This archival post was migrated from an old Facebook album, so please excuse the choppy writing and odd formatting.
Entrance to the Dakota apartments, where John Lennon was shot and Yoko Ono still lives.
An artist painting streetside in Chelsea.
The Chelsea Hotel. It was getting dark.
The RUB (Righteous Urban Barbeque) restaurant in Chelsea, at dusk. We ate our last dinner in NYC here. The ribs were good, but the baked beans were probably one of the most memorable things we ate on the whole trip! Fantastic. (Sadly RUB closed in 2013 after a combination of misfortunes including an SUV crashing through their window and Hurricane Sandy.)
View from the park near the Met Cloisters. It was strange to emerge from the 190th St. subway station north of Harlem and find ourselves in such a green setting.
Another view from the park near the Cloisters.
Paths around the Cloisters.
The main Cloisters building. Inside is the medieval collection from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I stupidly checked my camera and didn’t get any interior photos, though.
A bridge near the Cloisters.
The Fulton Fish Market and the Brooklyn Bridge.
A seaport pier, with the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance.
Some really cool reflective artwork in the lobby of the Guggenheim.
Josie reflects upon the reflective artwork.
Looking up to the ceiling of the Guggenheim.
The spiral ramps of the Guggenheim, from inside. The outside of the building is under restoration and covered in scaffolding, unfortunately. Guess we’ll have to go back to get that shot.
Some random cool buildings in SoHo.
We met up with friends at Lombardi‘s. The much-hyped pizza here definitely lived up to expectations!
Josie and Gary and Lombardi’s.
The LOVE sculpture thingy on Sixth Ave.
A random subway shot. The train was actually moving really fast when I snapped this, and I was expecting a blur.
Park Avenue at East 50th St, with the Waldorf Astoria hotel on the left.
Columbus Circle through the window of the Time Warner Center.
The fourth floor of the Time Warner Center. The entrance to Masa, New York’s most expensive restaurant, is on the right. The entrance to Per Se, Thomas Keller’s restaurant, is on the left.
Guard keeps the riff raff (like us) out at the Per Se entrance.
Bathroom in the Pod Hotel. Everything here was small, modular, and spotless.
The bed in the Pod Hotel.
Josie lounges in the Pod Hotel lobby. Actually, the furniture looks cool but it’s not very comfortable.
Blurry Gary in the Pod Hotel Lobby.
In our Pod Hotel room, a stainless steel mecca.
Artwork in the Rockefeller Plaza. The Rockefeller Center is in the background, the cafe in the foreground is a famous skating rink in the winter.
Radio City Music Hall, as seen through a window near the bottom of the Rockefeller Center “Top of the Rocks” area. K. D. Lang was one of the performers listed on the marquee.
The observation deck at the Rockefeller Center. It is split into two levels encompassing the 69th and 70th floors. It was a perfect clear day, the camera makes it appear more hazy than it really was.
Central Park surrounded by the buildings of Manhattan, as viewed from the 70th floor observation deck of the Rockefeller Center.
The Empire State Building, viewed from the 70th floor observation deck of the Rockefeller Center.
Gary on the 70th floor observation deck at the Rockefeller Center. Central Park is in the background.
Josie on the 70th floor observation deck at the Rockefeller Center. Central Park is in the background.
Seagulls near the seaport.
An old boat docked on one of the piers at the seaport.
Trying to figure out where we were. We were in SoHo. Somewhere.
A statue of Gandhi in Union Square.
Union Square.
Barney Greengrass diner on the Upper West Side. The waiters were bizarre. The food was interesting… smoked salmon, chicken liver, and onions on bagels. This is apparently a favourite brunch hangout for people like Bill Murray, Woody Allen, and Tony Bourdain. But there were no celebrity sightings for us.
Elaborate subway entrance at Verdi Square on the Upper West Side.
Gray’s Papaya is a famous hot dog place. They make their own mustard. The hot dogs are apparently very good. I say “apparently” because we came across this place immediately after eating at Barney Greengrass and there was just no room for hot dogs in our bellies.
Wall St. and Broadway.
The New York Stock Exchange. Since I was there in 2002 the area around this building has changed immensely. Most of Wall St. is now pedestrian only, blocked off with permanent barricades, and there are only a few very narrow gated lanes where vehicles can drive near.
Outside the World Financial Center.
The Manhattan Sailing School at the north end of Battery Park.
Along the Battery Park Esplanade.
View of the Statue of Liberty from the Battery Park Esplanade.
World Trade Center.
World Trade Center.
World Trade Center, where the Freedom Tower is now under construction.
Walkway around the World Trade Center construction.