I returned yesterday from the city where the fashion runway and parade of humanity never end.
It was the first time I’ve been to New York City in probably 20 years or more, but I don’t remember for sure. All I know after going back is that I should have gone sooner and intend to go more often.
Patty and I spent three days in the Manhattan — staying at a hotel on the Lower West Side — and then three days on Long Island with friends who’ve lived there many years.
While I came back yesterday, Patty stayed on. She and our friend Cheryl D’Antonio will be getting on a train Thursday for a three-day Amtrak ride to Salt Lake City…It’s a bucket list thing of sorts in honor of, and with, another friend who has a serious health problem.
In Manhattan, we saw two musicals — a stirring revival of Oklahoma! and a fast-paced show called Come From Away, about one aspect of the 9/11 tragedies. (Tip on buying theater tickets: Don’t buy online in advance; you pay about a 33 percent processing and handling fee per ticket. We went to the box offices the day of and the day before performances and got good tickets at face value.)
I’ve got a lot of photos to show you…so many that I’m splitting them up over two days.
Let’s get cracking with Part One!
After arriving last Tuesday, Aug. 27, we walked over to 9th Avenue and found this great Italian restaurant. It was noisy, but the food and lively atmosphere overrode that drawback.
Although it was pretty late when we finished dinner, we went over to The Algonquin Hotel and had a drink in its famous lobby. Famous for what? Well, it was the hangout in the 1920s for a group of actors, critics and writers who called themselves “The Vicious Circle.”
They had lunch daily at a round table — either this one or one like it. The titular head of the group was Harold Ross, founder of The New Yorker magazine. In the painting hanging above the table, Ross is at the center. He died in 1951 at age 59.
Another landmark is The Dakota coop apartment building on the Upper West Side, across from Central Park. It has been home to many famous people, including John Lennon, who was murdered in the archway in 1980. Other residents have included Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall and Boris Karloff.
The greatest landmark in the world…the Empire State Building, 34th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Times Square, with its digital ticker tape…One of the big stories this night was the pending sale of the Kansas City Royals by David Glass.
Part of the Theater District. The Schoenfeld, on West 45th Street, was where we saw Come From Away.
Radio City Music Hall, on 6th Avenue
Patty, who is quick,, quick, quick, spotted this place not far from the Schoenfeld.
This Mid-Century-Modern era building near Washington Square Park closely resembles our former TWA building (except for the coloring) at 18th and Baltimore.
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Here’s another striking-looking building — architect Zaha Hadid’s condo building on West 28th Street, along the High Line elevated park and south of a mega-development called Hudson Yards. According to Crain’s, sales of units have been slow, perhaps because Hudson Yards is still under construction.
This is what I mean when I say “still under construction.” It’s a veritable spaghetti junction of cranes. (Our hotel was adjacent to the development.)
If you like these photos, come back tomorrow and I’ll have more for you…
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 