Touching down in Newark, we easily navigated the airport and found our way to the Newark Airport Express bus, which for only $16 each, took us right to Grand Central Station. On a side note, I can't even type Grand Central Station without hearing it in Chris Rock's voice, in the role of Marty from Madagascar. Sadly, although not for moviemakers, much of my knowledge of the Big Apple highlights comes from Hollywood. I'm not alone in this, as when we got to the main concourse in Grand Central Station, my son asked if they had fixed the clock after Melman had broke it. (If you haven't watched the movie Madagascar I might lose you through most of my NYC blogs...fair warning).
It was an overcast afternoon, and the forecast for the next few days looks like a lot of clouds and rain - yet New York to me always looks beautiful so a few gray skies only means a probable umbrella souvenir for all of us. We totally lucked out for our hotel. We are staying at the Seton Hotel, on east 40th Street, only minutes walk from Grand Central Station. We came across it while searching hotels on line, and found it to be one of the more affordable hotels within walking distance of Times Square, Central Park and MOMA. Recently upgraded, this old hotel has a very modern feel - boutique style with high ceilings (at least 20 ft) and comfortable beds. There are some rooms without in room bathrooms, but for about $200 a night, we have 2 double beds, our own bathroom, and a view of a brick wall - it's New York after all, and I don't see any rooftop views with our budget in our immediate future.
We dropped our bags and headed out for a bite to eat, finding Blooms Delicatessen a few streets west of our hotel that served monster size hamburgers, and the cliche new york deli pastrami on rye sandwiches. Fuelled up on energy, and the excitement of exploring New York, we began our journey towards Times Square, only to stop at Madison Avenue when we saw a huge street festival that closed Madison for blocks northwards. Not being able to resist an unexpected festival we made our way up Madison Avenue stopping to check out the venders along the way. A few purchases later, including some early Christmas shopping!, we left the street festival and headed back west towards Times Square.
I've been to Times Square a few different times, and each time I'm amazed and overwhelmed by the lights, the people, the signs and the stores. This afternoon was no different and we were quickly surrounded by the excitement of it all. A few quick must do tourist photographs later, we took in a few stores before we had to move on just to regain our sanity. We found our way south to 42nd Street, and headed back east towards our hotel. On the way we passed Bryant Park. I have never heard of Bryant Park before today (Hollywood, get on it!), but loved my new found oasis in the city. Bryant Park runs north from 40th Street to 42nd Street, and takes up the entire block between 5th and 6th Avenue. Trees and pathways with patio style tables and chairs fill the park, and in the middle is a large grass area with a giant movie screen at the west end of it. Giving our feet a break, we joined the New York City locals and sat on the grass enjoying the summer evening. A quick rest later, we set out for Grand Central Station, which was a few blocks east along 42nd Street. It was dusk, and the outside of the Station was softly lit up giving it a romantic feel as we admired this amazing landmark. We went inside, and went directly to the main concourse. It was priceless to see both kids expressions of awe as we entered the incredible main room, known for its infamous clock, once fictionally destroyed by Marty the zebra. Both kids looked up and were taken aback by the tall blue ceiling, decorated with paintings of Greek Gods, and the stars named after them. Bruce and I had read about a few secret places in Grand Central, so we headed towards the Oyster Bar in search of the Whispering Room. Directly in front of the Oyster Bar is a room with a domed ceiling, and each of us stood facing the opposite corners and tried out this urban legend. We were happy to find out that the Whispering Room lived up to its legend and despite the noise of the Station, we could hear what each other was saying, even though we were not speaking louder than a whisper. A few people followed suit and soon there was a little line up waiting to try out this hidden gem.
It was getting late, and we were hungry after our first day adventure though NYC, so we walked a block east of Grand Central, and found a highly recommended "cheap eats" place called 99 cent pizza. We ordered our pizza to go, and walked back a few blocks south to our hotel. It was delicious and by far the best deal I expect we will get - $10 for a dinner for 4. An early night, especially by New York City standards, we need a good night sleep for our next adventure tomorrow - MOMA to fulfil my bucketlist item - seeing the original Starry Night from Van Gogh, and a birthday lunch at the Boathouse in Central Park. Of course, we might have to stop off to play a big piano at FAO Schwarz, but only if I can learn the chopsticks before then.
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