Monday NYC

 It was an absolutely beautiful day in NYC.  Not a cloud in the sky--what sky you could see.  We bundled up before we left the hotel (we got cold last night) and hit the streets.  (had to unbundle when we got to the park--warmed up considerably)   Went for breakfast and ran across a street vendor selling fruit so I bought some bananas--been craving them and hadn't had one since we got off the cruise.  I ate one at breakfast and had to stuff the others in my purse.

Hopped on the HOHO and went uptown to Central Park.  We entered the Park around 11:30 and started walking.  OMGoodness, it's beautiful.  I can understand why the high $$$$'s for apartments surrounding Central Park on the Upper East and West Sides.  To be able to walk out of your apartment and have this beautiful walking park available is phenomenal.  You can walk 10 steps into the park and leave all the noise of the city behind you 

Strawberry Fields

Our first destination was  Strawberry Fields, a beautiful, quiet section dedicated to the memory of

IMAGINE Mosiac

John Lennon... Strawberry Fields was dedicated on what would have been Lennon's 45th birthday, October 9, 1985, by New York Mayor Ed Koch and Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, who had underwritten the project.

The Dakota-John Lennon's Home

The entrance to the memorial is located on Central Park West at West 72nd Street, directly across from the Dakota Apartments, where Lennon had lived for the later part of his life, and where he was murdered in 1980.  The focal point is a circular pathway mosaic of inlaid stones, with a single word, the title of Lennon's famous song: "Imagine". This was a gift from the city of Naples.^[1] Along the borders of the area surrounding the mosaic are benches which are endowed in memory of other individuals and maintained by the Central Park Conservancy. Yoko Ono, who still lives in The Dakota, contributed over a million dollars for the landscaping and the upkeep endowment.







We just walked around the park for a few hours.  There was something to see at every turn.  Trails meander all through the 800+ acres of the park.  We only covered about the bottom half of the park and certainly not all the little trails.. 

 

SCENES FROM CENTRAL PARK

 

 

We meandered through the park until around 1:30 then came upon The Boathouse, a rental venue and grill-type restaurant.  We ate lunch while people watching....

In line to order lunch

After lunch, we continued thru the park.  There are "entertainers" scattered throughout.  Individuals just gather in various spots.  Take their picture and give them a dollar or two.  I guess that's the way they make their living....All were incredibly talented. Here are a few clips of what we saw talent wise:

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They also sang beautifully!!!

 

 

 

Lots of artists along the Mall in CP

Jackie O's Apt Bldg. 1040 5th Ave

We ended up walking out to Fifth Avenue....just stepped literally from the park to Fifth Avenue and we were right in front of 1040 Fifth Avenue apartment building.   1040 Fifth Ave has one of the most storied floors of any apartment building in the world.   The fifteenth floor was home to Jackie Onasis from 1964 to 1994 and from it, you have some of the best views of Central Park and the reservoir that was renamed in 1994 to Jackie Onasis Reservoir. The apartment that Jackie O purchased in 1964 for $250,000 was sold after her death in 1996 to David Koch for $9.5 million. When David’s family outgrew the apartment in 2006, they listed it for $19.5 million and moved to 740 Park Ave.  It was built in 1931. 



65th Street

We then walked up to 65th street on Fifth Avenue to go up to 3rd Avenue to see if we could find the 50 story apartment building that the Chinese couple that we met on the cruise live in.  We had to cross Lexington, Madison and Park Avenues before we got to 3rd.  There were two buildings that looked to be possibilities.  An extremely nice area.  65th Street is lined with apartments (got a glimpse of one being renovated. )  There were also many consulate offices and/or homes along the way.  We saw the flag of Pakistan flown and started to take a picture, but there was a guard by the door and thought better of it.  Beautiful tree lined street.  Lexington, Madison and Park are lined with shops of all kinds and busy, busy, busy. 

 



 


 

65th Street Apartment

 

Came across this Presbyterian Church that obviously had a school as kids were everywhere...being picked up by nannies, big black cars....just privileged kids.

We went by Engine 54 Firehouse on 7th Avenue (I think).  They lost 19  firefighters on 9/11.  As we

walked down the street, they pulled out to go fight another fire.  I am amazed how how the fire trucks and ambulances DON'T go thru the Times Square area.  It's just gridlocked.  They have to stop and wait for a space to get by.  There's just no where for cars to pull over and get out of their way.  The traffic is so unreal here.  Cars, taxis and buses fly down the streets more or less staying in their lanes---more less than more.  Crazy.







We got back down towards Central Park to the HOHO stop and after about 5 minutes, hopped on the bus back towards Time Square.  Got off and walked very fast back to hotel.  Unloaded my purse, which by now, held bananas, camera, water bottle and much more.  We rested about 30 minutes then relayered and went back to 7th avenue and 47th street (we're on 40th street) to catch the HOHO bus



Chinatown

for the Night tour.  For the most part, it was extremely boring.  Our guide was not very good or informative.  I'm not sure they even went the right route.  But we did go over the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn for a wonderful view of the City all lit up.  Unreal.  And seeing Chinatown at night is just like in the movies.

Drove through the projects in Brooklyn and around and then back to NYC via the Brooklyn Bridge and back to Times Square.    There were people on the tour bus tonight  from Argentina, London, Switzerland, Barcelona, Madrid, Holland, Australia, Minnesota and Arkansas.  The tour guide asked us where we were from and she commented that "we gave up Bill Clinton; he's ours now."  Ronnie said:  "you can have him."   We sit on the top tier/open deck and it was cold tonight.  Especially going over the East River on the Bridge. 

Sights and Sounds of Times Square

 

It's been a long day, but we've loved it.  Seeing the Huckabee Show taping (even though we weren't interviewed on air) and Central Park were our two most favorite things.  We'd go back to Central Park if there were more time.  It's lovely.

 

Tomorrow, we have to go down to the internet office and print our boarding passes for our flight home on Wednesday.  When that's done, I hope to just walk around this are and see more of the Fashion District.  We just glimpse sections of it when we are on the bus.

 

 

Goodnight....Ronnie's already asleep.

 

 

A