NYC Trip: It's Raining, It's Pouring

Today is our Jane Marx tour, insight of Manhattan from a resident and history buff. Maybe a more accurate title would be historian, scholar, etc. Looking out from our 10th floor window I can see it’s raining. But because we’re this far up, I can’t see how hard.

Down at ground level, as we’re getting on the bus, I see its not raining too hard just sprinkles—big-drop sprinkles. As we start moving Jane points to the left and says we have the café with the best New York cheesecake right next to our hotel. She tells us to go there and order a plain cheesecake and black and white cookie. She takes us towards Central Park, points out big buildings, various shopping places and professes her hatred of Starbucks.

We hit the edge of Central Park and Jane tells us about John Lennon and Yoko Ono, showing us their apartment—an entire floor. We run out quick, in the rain, to see Strawberry Fields and Imagine.

Jane tells us the history of the city, celebrity happenings and local lore. How Central Park is man-made to look natural, bedrock, landfill and how many homes Tom Hanks may own. Viva la democrat, down with chain stores, etc. etc.

Our next stop out of the bus was St. John the Divine, which is under construction. We see the pretty floor and hear a choir rehearse. Leaving the Cathedral, there’s an inch of water on the steps and fierce winds. Hold on to your umbrellas, folks!

Soon we took a break for lunch at Katz Diner. It’s the place where the famous When Harry Met Sally scene took place. Jane taught us how to be real New Yorkers and order. Step up, know what we want, and tip generously. We ordered a Pastrami sandwich on rye with mustard, knish and chocolate egg cream. The knish was interesting. Jane said you’d either love it or use it for cement. The inside was the consistency of cement all right. Knish is made of potatoes and other spices and someone said sometimes meat. It was kind of sticky and creamy and had an odd sweet aftertaste. The chocolate egg cream had the mouth feel of a root beer float. I’m not sure what it’s made of, Jane mentioned chocolate syrup, seltzer and has never seen an egg.

Just down the street from Katz is the Seinfeld Diner. Leaving after lunch we ran through about 2 inches of rain on the ground.

Next, Jane took us to the financial district, we saw Wall Street and the Bull. In a couple of miles, we began to see effects of 9/11. Blacken buildings and construction to rebuild. We go into St. Paul’s the only building in the area not touched by the imploding buildings. It was a solemn experience seeing what now is the history of this building. It was such an odd juxtaposition of beautiful design with the arches, painting and chandeliers against the exhibits of chain link fence memorials, pots they fed the relief workers with and table of prayers and religious (not all Christian) symbols seeking solace, peace, understanding and hope.

We drove around the block and saw ground zero, then splashed into Winter Garden observatory area. Jane told us about the construction and recovery since that day what buildings needed to be taken down, how hundreds of body parts are being discovered every day as they remove levels of these buildings.

Cycling back we go through Harlem, see Bill Clinton’s office, Columbia University and a general waterlogged New York.

The bus drops us off at the Marquee Theatre in the Marriot Hotel for Drowsy Chaperone. This play is kind of like theatre for beginners, the narrator introduces each character, outlines the plot and points out cliché events of storytelling. The players do the same thing, turning to the audience making declarations of intent, history or feelings. The play was enjoyable, it was fun seeing all the different set changes and stage mechanics of the changes.

On the way back to the hotel, we were somewhat disoriented. We were going in the right direction, but nothing looked familiar, except that it was wet. A gust a wind broke my umbrella and there was no way to avoid the puddles.

We got back, wet from feet to knees, not to mention dripping hair. There was a about an hour before we had to meet Marilyn for supper, so we changed our clothes and I blow-dried my hair. We tied our shoes to the heater so they would blow dry a little and then wrapped our feet in plastic bags so the residual wetness wouldn’t make our socks soggy.

Marilyn took a group of about eight to Ruby Foo’s on Broadway, It was a Chinese place with a beautiful décor. The walls were adorned with gold and red baroques and golden Buda’s all around. Everyone ordered something different and we shared. I also enjoyed a ginger mojito. Very yummy.