Moon over Queens

A full moon rising over Queens and the Queensboro Bridge is a lovely sight from our apartment.

Moon over Queens (7/20/2016)

Random Things #14

And more random things. 

Miniature llama in window of Peruvian Connection on Columbus Avenue, NYC (7/22/2016).  A miniature llama might make a nice pet. 

A heavily armed Coast Guard boat escorts a Staten Island Ferry across New York Harbor (7/21/2016).

Catchy name

More catchy names:

• Happy Can Portable Toilets 
• Drop Zone Portable Service 
• A.S.A.P. Port-A-Pots 
• Ameri-Can Engineering 
• Johnny On The Spot 
• LepreCAN Portable Restrooms 
• Loader-Up
• Royal Throne 
• Royal Flush
• Tanks Alot 
• Pee Pee Inc. 
• Wizards of Ooze  
• Oui Oui Enterprises 
• Gotta Go Potties 
• UrinBiz.com 
• Willy Make It? 
• Doodie Calls
• Drop Zone 

and . . . . . 

• Heeeeres's Johnny!

Touring NYC: Grand Central Terminal

We recently toured Grand Central Terminal, completed in 1913.  Our guide Adam, a Historic Preservation student at Columbia University, was knowledgeable and even showed us a few "secrets".  

Highlights of the tour included:

• Visiting the whispering wall, where Susan had a whispered conservation with a fellow tour participant.  Despite the nearby clamor, they heard each other clearly.
• Visiting the Campbell Apartment (photos below), now a bar, back then a private meeting space for financier John W. Campbell, an associate of the Vanderbilts..  
• The tennis court (photo below).

Below are some photos of what we saw during the tour.

Pop Quiz:  Why was Grand Central Terminal built at 42nd Street and not lower in Manhattan where most train riders worked?  (The first correct answer receives major kudos.)

Grand Central Terminal, southwest exterior

An eagle watches over the southwest entrance at 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue.  The neighborhood was once named Terminal City and consisted of the Terminal plus hotels in the surrounding blocks.

Grand Central Terminal, south face, with statue of Mercury above the 13' Tiffany clock

Grand Central Terminal, interior

A vintage arrivals/departures chalkboard

A vintage torchiere moved indoors for preservation

Eddie will shine your shoes for $5

The Campbell Apartment bar, restored to its original Roaring 20's glory

The Campbell Apartment, a place where you take a load off

The Campbell Apartment, photo of the entrance and upper floor

The Tennis Court (no joke)

Random Things #13

More random things spotted in NYC.

Fried Oreo Cookies with Vanilla Ice Cream.  Yum!  "What?  Are we in NYC or at a State Fair?"

Spotted in Little Italy.  "That's one big cannoli!"

Photo of Sticky's in Murray Hill.  Edward Hopper called wants his motif back.

From www.stickys.com:  "Sticky’s Finger Joint is New York’s first variety gourmet chicken finger restaurant. Sticky’s takes the classic chicken finger to an elevated level by not only locally sourcing ingredients and using farm raised, antibiotic-free, hormone-free , chicken, but also by putting unique, flavorful, and creative spins on this childhood favorite."  (Locations also in the Village and Hell's Kitchen.)

Viggo

When you hear the name Viggo, you might think the bad guy from Ghostbusters II, "Vigo the Carpathian".

Vigo the Carpathian, Ghostbusters II

Or you might think of film actor Viggo Mortensen, known for his Lord of the Rings role as Aragorn.

Viggo Mortensen, Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings films

Viggo Mortensen without beard and armor

Recently, we saw Viggo in person.  Viggo Mortensen, not Vigo the Carpathian.  We attended a Time Talks interview with Viggo who is promoting his latest film, Captain Fantastic.  The interview was hosted in the auditorium at the Times Center at the New York Times building.  

          From TimesTalks.com:  "Meet award–winning actor, poet, musician, photographer, painter 

          and editor Viggo Mortensen, now starring in the acclaimed new film “Captain Fantastic,” 

          which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and received accolades at the 

          Cannes Film Festival in May. The multitalented actor, known for his performances in such 

          films as “The Lord of the Rings,” “A Walk on the Moon,” “A History of Violence” and 

          “Eastern Promises,” stars as a father raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and 

          intellectual education, but forced to leave his paradise and reenter society. Interviewed by 

          New York Times culture reporter Melena Ryzik."

Film poster for Captain Fantastic

The interview was very entertaining and informative.  Viggo is not just a pretty face.  If you have ever seen his films, he is a talented actor.  He is also an artist and poet.  Plus, he speaks several languages.  The interview was scheduled to run just over an hour and actually lasted for nearly two hours.  Click here. for the interview.  

His new film Captain Fantastic is on our list to see.  Click here for the trailer.

Photo of the stage before the event

P.S.  We think an interview with Vigo the Carpathian would also be very entertaining and informative. 

Only in New York City

An ironic scene along Second Avenue in Manhattan.

I hope there's not a fire since access to the hydrant is blocked.  Not to worry.  On average, there are fewer than 1-1/2 serious incidents each day in Manhattan.  In fact, there was only one 5th alarm fire in Manhattan during 2015. 

Liberty (Part 2 of 2)

The cosmic conspiracy was not evident to us until the next day.

The conspiracy centered around an unintentional theme that ran through our activities -- liberty.  First was the Fourth of July celebration (obviously planned), then the July 5 visit to the Statue of Liberty (long planned, true . . .), and then a spontaneous outing to another "liberty-themed" event!

We attended a matinee of an off-Broadway musical that had premiered July 4.  The show was Liberty, a Monumental New Musical.  The musical tells the story of an unwelcome immigrant who is threatened with deportation after initially being promised entry.  Economic times were hard and immigrants were regarded by some as a threat to job security.  While set in the 1880's, the musical resonates today.  Some songs were upbeat, others were warm ballads.  The ending was uplifting.  

Scene with the full cast from Liberty, a Monumental New Musical

So, at this point in time, the cosmic conspiracy had become obvious.  First, we visited the magnificent Statue of Liberty the day after the Fourth of July celebration.  The next day, we enjoyed an uplifting musical about the Statue of Liberty.  What was next?  Seeing a play about the dark side of liberty? Yes.

Later the very same day, we attended the very dark play The Crucible by Arthur Miller.  The play uses the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690's as a veiled proxy for the Red Scare and McCarthy Hearings of the early 1950's.  The cast was a group of very talented actors, including a few well-known actors:  Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn; Ben Whishaw, "Q" in the Bond films; and Ciaran Hinds, Game of Thrones. 

The play itself and what Arthur Miller endured after writing the play are stark reminders of what happens when freedom of belief and speech are suppressed and liberty is denied.  For that reason, the play remains relevant today. 

So, four seemingly unrelated experiences over three days shared a common theme--the importance of liberty, a fitting theme for the week of July 4th.  Coincidence or cosmic conspiracy?