If you have read "Why The Blog?" then you have all the info you need. Without wasting more of your time, here is the e-mail where it all started. A five night stay in mid-town Manhattan for the first time, over Labour Day weekend, 2009.
I may edit this into daily posts but for now I present you the whole thing.
----Original Message-----
Sent: 2010 January 25 12:49
Subject: RE: new york
OK, I'll see what I can remember as I write:
Day 1 Friday
Stayed at The Alex Hotel, mid town, 45th St and 3rd Ave. There's the Chrysler Building out our window! Cool! Nice hotel, great room and service. Our flight from Toronto Island was exciting because we were going to the Big Apple man! Landed in Newark and called for our car. Took us into Manhattan through the Holland Tunnel, up through Greenwich over the 3rd Ave and then up to our hotel. Checked in and then back to the street to wander.
We walked up Park Avenue, saw the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, cut west past 5th 6th and 7th Ave and saw Carnegie Hall, walked past the Sony Building, Trump Tower (not necessarily all in that order). Ended up at the south-west corner of Central Park, at Columbus Circle, across from the Time Warner Building. We walked through the south part of the park with a gelato. Came back out of the park on the south side again and walked back to Columbus Circle and headed down Broadway...hey there is the Ed Sullivan Theater, home of the Late Show with David Letterman. Saw lots of Broadway in daylight. People, shops, huge neon signs everywhere! Headed back east through Times Square somewhere between 54th and 42nd St back to our hotel.
Subway from Grand Central (just 3 blocks from Hotel) to Coney Island in Brooklyn to watch fireworks (happened every Friday, we were there for last fireworks of the year) - about an hour long ride - comes out of the ground and goes over one of the bridges into Brooklyn - not the Brooklyn Bridge because we could see it from the train. Went to a little pizza shop for beer and pizza. Looked liked the set of a Sponge Bob cartoon - can't remember the name. Across the street from Nathan's Famous - home of big annual hot dog eating contest. Walked down the boardwalk - tons of people and beer - to watch the fireworks and all the bizarre ongoings. Went through the old midway and carnival. Took a ride on the famous Wonder Wheel. The Cyclone roller coaster wasn't in use that day.
Subway home to Times Square. Walked through the Hard Rock Cafe (too late to order anything) and looked at all the stuff. Beatles stuff, etc. Walked back to the hotel....tired and sleepy.
Day 2 Saturday
Hmmm, writing a lot of stuff. Will try to keep it brief.
Up early and had a full breakfast at the Comfort Diner across the street from the hotel. Cool 50's style diner, good food. Walked west to 5th and headed south. First big stop was the Empire State Building. Long waits...for security...for tickets...for elevator...for another elevator...the audio tour. Did the whole audio tour on the Observation Deck. You get a great history lesson of all of Manhattan with good visuals because you can see all of Manhattan. Hours later (3??) we walked back onto 5th Avenue. Long time but we both agreed - worth it. Make sure to get the audio tour.
Kept walking south on 5th. Stopped in a few shops...had pizza in a cool little pizzeria. 5th Ave stops at Washington Square. Lots going on there...singers, musicians, contortionists, artists. Tons of people watching other people, reading, eating, sunbathing. Came out the south end of the Square on Thompson St. and now we are in Greenwich Village (could possibly stay in this area on our next visit). Walked around Greenwich - cool coffee shop, clothes. Went into Bleeker Street Records (on Bleeker St..) near 6th Ave. Turned back and headed down 6th Ave to Canal St. Saw a Fire Hall on the way with a shrine to firefighters lost in 9-11. Every Fire Hall has these. Makes you feel humble, proud...lots of things. These feelings stay with you the whole time you're there. Had a little bench break at the corner of 6th and Canal. Walked east down Canal through the circus (that is putting it mildly) of street vendors selling knock-off clothes, hand bags ("handbag, handbag!!"), electronics...Canal is the border between Chinatown to the South and Little Italy to the North. Canal was exciting and exhausting! Walked up Mulberry St (center of Little Italy) - some Chinese stuff. Apparently Little Italy is shrinking while Chinatown grows. Ate at an Italian patio (Giovanni's) Very good food. The Mexican buses/porters were great. People and music everywhere due to a festival. You get to see real NYC characters in action when you stop to pay attention (a fight almost broke out between a musician and a resident). Bought a freshly rolled cigar which I enjoyed while we walked North on Mulberry, then over to Lafayette (cool multilayer parking lots...). Finally took a subway back to Grand Central and then home to the hotel. A long but awesome day - tired feet!
Day 3 Sunday
Looks like being brief is not happening.
Breakfast across the street at the Amish Market. Bagels, yogurt, juice, smoothies. Walked West again to 5th but this time North to Central Park again (South-East side) (and past St. Patrick's Cathedral, the GE building (30 Rock). Walked through the parks south end to the west side. Through Strawberry Fields and the "Imagine" mosaic. Out onto Central Park West and across the street to the Dakota building (W 72 St). Yoko Ono still lives there. North to the Museum of Natural History at W 77 St. for a full tour (bypassed the ticket lines now that we had activated our City Pass the day before at ESB). Did the full tour of the Dinosaurs, Mammals, Sea life, the Planetarium. Crossed back through the Park to The Metropolitan Museum of Art (E 80 st and 5th Ave). Lots of old world art, paintings and sculptures. Too many to remember as we tried to see as much as we could before closing. Back out onto 5th Ave and North to rest on a bench on E 88 St, right across from the Guggenheim. Didn't go in (the only City Pass attraction we didn't see...) . At this point we are just East of the Jackie Onassis Reservoir in the park. Back into the park to walk around the reservoir to the west side again (didn't see any famous people jogging...but you could get lucky).
The Frick Collection (5th Ave and E 70 St) was recommended to us but we didn't go. A very good art collection that is not as big (or as busy) as the "Met".
Walked through the Upper West Side (setting for West Side Story). Cool neighborhood...you can tell there are more locals around than tourists. Ended up eating at "Monaco" at 80 st W and Amsterdam. Very good meal! Walked down Amsterdam to Broadway. Down Broadway to Columbus. The Metropolitan Opera House, etc. was at the corner there. Continued down Broadway (or Columbus? - can't remember but if we went down Broadway, we would have passed Columbus Circle again (south-west corner of Central Park) and I don't remember doing that!) and cut over to 6th Ave ("Avenue of the Americas"). There is Radio City Music Hall and ...look there is Rockefeller Center (30 Rock!). Walked through the plaza (no ice rink or tree but a outdoor patio in summer). Spontaneously did the "Top of the Rock" tour. That was fun :), south to Times Square again (shopping on the way. Billabong had a cool hat that I was told I looked silly in) and back to the hotel. Another awesome, full day!
Day 4 Monday
Downtown. Twice. By water and then by foot.
Back to the Comfort Diner for breakfast...amazing smoked salmon. Freshest I have ever tried. We started out on foot again, West down 42 St on the south side, past the Chrysler Building, Past Grand Central Station. Bought some T-shirts and scarves on the way at a little street market (3 tees for $10, 5 scarves for $20?). Back to Grand Central to take the subway to Times Square to save our feet and some time. Walked West through Hell's Kitchen to the piers to take the Circle Line Sightseeing cruise. Down the Hudson River, past the Statue of Liberty, up the West side, under the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge...and back. Great view of downtown, Battery Park, the whole NYC skyline.
Walked back to Times Square for a subway to Chambers St (I think that is where we got off...WTC stop was closed for the Labour Day Holiday). All the subway stops are clean, tile mosaics, simple system to understand (A train, D train....)...anyway. Walked down Church St to Ground Zero. Saw the "9-11 cross" mounted at St. Peters Church. Walked west around the area to One World Trade Center and the Winter Garden Atrium there to view the construction at Ground Zero. Went out the back of the Atrium to Pumphouse Park. Had gelato near the water and walked down the Esplanade, past the Monument for fallen Police Officers (many names with the same date...Sep 11, 2001). Through Battery Park, the Where Eagles Dare monument (hey isn't that Spider-Man?...). Past the old cannon batteries (ah...that's where the parks name comes from...). Past the Staten Island Ferry Pier near the eternal flame and damaged metal globe sculpture from the WTC that has been temporarily erected there. Up Greenwich St (near the area anyway) to the 9-11 memorial site. That is a humbling experience that I did not like to hang around too long for. You are very aware that you are standing on a grave site. A little walk through Zuccotti Park at Liberty St and Trinity Pl (picture taken with the bronze "business man on a bench" statue) and then across to Century 21. Wow...that is a serious Department Store. I had to wait outside after a while, while Terry shopped around. Out the back of the store to Broadway and started walking into the financial core. Can't remember the streets. At this point there are many narrow streets, some cobble stone.
Past the Federal Reserve Bank and ended up the corner of Nassau, Broad St. and Wall St. There is the NY Stock Exchange (can't miss it with the giant American Flag on the front) and the site where George Washington was sworn in as the first President. Walked around some more (Water St. Pearl St.) and ended up on a little cobble stone street with may pubs. Had a beer. Mistake as we had a hard time finding a washroom later before trying to find an open subway stop on a holiday. Not really a mistake but wow we needed a facility! We didn't see "The Charging Bull" statue. It is located at Broadway and Slate St (in Bowling Green)...we were close to it!
Finally found a Starbucks...whew!....and then a subway back to Times Square. Walked to "Carmines" for dinner (W 44th St, just west of 7th Ave). "Family Style" Italian. Do not order more then one item to share! Lots of food! Awesome food!. We had the hot antipasto (that was enough) and ordered baked eggplant parmesan. Looked like a football on a platter.. We ate at the bar because it was packed (dark by then too). The bartenders were great! There is a Carmines in the Upper West Side too (the first one apparently). Bought the Carmines recipe book.
Back to the hotel on foot after another long, awesome (but tiring) day....one more full day ahead!
Day 5 Tuesday
Amish Market for something to eat and then a day of shopping in mid-town/5th Ave....Abercrombie (wow...that is a busy place)....FAO Schwarz toys store (The "Big" Piano - you can buy it for $250,000). You can make your own Muppet!...the Apple Store (under the street at 5th Ave and 58 St E/Central Park West area - you know you are there when you see a large glass cube with the Apple logo and an elevator on the sidewalk. Went to "All About Food" across from Apple and FAO Schwarz on 58 St E for a Panini sandwich which we took to Central Park to eat on the grass. You don't have to go very far into the park to have quiet...and you can still look out onto 5th Ave.
Noticed at the same corner that they were filming scenes for "Sex and the City 2". Saw the girls, albeit from a distance.
Back to the hotel to change for the show! Tickets to "God of Carnage" in the theatre district (Bernard Jacobs Theater, same street as our hotel, 45 St, between 7th and 8th Ave). Starring Jeff Daniels, James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis (these days the players are Jimmy Smits, Annie Potts, Christine Lahti, Ken Stott). Good, funny play :). After the show we walked over to and down 9th Avenue and ate another little Italian place (L'Allegria Italian at the corner of 9th Ave and 44 St W). Not many people and not quite as good a meal as the others we had enjoyed but still good. An enjoyable final dinner on a NYC corner patio.
Walked all the way back to the hotel again - not sure of the street(s) we took, guessing 42 or 45 St. Stopped at the pub beside the hotel ("The Perfect Pint") for a tea and a drink on the roof top. Everything was made out of kegs, the bathroom sinks, the tables....
Up to our room for the last night.
Day 6 Wednesday
Last breakfast at the Comfort Diner...bought some coffee mugs. A little more wandering around 5th Avenue and area. Radio City during the day, Rockefeller, etc. and then up to The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) for our last sight seeing tour. Lots of cool modern stuff there (went a little crazy with the camera)...Picasso, Andy Warhol...back to the hotel to check out. A glass of wine on the hotel restaurant patio while we waited for our car back to Newark airport and our flight home....
Had an awesome time and we will be back! So much more to do and see...more Greenwich Village, more Downtown/Financial District, Flatiron District, more Coney Island (NYC Aquarium), Hell's Kitchen (Rangers game!), Queens (Mets game), The Bronx (Little Italy, Bronx Zoo, Yankee game!). Lower East Side, Harlem, Upper East Side, more Central Park, more Upper West Side, DUMBO, NoLita, SoHo, NoHo, CBGB, Staten Island Ferry, United Nations (we were only a few blocks away)....
