modern art or not?

Happy days

The Chandelier

The New Years Eve ball at Times Square,
the other 364 nights of the year they have
a digital photo show starting at 11:59

Wake up refreshed and excited about another day in New York. Out the front door and it’s raining, lucky I only have to go down the road a few blocks to MOMA for the first event of the day.

I am walking down 6^th Avenue and the taxis are doing their usual honking, it’s the soundtrack of New York to me. Today these bright yellow machines really stand out against the grey and dismal weather.

MOMA is a mad house, however the ticketing and security people know what they are doing, so its up to the 6^th floor I go to start the art fest. I walk a few metres from the escalator and there is The Dream, Rousseau, impressive, now I find Salvador Dali’s ‘Persistence of memory’ the one with the melting clocks, it is tiny. Its go on an on, Andy Warhols soup cans are actually quite interesting in real life. This is the best modern art museum I have ever been to and the iphone app is a good guide.

My next port of call for Day 5 is the Majestic Theatre, it’s pretty easy to navigate straight down to 44^th street. Now I have to fight my way through all the people lining up to see Matilda, been there done that in 2013. Out of my way please.

However I am a 26 years behind on seeing the Phantom of the Opera as it opened on Broadway on 26^th January, 1988. That’s Bicentennial Day for those of you old enough to remember, that day we sat on the foreshore of Sydney harbour watching the tall ships float by. 

Waiting for the show to start I start chatting with a lady, surprise, surprise. She starts talking about how she is from New Mexico and with her extended family they have all driven across America in RVs and caravans to visit New York. Well I’ll be, a long conversation about free camping and mobile parks keeps us both pleasantly occupied.

The show starts with a bang and does not stop, music, dancing, sadness, happiness, confusion, comedy. This show has it all. I recognise the music and love it, but did not realise it was from Phantom. The costumes are wonderful, the actors are magic and thankfully I listened to Jan’s tip and had an idea of the plot before I turned up. However I did not know how the story ended and had to wait till the very end to find out what happened to the girl.

All in all a truly memorable experience, I can see why it is the longest running show on Broadway.

By the time I emerge from my happiness cocoon in the Majestic Theatre the sun has come out. Now to Muji, one of my favourite shops in London (and recently in Melbourne). Purchases selected and paid for, what’s this at the exit a stamp and sticker stall? You mean I can decorate my notebooks for free? Lets go, I start having fun and as we are in Times Square this attracts a crowd of people who then come into the store, clever marketing.

Time to head for home through Times Square, the dazzling neon signs and over the top shops. Let’s go in and check out the full sized ferris wheel inside Toys-R-Us. Gee, you can even go for a ride on it. Times Square is crazy, crowded and colourful but so far I still prefer other parts of New York.

A day at the museum

View from Central Park looking west

John Lennon memorial

Butterfly enclosure, a side exhibition

Rose Centre for Space and Earth
 a modern addition to an old museum

Looking good

Biodiversity room

Theodore Roosevelt, born in New York,
 adventurer, explorer, president of the museum
 and 26th president of the United States, all round interesting guy 

View from MAD, Museum of Art and Design of Columbus Circle

The walk with Ricki (Part 1 of today) feels like more than enough excitement for one day, but lets push on and do the rest of the day now. What better way to follow up a nature walk than with a visit to the American Museum of Natural History.

But first I have to get there from the model boat lake. After yesterday’s experience of getting lost in Central Park I let google show me the way to the next target Strawberry Fields and the John Lennon memorial. As I approach the memorial it is packed, finally I get my turn for the obligatory photo and take some time to imagine the world as a better place.

Navigation is easy now, past the Dakota apartments where John Lennon lived and up the street to the museum. There are rows and rows of dinky little yellow school buses pulling up and gorging out screaming kids. After the obligatory bag check, ticketing and map procurement I start with the oldest rock in the collection as it is from Australia. Why is this not on the highlights tour and I am the only one interested in it?

Armed with trusty map, I find the butterfly exhibition to indulge in my obsession. Now onto the Planetarium, I have wanted to go to one of these for years, and ever time I get close something happens and I miss out. With about 500 school kids and 10 adult tourists we wait in the pre show area, the noise from the kids is deafening is this worth it? Should I escape now? Finally the doors open and we are ushered into the space age planetarium  aglobe suspended in the middle of the museum wing. The show starts with a bang and does not stop taking us on a journey through how the beginning of the universe was discovered by scientists. Amazing and so worth it.

Now to tackle the 4 floors and hundreds of exhibits I quickly give up on the museum’s iphone app, Explorer, it has little information and does not include locations of the exhibits. Back to printed map and my prepared highlight list. I wont take you though all the exhibits, some are old, some are new, a couple of my favourites are oceans, with a full sized model of a blue whale and biodiversity, that links all the elements of nature together. As I see different items, like Rapa Nui a 2 metre high stone statue from Easter Island I can’t stop thinking I am in the movie, Night at the Museum.

Time now to exit through the 3 floors of the museum gift shop and then I hop on the subway to Columbus Circle. A quick side trip to the MAD, the Museum of Art and Design, thanks for the tip Andrea. Back in my uptown apartment it’s time for a rest. There is a message from home, bed is like a haystack. I wonder what Rosco has done? Lets have some dinner and watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s for a glimpse of 1961 New York and my favourite girl, Audrey. That haunting music from the song Moon River gets me every time.

Rambling with Ricki

Ricki at model boat lake with
birding list and binos

Blue Jay at the start of the walk

Northern Cardinal

Hummingbird is in here somewhere

Red bellied wood pecker

This morning I have an early rendezvous planned with Ricki, a New York birder. I met yesterday at the model boat lake in Central Park when she showed me Pale Male a famous Red-Tailed Hawk who has lived on 5^th avenue for many years. Our goal is to see the number one bird on my list that is not in Australia, a hummingbird. Ricki knows where there is a nest so it’s worth a try, probably a 50/50 chance of seeing it.

Leaving bright and early I start the walk up to our meeting place at 71^st street. Dogs are everywhere but I can’t get distracted I don’t want to miss Ricki. Arriving at the allocated spot, I see it is called Hunter’s Gate that’s appropriate. Ricki arrives a moment later and we start on the small winding path, trees and bushes surround separating us from the street and the main grassy areas of the park. Within a few metres there is a beautiful blue bird hoping on the path in front of us, it’s a blue jay. How cool is that. Then there is an American Robin (much larger than our robins) and a common grackle, dark and boring. How is it that a minute into the walk and I have three new American birds! Much using of binoculars and camera ensues the birds, are very well behaved and stay around for the fun.

Now what’s that calling in the trees it’s a Grey Catbird, Ricki is excellent and identifying the birds by their calls. Ricki, what’s this beautiful red bird with the peak, it’s a NorthernCardinal, and there’s another. Who cares about the hummingbird this is amazing birding.

But its time to move on, we walk down a little glade and onto a bridge at the very end of the lake. Ricki takes back (her) binoculars and see’s if she can find the hummingbird on the nest. She can! It’s well hidden in amongst a lot of branches with big green glossy leaves. I have my turn and I think I see the nest, but there is no bird so not sure if I am looking at right spot. The nest is small, only just over an inch wide. She flys back and it on the nest, I see it, I see it, it’s a Ruby throated hummingbird! Can this holiday get any better? Ricki and I are both as excited as each other, she is the best.

After calming down its time to move on, we may as well try for a woodpecker, it’s late in migration so not very likely. We arrive at the spot and he is there. A red bellied woodpecker, on a tree 3 metres in front of us. Wow. What’s that calling? A Northern Flicker (another type of woodpecker) high up in the trees, with the binoculars I see it in all its glory with the shafts of gold along the front of the wings. American birds have amazing colours and patterns. This one looks like it would not be out of place in Times Square.

We keep moving along the path and the word must have got out I was here as a black throated warbler visits now. Ricki has to keep moving so she can get to work on time we chat about how Central Park is managed as we walk over to the model boat lake. A final look through the binoculars at Pale Male and we say good bye. 

 

A big thanks to Ricki, for sharing her experience and love of birds with me. That is a day I will never forget.

Something for everyone

Looking south from Central Park

Belvedere Castle

Egyptian room at The Met

Guided tour at The Met out of 21 people
on the tour, 10 where Aussies

Temple of Dendur

View from the terrace at The Met

A mythical interpretation of  Washington crossing the Delaware
 painted 50 years after the event at 4m by 6m it was an impressive piece

Guggenheim

Day 3 is starting well a squirrel just ran in front of me. Its early morning and another beautiful sunny day I am walking through Central Park up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met). Let’s see what Central Park has to offer.

Dogs, dogs, dogs are everywhere, mainly chasing the squirrels and then each other. I keep heading north, through the giant American Elms in Literary Walk, down and onto Bethesda Terrace and around a lake and up to Belvedere Castle. A folly if I have ever seen one. What is that lady doing down by the Hans Christian Anderson statue? Let’s go find out. I now have a new friend, Ricky and will tell you about her tomorrow if all works out as planned.

Time to head just a bit more North. To the most important object in the park for me, it’s the obelisk, also known as Cleopatras Needle. I have seen the two other ones in London and Paris, so New York will complete the set. Under an archway and along a curving path and I am there. What’s this????? It’s covered in scaffolding, no one told me about this. Darn. I can make out some of the hieroglyphs, but definitely underwhelming.

Onto the main event for the day, The Met has a line down the stairs and along the path it does not look too bad and gives me time to read over my notes of the highlights I want to see. Will my planned highlights work or not? We will find out. Through security, audio guide ready and turn left into Egyptian collection. Beautiful cartouches, the Tomb of Perneb, sculptures and a mummy for starters. Someone get me some oxygen, I think I am hyperventilating this collection is amazing.

Really too much happens to do justice in a blog post to my constant level of excitement throughout this 5 hour sensory overload exploration of many time periods and different cultures. One minute you are in 12^th century China the next 18^th century Venice, then a scramble back 2,500 years to Syria.

For me the key to the brilliance of the Met is the selected works in each room cover a theme for example, still lifes in 17^th century France, this demonstrates the essence of this style, culture or period. A treat for the senses. Getting on a plane and coming to New York is worth it just to visit the Met.

The final excitement is the gift shop, it is so big it needs a map of its own. Alas I need Jane to help with spotting the inside outside postcards.

Now to put one foot in front of the other and walk the 600m up to the Guggenheim. Yep, its looks just like the pictures but somehow I don’t think Frank Lloyd Wright envisaged street vendors with yellow umbrellas plonked in front of it when he designed it. I enter the atrium soaring up 6 floors and its quite a sight, suddenly all my energy comes back and I can enjoy the current exhibition, Italian Futurism and the obligatory exit thru the gift shop, plus bonus outside street vendors.

Its time to head for home, I could catch public transport or google maps tells me it will be a 32 minute walk. I am not sure Mr Google knows how many times I can stop for photos in 32 minutes, he really should allow more time in his estimates. I am about half way there and a storm is approaching, the row boat people are calling everyone in and packing up in a panic, street vendors are making a run for it and most of the tourists are just sitting under the trees enjoying the cooler breeze. I head for home as quick as my swollen feet with take me and make it within 20 steps of the door before the first rain drops fall.

Tourist tip: At the Met can highly recommend the visitor highlight tour (1 hour), and the audio guide for the directors tours of Level 1 and 2 (90 minutes each), just make sure you pick up the map for the directors tour which is different to the standard museum map. Both provided much need context to allow a good appreciation of a selection of works.

Money, money, money

Another city's public transport conquered

Why did everyone keep taking photos of the bulls bum?

My new friend, Gary, his sister lives in Melbourne

A white rose is placed by a name on their birthday

Self portrait at Tiffany's

The Big Piano at FAO Schwarz toy store

Right Hop Stop says go East on 58^th, then left onto Lexington and then hop on the 5. Today is my first adventure on the New York subway. First lets buy a weekly ticket, easy. Now how to get into the gates, watch a few people, ok, do it. Next find the right platform, uptown, downtown, round and round got it. Let’s take some pictures and hope no New Yorkers yell at me. Done. Ok lets actually squish onto one these carriages. In amongst the packed standing room only carriage there is one seat left. Time to jump into it just like Jane taught me in London. Ok we are off heading downtown. Arrive at destination,  fluke the right exit and there is the back half of the Charging Bull. Its 9:01am mission accomplished!

All the tourists are patient as we wait in turn for the obligatory photo with the bull. Also there are two cops, lets go see if they are as friendly as the London bobbies. Yes, they are photo time.

Now off to check out the rest of the Wall St area.  The Stock Exchange is draped in flags and just looks the same as in the movies. This monolith to money started out in 1792 when merchants met daily under a buttonwood tree to haggle. Now to see if there is anywhere to dig under the Federal Reserve Bank and score $90 billion worth of gold, 50 feet below sea level. Alas security is everywhere. Lots of other buildings to explore and feel the buzz. No one offers to employ me to fix their intranet so onwards I will go.

Everyone at home has been raving about this shop called Century 21, its close by so I may as well check it out. Hmm that was much better than expected, I am now loaded down with shopping bags and need to sit down. But a tourist can’t waste a minute of the day so its time to move on to 9/11 memorial shopping bags in tow.

There are police, construction workers and tourists everywhere enjoying the sun, telling their own tales about what they where doing on the day or finding the name of someone they knew. It’s quite interesting to watch the mixed reactions to a major event in the world’s history. I wonder how the tourists will be reacting in 50 years time.

Right I am feeling confident about the subway, lets go to REI, a major camping store to do some more shopping. Right platform, right number train, opps, it zooms by my station. Now I have learnt there are express trains that do not stop at all stations and local trains. Catch a local train back two stops and all is well. REI shopping completed. Another train for a quick detour back to apartment is needed to dump all this stuff.

Now lets attack more of 5^th, Park and Madison Avenue. Mac shop, toy shop, Bloomingdales, Barneys, fancy hotels, I love all the design, colours and beauty but am a bit over awed by all this excess.

The funniest bunch of Irish retirees are in Tiffany’s. They kept loosing their friend Mary. Calling up and down between the floors, “Mary, Mary, where are you?”. Thankfully two Tiffany’s lift attendants with their fancy blue scarf’s find Mary and return her, now she goes missing again. After a good laugh I leave them to it.

Time to rebalance in Central Park.

First slice of the big apple

5th Avenue reflections

Empire State Building

Me at the top

Hello!

New World Trade Centre 1 building

Naked? He was wearing undies?

After a hearty breakfast of maple pecan crunch flakes I take the few steps to 5^th Avenue and go in search of Tiffany’s. Oh, oh there are police everywhere and barricades. What is going on? All is ok, they are just setting up for a parade. Maybe to welcome me?

I go up and down the block where is Tiffany’s? Eventually I ask this doorman with a million dollar smile. He shows me it is 2 metres to my left. Doh, tourist syndrome. Photo frenzy ensues. However I am not wearing a LBD, nor eating my breakfast.

Now to continue on my pleasant Sunday morning journey down 5^th Avenue. St Patrick’s is on the left and I nick inside but not much to see as cathedral is being refurbished and is covered in scaffolding inside and out.

It’s not long before I have photosnapped my way to 34^th street and the Empire State Building. Being a Sunday morning I have avoided all the long queues and am being whisked by the elevator to the 86^th floor in no time. Out into the throngs I go, views from east, north, west and south. This city is big on a map and even bigger in real life. The Chrysler Building is a standout and I like all the bridges ringing the city. Now lets take another lift and go to the 102^nd floor. Its much smaller, not as many people, an easier to see everything. Following the signs I now make it to my first of many ‘exits through the gift shop’ and do my bit to keep the American economy going.

Time to head along 34^th street and take in some shops I am starting to remember to walk on the other side of sidewalk and learning one thing I don’t like about New York is the people smoking cigars as they walk along. Stinky.

Next stop on the tourist trail is B & H Photo and Video, a store Stephen regularly shops at online. Armed with my shopping list I enter the fray. This place is heaving, people everywhere and every electronic gadget you can ever imagine. Its like candy land. But wait there is more, what’s all this whirring and tracks around the roof? Some guy explains it is a conveyor system to move the goods around. Huh? Off to the 2^nd floor I go. Which according to me is the 1^st floor another thing for me to learn about America.

I am on the right floor now the short queue I have to stand in to wait for one of the 40 photo specialist counters. The size of this place and the level of service is phenomenal. Within moments Mereash has my list added into an order, then within minutes the equipment arrives. It’s sent up from the warehouse in the basement via the conveyors. I think Santa’s elves must work downstairs. Truly amazing experience.

My feet are waining and my tummy is rumbling, across to the water I walk and hop on a boat to cruise around the river and check out the sites. We back out of the dock and the first thing I learn is we are right where the Hudson river plane landing was. Then its on for great views and commentary. We are getting closer and closer to the big lady in the river, finally time for some snaps. Oh oh, the camera battery is flat, time to switch to the phone. Hop it does not fall overboard. Can’t wait till I get to go over to visit the Statue of Liberty. Manhattan really looks impressive in the sunshine. One building the guide points out is apartments that have garages next to each apartment ie if you live on the 11^th floor you drive up to the 11^th floor to park. I later found out that Nicole Kidman owns one of them. They are only new so if you get in quick there is one left to buy at $13 million.

Now for a wander through Times Square (manic) and then up Broadway (interesting) to home. That’s more than enough for one day, there are many more to go.