Blog Special. New York Holiday 12/25/2016

 

Merry Christmas.  Santa probably won’t find us here but that’s ok; I don’t deserve anything anyway!

We have a more or less unusual Christmas planned: a Singing Gospel Brunch in Harlem.  You can go to one of these any Sunday at Hondo’s on Main in Fredericksburg, Texas but we’ve never been.

         

The gospel brunch was more than we’d have imagined.  This was a sub-group of a group of at-risk teens under the sponsorship of “The Mama Foundation for the Arts”.  Sixty Minutes followed this group for a year.  Their two reports both won Emmy’s.

         

Next stop, at the other end of the island, was the Staten Island ferry.  This free ferry carries 70,000 passengers a day.  Our only objective was great views and photographs.  Above see the skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge.  Also above is one of the Macy windows which we saw after the Empire State Building.  Below see the Statue of Liberty.

                                                        

Next stop was the Empire State Building.  Although we had pre-purchased tickets these had no advantage.  We were told we still had to stand in the security line, two blocks long and a wait-time of 2+ hours.  At 4:00 pm on Christmas day?  We found that we could upgrade to VIP tickets for a price; we were willing to pay.  Still, this is a crowded and confusing venue.  One factoid I discovered is that 10,000,000 bricks were  used in the construction. See photo above and three below taken from the 80th, 86th and 102nd floors.

       

We had pre-arranged dinner at Nice Matin, our standard breakfast place.  At night, this was totally transformed from a casual, laid-back breakfast café to a crowded, hopping dinner place.  The food was quite  good.  So was the wine.  We couldn’t believe that this relatively small place would have a 50-page wine list.

Tomorrow Brenda and I return to Dallas and then on to Fredericksburg.  On the trip here (DFW to CLT and CLT to EWR) we were upgraded to first-class on both flights.  We hope this repeats tomorrow, but seriously doubt if it will.

We’ve had four full days: 9/11 Museum and Memorial, lunch at Eataly, MOMA Museum, the play Spamilton, dinner at Lincoln Ristorante, the MET Museum, NEUE Galerie (not me), dinner at Bouchon Bakery and Café, the Christmas Market at Columbus Circle, the play The Humans, Whitney Museum, walk High Line Drive (not me), New York String Orchestra, dinner at etcetera etcetera, Gospel Brunch at Ginny’s Supper Club in Harlem, Ferry to/from Staten Island, Empire State Building (80th, 86th and 102nd floors), perused Three Lives Booksellers, viewed Macy’s windows and dinner at Nice Matin.  The list of things we did not do is even longer.  But I’m tired.  Following Glenn, Patrice and Brenda on foot in New York is harder than most bike rides I’ve done.  Time for a rest.

This will likely be the  last blog until May 2017, when we head to Japan.

Blog Special. NYC Holiday 12/24/2106

 

Christmas Eve.  We walked in the rain to the Subway; destination was the Whitney Museum of American Art, building designed by Renzo Piano.  Although he is one of my favorite architects, this didn’t strike me as one of his best works.  Three of his designs in Texas, The Menil Collection in Houston, the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas and the expansion of the Kimball Museum is Fort Worth, are all more striking.

               

  

On the eighth floor there was an exhibit by Cuban born artist Carmen Herrera.  This consisted of her work from 1948 to 1978.  Carmen coincidently lives a couple of blocks from the Whitney and is still working daily at age 101.

            

The photo on the left above is titled “City”.  Note the picture on the right above.  This is consistent with a series of photos I’ve taken of people looking at art.  And the photo on the left below is titled “Woman and Bicycle, 1952-53”.  I defy anyone to recognize a bicycle.  Please show it to me.  The photo on the right below is not a sculpture; it’s part of the building; there are outdoor patios on each floor.

                      

Additional thoughts from previous blogs:

From 12/22 blog – 9/11 and World Trade Center.  The people who lost their lives came from 90 different countries.

From 12/23 blog – NYC Subway system. Based on the number of stations, 469, it is the largest transit system in the world. It is the 7th busiest in the world, providing 1.7 billion rides in 2015. It is one of the longest with 233 miles of track.

Also from 12/23 – the MET. “Admission” is $25 for a single ticket and $17 for seniors.  But these are considered donations, you don’t have to pay anything if you don’t want to!

I came back to the hotel after the Whitney and visiting a bookstore.  Glenn, Patrice and Brenda walked back to the Whitney and walked the High Line which is about 1.25 miles.  The path was created along a section of elevated train tracks.  Lots of plantings amongst the tracks, trying to mimic plantings that would naturally have occurred along the tracks.  Public art was commissioned in locations along the track.  The most curious was a painted bronze that was a man, clad only in Hanes briefs, and appearing to be in a state of sleep walking.  At first glance he looked alive.

We have booked an 8:00 pm concert by the New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and a late dinner afterwards at Etcetera, Etcetera, recommended by a friend. The concert was great, all Mozart: Idomeneo Overture, Violin Concerto No. 3 and Symphony No. 41.  The NY String Orchestra consists of exceptional music students who are invited to New York in December for 10 days of new musical ideas and the challenge of participating in two professional-level concerts.  Featured in the Violin Concerto was Jennifer Koh, Musical America's 2016 Instrumentalist of the Year.  The conductor was Jaime Laredo, one of Jennifer’s instructors.  They have one thing in common; both made their symphony debut at age 11.  I was amazed and amused at the “sophisticated” New York Carnegie Hall music lovers who clapped after every movement.  Usually, this is not done.

The food at Etcetera Etcetera was good but I was disappointed with their service.

Although I did not participate in all of the walking, those who did recorded over 18,00 steps today.  I’m tired even thinking about it.

 

Blog Special. NYC Holiday 12/23/2016

 

We walked through Central Park to THE MET, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  This gigantic facility occupies 4 city blocks;  it holds 2,000,000 artifacts (not all shown at the same time) spanning 5,000 years. The Louvre in Paris claims to be the world’s largest museum but I’m not sure.  Notice in the photo the long lines when it opened at 10:00.  The museum seems to be crowded any time you’re there – just like the Louvre.  The photos here are intended to show, in a small way, the diversity of The MET.

                

Art from Rome 3,000 years ago, Africa 500 years ago, France and Egypt.

                                              

 

         

Brenda, Glenn and I visit the MET’s Photo Gallery shown on the right.  Glenn and I have an interest in photography and hope to visit two photo galleries while in New York.

We have lunch in one of the three cafes in the museum.  I return to the hotel for rest, recovery, relaxing and blogging while the others visit another museum.  Glenn, Patrice and Brenda visit the Neue Galerie which owns Klimt’s “The Woman in Gold” painting.  This painting was the subject of the movie by the same name, starring Helen Mirren.  There is also a special exhibit of Klimt sketches and paintings on loan.  A very interesting exhibit.

 

We take Subway #1, a block from the hotel, to Columbus Circle because we have early dinner reservations at Bouchon Bakery and Café.  This is one of Thomas Keller’s 12 restaurants.  Of course he is most famous for The French Laundry in Yountville, Ca. and Per Se, also at 10 Columbus Circle in New York.  Grandson/chef Austin spent 4 months working as an extern at Per Se when he was a student at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America – not the Central Intelligence Agency) three years ago. At that time, Per Se was rated #2 in the US and #5 in the world.  But they have lost their reputation, or at least their following, and are probably in the bottom half of the Top 100 today.  None the less, our dinner at Bouchon was great.  Photo is of Brenda and I in front of Per Se’s “blue door”.

Back on #1 Subway we’re headed for Time Square because we have tickets for a Broadway play, The Humans.   7th Avenue is more than crowded (see next paragraph), it’s wall-to-wall humanity from the store front to the curb.  Progress is slow and we don’t have much time.  The play starts slow but quickly gets very intense as well as depressing.  We thought it was great.

Speaking of crowds, I read in the New York Times that New York City has 5,000,000 visitors each year from Thanksgiving to New Years.  Between 8,000 and 10,000 pass Macy’s decorated windows EACH HOUR.

The best value in the city (for visitors) is a one week subway (and bus) pass.  You can go anywhere all week for $29.  We’re here only for 4 days but with at least 4 rides per day, these rides are less than $2.00 each.  BTW, the NYC Taxis are challenging Uber and Lyft with their own app, CURB.  This will hail the nearest driver, track the taxi arrival in real time, and allow you to pay in the app with your credit card.

Before  leaving Texas, I bought NYC maps.  I left them in Dallas and bought more here.  But I don’t need them.  All I need is Google Maps above ground and the NYC subway map app.

Blog Special. NYC Holiday 12/22/2016

 

Usually I blog only when on a bike trip.  This is an exception.  Glenn and Patrice and Brenda and I decided to spend Christmas in New York City.  This idea was hatched after we saw a PBS special on the play Hamilton but then we learned that tickets are $600 to $900 so didn’t get to see the play.  We found an alternative – read on.

We’re at The Lucerne, 79th and Amsterdam, 2 blocks west of Central Park.  There is an attached French restaurant, Nice Matin where we get 15% discount for breakfast.  The Moroccan waiter is very helpful, telling us how to get to the 9-11 Museum on the subway and also recommending a place for lunch – read on.

On my first NY subway ride I’m able to help a local, probably a “street person”.  He’s cursing because the train doesn’t stop where he wants to get off.  Using an app on my smart phone I’m able to tell him “Only train #1 stops at that station; we’re on #2.”  “I’ve got to go back.”  Someone pipes up, “You can do that  at the next station.”

We have a 9:45 reservation for a tour at the 9-11 Museum which opened only 2 years ago.  They did an incredible job designing this museum and our guide, a young Oriental girl, was also excellent.

  

Above, museum at left, wall protecting the basement from the Hudson River (If that had broken, all of Manhattan would have been flooded.) and a twisted beam.

                                 

Right photo: “survivors stairs”.  15,000 of the 17,000 people in the buildings survived.  But over 400 first responders lost their lives.

The breakfast waiter recommended EATALY for lunch.  This Italian based enterprise has 30 restaurants in over 24 countries – the two in New York are the only ones in the US but soon will also be in Los Angeles and Boston.  They’re enormous, taking a full city block.  The one we went to had an Italian grocery store, 5 restaurants, 2 coffee bars and a wine bar.  It was jam packed with people but we finally got a table in the fish restaurant.  Patrice ordered a Branzino, a whole fish.

          

Next stop was MOMA, the  Museum of Modern Art, although I don’t know how they define “modern”.  Surely they have more Picasso’s than anyone, although he’s not my favorite.

              

                 

And then there’s Mondrian’s wall:

You remember we weren’t willing to pay the price for Hamilton, but we were willing to pay $70 for an off-Broadway spoof of it called Spamilton.  It was hilarious, maybe better than the original play.

Grandson/chef Austin recommended Lincoln Ristorante; I didn’t realize it was the restaurant for The Lincoln Center.  We has a late, great dinner.  With maybe the best service I’ve ever experienced.

         

We started at 7:00 this morning and got back to the hotel around 11:00 pm.  Patrice’s Fit-bit says we walked 17,000 steps.  I’m REALLY tired.