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There are a few highlights we have been looking forward to since before we cast off in Hamilton almost a year ago.  One of those is the Big Apple.  Staying at a marina anywhere near downtown is very expensive and the marinas don’t get great reviews so we decided to stay in New Jersey on Sandy Hook Bay and take the ferry into the city.

In NY, Reg came back from dropping Riley off and turned around again to take Sam home as he starts work next week. While they were gone, my Mum flew in so we could do a girl’s tour of the city.

We walked miles every day and took in as much as we could.  Here are the highlights:

Grand Central Terminal.  I love the details of the interior particularly the clock and the ticket windows.

Times Square. It's a tourist trap but a must-see for first time visitors like Sam.  The recruiting station has been in the square since 1946 and is apparently the most successful recruiting station in the country.

NYC is great for window shopping. The most ridiculous item we saw on display was these expensive leather headphones made to look like they were manufactured in the 40s.

The Empire State building. Another must-see for first time visitors.  Sam and I toured the lobby but decided to go up to the top of the Rockefeller Center instead so we could get a view of the Empire State.

The Brooklyn Bridge - a favourite NY stop for me.  I didn't get any great pictures of the bridge this time because it was absolutely packed with people.

Ground Zero.  My last visit to NY was in 1999 when I was very pregnant with Sam so this was my first time at the memorial and the site of the new buildings. I thought the memorial was very well done but was less taken with much the new construction as it is mostly glass skyscrapers.

Every victim has a rose placed on their name on their birthday

The new buildings include the stunning Occulus Transportation Center, the rather ho-hum Freedom Tower (both shown below left), and several others.  The Occulus is slightly diminished in my eyes when you go inside and discover it is a shopping mall but at least it is a beautiful shopping mall.

Another new addition since my last visit - Fearless Girl has been placed in front of the bull in the financial district. I was annoyed that I couldn't get any decent photos due to the line up of people who wanted to photograph the bull. But then this little poppet wandered up and started interacting with the statue while her mother waited in line in front of her.  


 

Learning about the immigrant experience is a big part of any tour of New York.  With all the hateful things Trump as done and said regarding immigrants it is a particularly poignant time to be here. I finally got a chance to visit the Tenement Museum which I strongly recommend to anyone.  Unfortunately cameras are not allowed so I don't have anything to show you. The statue below, The Immigrants, is located in Battery Park.  From NY Parks: "The sculpture depicts figures of various ethnic groups and eras, including an Eastern European Jew, a freed African slave, a priest, and a worker. The figures’ expressive poses emphasize the struggle and toil inherent in the experience of the immigrant or dislocated person." Hopefully America will one day again be a welcoming place for immigrants but I fear that day won't come any time soon.

Broadway and Off Broadway. We had a chance to catch 3 shows while we were in the city.

Spongebob - The Musical.  Sensationalist media, ineffectual government, misguided religious zealous, fear of foreigners, and the apocalypse, all wrapped up in comedy.  

Avenue Q.  What happens when kids who grew up watching Sesame Street and being told they were special and could do anything they wanted find out that being an adult actually sucks?  Oh, and the puppets have sex and watch porn.

Come From Away.  I've heard many good things about this show but they were all from the CBC who is obligated to rave about anything Canadian.  I couldn't see how one could take the story of thousands of people stranded in Gander and turn it into an engaging musical.  Turns out the CBC was right.  It was absolutely magical. I have never seen an audience react to a show like that. Leaping out of their seats to cheer at the end, wiping tears from their eyes.  The young man next to me wanted a hug when he found out we were Canadian. I can't say enough good things about this show.  See it if you can.

The Guggenheim. My Mum has been to New York many times but is only ever free on Thursdays when the Guggenheim is closed. She was really looking forward to seeing the ramp and it doesn't disappoint.  The architecture is amazing but I have to say this engineer didn't understand the art on display one little bit.

Bunnies and gangrenous feet?

Melty carrot people?

The Met.  First of all, I got to sit on the steps from which Blair Waldorf ruled the roost in Gossip Girl.  That was cool. There is an exhibit right now at the Met called Heavenly Bodies - Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.  It is a mix of papal regalia on loan from the Vatican (mitres, crowns, cassocks, capes, even papal slippers) and haute couture from the past decade or so inspired by the church. Cameras were not allowed in the papal exhibit so the pictures below are all from the couture collection.

Sunset over the Upper West Side

Other scenes from NY:

The highline.  An old elevated freight rail line turned into a park complete with paths, grass, gardens, and a small splash pad.

I love the balconies.  So many scenes from so many rom coms filmed on them.

This pastor sits on the corner outside his church on the upper East Side doling out advice like Lucy in Peanuts.

Dog walkers are everywhere. 

Nap pods! And a coffee shop for helping you wake up.

Third is a series expressing our political views.  We wanted to get one of Sam in front of  Trump Tower (the gold one) but there were guards with automatic machine guns and full kevlar suits so we decided against it.