Learning how to use the transit system in the places you visit is essential. Not only do you travel like the locals, but you get to experience another facet of the city that you would miss if you relied on taxis. And New York City's transit is so easy. While putting exact change (no bills) would be daunting to say the least, they allow you to get a transit card, and load up trips onto it. So we got one card, and bought 8 rides. I swiped it once, and Hera walked through the turnstile, and then I swiped it again and walked in after her.
We were so grateful that the metro was air conditioned. Relatively clean and very efficient, we made our way uptown, and got off at the Rockefeller Centre. A huge complex of 19 skyscrapers on 24 acres of land. Rockefeller was scoffed at when he unveiled his plans in 1929 because it was so far removed from the then financial centre of New York.
One building house the Lego store. A Lego lover's paradise where children could take Lego blocks from various dispensers and build their own projects. In front of the store, along the iconic view of Rockefeller Centre, workers were constructing a platform to hold the huge Big Apple that people will be able to create with Lego blocks over the next few days.
Leaving the Rockefeller Centre, we crossed 5th Avenue, and entered another New York icon, Sak's 5th Avenue. Next to it stood St. Patrick's Cathedral. We entered it briefly, long enough to light a candle, as a Mass was in progress.
We walked up 5th Avenue, venturing in various high end designer stores like Armani, Gucci, Tiffany, Cartier, and countless others. While the prices were high, their air conditioned stores proved a welcomed relief.
We were getting quite high up 5th Avenue, and I was sure we had passed the Museum of Fine Arts. While Hera took photos, I crossed the street and asked a policeman. Sure enough we had passed it, but turning around I noticed Trump Towers. We walked into it, and was amazed at the warm rust colored marble covering the floors and walls, with golden mirrors everywhere, and a 5 story waterfall cascading along another marble wall.
Feeling relatively refreshed each time we entered a buidling, we decided to drop our plans to spend our day at the museum, and instead keep walking the streets, and cooling off as we explored the deisgner stores. Again, it is the journey that counts, not the destination.
Later in the day, we found ourselves at Times Square. A bride and Jewish groom caught our eye, as they used Times Square as the back drop for their wedding photos. Hera captured an image of them that she is very excited about.
Times Square has changed. When I first visited Times Square, it was not exactly the most welcoming of places. Various seedy shops abounded, with seedier characters, and one could "smell" 47th Street stench of urine.
Each time we visited, the area has progressively cleaned and spruced itself up. Today, it is a family destination, with a huge Hershey's Store facing an equally huge, 3 story high M&M's chocolate store. Needless to say, after eating chocolate from both establishments, we too were getting a sugar rush along with the kids.
Times Square, which was once an adults playground, is now a Disney world for kids of all ages.
Cheers,
Anthony & Hera
