A NYC Weekend at Age 83: Will I Manage as Well as I Did Last Year? Part 2

This update completes my recap, begun Wednesday (http://bit.ly/TXagmT) on my Labor Day weekend in New York City with my housemates Nimesh and Bhawana. It was Bhawana's first visit to NYC and my first trip since my car crash last August and the resulting lower back pain that flares up when I walk. 

I ended Wednesday's post by saying I'd finish it on Thursday. It was ready to go about midnight on Wednesday, when I hit a mysterious key and everytthing disappeared. [expletive deleted]

So... we thoroughly enjoyed the the Saturday matinee of the hit musical The Book of Mormon. Nimesh got a signed playbill and photo with one of the stars, and bought a t-shirt souvenir which he immediately donned as we headed to the subway for our next adventure. 

The title of the musical's most popular song (the one that made us laugh every time we heard it in the car last summer) is emblazoned on the t-shirt: "Hasa Diga Eebowai." Ugandan natives sing it to explain their philosophy of life to the newly-arrived young Mormon missionaries: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IjBi1eEaAA.

We headed to the High Street subway station at the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge. I wanted to show Nimesh and Bhawana one of my favorite things to do in NYC: walk back to Manhattan on the bridge, enjoying the spectacular skyline views and making the short walk to Chinatown. An enterprising plan for a guy with a bad back!

Here I am, exiting the station, wondering about the latest example of my tendency to overdo it:

Fortunately, a cab driver had told us we should go to Grimaldi's Pizzeria (http://www.grimaldis.com/) for the "best pizza in the city." We decided to check it out before crossing the bridge. When we got there just after 5pm, there was already block-long line waiting to get in. Since standing in line is one of my least favorite things to do, we moved on to a riverfront restaurant down the street, where we enjoyed an early supper and a magnificent vista of the city. 

Here I am, looking back at the bridge thinking "I'd rather enjoy the view sitting here than see the same thing walking up there."

And the view was terrific:

As a bonus, we found a ferry stop under the bridge that terminated at 34th Street in Manhattan: a much more scenic, fun way back into town than by subway! 

Hmmm. I wonder if we could peddle that photo to Frommer's. Here, Nimesh is holding Frommer's New York City day by day -- 25 Smart Ways to See the City.

The ferry gets ready to cross the river to its final stop, just to the left of the UN Building:

Nimesh and Bhawana had heard from some of their DC friends who were also spending the weekend in NYC. They had all agreed to meet up on the High Line, the abandoned West Side rail line smartly renovated as an urban park and walk. I'd never been there, and it was one of the items on my friend Bonnie's list of things to do. Although the gauge on my energy tank was slipping toward empty, I tagged along. Fortunately, there were lots of benches along the walk. Here I am, at the end of the Nepali lineup: 

Nearly out of steam, I headed back to the hotel. Along the way, still on the High Line, I decided to pause and meditate for a few minutes, hoping to replenish my energy tank. I positioned myself on a bench, adjusted  my hands into my "secret handshake," and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I found the lighted Empire State Building to the left, and the Chrysler Building on the right. Between them, and framed by two smaller buildings, was the just-risen full moon. Wow! Where was my camera when I really needed it?

Of course, the young'uns kept on going; after all, it was Saturday night in the Big City. Here they are, settling in for dinner around midnight at a Nepali restaurant in the Bronx:

I was back at the hotel, sound asleep.

Sunday

Understandably, Nimesh and Bhawana were late risers on Sunday, so I had a nice couple of hours with my coffee and the Sunday New York Times. I searched Google for brunch recommendations in Chelsea or Greenwich Village. I found the Green Table in the Chelsea Market, which Bonnie had also recommended.  So when my fellow travelers awoke, we headed there. A great choice: the Market was vibrantly alive, and the Green Table food was excellent.

Since it was morning and my energy was high, I decided we should walk from the Chelsea Market to one of my favorite spots: Washington Square. That stroll would give us a chance to check off another of Bonnie's suggestions: a walk along famous Bleecker Street in the Village. 

One of my regrets is not having spent a year or two working in NYC and living in the Village or Chelsea. City life is great for the young and care-free, or for the old and wealthy... or reasonably well-to-do. For those in between, that trite adage is probably true: "New York is a great place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there."

When we got to Washington Square, we listened to a good jazz combo. Later, we watched a musician readying his grand piano on the sidevalk in another part of the park. Of course, we took the usual photos, with the arch and fountain as backdrops:

Then we headed for Battery Park and the ferry to the Statute of Liberty and Ellis Island. I had never toured either, for the same reason that kept me from making the tour this time: I don't stand in long lines. (I was trying to think of the last time I stood in a long line. It was probably the hour-long line to get into the National Cathedral in Washington to hear the Dali Lama speak. I was with a group of Nepali friends; we phoned in a pizza order and had it delivered to us in the line that stretched down Massachusetts Avenue.)

We hadn't read Frommer's tip that you could eliminate the wait for the Statute of Liberty ferry by buying and printing online tickets. So, Nimesh stood in the long line while I sat on a bench and ate an ice cream bar. But then, there was the long, long security-check line before boarding the ferry:

After standing for about five minutes, I said, "I'm sorry but I'm going to head back to the hotel." Nimesh and Bhawana soldiered on, and got to the Statute of Liberty:

They decided to scratch the Ellis Island tour. When they got back to Battery Park, they walked up to the financial district so Nimesh could deliver a well-placed kick to the Wall Street Bull:

In the evening, they went to Brooklyn to meet with several of Nimesh's relatives. I enjoyed a quiet, recuperative evening back at the hotel. 

Labor Day Monday

Before checking out of the hotel and heading for Penn Station, Nimesh and Bhawana made a pilgrimage to the younger generation's Mecca:

The old man was happy to be headed home after this "test drive" to NYC:

And Bhawana survived her introduction to Manhattan's madness:

As I said, I was eager to see how I'd handle this trip, the first since my car crash last August. That accident added lower back pain -- a particular new worry -- to my list of afflictions. I've got a few observations, and some ideas that might make future travels easier for me, but I'll hold them for another day. 

A NYC Weekend at Age 83: Will I Manage as Well as I Did Last Year? Part 1

Nimesh, Bhawana, and I spent the Labor Day weekend in New York City. For business and pleasure, I've visited NYC dozens of times over the years, far more often than any other place. So this trip provides a benchmark for me to see what's been happening as age and ailments take their toll.

This was also my first NYC trip since the onset a year ago of the lower back pain, the most disabling of my various ailments. My last NYC adventure was a similar three-day visit in June 2011, a few months before the August car crash that triggered the lower back pain. How would I handle travel now?

I'm writing this recap mostly to sort out my own thoughts. I've thrown in a few photos to perk up the post.

Friday
We took Amtrak's 5pm Acela train and arrived in New York before 8pm. I agree with a cab driver who told me years ago, "New York has the best of everything and the worst of everything." I've found that the Times Square area includes the worst of the crowding, pushing, shoving, shouting multitudes. So I prefer staying at hotels near Times Square but closer to Central Park.

One of the many great perks of my BNA job was staying at the Plaza for over ten consecutive years. I was part of an editorial team that went on the road for two weeks every March, giving briefings on developments in labor relations. Each year began with a meeting at the Plaza.

These days, when I'm picking up the tab myself, I look for something less pricey. Still, to avoid that "NYC has the worst of everything" feeling, I'm willing to pay more for a hotel there than I would elsewhere. In recent years, I've booked the Hilton on 6th Avenue, but this time I wanted a smaller, quieter boutique hotel. I've often used Frommer's guidebooks for suggestions, and one of their recommended hotels was the Shoreham on 55th between 5th and 6th. It was a good pick.

This excursion was Bhawana's introduction to the city and its wonderful craziness. So we started off Friday night by  walking around the corner from our hotel to the Trump Tower with its five-story waterfall.

Then on to Rockefeller Plaza.

When playing tourist guide in NYC, I prefer the "Top of the Rock" to the Empire State Building. From there, you get a great view of the Empire State Building.

We saved Bhawana's introduction to jammed and glittery Times Square for last.

Before heading back to the hotel, we decided to sit a while in the grandstand overlooking Times Square. It was already after 11pm and -- as we began climbing the grandstand stairs -- I lost my balance and would have fallen if Nimesh hadn't caught me. I realized I hadn't taken the last of the four carbidopa-levodopa pills I take each day to keep my Parkinson's under control. I also discovered I'd neglected to bring my pocket pill container. 

I realized I'd need help getting back to the hotel. Without medication, I have a hard time walking without lurching, staggering and possibly falling. Fortunately, Nimesh could steady me as we walked back.

And fortunately we were in New York City, where nothing shocks the natives. No one raised an eyebrow seeing a young Asian man holding hands with a clearly drunk old man! 

Saturday

On Friday, I had emailed my dear friend Bonnie and asked for recommendations on things to do in the city. She had spent several months living there earlier this year, and her suggestions came in handy for the rest of the weekend.

We started with a visit to the Plaza. Bhawana is just as elegant and beautiful as the Plaza lobby.

By the way, Nimesh took all the pictures on our trip, if you hadn't already guessed.

Then we headed for Bonnie's first recommendation: brunch at the Boathouse restaurant on the lake in Central Park. Since this was a special occasion, we hired a horse-drawn carriage to get us there.

No, Nimesh didn't drive the carriage. The 25-minute ride to the Belvedere Terrace was nice. Would I pay $80 (plus tip) to hire a horse-drawn carriage again? No.

The Boathouse brunch was great.

We passed the Conservatory Pond and headed out of the park toward 5th Avenue.

I wanted to walk back to the hotel along Madison Avenue, but by then I was running on empty. So I hailed a cab back to the Shoreham to rest up for the weekend's main event, which was... drum roll, please....

Yep! The Book of Mormon. Just before Nimesh and I took off last August for a three-week drive through the Pacific Northwest, I bought the CD of the show's music. We must have listened to it 50 times on the rental car's CD player, and we were still laughing at many of the lyrics after three weeks. So, I managed to get three tickets for the Saturday matinee.

Often when I look forward to something with this much anticipation, I end up feeling let down. Not this time. The show was terrific. Nimesh even managed to snag an autograph and photo with one of the stars of the show.

Jeez! I didn't think I get so caught up in this travelogue. It's midnight and I'm going to pause here.

to be continued tomorrow....