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...

London Scenes And Out-Takes, 6

September 3rd was our last day in London, and we conclude our 2024 European campaign with the following...

In a "creative" zone on the south bank

Our one day of heavy rain in London

Sunday roast at Fallow St. James: corn ribs

My rolled pork belly; before the inundation of the Yorkshire pudding

Vicki's traditional roast beast; not pictured: the oyster martini's Rachel
and I had

Fish and chips with Rachel at Poppies

Full Monty

Part of the Conscientious Constructor scheme

Not so sure about the pancakes

HMS Belfast in warship camo scheme

Sic transit, Gloria...food stands on Tower Hill

Pub named for what Tower Hill was better known for...back when

Ever insightful Mr. Pepys

Contemporary sculpture

Go west, young man

My favorite historical marker so far

Medieval depiction of Star Fleet battle cruiser

Contactless busking in Trafalgar Square

A solid block of Italian restos near the National Portrait Gallery;
3 on the other side, too

New style traffic signal

Ugliest building nominee

10% cash back on any purchase at Harrod's...but only if you're Kuwaiti

Swept-back spikes

On the outside of a building in Mayfair

In Whitehall Garden, more beautiful British landscaping

Map-wrapped taxi

Attractive advert

There must be hundreds of these, identifying real places
associated with fictional characters...part of the charm of
London