As an immigrant myself, it was touching and poignant to visit Ellis Island and I'm glad that I did. What a place!
I was captivated by the reception hall on the second floor. This is what it looked like 100 years ago:
and this is what it looked like when I was there:
More photos on Flickr as ever.
Going to Tiffany wasn't on my mom's list but we did it anyway. She wasn't wearing Tiffany Blue on purpose.
The walk from SoHo to Wall Street was part of a longer walk from SoHo to Battery Park, with the intention of hopping on a ferry to Ellis Island. At 3.30pm or so, though, the line for ferry tickets was about 45 minutes with an additional 60 to board a boat after that. We figured we'd skip it and come back first thing the next day.
Instead we dropped in on the hotel, picked up our books and headed to Central Park. While we hung out I got some great shots in the late afternoon autumn sunshine, like this one:
We left the Empire State Building and headed in a cab to SoHo. From there we took a walk to Wall Street and I took photos along the way:
It's been a long time since I've been down the southern tip of Manhattan. A lot has changed since 1999.
Sunday in New York I woke up early and started my research on the Empire State Building. Did you know it was built in just 410 days? Or that in 1945 a B-52 bomber crashed into it and precipitated the longest survived elevator fall recorded (75 floors). Or that because it opened during the Great Depression they had such problems finding tenants that in the first year they took in more money from tickets to the observation deck than from commercial rent?
I also learned, crucially as it turned out, that you can buy Express Tickets online. From the site:
The lines at the Empire State Building Observatory are as legendary as the building itself. The line actually consists of 3 different lines. The first one is the security line that everyone must go through. Next comes the ticket line. Visitors with pre-purchased tickets can skip this line which can save a considerable amount of time during our busiest times. The 3rd and last line is for the elevators that take you to the Observatory.and it's true. There are lines to get in, to get authorized, to get screened, to get up, to get down, and to get through. Pay the little extra for express tickets and it's like these lines don't exist. Empire State visitor pro-tip. Save two hours.
While we have been told that anything this good is worth the wait, we have also heard laments that some people missed out on being able to visit the Empire State Building Observatory because they just didn’t have enough time to see and do everything while in NYC. Now you can. By purchasing an Express Pass you will automatically be moved to the front of each and every line.
It was a wonderful clear day and I took a bunch of photos. You can find a selection in the usual spot on Flickr. An example:
I went to New York for the weekend to meet my mom, who was also there for the weekend. She rightly had the list which every NY first-timer develops before their trip, and the first day there found us in Grand Central Station.
Completely fabulous place! We checked out the Campbell Apartment but it was too busy so we ended up drinking in Cirpriani's. The whole experience was utterly photogenic:
See the whole monochromatic set on Flickr.
I notice that Switchy McSwitchenstein just posted for the first time in a long time. Interesting topic.
My problem is OSTs rather than PSTs. If anyone knows how to deal with those suckers when no longer on the corporate domain, let me know.
