NY Pass, A three day tourist trek
Museum of Sex: ****
Very close to the hotel, we visit here, on Saturday morning, before the Literary Tour. I discover that most, but not all "kinks" have been portrayed on Monica's favorite show, CSI. I enjoy the museum, except for the unsettling kinks. This scholarly and XXX museum demonstrates how much times have changed over the last couple of decades. At one time, the museum belonged only in Amsterdam.
Macy's, 34th: **
Monica buys a sweater. It is an attractive old store.
Empire State Building: *
We get our tickets, Saturday evening, and find the line for the Empire State Building Observation Deck. On our way, we meet a crying woman on her way to the exit. We should have taken this as a sign. We stand in line. Then, we stand in another line. Repeat. We go up an elevator to the 80th floor. Then, we stand in line. People try to sell us audio tours featuring the voice of a New York "cabbie". We stand in line some more. A voice announces that we can wait in line for the elevator, or we can climb the stairs to the 86th floor. We climb. The night view is nice. I look at the rivers and the outline of the island. Monica's sweater comes in handy, as it is actually quite cold and windy up here. We have spent less than an hour in lines, but nonetheless, we feel much like the woman we met on our way in.
UN Building: ****
The security check is easier than for the airport, this Sunday morning. We buy our ticket, are told our wait will be 15-30 minutes, and take this time to look around. The tour guide is a student from Algeria, who speaks English, Arabic and French. We view gifts to the UN from various countries. The US gift is a Norman Rockwell mosiac, with a multicultural "do unto others" theme. The guide explains the missions of the UN and takes us to all of the meeting rooms. She does not remember the name of the US ambassador, which may mean that Khalizad is more effective than Bolton. I am always impressed by the numbers focus at the UN. Our tour guide speaks of weapons proliferation without ever mentioning the American market share. I buy a UN shirt and cap, and mail a couple of postcards using international stamps. This place makes New York the capital of the world.
MOMA: ***
Van Gogh's "Starry, Starry Night" is here. So, is Edvard Munch, though "The Scream" is on tour. Lots of Monet's and Manet's. A Dali. We even find Duchamp, though his urinals seem to be elsewhere. We eat our Sunday lunch on the fifth floor in a room made up of black and white elements. The museum cafe has an "In-N-Out Burger" quality, as everything happens before our eyes.
Paley Museum of Television and Radio: *****
I guess I love libraries. This is YouTube gone wild, as video collections from the entire history of television and radio are here. Monica watches some of the featured Nixon/Frost interview and reports that it was interesting, and that Nixon was belligerent. Last time I was here, a feature was a very sharp Woody Allen and a very sharp Billy Graham discussing religion from a 1960's Dick Cavett show. We are allowed to view two selections each. The best choice in our Sunday afternoon private viewing is a James Bond special, which we skip through for Ian Fleming interview segments. It took Fleming few words to dismiss silly anti-Bond criticism. I imagine myself culling these archives as a career.
Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Circle Line Ferry: no stars
Ellis Island Oral History Library: ****
It is a nice morning to wait in line at Battery Park for over an hour. There are hot dog vendors, artists and an excellent street trumpeter. The problem here is security and a dim-witted National Park Service, that thinks Disneyland is a fine model. Security takes their job seriously. I am asked to place my wallet in the box to be x-rayed, though they never bother x-raying it in airports. I am also asked to go through the machine a second time for the crime of having my hands in my pockets. The line actually does not bother me, as I assume that Liberty Island and Ellis Island are small places that can not absorb everyone at once. (It turns out the the islands are plenty large enough for everyone.)
People admire the view of Manhattan as we boat to the Statue. We see no reason to get off the boat at the Statue of Liberty and instead go directly to Ellis Island, where we view historic photos in an historic building. The tour book recommends oral histories and we find a near empty room with computers, where we can listen to 2000 interviews of Ellis Island immigrants. I listen to Elna Larson, who moved from Denmark in 1912, and stopped at Ellis Island on her way to Solvang, CA. (I have Danish relatives there.) I listen to an earlier migrant from England who states that immigration should be encouraged, because all of the people who accomplish anything are first or second generation immigrants. (That explains a lot about our country.) These oral histories are wonderful, but as I said, I love libraries.
We look at monuments to Ellis Island benefactors and wander toward cattle pens where people await return boats. One would think that the boats would be large enough to accommodate those waiting, but this is not the case. We wait for an hour just to leave, and others appear to have much longer waits. I ask why the boats are not large enough, and am told that "we pick up everyone on the Island each day." There are no apologies, so one must assume this is the way it always is. Monica describes this trip as a two hour trip that takes five hours. The free and frequent Staten Island Ferry is the way to go, if you want Statue of Liberty photos without the wait. I guess I had to do this once.
Very close to the hotel, we visit here, on Saturday morning, before the Literary Tour. I discover that most, but not all "kinks" have been portrayed on Monica's favorite show, CSI. I enjoy the museum, except for the unsettling kinks. This scholarly and XXX museum demonstrates how much times have changed over the last couple of decades. At one time, the museum belonged only in Amsterdam.
Macy's, 34th: **
Monica buys a sweater. It is an attractive old store.
Empire State Building: *
We get our tickets, Saturday evening, and find the line for the Empire State Building Observation Deck. On our way, we meet a crying woman on her way to the exit. We should have taken this as a sign. We stand in line. Then, we stand in another line. Repeat. We go up an elevator to the 80th floor. Then, we stand in line. People try to sell us audio tours featuring the voice of a New York "cabbie". We stand in line some more. A voice announces that we can wait in line for the elevator, or we can climb the stairs to the 86th floor. We climb. The night view is nice. I look at the rivers and the outline of the island. Monica's sweater comes in handy, as it is actually quite cold and windy up here. We have spent less than an hour in lines, but nonetheless, we feel much like the woman we met on our way in.
UN Building: ****
The security check is easier than for the airport, this Sunday morning. We buy our ticket, are told our wait will be 15-30 minutes, and take this time to look around. The tour guide is a student from Algeria, who speaks English, Arabic and French. We view gifts to the UN from various countries. The US gift is a Norman Rockwell mosiac, with a multicultural "do unto others" theme. The guide explains the missions of the UN and takes us to all of the meeting rooms. She does not remember the name of the US ambassador, which may mean that Khalizad is more effective than Bolton. I am always impressed by the numbers focus at the UN. Our tour guide speaks of weapons proliferation without ever mentioning the American market share. I buy a UN shirt and cap, and mail a couple of postcards using international stamps. This place makes New York the capital of the world.
MOMA: ***
Van Gogh's "Starry, Starry Night" is here. So, is Edvard Munch, though "The Scream" is on tour. Lots of Monet's and Manet's. A Dali. We even find Duchamp, though his urinals seem to be elsewhere. We eat our Sunday lunch on the fifth floor in a room made up of black and white elements. The museum cafe has an "In-N-Out Burger" quality, as everything happens before our eyes.
Paley Museum of Television and Radio: *****
I guess I love libraries. This is YouTube gone wild, as video collections from the entire history of television and radio are here. Monica watches some of the featured Nixon/Frost interview and reports that it was interesting, and that Nixon was belligerent. Last time I was here, a feature was a very sharp Woody Allen and a very sharp Billy Graham discussing religion from a 1960's Dick Cavett show. We are allowed to view two selections each. The best choice in our Sunday afternoon private viewing is a James Bond special, which we skip through for Ian Fleming interview segments. It took Fleming few words to dismiss silly anti-Bond criticism. I imagine myself culling these archives as a career.
Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Circle Line Ferry: no stars
Ellis Island Oral History Library: ****
It is a nice morning to wait in line at Battery Park for over an hour. There are hot dog vendors, artists and an excellent street trumpeter. The problem here is security and a dim-witted National Park Service, that thinks Disneyland is a fine model. Security takes their job seriously. I am asked to place my wallet in the box to be x-rayed, though they never bother x-raying it in airports. I am also asked to go through the machine a second time for the crime of having my hands in my pockets. The line actually does not bother me, as I assume that Liberty Island and Ellis Island are small places that can not absorb everyone at once. (It turns out the the islands are plenty large enough for everyone.)
People admire the view of Manhattan as we boat to the Statue. We see no reason to get off the boat at the Statue of Liberty and instead go directly to Ellis Island, where we view historic photos in an historic building. The tour book recommends oral histories and we find a near empty room with computers, where we can listen to 2000 interviews of Ellis Island immigrants. I listen to Elna Larson, who moved from Denmark in 1912, and stopped at Ellis Island on her way to Solvang, CA. (I have Danish relatives there.) I listen to an earlier migrant from England who states that immigration should be encouraged, because all of the people who accomplish anything are first or second generation immigrants. (That explains a lot about our country.) These oral histories are wonderful, but as I said, I love libraries.
We look at monuments to Ellis Island benefactors and wander toward cattle pens where people await return boats. One would think that the boats would be large enough to accommodate those waiting, but this is not the case. We wait for an hour just to leave, and others appear to have much longer waits. I ask why the boats are not large enough, and am told that "we pick up everyone on the Island each day." There are no apologies, so one must assume this is the way it always is. Monica describes this trip as a two hour trip that takes five hours. The free and frequent Staten Island Ferry is the way to go, if you want Statue of Liberty photos without the wait. I guess I had to do this once.
posted by David Rasmussen at 12:15 PM
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