Crosswalks in NYC

Crossing the street in NYC is a risk-filled adventure.  Cabs, trucks, cars, bicycles, emergency vehicles, other pedestrians all pose obstacles to a safe crossing. 

Just imagine if you could not see.

Fortunately, at a few intersections in the city, the crosswalks have audio cues for pedestrians who cannot see.  Some audio cues are noises signalling when it is safe to cross.  We found one intersection near our building with a recorded voice that tells it is safe to cross.  Check it out.

Aside from the obvious benefit of helping all New Yorkers cross the street, what we like about the audio recording is the authentic New York accent of the speaker.  That authenticity is comforting for a New Yorker.  

After hearing the recording a few times, we wondered about asking other New Yorkers to lend their voices to crosswalk recordings. Here are a few of the New Yorkers that came to mind:

• Al Pacino (Scent of a Woman):  "The walk sign is on.  Hoowah!"
• Donald Trump:  "The walk sign is on and it's HUGE!"
• Christopher Walken (Bruce Dickinson):  "The walk sign is on.  What this intersection needs is more cowbell."
• Robert DeNiro:  "The walk sign is on but for just a little bit."
• Woody Allen:  "The walk sign is on, but what if some cabbie isn't paying attention and you get run over?". 
• Al Pacino (Donnie Brasco):  "The walk sign is on.  Fuggedabouttit."
• Hillary Clinton:  "The walk sign is on and your taxes will be lowered if you are middle-class."
• Steve Martin:  "The walk sign is so walk like an Egyptian."
• Tina Fey:  "The walk sign is on and I can see New Jersey from my apartment." 
• Lady Gaga:  "The walk sign is on.  You cross the street however you want."
• Jay-Z:  "The walk sign is on but you should be with me and Beyonce in my dope limousine"  
• Sylvester Stallone:  "[Unintelligible]"
• Steven Tyler:  "WALK THIS WAY!"

What does an ash heap have in common with the U.S. Open and Two World's Fairs?

It's late August and time for the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows.  We visited the event on a qualifying and practice day.  

The venue is amazing.  Ultra-modern and pristine like a Disney theme park, with friendly, helpful staff.  

We watched a few different qualifying matches and were amazed at the level of tennis played by U.S. Open hopefuls, only a handful of whom will actually qualify for the event next week.  

We also watched players on the practice courts.  Even though it was friendly practice, the level of tennis there was even more amazing.  We saw the likes of McEnroe (photo below) and Nadal.  

It was an enjoyable experience.  Plus, admission was free.  No joke.

Some random hottie at the gate. 

Inside the venue with the Arthur Ashe Stadium in the background (the largest tennis stadium in the world)

John McEnroe on the practice court at the 2016 U.S. Open

After spending a few hours at the U.S. Open, we ventured next door to the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, a huge park in the middle of Queens.  The location was the site of the 1939 and 1964 New York World's Fairs and a few artifacts from the fairs remain.  Check out the photos below. 

Some random hottie posing in front of the Unisphere from the 1964 fair.  From Wikipedia:  "The theme of the [1964] World's Fair was "Peace Through Understanding" and the Unisphere represented the theme of global interdependence. It was dedicated to "Man's Achievements on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe"."

Some dude posing in front of the Unisphere, with the Observation Towers from the 1964 fair visible in background. 

The Rocket Thrower by Donald De Lue from the 1964 fair.  From Wikipedia:  "De Lue explained the work as "the spiritual concept of man’s relationship to space and his venturesome spirit backed up by all the powers of his intelligence for the exploration of a new dimension." However, The New York Times art critic John Canaday described it as "the most lamentable monster, making Walt Disney look like Leonardo Da Vinci."  It's not that bad.  Is it?

Answer to the question What does an ash heap have in common with the U.S. Open and Two World's Fairs?   Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was once known as the Corona Ash Dumps, where NYC dumped ashes from its many coal-burning furnances.  Some garbage and horse manure were also dumped there.  The site was selected for the 1939 New York World's Fair and it was cleared.  Some of coal ash was used in the construction of nearby highways.  Who knew?

Random Things #16

A few more random things. 

Remember the movie quote, "I'll have what she's having"? We went to Katz's Deli where "When Harry Met Sally" was partially filmed.  Here you see Susan's sister Sally with husband "Harry" at Katz's Deli on Houston on the Lower East Side.  Harry and Sally at Katz's Deli, get it?  "Harry's" actual name is Rob, not Billy Crystal.  Sally's name is actually Sally.

Some hottie with Sally and Rob at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in the East Village.  It was a hilarious show.

A couple of random hotties on Roosevelt Island, posing in front of the former Queensboro Bridge trolley station and torchiere pedestal.

"Where do you live in New York?" (Part 9)

Where do we live in New York?

Not far from The Plaza Hotel.  Check out the photo below taken from our terrace. 

The Plaza Hotel, Fifth Avenue at 59th Street

Movin' on Up!--Construction Update #5

New York, like rust, never sleeps.

Construction of the new 35-story condo tower across the street continues every day.  The latest progress is depicted below with the addition of scaffolding over the sidewalks to protect pedestrians and the construction of the second floor.  Check it out.

August 1, 2016:

The concrete ground floor has cured and supplies are staged for constructing the second floor.

August 10, 2016:

The scaffolding for the second floor is erected and being readied for a big pour.

August 18, 2016:

The concrete of the second floor has been poured and hardened. 

Scaffolds over sidewalks can be found at every construction site in Manhattan.  It seems that sidewalks are never or rarely closed to pedestrian traffic, despite heavy construction occurring overhead.  Instead, pedestrians are routed next to or under buildings being erected, all the while being somewhat protected by heavy duty scaffolding with steel girders and supports.  

Next up:  Construction Update #6, the last update before we depart NYC.

L.A. Dance in NYC

A recent Saturday night found us in the West Village at The Joyce Theater.  That night's performance was presented by L.A. Dance, a dance company founded by a former principal dancer of the New York City Ballet.  The dances presented were modern and abstract.  We attended with friends Dean and Bill who know a LOT about dance.

Each of the dances told a story through the dancers' motion.  The incredible flexibility and physical strength of the dancers inspired us to stretch and flex . . .  at least a little bit!

Dining Out

During our year in NYC, we have enjoyed dining out.  Since dining out can be very expensive if you opt for Michelin-starred establishments every night, we opt for the occasional dinner out at a nearby diner or deli.  We have a favorite place of each type.

Our favorite diner is the Moonstruck Diner. The diner is near our apartment.  So, it is the frequent scene of our dining out.  When we first started visiting Moonstruck a year ago, it was a traditional diner with upscale decor--upscale for a diner.  Over the past year, Moonstruck has evolved from diner to eatery with periodic upgrades over the past 9 or so months.  The coffee cups changed, bottles of water appeared on the tables, linen napkins appeared, the menus changed (but the prices did not) and the name changed.  Fortunately, the food is still very good diner fare and the service is always friendly and fast.  

Our favorite deli is P.J. Bernstein's.  We know about P.J. Bernstein's because it is co-owned by the father of a dentist who went to school with Sid, Susan's brother.  We are fortunate to know about P.J. Bernstein's because it is an excellent deli not too far from our apartment.  Like our favorite diner, it has very good food and speedy service. 

Below are some photos from Moonstruck and P.J. Bernstein's.

Moonstruck Eatery on East 58th Street.  It's always nice to see the A grade from the health inspector.

The upgraded menu at Moonstruck

The old coffee mugs at Moonstruck before the upgrade.  Susan purchased a mug as a fond souvenir.

The new coffee mug.  Tres chic, but hard to handle.

The spinach pie (spanakopita) at Moonstruck is to die for.  It is nearly as good as the spanakopita at Zaharias' Restaurant in St. Augustine, Florida, made by the sister of Greg's former colleague Alex Zaharias at Wyndham.

Greg's mother Judy at Moonstruck enjoying her usual chicken soup

Sally at P.J. Bernstein's with a typical hamburger piled high.

The borscht at P.J. Bernstein's is to die for.  The large bowl in the photo is the medium size.

Apparently, beautiful people dine at P.J. Bernstein's.  (Sharon Stone in the autographed photo.)

Cuba Gooding, Jr. on the wall at P.J. Bernstein's

P.S.  If you don't know the difference between a diner and a deli, fuggedaboutit.