The Big Apple

For a couple of years in a row, I made a solo trip to the east coast to visit friends in NYC & Washington, DC. One year I even made it up to Massachusetts. This year, Bruce decided to join me but he left Seattle a week earlier than I so that he could visit friends in Maryland and Connecticut. I flew in today and although I find travel days sometimes stressful, today was pretty good. I stayed at the Sure Stay hotel at SeaTac airport because my flight left shortly after 7AM. The hotel (motel, actually) reminded me of the motels I stayed in when I was on the road with a band in the 1970s. I don't think this place has been updated since then. The halls were very dark and kind of creepy and the room was decidedly bare bones, but it was perfectly serviceable. I got to the airport around 5:45 the next morning, got through security and to my gate with no problem then stopped at a Starbucks near the gate for a morning beverage. They started boarding the flight; I waited. Zone 2, zone 3, zone 4, and still I waited. zone 5, zone 6, zone 7. Twenty minutes after ordering, my chai latte finally appeared. I was the last person in line at the boarding gate.

The flight was good and I got to see a film I had been wanting to see for years, "The Lunchbox." Loved it. I also watched Maria, the film about Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie. Meh. They have a wonderful mix of old and new films on board so it made the time pass quickly. Kudos to Delta airlines for the amazing vegan breakfast. It was delicious: a tofu scramble, grilled peppers and onions and roasted potatoes. Fresh fruit and a vegan muffin rounded out the offering.

We arrived a bit early in New York and had to sit on the tarmac for about 10 minutes before our gate opened. I deplaned and started the walk to baggage claim. JFK airport used to be a nightmare. Old, shabby and hard to get around. Not any more. It's new and clean and enormous. How enormous? It took me 17 minutes to walk from the gate to baggage claim. No exaggeration! My bag was waiting when I got there and it was a short walk to the train to Jamaica station where I caught the E express train into Manhattan. Bruce had checked in the day before so I asked for a key to the room. The lovely guy at the front desk said, "Oh, your husband asked us not to give you a key to the room." I laughed, he laughed. He gave me a key. The room is decidedly nicer than the Stay Sure, compact but well laid-out.

I unpacked then went out for a wander and some dinner. I lived in NY for about 30 years and it really is such a different city now than when I lived here. I've been gone 17 years and so few things I remember are still around. It's very upmarket and hip, but it's also a bit sterile. I don't miss the days of strip joints on 42nd Street, but seeing the spot where the drama bookstore used to be razed to the ground was a bit of a shock. That real estate is right in the heart of the theatre district and I'm sure some huge skyscraper will take its place. It was heartening to see that Don't Tell Mama is still open. I wonder if Sydney Meyer still runs it. Anyway, I found a little Chinese place, Mountain House, on W 46th and since I haven't had Chinese food in ages and the newspaper article posted by the door listed it as one NYC's top 100 restaurants, I went in. I was very pleased to see that all the customers were Asian, leading me to believe that the food would be good and authentic. It was. A bowl of pickled cabbage arrives along with a very heavy pot of Chinese tea. I ordered a libation from the "special cocktail" menu - I don't remember the name, but it had mezcal, lime juice, and I'm not sure what else, with a rim dusted in chili powder. Nice.

I then ordered the twice cooked pork belly with Chinese leeks. It was really good. I ate way more than I should have but thought there was little point in bringing Chinese food to the room, even if there was a fridge.

After overeating I decided I needed a good walk, so I headed uptown on 9th Avenue, noting more changes as I walked. Liked this dancer, though.

I stopped in to the Deutsche Bank Center at 59th Street and looked around at the stores and restaurants. They also have a Botero in the lobby.

That reminded me of when the City of New York had a series of Botero sculptures installed on the islands on Park Avenue. There was a sculpture of a cate and every night somebody would unscrew and steel all the whiskers. Ah, New York.

Back out on the street I walked up to Lincoln Center and was glad to see that lovely iconic building still standing. I'm going to have to plan a trip when I can go to the Opera there again. I walked around some more then headed back to the hotel. There's one working elevator for a 34-floor building. Inexcusable. Again, ah, New York.