New York Нью-Йорк

"5 Napkin Burger" restaurant ceiling

Well, here we are in the Big Apple.  Day one was filled with R&R and a few forays out for sustenance.  Our timing was off a bit as lunch was at 3PM and dinner was at 11:30PM.  Is it possible to suffer from jet lag in the same time zone?  This really is “The city that never sleeps” as evidenced by the crowds still milling about at 11:15PM.  It seems that we weren’t the only ones out and about at that hour.  Times Square was still filled with tourists wandering around as wide-eyed as does.  I still have no idea what they were looking at.


From our 31st floor vantage point we have a view northwards on Broadway with an LED billboard advertising the M&M World just below us.  After spending the better part of the day as the target of the shameless and technologically stunning advertising, guess what I have a hankering for?  Argh...M&Ms melt in your hand, not in your mouth.  I’m going to fight the power as long as I can.  Not having cash in my pocket is helping as well as avoiding that side of the street.

This morning’s coffee run spawned a few observations:

1) The well-heeled NYC businessman wears a uniform of blue dress shirt, tie, black pants, sunglasses and funky black leather shoes.  They are all very busy and very important, traveling at a pace just shy of light speed and focused on getting to their destination without coming into contact with hoi polloi.

2) It doesn’t matter what time it is, construction, sirens, alarms and traffic sounds keep on blaring but it only takes a few hours to tune them out.

3) Coffee is, indeed, pronounced CAW-fee.

Need I say anything more

Took the Q train to Coney Island for $2.50.  It was well worth the price for the 45 minute air-conditioned ride alone.  The Aquarium was great fun from the snaggle-toothed sharks to the two walrus bumping bellies underwater.  The weather was Africa hot so the cool breeze blowing off the water was a welcome sensation  while strolling along the boardwalk.  Top that off with a Nathan’s hotdog and the day was a complete success.

The train trip back uptown was made much more fun once the “entertainment” arrived in the form of a 20-something-year-old singing a medley of songs all to his very own percussive improvisation.  The kids sitting across from us seemed to enjoy the show and were even dancing to the beat.

As for the possibility of catching a show, so much for the Lion King -sold out until Saturday and after an hour of waiting in line just in case someone called their tickets in, I called it quits.  No joy.  We opted instead for a walk slightly uptown for dinner at Carnegie Deli.  Holy shit, I’m glad we walked.  Suffice it to say that the hot pastrami sandwiches were shameful and the coleslaw was wholly unnecessary.   Tomorrow we’re WALKING to the Museum of Natural History.

I love New York