Mike Jones
<font color=993300>....nothing clever to say... ju
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
- Messages
- 1,372
Previous Day: Part 1 - Pre Trip, The Journey and afternoon in NY
DAY 2 SUNDAY 30th APRIL 2006.
Jetlag played its merry game with us, and we spent a fairly restless night, comma waking at 1,am, 3am and 5ish, when we give up. After showers etc we leave the hotel by 6am and head east to Broadway and south a few blocks, looking for the Brasserie Centrale, a 24 hr café recommended by the Rough Guide. We find the correct address, No 1700, but it appears to have changed into a French Creperie! Ah well, not to worry. We carry on down Broadway through quiet streets, to Times Square. Although cool, it is fine and dry with the promise of a 2nd sunny day to come.
Times Square is also very quiet, although the signature lights, neons and screens play 24/7. We pause to wave at the webcam outside TGI Fridays before continuing in search of breakfast. However Amanda spots Grand Central Station to the east, along 43rd Street so we head that direction. There are good views of the Chrysler building on the way.
Most of the streets we pass through are clean and tidy, although a number of rough sleepers are bedded down in occasional doorways.
Like many of the older buildings in Manhattan, GCS is not as imposing as you would expect, being dwarfed by adjacent and adjoining tower blocks.
Once inside, however, the impact is outstanding.
There is a small, but discreet, police presence here, as at most significant buildings and areas since 9/11. We wander slowly through the main hall and down to the shopping and dining concourse below. We check out the Oyster Bar restaurant, as we had intended to dine here during our stay, but sadly we run out of time. We exit onto Lexington Avenue, still on the lookout for a breakfast venue. Starbucks would do, in the UK at least, but here most do not seem to offer hot panninis and we do not really fancy cakes or pastries today. We spot a Café Metro where we scoff on eggs, bacon, potatoes, orange juice and coffee for $21.
Its 7.40am now and we proceed east to 1st Avenue then south to the United Nations headquarters. Its actually quite warm now and we stow our jackets in a backpack.
The UN building is huge, certainly, but otherwise lacks aesthetic appeal.
We attempt to walk along the banks of the East River behind the UN but there is no pedestrian walkway. Instead we return to 1st Avenue and head north, past (another?) Trump Tower
DAY 2 SUNDAY 30th APRIL 2006.
Jetlag played its merry game with us, and we spent a fairly restless night, comma waking at 1,am, 3am and 5ish, when we give up. After showers etc we leave the hotel by 6am and head east to Broadway and south a few blocks, looking for the Brasserie Centrale, a 24 hr café recommended by the Rough Guide. We find the correct address, No 1700, but it appears to have changed into a French Creperie! Ah well, not to worry. We carry on down Broadway through quiet streets, to Times Square. Although cool, it is fine and dry with the promise of a 2nd sunny day to come.
Times Square is also very quiet, although the signature lights, neons and screens play 24/7. We pause to wave at the webcam outside TGI Fridays before continuing in search of breakfast. However Amanda spots Grand Central Station to the east, along 43rd Street so we head that direction. There are good views of the Chrysler building on the way.
Most of the streets we pass through are clean and tidy, although a number of rough sleepers are bedded down in occasional doorways.
Like many of the older buildings in Manhattan, GCS is not as imposing as you would expect, being dwarfed by adjacent and adjoining tower blocks.
Once inside, however, the impact is outstanding.
There is a small, but discreet, police presence here, as at most significant buildings and areas since 9/11. We wander slowly through the main hall and down to the shopping and dining concourse below. We check out the Oyster Bar restaurant, as we had intended to dine here during our stay, but sadly we run out of time. We exit onto Lexington Avenue, still on the lookout for a breakfast venue. Starbucks would do, in the UK at least, but here most do not seem to offer hot panninis and we do not really fancy cakes or pastries today. We spot a Café Metro where we scoff on eggs, bacon, potatoes, orange juice and coffee for $21.
Its 7.40am now and we proceed east to 1st Avenue then south to the United Nations headquarters. Its actually quite warm now and we stow our jackets in a backpack.
The UN building is huge, certainly, but otherwise lacks aesthetic appeal.
We attempt to walk along the banks of the East River behind the UN but there is no pedestrian walkway. Instead we return to 1st Avenue and head north, past (another?) Trump Tower
We just enjoy real life experiences, and walking around a city, popping into the shops, parks, museums and so on gives you a much closer impression of the culture, good or bad.
