New York Scenes, 2: On Broadway With Penelope

Daughter Rebecca and grand-daughter Penelope visited us for a long and eventful weekend during our second week here. Thirteen-year-old Penelope has become quite involved in theater and stagecraft and was able to see her first Broadway show during her stay with us. Also her second and third Broadway shows, plus the Museum of Broadway. Plus a number of other sights and experiences. It was quite a visit.

Beginning at the Harry Poppins store, reputedly the largest such
in the world

Butterbeer display

"Gandalf, what happened to your staff?" I asked

Entrance to the HP bookstore

Moving right along, Grandma and Grandpa with Gandalf at the
Lego Store

History of New York at the Lego Store

Ditto

At the candy department at Macy's

Snacking at the Posh Pop bakery; we'd already visited Dominique Ansel
for kouign ammans...

The Strand bookstore: 18 miles of books...many of which I've recently sold or given away...

Snacking along the way

At El Churro

That first Broadway Show...

With Mama

And Grandma

Next day, second Broadway show, Tony award-winning
Suffs, which Grandpa also attended; and much enjoyed; 
just opened in April...all female cast...

One of Rebecca's former students had a connection with
the production...

Suffs merch

Rousing conclusion

Click to enlarge and read; Shaina Taub wrote the story, the
songs, the lyrics, and stars in the show...the story itself having
great historical significance and contemporary relevance too

Cast autographs after the show

At the office of Bialystock and Bloom, Theatrical Producers, in the
Museum of Broadway

And finally at the last show, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child;
what a weekend!

New York Scenes, 1: Initial Wanderings

Our apartment building on W. 106th St; aka Duke Ellington Blvd.

Occasional landscaping in the neighborhood

Who'd have thought a hibiscus would grow here? big one too

A ray of hope at the Whole Foods market nearby

Approaching the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to which we expect 
to return many times: for non-New Yorkers, there is a "global"
membership, which allows unlimited access for the member plus 
one guest, for $90; not a museum one can see in even a very full
day 

The Jackie O reservoir in Central Park

GW and Lafayette at nearby Lafayette Square

Museum of the City of New York...other side of the Park from us; very
disappointing, especially after the Carnavalet in Paris and the city museum
in London...the video of New York history was good, but we're glad we
went on a free day...

Duke Ellington monument (local pianist/composer of note); not to
be confused with the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley...

Very tall, skinny building; aka the Madison Square Park Building

Met Life Building, one of the earlier skyscrapers

Alas, the Flatiron Building was completely scaffolded

The Croisic Building...Neo-Gothic...the good stuff
is up at the top, where you can't see it...I think much
of our skyscraper appreciation is going to be done via
websites such Newyorkitecture.com

Nice mural

No end of ghost signs

Every city has one

Sans giant gorilla

New act...

"Go west young pigeon" (Horace Greeley monument)

Maybe find a different cash machine?

In Washington Square

Still in Washington Square, headed for the Strand...next post

On To New York

On September 3rd United jetted us to Nerk and then a train took us to NYC, where we are spending the balance of September and most of October. We have rented a flat (apppartement? tenement?) on the Upper West Side--Manhattan Valley, more precisely--and have spent the last week mostly moving in, unpacking, sorting, organizing, reconnoitering, getting our senior transit cards, exploring the neighborhood, shopping for essentials, etc. Lidl, Costco, Trader Joe's, Target, Whole Foods, and others have welcomed us, as well as the countless bodegas and other local establishments. Our neighborhood is about as international as one might expect of New York. After months in London and Paris we are experiencing significant culture and sticker shock. (Still asking ourselves, too, how much that would be in dollars.) But that's why we're here, to experience New York. We've been to the Met once and walked a good bit in very nearby Central Park, and also nearby Harlem. Much more will follow. 

We are, as always, the red dot in the exact center

Ditto

Never mind all the other red dots, look at the left of exact center; that's
where we are, 127 W. 106 St., closest to Columbus Ave., two blocks
from Central Park

Our apartment building; too old and weary for a 5th
floor walk-up, we are on the 1st floor, back side of the
building...

Strolling through Central Park

Follower of an old friend in the Met...