Welcome to New York! (Cue Taylor Swift’s catchy tune)
We made our way from Prescott to the Phoenix airport courtesy of Steve’s generous parents Judy and Larry. After a fun evening at Tempe’s Culinary Dropout with wonderful friends including Bill and Sally McMullen, Joe Martinez, Nancy Van Pelt, Russ and Shelley Heath, and Skip and Nancy Roberts, we settled into an airport hotel to await our departure. After a fitful night and uneventful flight, we arrived in the Big Apple. Well, really we landed in New Jersey, but close enough…
We are now settled into our 500 square foot apartment at 90th and Central Park West. The apartment is small but functional. We have a small kitchen with a stove, microwave, dishwasher, and refrigerator.
Our kitchen
The bath has a tub, so that’s saying something. The rest of the apartment is one room with a bed, a table, and a chair. We have a TV, a decorative fireplace, and two windows that look out on our quiet street. We are on the first floor, so we can watch the neighbors as they pass by, many walking dogs.
The best part of the apartment is its proximity to Central Park. We are about a 1/2 block from the park and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir which has a running track around its edge. Steve is enjoying morning runs on the track with beautiful views of the skyline from every direction. I’m struggling with plantar fasciitis which has seemed to get worse in these first few days of endless walking. So, only one of us is currently running…at least it’s the one who’s signed up to run the NY Marathon!
Bubble Art at Bethesda Fountain, Central Park
Our first weekend in the City has been about getting oriented. We’ve found the closest Trader Joe’s and stocked our little refrigerator with healthy food. Subway passes in hand, we’ve ridden the trains to Lower Manhattan and back. We even navigated some closed lines which meant we had to change trains, ride north to go south, and tolerate jam-packed cars like sardines. It hasn’t taken us long to feel like New Yorkers.
As expected we’ve also walked and walked and walked. Our wandering has taken us through Columbus Circle, Times Square, Penn Station, Chelsea, half of Central Park, and into Lower Manhattan. We explored Trinity Church and made a quick visit to the 9/11 memorial. Our 10-day New York Pass begins tomorrow, so we’ll re-visit many of these sites over the next days with more attention to detail.
Saturday we began a weekly tradition: watching Husker football with the NYC Huskers at Hudson Station. This Hell’s Kitchen bar hosts the Husker faithful each Saturday in the fall and 100s show up to cheer on the team.
NYC Huskers
They have a special menu that includes Nebraska favorites including runzas, fried cheese balls, and a strong drink called Elk Creek. Yesterday the Cornhuskers beat Wyoming 52-17, so it was a good day!
Today is the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the city is in remembrance. As we watch the televised ceremonies taking place several miles south, we can feel the sorrow throughout the city. Church bells will ring later today throughout the city to remind the millions of citizens and visitors of the enormous loss the city experienced on that day. Tonight the Tribute in Light will shine once again and we hope to catch a glimpse.
We’ve only just begun this amazing experience. Thanks for reading!
Marnie and Steve Travel 