NYC23 – Day 7 – 11/24/23 – Grand Buildings

Warning! Warning! Warning!
I kind-of went nuts with the photos today.
I’ll try to keep them grouped so you can skip any of the slide-shows that might not appeal to you.

We started this morning with a walk around the corner to Hudson Bagels. I had found it on line and this was our first (and last) chance to check them out. Nothing special, really, just a typical storefront deli serving great bagels/breakfast sandwiches/fresh squeezed orange juice/New York attitude (brusk but really helpful).

Back at the hotel I left Cheryl and joined Kim to walk over to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Along the way up 5th Avenue we enjoyed the window displays at Saks.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral is across the street from Rockefeller Center

Main doors (being decorated for Christmas)
Kateri Tekakwitha – Native American saint on the door
Huge Nave
Pulpit is impressive but dwarfed by the room
High alter
Patron saint (Patrick)
Pieta by William Ordway Partridge
Gotta have a St. Michael slaying a dragon
Mother Seton Side alter
Alter of St. John the Baptist
Rose Window
Conquering King on Horseback window
Founder’s Window
Martyrdom of St. Lawrence
Cardinal O’Connor’s stone

Following our tour of the Cathedral we joined the crowd for a walk down 5th Avenue and crossed over to Grand Central Station. We had arranged to meet the rest of the crew there – where else? At the clock.

*We were a bit early so we found a handy coffee shop – Cafe Grumpy*

They showed up as planned and we mugged for a few shots before heading out.

Main floor
Restored ceiling with constellations
Meeting at the clock

After tooling around the station for a bit we walked over to the New York Public Library.

So we wandered back to Vanderbilt Ave where we had tickets to the Vanderbilt Immersive Observation Deck. This is a multi-story observation deck experience that isn’t the highest in the city but is likely the most popular.

They learned about lines from Disney
They gave us sun glasses because of the sun on the mirrors
bottom floor of the observation deck is mirrored
Library and Bryant Park Christmas Market
Second floor has the bubble room
And a great view of the Chrysler Building
And a few more mirrors
Interesting chess set in the gift shop

And a short video of the bubble room:

All decked out we walked up the street for lunch at the Vanderbilt Urban Space.

*It’s a food court with a pretty eclectic mix of options*

The after lunch itinerary was unstructured so Cheryl and I headed back uptown to the MET. We had some specific things that we had missed the other day and/or wanted to spend more time viewing.

*Cheryl wanted to check out the Egyptian temple*

I was interested in Impressionist art (and a few other odds n ends). I confess, I’m a Monet junkie.

Monet; Morning on the Seine near Giverny; 1897
Monet; Bouquet of Sunflowers; 1881
Monet; Water Lilies, Reflection of Weeping Willows; 1918
Monet; Rouen Cathedral: The Portal (Sunlight); 1894
Monet; Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies; 1899
Picaso; Head of a Woman; 1903
Renoir; By the Seashore; 1883

Cheryl also, graciously, let me explore the renaissance and Dutch sections for a bit (while she rested her feet).

Pieter Bruegel the Elder; The Harvesters; 1565
Vermeer; Young Woman with a Water Pitcher; ca. 1662
Vermeer; Young Woman with a Lute; ca. 1662-63
Solario; Salome with the Head of St. John the Baptist; ca. 1507-09

For dinner we walked around the corner to join the locals at a cool little Thai restaurant (Lum Lum).

After dinner we joined the rest of the group and walked up 9th avenue to Lincoln Center for the opening night performance of the Nutcracker.

It was a great penultimate event in our New York experience, surpassed only by the discovery on the way back to the hotel that The Ben & Jerry’s on 51st Street was still open.

Back at the hotel we sighed and started packing up.
All good things must come to an end and this adventure is no exception.
Tomorrow we Uber back to the airport.
Tonight we sleep once more in the city.
Nite all,
R