9/11 Memorial

Visiting Ground Zero is a sad experience.

During Year 1, we have visited Ground Zero a few times.  The 9/11 Memorial with its cavernous eternity pools is a fitting tribute. 

If you choose, you can also visit the nearby museum or observatory at the top of 1 World Trade Center.

From the eternity pools, 1WTC soars 1,776 feet skyward to the tip of its spire, making it the tallest building in NYC and the Western Hemisphere.

 

Recently, mountain climber Jimmy Chin scaled the spire and recorded a short virtual reality film.  You can view the film on your computer or on your phone with (or without) a VR viewer.  Check out the film here.  (If you have seen the film Meru, you will remember Jimmy Chin as the team member who filmed the attempt to ascend Meru, aka the Shark's Fin.  If you haven't seen Meru, you might want to.)   

After you immerse yourself in the film, you might feel differently about visiting Ground Zero.  A visit will be sad, but it might also be uplifting.

8/26/2016 Update:  Since sharing this post, I found an interesting short video that shows the development of the area around 1 World Trade Center over the past 500 years.  That's right, half of a millennium.  

The video is obviously a virtual time lapse film depicting the changing landscape and skyline of Lower Manhattan.  The perspective of the video is 1WTC, first starting under the bed of the Hudson River (yes, 1WTC and many, many other buildings and streets in Lower Manhattan are built on landfill) and then rising high into the air over 500 years.  Very cool.  Check it out here.  

Random Things #12

More random things.

A visit from dear friends.  Donna, Alison and Megan.

Another visit from dear friends. Tiffany and Steffany.

Still another visit from dear friends.  Cindy and Bernie.

Say hello to our little friend.  Pizza Rat.

Hiatus Ended

Greetings from the Big Apple.

Apologies for the long hiatus since the last post on June 11.  On June 12, we were traveling and learned of the tragedy in Orlando.  So, we lost interest in blogging.  

Time has passed and we are back in New York for the last two months of Year 1, which ends August 31.  In the meantime, we will resume blogging and sharing our experiences.  So, please stay tuned.

Only in NYC

Only in NYC the West Village.

While walking to a restaurant in the West Village the other evening, something out of the ordinary caught our eye.  Below are two photos--one is a closeup--of what we saw.  

Seen along a sidewalk on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village

Closeup view

At first, we guessed the use was for securing a bicycle or something similar.  

Then, we remembered we were in the West Village where people know how to have all sorts of fun--whether in private or public.  

So, we went on our way--two out-of-towners wondering about life in the big city.  

Only in NYC the West Village.

What do sunlight, stones and Greg's brother Mike have in common?

 Hmmm.  Sunlight, stones and Mike.  What's the connection?

Let's start with sunlight.  NYC, because of its location, enjoys very long summer days.  That means lots of sunlight.  As of June 10, the sun is rising at 5:24 a.m. and setting at 8:26 p.m. (EDT), making for a day that is at least 15 hours long.  Plus, the Eastern sky lightens well before sunrise (don't ask how we know this).  The Western sky is not dark until long after sunset.

NYC's latitude is so far north that its days are much longer than summer days in Florida and other Southern locales.   In summer, NYC's location makes for more direct sun (brighter and hotter days) and more sunlight period (longer days).  (Let's not talk about the short days of winter in NYC.  We are glass-half-full people, after all.)

The USA Today graphic below tells the story.

POP QUIZ #1:  TRUE or FALSE:  So many Italians emigrated to NYC because Italy and NYC are on the same latitude.  (Answer below.)

POP QUIZ #2:  What is the longest day in 2016 in the Northern Hemisphere and why is it important?  (Answer below.)

Pop Quiz #1 Answer:  TRUE.  Well, the latitude part is true.  Believe it or not, parts of Italy are further north than NYC.  For example, NYC is at latitude 40°N and Rome is at latitude 41°N.  Who knew?  The reason for so many Italians emigrating to NYC is a different kettle of fish.  

Pop Quiz #2 Answer:  The Summer Solstice (usually June 21, but June 20 in 2016), is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.  It's important because Greg's brother Mike was born on June 21 . . . about a million years ago.  So, that's how Mike is connected.  (Happy birthday, Mike!) 

And what about the stones?  Mike was at Stonehenge when the original builders still celebrated the Summer Solstice there. 

Stonehenge today

Stonehenge when Mike was there

Sunrise on the Summer Solstice--view of the sun above the heel stone in the distance from inside Stonehenge.

A friend of Mike's celebrating the Summer Solstice

And what might the Summer Solstice sunrise look like here in NYC?  Perhaps like the sunrise below.

Dawn lights the Queensboro Bridge

Royce'

When you first hear the name Royce, you might think of Rolls Royce, as in the luxury car company.

Or, if you have taste and/or were alive in the 1970's, you might think of the R&B band Rose Royce.

Probably, the last thing you might think of is chocolates, not to mention Japanese chocolates.

 

Shortly after we arrived in NYC, Greg's cousin Heather introduced us to Royce' Japanese chocolates.  

If you like chocolate, then you should try Royce' chocolate if you haven't already tried it.  Royce is made in Japan and sold in a handful of boutiques in the United States. 

Recently, we were celebrating a birthday and wanted to give some delectable Royce' chocolates as a gift.  So, we strolled over to the Royce' boutique on Madison Avenue.  The selection is varied and Susan sampled a few types.  Yum!

Royce' chocolate boutique on Madison Avenue, NYC

Royce' chocolate boutique on Madison Avenue, NYC

Checking out:  careful wrapping and formal presentation, plus ice packs to protect the chocolate

A happy customer (some random hottie)

P.S.  The birthday in question was Heather's.  Happily ironic.

P.P.S.  Pop quiz:  What is Rose Royce's most enduring song?  For the answer, click here.

From the Royce' catalog:

Ted Greenberg, The Complete Performer (Part 2 of 2)

The cab ride was fun.  The departure was filmed and streamed live to the theater so the audience could see it and share in the fun.  Ted told us that some people think the cab ride is a fiction.  So, he shows the audience that the cab and ride are real. 

During the cab ride, we got to know Ted a little and he got to know us a little.  

We found out that Ted is a very interesting person with a varied career.  Aside from being The Complete Performer:

• Ted was born in New York City on the Upper East Side and now calls the West Village home
• Ted drove a cab for two years early in his career
• He was a writer for a few years for Late Night with David Letterman, early in its run, and won an Emmy in 1984 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Comedy or Music Program 
• He worked on Wall Street for a decade
• He worked on a long-term project to study and prevent teen suicide
• He lived in Italy for two years
• He returned to comedy, one of his true loves, and has been performing his show for nearly a decade
• He is a safe, friendly cab driver

(After Googling Ted, we also learned that he graduated from Harvard and Columbia, that he is an epidemiologist and that a member of his family ran Bear Stearns.  The not-so-surpising thing is that Ted is obviously very modest, since he never bragged.  Instead, he focused on his love of comedy and performing.)  

During the cab ride, we told Ted we did not actually live at Trump Tower and were anti-Trump people.  He seemed very relieved.  We asked to go to Trump Tower only because Greg had been dubbed Trump during the show and we thought it would be funny.  

Here are some photos from the cab ride to Trump Tower:

Ted Greenberg at the wheel.  The vehicle is an actual NYC yellow cab.  No joke.

Selfie of Susan and Greg during the cab ride

Ted and Susan at the end of ride

Ted and some dude at the end of ride

Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, where Mr. Trump has one of his many homes

Program from Ted Greenberg's The Complete Performer

Entry form for the cab ride after the performance

More about Ted Greenberg:  "Ted Greenberg made his stand-up comedy debut at New York City’s Comic Strip at age 15. A few years later he became a staff writer for the groundbreaking Harvard Lampoon. After leaving Harvard he was hired on Late Night with David Letterman where he co-created with childhood friend David Yazbek some of Letterman’s classic segments including “audience public access cable TV show,” “psychic vs. bloodhound tracking contest,” “staff parent’s night,” “Velcro suit” and “Larry Bud Melman’s singles ski weekend.” He along with eight other staff writers, including David Yazbek and Chris Elliot, were honored with an Emmy Award in 1984, a period now considered Letterman’s golden age.  Following his Letterman stint, Ted returned to his performing career, appearing regularly at nearly every club across the Northeast. He’s twice been a nominee for the Andy Kaufman Award."

Ted Greenberg, The Complete Performer (Part 1 of 2)

On Saturday, we enjoyed a highlight of Year 1, when we saw comic Ted Greenberg, The Complete Performer.  We enjoyed it and plan on seeing it again with friends and family.  

Ted Greenberg, The Complete Performer

The show is a bit hard to describe:

• It is a one-man show . . . mostly
• It is improvised . . . mostly
• It is full of unexpected surprises, magic tricks and laughs

While the show itself is unique, the ending of Ted's show is one-of-a-kind.  One lucky audience member is randomly selected, quizzed and then driven anywhere in NYC by Ted in a real NYC yellow cab.  Ted actually has a current NYC hack license.  We saw it.  The best part?  The meter is off.  

When we arrived at the show, we had no idea what to expect.  The performance is hosted in the SoHo Playhouse downstairs.  The room included a bar and a couple dozen tables.  Since we arrived early, we were seated by the stage.  Normally, sitting by the stage is a perilous thing.  We should not have been concerned.  While Ted's act is extremely interactive with the audience, he is the kindest, friendliest comic you will ever meet.  He expertly involved every audience member by letting them volunteer and then he built instant relationships with them.  Some received "names" and became players in the zany performance.  

For example, Greg volunteered the name Donald Trump in response to a request to name a sport.  (Donald isn't really a sport, but Greg wasn't keeping up with the action.  You know Greg.)  From that point on, Greg was known as Trump.  As the show progressed, Trump and Ted's Mascot became engaged and a wedding ceremony was arranged.  Ted's Mascot is another performer wearing a huge head resembling Ted.  Mascot does not speak but is highly energetic and makes the show even more funny.

Mascot and Ted selecting wedding gifts contributed from the audience

Trump and Mascot, the happy couple, sitting together during the show

The hour-long show never dragged but moved along rapidly.  As the show drew to a close, it was time to select the audience member to ride in the cab.  Guess who was selected.  That's right, Susan's name was pulled from the salad spinner.  After answering some difficult questions, Susan said she was ready to go to her destination.  And that destination was . . . where else?  Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.  We think even Ted thought that was funny.   

So, off we went in an actual NYC cab driven by our performer, the very funny and talented Ted Greenberg.  (More about the cab ride and Ted in Part 2.)   

Random Things #11

More random things.

Two fortune cookies where there is normally one.  How very fortunate!  Chinese food in NYC is plentiful and good.

A random hottie poses next to Spring flowers in Central Park (May 2016)

Most New Yorkers know a lot about their city--how to get from here to there, where Times Square is, how to get to Carnegie Hall, etc.  They know that 5th Avenue has the best shopping, that 7th Avenue is nicknamed Fashion Avenue that 6th Avenue was renamed Avenue of the Americas. 

We suspect that not every New Yorker has heard of 6 1/2 Avenue.  Sandwiched midway between 6th and 7th Avenues, you can find 6 1/2 Avenue if you are in the 50's (51st-57th Streets).  Since seeing is believing, take a look at the photo below.

Who knew?

A Typical Day During the 10 Year Plan (Part 3 of 3)

A typical day continued . . . .

After dining and imbibing at Maz Mezcal, the 6 and E Trains carried us to Penn Station and our next event, watching the new dramatic off-off-Broadway play, The Block.

Program for  The Block

The play is set in the "Boogie Down", aka the South Bronx, and snapshots life there.  Here is a brief synopsis: 

"Dontrell’s just come back from upstate, no, not like Upstate upstate, just with his girl, you know, quiet workin’ man life. Now he’s back on his block in the Boogie Down, the South Bronx, where he did his dirt years back, but he’s not tryin’ to be grimy no more. Nah man, he’s trying to do good. But do you have any idea what that’s really like?"

"Based on conversations and interviews over two years in the South Bronx and with members of CASA, a project of New Settlement Community Apartments, comes a play that will change the way you look at New York."

"The Block is part of Working Theater’s Five Boroughs/One City Initiative in which the Company commissioned 5 teams of writers and directors to create a piece of theater by collaborating with community members in neighborhoods in each of the five boroughs on NYC."

The Block, the stage included a real-life street scene with storefront, sidewalk and bench

The set designer Raul Abrego based the set on actual scenes he photographed in the South Bronx, as seen below.  We have seen many similar street scenes in our travels in the Bronx and elsewhere in NYC, but we have not actually visited the South Bronx.    

Information in the program about The Block and its four sister plays.

Information in the program about the theater company producing the series of 5 plays. 

After watching The Block, we returned home.  Susan settled in to enjoy some time with her boys on HGTV.  Susan says she likes watching home renovations.  Greg knows better.
 

Property Brothers:  Jonathan and Drew Scott

It was a good day.