RECENTLY IN NEW YORK CITY: LUCKY NUMBER 3

 

 

 

HALLOWEEN IN NEW YORK CITY: TOWNHOUSE STYLE

 

 

I've got a confession.

I do feel a bit guilty.......

but, I've made a decision, 

and I won't budge an inch.

FEELING "FALLISH" IN NEW YORK CITY

 

 

 

NEW RULES: VIEWING THE ROCKEFELLER CHRISTMAS TREE IN 2020

 

Note: Photos in this post are from my archives. 

If you've been wondering if you can visit
the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree this year,

while the pandemic continues to rear its ugly Covid- head,

the answer is YES.

 

But.......you'll have to know the *New Rules* before you go.

 

There will be no selfies in front of the tree 

with you and 25 of your Besties.......

 

And, no dilly-dallying trying to get the perfect Instagram-worthy picture.

That said, it will still be fun to go, if you can.

In fact, it might be a very good idea to see the tree this year, 

as city streets are likely to be less crowded than usual.

YESTERDAY IN NEW YORK: IN A FOG

 

 

 

I almost forgot that I had an appointment in the city yesterday morning.

It was on my calendar, but for some reason I had a mental block against it.

You might say that I was in a fog.

 

Fortunately, I remembered the night before,

and set three alarms to make sure that I got myself out of bed.

 

I woke up to a rainy and foggy day. 

 

Drat.

 

It's never fun walking around in New York when it's raining, 

but it's downright miserable when I can't hang out in a coffee shop, 

or pop into a store to kill time before my appointment,

because of my own personal restrictions  due to the pandemic.

 

Fortunately, by the time I arrived, there was only a light drizzle,

which allowed me to pull out my camera, and walk around midtown for a bit.

Directly across from St. Patrick's Cathedral, 

Atlas holds up the heavens on his shoulders.

Last fall, I wanted to go to the Observation Deck, but kept putting it off.

If only I knew then that a pandemic would put that visit on hold for a very long time.

The Channel Gardens at Rockefeller Center are decked out in fall splendor,

seemingly oblivious to Covid-19.

 

 

 

 

Saks Fifth Avenue (seen above-center, and below) has its Christmas outfit on, 

ready and waiting for holiday sightseers.

 

 

 FAO Schwartz, the toy store renowned the world over,

is stocked and waiting for shoppers.

 

 

I'm happy to report that there was a little more life in midtown

than the last time I was there back in July .

It was pretty empty, as most businesses based there

continue to have their employees working from home. 

(For those who are unfamiliar with the city's neighborhoods,

midtown is primarily a commercial district, not a residential area).

Rockefeller Center was still deserted, but then again,

it was raining.

Clearly, midtown Manhattan has not recovered yet.

New York City as a whole has a long way to go.

 

 HOWEVER.........

Contrary to reports that Manhattan is a ghost town,

or besieged with  violence,

well, it's just  hogwash

(and on this particular day, fogwash).

I  assure you, the Big Apple is alive and well.

On recent trips to the Upper East and West Sides,

which are primarily residential areas,

neighborhoods were bustling - looking almost normal.......

 with kids going to school, and plenty of folks enjoying outdoor dining 

(myself included), biking, running, walking, and shopping.

 

 And almost everyone was wearing a mask.........

even Atlas.

 

 Back on the Jersey side of the Hudson River,

the George Washington Bridge,  enshrouded in fog,

was a photo opportunity too irresistible to pass up.

Apologies to bloggers I haven't visited lately.

I'll be by soon.

 

And hopefully, it won't be another month until my next blog post.

 

Stay well.....And VOTE!

 

 

 

 

TODAY IN NEW YORK CITY: 7.28.2020 - IN RECOVERY

Remember I told you how good it felt to go into the city last week

for the first time since the pandemic hit?

(Read about that here).

Well, today I went in for a dentist appointment,

and it was quite a different experience.

My dentist's office is in Rockefeller Center.

I was looking forward to getting there a little early,

just to soak up the city's vibes.

I don't know what I was expecting, but I was shocked.

I haven't seen midtown like this since 9/11.

Funny, I've  always felt safe in midtown.

On guard and aware, but safe.

Today, at 10:00 in the morning, I actually felt vulnerable,

walking almost completely alone

on sidewalks that are usually teeming with people.

Sixth Avenue was a ghost town.

Fifth Avenue was desolate.

Rockefeller Center was deserted.

There were a handful of people sitting in some Adirondack chairs.

Imagine that - almost everyone in Rockefeller Center had a seat!

I think I may have seen a couple dozen people in Rockefeller Center.

I can't tell you how sad this made me.

I don't know what it's like in the rest of the country,

but New York is still in recovery.

I will never get exasperated at the crowds of people

getting in the way of my pictures again.

At least Prometheus was there.........

And he was wearing a mask.

YESTERDAY IN NEW YORK CITY: FIRST TIME BACK!

Yup, that's right.
Yesterday.
New York City.

I was there.

The last time I was in the city was December.

That's the longest I've been away in 40 years!

Today was my first time back since the pandemic rolled into town.

I would like to say that I went to have some fun,

but truth be told, it was for a doctor's appointment that I'd postponed.

I was in and out of the city in one hour,

but I did have a few minutes to walk around before my appointment.

It didn't take long to notice two things:

1. The streets were empty.

2. Almost everyone was wearing a mask.

 

Yet, there were signs of life.

People were walking, jogging, biking, shopping, eating.

It felt so good to be back, even for just a short and sweet visit.......

and even if things are not yet back to normal.

I had time to walk over to the reservoir at Central Park.

You know me......

Any chance I get to stare at some water, I take it.

In my quick trip to the city, it was clear to see that

New Yorkers are working hard to keep coronavirus from making a comeback.

So, PLEASE, rest of the country.......

Learn from New York (and New Jersey and Connecticut).......

Wear your masks.

Keep socially distant.

There is scientific evidence that if everyone wore a mask in public,

the U.S. could get COVID-19 under control in 4-8 weeks.

That sounds a heck of a lot better to me than never.

We are all in this together, so let's fight it together.

Mask up, America!

"SAY YES" TO BETHESDA FOUNTAIN: CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK

Do you have a "guilty pleasure" TV show?

Mine is "Say Yes To The Dress."

The series started 12 years after I got married,
so I missed my opportunity to be on the show.

Darn. 

However........

I did get my wedding gown at Kleinfeld's!

Yup, I did, back in 1994, when they were still located in Brooklyn.
 

Randy Fenoli was not my sales associate (darn, again),

but I did find a dress that I loved.

Would I pick it again, now, 26 years later?
Probably not.......my bling factor has increased dramatically over the years.
 At the time, this was the one that made my heart beat faster.

I said YES to the dress! 

And, by the way........
we just celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary!

I intentionally cut off Mr. GS' head in the photo since he's camera shy).

One of my quarantine activities was binge-watching Say Yes To The Dress: America.

In Fenoli's words, it's Say Yes To The Dress on steroids.

52 brides were selected from each state, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico
to take part in a group ceremony at Central Park's Bethesda Fountain.

The nuptials happened in July 2019, and the series premiered in January, 2020.

(You can watch it on TLC here, and check out the Instagram page, here.)

Randy officiated, and bridal designer Hayley Paige served as "America's Bridesmaid."

Waaaaaay before I knew anything about this series,

I had some time to kill while in the city, so I walked over to Bethesda Fountain, 
which many say is Central Park's crown jewel.

That was back in October.......when life was still normal.

There are so many places to love in Central Park.......
The Pond, Bow Bridge, Strawberry Fields.......
But there is a reason that Bethesda Fountain is called the heart of the park,
and there's no question why this iconic landmark 
was selected to be the Say Yes wedding location.

Bethesda Terrace, which leads to the fountain, can be found by entering the park at 
72nd Street (from either the east or west side) and walking towards the center of the park.

It's impossible to miss this grand architectural structure, which was completed in 1863.

Two staircases flank the terraced arcade.
The long flight of steps to the right of the archways 
is the one the brides walked down to meet their grooms on the plaza.

Say hello to Angel Of The Waters.

 

The views from the upper plaza are beautiful........
but more eye candy is found inside the arcade.

 Although there will undoubtedly be a social media influencer doing a photo shoot 
inside the arcade, the ceiling is Instagram-worthy in its own right.
It is the only ceiling in the world to be adorned in Minton tiles from England.

Bethesda Fountain abuts The Lake.
(I know, the name is just about as clever as The Pond, which I showed you here).
What can I say? 
New Yorkers like to get right to the point.

The Lake is almost always filled with row boats, 
which can be rented at the Loeb Boathouse.
The champagne reception for the Say Yes brides was held inside.
You don't need to personally know Randy Fenoli in order to get married at The Boathouse.  
Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and other events are regularly held there.

Loeb Boathouse is also a restaurant, so you can enjoy it
without exchanging wedding vows, or reciting your Haftorah.
Personally, I'd like to say "I do" to a Boathouse Margarita at the outside bar.

I've never eaten there, but I just may have to make a reservation 
once quarantine life is over.

If you have to choose one spot to visit out of all the spectacular places in Central Park,
Say Yes to Bethesda Fountain!

 

The Pond: Central Park

An Autumn Afternoon in Central Park

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