When Paul and I decided to spend three days in New York City before heading out on a cruise from Newark I sort of envisioned it as a mini-honeymoon.
Of course, because our wedding was secret we weren't able to tell anyone about it.
Now that we have these rings on our fingers we can. ;-)
We fly to New York on the 30th of June. We're booked for three nights in the swanky NoMad hotel. It was more than we normally like to pay for a hotel but it is our honeymoon and all.
June 30th is Paul's 41st birthday. I asked him where he wanted to go for dinner and he immediately decided on Babbo, Mario Batali's flagship restaurant. One of my former students has connections with the hotel so she spoke to them and they spoke to Babbo and sure enough we were able to get an 8:30 reservation.
Perfect.
The next morning we have a three hour New York Architecture walking tour by Context Travel.
Manhattan, one of North America’s largest harbors and the most densely populated city in the United States, has been known by all of these names and others. And the essence of the city’s hum, bustle, and rhythm can be experienced on 42nd Street, the street that no one should miss when visiting New York for the first (or tenth) time. During this three-hour walking tour, we traverse this great American thoroughfare with an architect or historian. Gaze up at mid-century gargoyles as they peer down from the Chrysler Building, step inside the Daily News Building (the model for the headquarters of the Daily Planet – otherwise known as the location for Superman’s day job), and experience one of the busiest – and most beautiful – Beaux-Arts train stations in the world. Walk away with a better understanding of the way that architecture has shaped (and is still shaping) one of the greatest cities on earth.
Beginning at the East River in the hidden residential enclave Tudor City, we’ll consider how the development’s neo-gothic spires and brick facades created a mythology for up-and-coming New Yorkers in the 1920s. With the distinctive United Nations Building and spectacular views of the East River as a backdrop, we will situate ourselves and delve into an overview of the architectural history of the city and the fantastic ways that the human and built environments collide.
Heading east on 42nd Street we will make stops at several significant landmarks. We’ll consider the Ford Foundation Building’s large, tree-filled atrium – the first of its kind in the city, and widely credited as setting a standard for indoor public spaces in Manhattan office buildings. We’ll also investigate a trio of skyscrapers that epitomize Art Deco style: the Chanin Building with its extraordinary architectural sculpture; the Chrysler Building, with its hubcaps and hood ornaments; and the Daily News Building, architect Raymond Hood’s precursor to Rockefeller Center (and the place where Superman goes incognito as bespectacled newsman Clark Kent).
We’ll continue on to Grand Central Station, a magnificent Beaux-Arts structure and temple to transportation. Inside we’ll gaze up at the star-flecked “sky” of the Main Concourse and discuss the Terminal’s origins during the heyday of long-distance passenger rail service while we experience the hustle and bustle of commuters heading to modern-day restaurants, shops, and regional rail and subway lines. Just two blocks away, we’ll visit Carrère and Hastings' New York Public Library, and building that offers sumptuous exterior decoration and interiors for a very different purpose.
We’ll conclude our walk in Bryant Park, one of the signature examples of New York City’s revival in the 1990s and known as an “office oasis” for workers in Midtown. Daily attendance figures often exceed 800 people per acre, making it the most densely populated urban park in the world. A prime place to reflect on the city’s urban renewal – or even enjoy an alfresco lunch – intrepid participants can opt to continue east toward 8th Avenue and landmarks such as Times Square, Broadway, and the Theater District.
On Saturday we have tickets for a Broadway play - the School of Rock.
Dinner is at Bobby Flay's restaurant - Gato.
It is a lot to do in three days. Paul actually tried to book more things and my head exploded.
The next day we head to the Newark Cruise port where we'll meet our friends, board the ship, and head off across the ocean.
This trip sounds fabulous...we'll meet you there! Oh, wait, it's just not polite to intrude on a honeymoon! :-) Okay, we will patiently wait for the photos and write up at some future date. Have a great time!
Posted by: Kayte | June 13, 2016 at 09:19 PM