New York - June 5, 2010
Got up this AM about 7:00 and met Annie Parker in the lobby at 8:00. This is our first ever seeing one another in person. Lots of hugging! Again, someone I had never met in person where we are instant friends and intimates. Such a joy.
We went to Pigalle, the hotel’s restaurant, since I had free coupons. Ye dogs, what a breakfast you can have. Juice, main course, two sides, coffee. I was conservative with OJ, oatmeal, toast, huge fruit plate, and coffee. Annie shared my bounty not wanting a full breakfast.
We headed over to 7th Ave. for the subway. Went to the end of the line at South Ferry and into the Staten Island Ferry terminal, a beautiful new building. The ferry is free. How about that? So, we took it over, disembarked, got back on, took it back. Beautiful views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as well as lower Manhattan. And a lovely ride over the water.
From there, we walked toward Ground Zero, asking along the way if we were headed in the right direction. Well, while the monument alongside a fire house to the fallen is impressive, there was really no way to see the site since it’s all fenced in and they are furiously building there. We walked around a bit and then headed to a subway so we could go up to 14th near Annie’s mom’s apartment.
The subway station at 14th Street has lots of small sculptures depicting things like: the streets are paved with gold; there are alligators in the sewers. Fun stuff. All through the underground platform.
We walked to Jean’s apartment, first checking if it was alright to come. Carol, Annie’s sister, was there along with their mother. It’s a beautiful apartment in the Greenwich Village area. The living room is lined top to bottom with book shelves. There’s an old grand piano. It was so wonderful to meet Carol and Jean. Jean and I have talked on the phone, but never really met. This is the first time I have met Carol altogether. All very special. We chatted about 20 minutes, the limit we’d given ourselves to not tire Jean too much.
Then we went up on the apartment’s roof to a stunning view from a beautiful rooftop garden. Uptown is the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building. Downtown we could see toward where the ferry docked.
From there, we walked to Chelsea Market, a redeveloped old Nabisco factory with lots of stores and flower shops, bake shops, food, etc. in its bottom floor. We ate a nice lunch of sandwiches and walked out toward The High Line park. Wonderful way to take an old elevated freight line and make a garden with views toward the Statue of Liberty one way and Empire State Building the other way. Some remnants of old tracks are among the flowers and shrubs.
I took the subway home and did pictures, cooled down, and changed clothes for tonight. At six, I met Chick, Dorothy, and Michael Bisberg and Pru Meyer. At Ruby Foo’s on Broadway. We had a lovely dinner and chatted about the day. It’s such fun being together. I rarely get to see Chick and Dorothy, so this was an added treat.
From dinner, I walked up Broadway to 54th and to Studio 54 theatre to see Sondheim on Sondheim with Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams, Tom Wopat, and five other excellent actors. Wow! Terrific in concept and execution. I had first row mezzanine ticket and sat next to nice couple who visited with me. Theatre over, I walked to 8th Avenue and wended my way back to the hotel. A full day, I think.
We went to Pigalle, the hotel’s restaurant, since I had free coupons. Ye dogs, what a breakfast you can have. Juice, main course, two sides, coffee. I was conservative with OJ, oatmeal, toast, huge fruit plate, and coffee. Annie shared my bounty not wanting a full breakfast.
We headed over to 7th Ave. for the subway. Went to the end of the line at South Ferry and into the Staten Island Ferry terminal, a beautiful new building. The ferry is free. How about that? So, we took it over, disembarked, got back on, took it back. Beautiful views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as well as lower Manhattan. And a lovely ride over the water.
From there, we walked toward Ground Zero, asking along the way if we were headed in the right direction. Well, while the monument alongside a fire house to the fallen is impressive, there was really no way to see the site since it’s all fenced in and they are furiously building there. We walked around a bit and then headed to a subway so we could go up to 14th near Annie’s mom’s apartment.
The subway station at 14th Street has lots of small sculptures depicting things like: the streets are paved with gold; there are alligators in the sewers. Fun stuff. All through the underground platform.
We walked to Jean’s apartment, first checking if it was alright to come. Carol, Annie’s sister, was there along with their mother. It’s a beautiful apartment in the Greenwich Village area. The living room is lined top to bottom with book shelves. There’s an old grand piano. It was so wonderful to meet Carol and Jean. Jean and I have talked on the phone, but never really met. This is the first time I have met Carol altogether. All very special. We chatted about 20 minutes, the limit we’d given ourselves to not tire Jean too much.
Then we went up on the apartment’s roof to a stunning view from a beautiful rooftop garden. Uptown is the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building. Downtown we could see toward where the ferry docked.
From there, we walked to Chelsea Market, a redeveloped old Nabisco factory with lots of stores and flower shops, bake shops, food, etc. in its bottom floor. We ate a nice lunch of sandwiches and walked out toward The High Line park. Wonderful way to take an old elevated freight line and make a garden with views toward the Statue of Liberty one way and Empire State Building the other way. Some remnants of old tracks are among the flowers and shrubs.
I took the subway home and did pictures, cooled down, and changed clothes for tonight. At six, I met Chick, Dorothy, and Michael Bisberg and Pru Meyer. At Ruby Foo’s on Broadway. We had a lovely dinner and chatted about the day. It’s such fun being together. I rarely get to see Chick and Dorothy, so this was an added treat.
From dinner, I walked up Broadway to 54th and to Studio 54 theatre to see Sondheim on Sondheim with Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams, Tom Wopat, and five other excellent actors. Wow! Terrific in concept and execution. I had first row mezzanine ticket and sat next to nice couple who visited with me. Theatre over, I walked to 8th Avenue and wended my way back to the hotel. A full day, I think.
posted by Bud Hirsch at 10:07 PM
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