Apologies for a big photo day. We eventually did find our way to the Empire State Building (and more).
As Di needs to rest her ankle, Hans went out early walking by himself. We had decided to meet up for lunch at Bryant Park at 1.30pm allowing Di to rest in the morning and Hans to explore while she is doing so.
Di got bored by 10am and so did some grocery shopping for us before setting off early to explore Grand Central Terminal Market (fantastic foodie place). We had also decided on a picnic lunch as an excuse for Di to browse, drool and shop there. Of course she was still about 20 minutes early so found a nice shady table and chair arrangement and watched the "world go by".
Hans kept up a much faster pace. The Runkeeper stats below are not Hans' complete hike for the day. As the GPS signal gets rather unreliable in between Manhattan's skyscrapers, Hans switched it off as he approached midtown close to Columbus Circle. An additional several kilometers would have been walked during the day as Hans walked from Columbus Circle along 59th Street or Central Park South to 5th Avenue and then south to 42nd Street and Bryant Park. And later down to 32nd Street.
Going back to the beginning though, fog was present over the waters again this morning, providing ample opportunity for nice photography. First off is Water Street in the financial district looking west.
Across the Hudson River towards New Jersey.
As Hans took this photo and then leaned onto the iron fence at Lower Manhattan taking it all in, an older American lady approached him and asked whether that was New Jersey across the water.
Well, Hans and the lady chatted for some 15 minutes. It turned out that she lived in northern New Jersey, was in her 80s (you wouldn't believe it), still worked as a contracted nurse and was in town for her granddaughter's graduation ceremony from NYU (New York University). She stayed just behind where we were, but her whole family were late starters and she was not so she had gone out to pick up a coffee. Well, it was around 9am at this time so it was not really that early (Hans remark). Of course, the lady was interested about Australia and our 1 year of travelling so she asked several questions. Very nice and unexpected.
There is a small marina on the western shore of the financial district.
Skyscrapers...
Pier 25 has these volleyball courts on the pier above the water. 3 of them, on sand, accompanied by lazy chairs. Open from dawn to dusk but nobody was there.
Looking east on 42nd Street from down at the Hudson River.
We are now getting into Upper West Side and it has been quite glammed up (although still noisy from the highway). Several flash condo blocks with doormen line Riverside Boulevard and we are here looking down towards to where Hans came up from.
If you continue east on 63rd Street, you end up at the Lincoln Center.
Along the way, you pass through one of those public housing estates with identical red bricked buildings again. What was different this time was that as the newer condos towards the Hudson looked glam, they looked sterile and lacked nice mature trees. As the public housing estate had been where it is for many decades, there were plenty of mature and gorgeous looking trees providing shade for the inhabitants. It sort of looked and felt... Nice. Nicer in fact.
Pic from the plaza at Lincoln Center, surrounded by concert halls.
A break at a Starbucks on Broadway next to Lincoln Center and then onto Columbus Circle, where Hans switched off Runkeeper.
Hans just had to go inside the Plaza and check it out since "The Oak Room" is in there. It is of course a classic eating place and has been immortalized in movies such as "Scent of a woman", BUT it was closed and locked... With a serious looking chain and lock.
The corridor at Plaza Hotel leading to "The Oak Room".
Well, Plaza Hotel's current restaurant, its name escapes Hans, didn't look too bad either. There were some wealthy looking people dining in there.
Out on the street again and south on 5th Avenue and Hans walks past the Trump Tower.
This is probably the angle of the Trump Tower that most people would be familiar with.
Hans arrived at Bryant Park right on time and found picnic arrangements all set up. Bryant Park was hugely popular today as it was a hotter day of about 28 degrees and all the locals were basking in the sun. You can see some of them on the lawn behind Hans (who is now also getting and looking pretty relaxed!)
We like Bryant Park so much that we linger and don't head off to our next destination until about 2.45pm.
We had been advised by John (our walking tour leader in both Brooklyn and SoHo) that to avoid queues you should go at either 8am or 3pm. We arrived just before 3pm - he was proved right, very manageable queues. We were delighted.
The general observation deck is on the 86th floor but to get there is a bit convoluted -
- Buy a ticket, go through security,
- Show your ticket to someone else and go through a turnstile
- Follow a bit of a winding path (with the usual souvenir photo shot) to get to a lift to the 80th floor
- Exit lift and follow another winding path to join a queue for another lift that goes up to the 86th floor.
OK OK, what follows next are the stock standard photos that everybody takes on top of Empire State Building. So here they are looking... North, with Central Park... Duuhhh?
Northeast towards Queens with Roosevelt Island and the Four Freedoms Park where we were yesterday.
Straight down onto Park Avenue and zoomed!
This is a famous department store called... Called... Nah, forgot the name.
No, THAT building...
I'm not scared!
I'm not scared either!
After more than an hour on top of the world, we had enough of the crowds and go back down again.
A refreshment stop at a Baskin Robbins ice cream parlour on 5th Avenue was just what was needed on a hot day. We then walk to the subway station of 34th Street / Herald Square and take out good old F-train back home.
Di does a bit of storm cooking with nice pork wursts and French style potato gratin with lots and lots of garlic. All washed down with a couple of Tsing Tao Chinese beers (as you do).
All good, and now good night from us.
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