LIBERTY HARBOR MARINA AND RV PARK really is just across the river from Manhattan. That IS the Statue of Liberty in the picture. We didn't get to go to it because full "crown" tours were booked through September.
But we did
See TWO Broadway shows
Eat at the Carnegie Deli
Eat at 69 Bayard Restaurant in Chinatown
Go to the top of the Empire State Building
Tour Macy's and Herald Square
Take a pedicycle ride around Central Park
Walk Fulton St all the way across lower Manhattan, from Ground Zero to the South Street Seaport
Walk Broadway from 33rd to 59th streets - both ways
Ride the subway (many times)
Survive a bus ride AND a cab ride
Visit the Natural History Museum
and take the Circle Line Tour around Manhattan
IN TWO AND A HALF DAYS.
We got there Tuesday afternoon and left Friday morning.
Our neighbor at the RV Park saw us leaving on Friday, July 3rd and said, "I told my wife, 'That Airstream is abandoned' because there was no one there when we got up in the morning and there was no one there when we went to bed at night."
It was a whirlwind three days but apparently not too overwhelming because Carol and the kids want to go back. Especially to see more Broadway shows. And eat.
The hike across Fulton St was their first exposure to the city. We got out of the PATH subway from Jersey at Ground Zero. I knew there was a TKTS booth at the Seaport that not only sold "day of performance" tickets like the Times Square booth but also sold "next day" tickets for the Wednesday matinees. We checked into Liberty Harbor around 2 PM and got into Manhattan around 3. Of course there were severe thunderstorms and we got drenched. But we did get tickets for that night's performance of Mary Poppins and Wednesday matinee tickets for The Phantom. I told the ticket agent, "This is the first time in the City for my wife and kids, I hope these are good tickets." The Mary Poppins tickets were mid-mezzanine with a great view and the Phantom tickets were 7th row orchestra on the aisle. Couldn't have done better at full price.
When we got off the subway at Time's Square it was raining hard again. We stood under the marquee for Mary Poppins and watched people scurry. I asked a cop if Mama Mia's was still on the corner. He said, "Out of business." So I asked about the Stage Door Deli. "Out of business." Broadway Diner? "Never heard of it." So we ate at McDonald's. It was an incredibly busy McDonald's. And it was three stories high. And we were out of the rain and right next door to the theater. But, Food Gods of the City, please forgive me. I'll do better tomorrow.
Mary Poppins was Supercali --- oh, you know! It was wonderful and we all came out singing. The rain was gone and we had a beautiful late night walk 10 blocks to the 33rd St PATH station. We even found a bargain on the way - 10 postcards for a dollar. We bought 30. Two blocks later we saw "15 for a dollar." Oh well, welcome to Manhattan. We were in bed by midnight.
Wednesday we got our usual early start and went to the Empire State Building before the matinee. Then we went to Macy's so Carol could spend her $50. gift card at the "real" Macy's. She was so overwhelmed by the 9 humongous floors of merchandise that she didn't buy anything.
We walked up to Time's Square and stopped at a street vendor along the way to get hot dogs and a soft pretzel.
Here's as close as we'll probably ever get to starring on Broadway.
After spending WAY TOO MUCH for Phantom T-shirts, we went into the theater and found our seats. The show was amazing. So much better than the movie. There is just NOTHING LIKE a Broadway production. And Phantom is the best.
OK, now it's time to appease the City Food Gods. Carnegie Deli, here we come. I had prepared Carol for the size of the portions and for the world famous surly waiters. Well, the kids charmed our waiter and he was absolutely nice. Oh well, I still had the portions to impress her. And they didn't disappoint. She had a roast beef sandwich.
Here's a picture of HALF of my pastrami on rye.
The kids had hamburgers and chicken fingers with portions about the same. Then all four of us split one piece of strawberry cheesecake. And we got to hear our waiter tell a hesitant customer behind us. "It's the best cheesecake in the world, lady. Sometimes you just have to do it."
We needed to work off that meal so we walked up to Central Park. It really was good exercise because we were carrying about 5 pounds of food in our "doggie bag." But before we could walk very far, a pedicycle driver stopped and said, "Can't I show you Central Park?" I didn't think he'd stick around after he saw that there were four of us. But he not only stayed, we negotiated an "end of the day" price. He gave us a great tour, even stopping to take pictures of us.
As we walked back down 7th Avenue to stop at the M&M store, I saw two familiar faces. Chuck and Pat Marlowe fellow parishioners from Our Lady of Nazareth in Roanoke. Chuck worked in the city some years ago and they were back in town to see South Pacific. Small world.
On to M&M World, where we bought a Statue of Liberty Green M&M dispenser and two M&M baseball caps.
Continuing our walk down Broadway, the kids stopped to pet one of New York's Finest horses. The policemen were very friendly - and patient. We talked to a couple with two little girls who had left their brand new American Girl dolls to pet the horse.
Back to the PATH station and a ride to Jersey City.
Thursday looked like more rain, so we went to the Natural History Museum. This was a MUST - it should be a MUST for everyone, but especially for us since we had just watched "A Night at the Museum" a couple of days before.
We met the couple with the kids from yesterday. They were staying at a hotel on 79th street, right across from the museum and they came everyday. Because the hotel had no parking. They were parked at the Museum parking garage and the Museum validated their parking ticket. Which I thought was an incredible deal for Manhattan. 20 years ago I paid $40./night at the Marriott. But "validate" meant $25. per night instead of the regular price of $50. Still a good deal. Just not free.
Everyone was overwhelmed, AGAIN by the sheer magnitude of the museum. After a few hours, we headed downtown to the Circle Line Pier. It sprinkled a few drops while we were waiting for our boat but the sky cleared as we were leaving the pier. Within a few minutes it started raining again. Fortunately the boat wasn't crowded and we were able to move under the roof.
The Lady
Downtown - sure looks different without the World Trade Center
OK - you gotta click on this one and view it in LARGE SIZE.
It's the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge in the same picture with the Statue of Liberty in the distance.
We didn't take many pictures with the digitals but Andrew had some film cameras and we should have more pictures to post in about two weeks when we swing back through Salem for a few days.
69 Bayard is a restaurant in the heart of Chinatown that Mary Ann and I went to regularly in the mid 1960's. Hasn't changed a bit. Very few Caucasian customers, not much attention from the waiters, REALLY crummy little (one) restroom, huge servings of incredibly tasty food at very reasonable prices. A local (meaning Chinese) neighborhood place. I asked one of the waiters if he knew a family member of the owner, about 60 years old, named "Jimmy". He said that he didn't. It was still the same family, but 40 years meant TWO generations had owned the place since I'd been there. At least it's still there. Another of our favorites, Chumley's, literally fell down a couple of years ago. An interior chimney collapsed, pulling down the town house that was Chumley's along with parts of two neighboring buildings.
We left NY tired, broke and sorry we had to leave. Carol and I will probably return in August.
But State College and the 4th Fest were only two days away, so off we went across PA.
Life is Good !
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