NYC - DAY 1
Arriving at Pier 88, with all the sights and sounds of New York City, was quite the contrast from the small Icelandic villages and Canadian towns we visited over the past 12 days.
As we headed to the street, we were practically assaulted by a swarm of cabbies trying to get our fare. Not to be taken for a ride… while…um… being taken for a ride, we held out and headed to our hotel with an Uber and a reasonable fare. \240(Thanks for the tip, cool Transit Authority Guy).
We arrived at Marriott’s Springhill Suites in Midtown Manhattan on West 37th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues (thank you, Erica!).
Since we had a few hours before we could check in, we dropped off our luggage and did some random sightseeing in the area near our hotel.
We gave our regards to Broadway…
And remembered Herald Square…
…and saw the beast that is Macy’s Department Store. It’s massive and takes up an entire city block. I suppose all that space comes in handy when you have thousands of people at your place, dancing, twirling batons, and whatnot during the Macy’s Day Parade every Thanksgiving.
When we thought about visiting NY, we had an idea of one or two big landmarks we wanted to see, like the World Trade Center Memorial and the Statue of Liberty, but once we got there, we realized there were about 1,000 other places in NY we should really see while there. Plus, there were about 1,000 more places we didn’t even know existed before we arrived. Anyway, Madison Square Garden was at the top of that growing list of places.
We attempted to book a tour, but they were already sold out for the day. We did get to walk around the lobby a bit, though.
I bet the microphone smelled like a beer….
We also walked around Times Square and the theater district.
Note all the umbrellas (thanks for nothing, Hurricane Debby)
Then we headed to one of my favorite places, Rockefeller Center, which is where they put the big tree each year for Christmas. Since it’s summer, though, they had an exhibit to celebrate the Paris Olympics instead.
So, I guess Rockefeller originally planned to develop this part of New York for the arts — \240with the N.Y. Opera as the focal point — \240but that plan wasn’t economically viable. Thus, Rockefeller Center became home to a mix of residential and retail buildings, as well as a hub for mass media and entertainment.
Note the kids in the background fishing out coins that people threw into the fountain for wishes. Gotta love New York…
Alas, the kids weren’t the only ones up to no good….
Apparently, at the time Rockefeller Center was built, New Yorkers weren’t thrilled about the idea of sharing their residential space with stores and offices, so, to up his occupancy rates, Rockefeller also marketed the complex as a hub for international trade (lots of hubs, it seems).
To build out his “international” theme, he constructed the British Empire Building and La Maison Francaise (French Building) and installed the Channel Gardens between them to symbolize the English Channel between the two countries.
The British Empire Building is the centerpiece of the complex and its super cool door (below) is the entrance to what’s now known as “30 Rock.”
The Prometheus statue in the lower plaza is among the most iconic sculptures in New York. This is also where they always show people ice skating in the movies.
The Astor Trust Company, an early 20th century banking and capital trust company, is now home to a bunch of corporate suites. \240
St. Patrick’s Cathedral was built between 1858 and 1879 under the supervision of Archbishop John Hughes.
The project was ridiculed by the press, who nicknamed the project “Hughes’ Folly” because no one understood why he wanted to build such a big church in “the middle of the wilderness.”
Who’s laughing now, huh?
Atlas perpetually holding the world upon his shoulders. And you thought your job was shitty….
The New York Public Library, flanked on each side by its famous lion statues, known by the public as “Patience” and “Fortitude” in homage to the city’s character. I don’t know… I’ll give New Yorkers fortitude, but patience seems a reach.
After this little sightseeing adventure, we checked into the hotel and then headed back to the Herald Square subway station to get passes and generally figure out how the heck the subway works.
CONFESSION: In my life, I’ve tried to use the subway many times, and unless I had expert assistance, I ALWAYS got lost.
See, there are two entrances to every station on either side of whatever street you’re on - one generally goes uptown and the other goes downtown. It sounds simple, but it’s not always clear to me which is which, and I would often find myself on the literal wrong side of the tracks - AND on a train headed in the opposite direction from my destination.
THEN, on the rare times when I didn’t screw up the direction, I still had issues changing trains, getting off at the right stop (because you can’t hear a damn thing the conductor guy says or because the train randomly skipped my stop) or picking the wrong color train line all together. I find the whole thing confusing. Ffs, I don’t even understand the LEGEND on the subway map.
Anyway…all of this to explain why THIS TIME I was determined to master the damn NY subway system….and WE DID! Take that, bitches!
Here we are on Jayme’s first ever NYC subway ride as we headed to his first-ever Yankees game in the Bronx!
Having arrived at our destination without getting lost (yesssss), we stopped at Stan’s Sports Bar for a drink.
That’s a lot of championships….
Then, off to the stadium to wait for the doors to open.
We bought some Yankees apparel (I bought an AWESOME hat, but accidentally left it in the hotel 😡) and had dinner. Jayme’s pre-vacation research indicated that the very best place to eat in Yankees Stadium is Bobby Burgers, a Bobby Flay restaurant. These were the best burgers ever - we seriously talked about them for days afterward.
This meal, which included drinks in these fine commerative cups/cocktail shakers, was somehow the most expensive meal we had in New York. \240But, seriously, it was well worth it.
(I just have to say, there was just nothing to be done when it came to taking good pictures in NYC on August 8th and 9th, 2024. Temperatures in the mid-80’s, along with the approach of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Debby (that bitch) brought rain, heavy winds, and serious humidity the entire time we were there. I spent both days in NY sweating profusely with frizzy-ass hair. Naturally, this weather from hell somehow didn’t seem to affect Jayme. 😡)
This was the first time I saw a game in the new Yankees Stadium, which was built in 2009 about a block or so north of the original park. It’s a beautiful venue and is reminiscent of the original stadium in many ways. I thought it was especially cool that the subway tracks are adjacent to the far end of the stadium, so you could see the trains passing by throughout the game. I tried all night, but I wasn’t able to get my phone out fast enough or aimed at the right spot to get a good pic.
BUT - all was not lost! Early in the game, this showed up on the Jumbotron.
Now, I have always wanted to get on the Jumbotron during a professional sporting event - it’s even on my “bucket list.” So, as instructed and as I’ve done plenty of times in the past, I took the pic below and posted it to Twitter…then…um… I kinda forgot about it.
So the game went on…with some dramatic moments…
…and in the 6th or so inning, Jayme said, “you better get your phone ready to take a picture in case we get on the Jumbotron, to which I said “Pffft! We’re not going to get our pic up there.”
Sure enough, they had selected 16 pictures from social media to put up on the big screen and when the first 8 popped up on the screen, WE WERE ON THE JUMBOTRON!” I got so excited that our picture was actually up there, that I fumbled around with my phone for wayyyy too long and by the time I snapped a photo…our pic was replaced by the second set of 8 photos:
So I have no proof. Despite having been warned by Jayme. But, I swear to God, we were on the Jumbotron! Woooo hooo!
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best night for the Bronx Bombers, who got behind early in the game and just couldn’t catch up thereafter. Regardless, we had a great time and a fantastic first day in NYC!
