Fun Things to Do in NYC: Live Auctions

We recently ventured to Long Island City in Queens to attend a live auction.  Capo Auction hosts a monthly auction--in person, by phone and online.   We opted for the in person experience.  It was a hot, rainy day.  So, the cool confines of the auction house were welcome and the auction was entertaining.

The auction lasted many hours and the auction house kept us well hydrated and well fed throughout.  We looked for bargains and saw many.  Of course, we are not really in the market for furniture or artwork, since it would be hard to transport new acquisitions with us around the world.  Still, the deals were many and the bidding was sometimes anemic and sometimes energetic.  (At times, Susan's bidding paddle was twitching when a jewelry was being offered.) 

Below are some photos from the experience. 

Capo Auction:  lunch break

Capo Auction Catalog

P.S.  Next on the to do list is visiting Christie's. 

The 10 Year Plan and the End of Year 1

Year 1 is ending soon.  On August 31, we will complete Year 1 of the 10 Year Plan.  

We are headed to Florida for a month and then Year 2 begins.  In Florence, Italy.

We will be sad to leave NYC.  We will, however, truly enjoy spending time with family and friends and then beginning Year 2.

Countdown clock:  17 days until Year 1 ends.

A New York City sunset

A Florence sunrise

Hiatus Ended

Greetings from New York City.

We are back in the Big Apple after a trip to Florida to attend Sally's graduation.

Regular blog posts will resume shortly.

Stay thirsty, friends.

The Perfect Crime?

We recently attended a performance of the long-running off-Broadway play Perfect Crime, a who-dun-it murder mystery.  The play has been running since 1987, which is astonishing for many reasons.  What is more astonishing is the same actress has played the lead since the beginning, missing only 4 of the 12,000-plus performances of the show. 

We attended the 12,011th performance.  Well, that's not entirely true.  We attended half of the performance, walking out at intermission.  After the excruciating first act ended, we turned to each other and said "let's go" at the same time.  

The irony is the play is perfectly named--the Perfect Crime was taking our money.  Thank goodness that we paid half-price.

"Where do you live in New York?" (Part 8)

Where do we live in New York?

At the corner of 59th Street and Third Avenue.  Like every street and avenue in New York, our small corner of the city has a bit of history.

Long before our building was constructed in 2005, Third Avenue and the adjoining streets, like 59th Street, were lined with 4-5 story buildings.  Many buildings had apartments on the upper floors and stores on the street level.  Third Avenue also had a few department stores, such as Bloomingdale's and Alexander's, both located at 59th Street.

Over time, the original buildings gave way to new buildings, such as movie theaters.  At 59th Street, the Coronet and Baronet theaters were a good place for East-Siders to see first run films.  Eventually, the theaters closed and were then demolished to make way for a new building, the building where we live in New York.

Below are some photos that show the recent history of 59th Street and Third Avenue.  Enjoy.    .
 

Third Avenue at 59th Street:  The Coronet and Baronet Theaters in December 1967, showing The Graduate and The Comedians

Third Avenue at 59th Street:  The Coronet and Baronet Theaters in 2001 awaiting demolition (the theaters have a white facade with black vertical striping)

Third Avenue at 59th Street:  The Coronet and Baronet Theaters are demolished but the original building on the northeast corner remains

Third Avenue at 59th Street:  Where the Coronet and Baronet Theaters once stood, 205 East 59th Street now stands (2004-2005)

Third Avenue at 59th Street:  The original corner building has been reconstructed and is now a bank

P.S.  You might remember from an earlier blog post what this location probably looked like before 1609, when European explorers arrived.

Third Avenue at 59th Street:  before 1600

Touring NYC: The Chrysler Building

Depending on whom you ask, the Chrysler Building is often named the most beautiful building in New York City.

The Chrysler Building (center), seen from the United Nations

Photo of the Chrysler Building at night.  If you look closely, you can see our building in the distance.  If you look very closely, you can see a woman in a nightgown in a 13th floor window. 

We recently visited the 1930 Art Deco lobby of the building.  (The observatory is long closed and there are no guided tours.)

We took a self-guided tour of the large lobby and snapped a few photos.  Enjoy.

Poster in the Chrysler Building lobby with some fun facts.

Chrysler Building Lobby: some NY model showing off a photo of the Chrysler Building

Chrysler Building Lobby: elevator doors

Chrysler Building Lobby: Art Deco mailbox

Chrysler Building Lobby:  Art Deco doorway

Chrysler Building Lobby:  mural on the ceiling

Chrysler Building Lobby:  mural on the ceiling depicting the building

Some random hottie getting her head pecked by the gargoyle.

Some dude rubbing noses with the gargoyle

Photo of Will Smith from Men in Black 3, standing on a Chrysler Building gargoyle

 The Chrysler Building, and other significant NYC buildings, is captured in a Steuben Glass sculpture called New York, New York.  Greg recalls first seeing the leaded crystal sculpture in the now-closed Steuben shop on Fifth Avenue.  The sculpture (photo below) rotated on a pedestal and each building could be clearly seen through the glass.  (The buildings are Woolworth, Chrysler, Empire State and the WTC twin towers.

P.S.  If you want to learn more about the Chrysler Building, click here, or the lobby, click here.

Touring NYC: The Daily News Building

The Daily News Building is the former home of the New York Daily News and the home of the fictional Daily Planet newspaper from the Superman films.

Completed in 1930, the building is known for its Art Deco style and is now a New York City Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.  

The 36-story Daily News Building, 220 East 42nd Street, NYC

We recently visited the lobby of the building.  Entering the lobby was like stepping back in time to the 1930's.  Here are some photos to show what we mean.  Enjoy. 

Daily News Building Lobby:  Photo from a display about the building's history

Daily News Building Lobby:  Some dude ruining my photo of the large spinning globe in the lobby

Daily News Building Lobby:  photo of the spinning globe without some dude

Daily News Building Lobby:  the domed, mirrored ceiling over the globe represents the cosmos

Daily News Building Lobby:  some dude checking out the marble floor around the globe

Daily News Building Lobby:  the floor around the globe is a compass with distance markers for world cities

Daily News Building Lobby:  vintage world clock on display in the lobby

Daily News Building Lobby:  weather gauges on display in the lobby

Daily News Building Lobby:  Clark Kent and Lois Lane in the Daily Planet lobby (Superman, 1978).  Is that dude in the background?