Saturday night I popped out to a neighborhood cafe on the same street as the hotel. Ordered their $10.95 meatloaf special which came with choice of two sides, though they only had rice, mac and cheese or potatoes. Doubt I’d go back there for a meal but it did save me from hiking somewhere in the snow. They were doing very good business. Most customers were having $10 sandwiches, but I wanted something more dinner-like.
SUNDAY
Snow totals are in for Saturday. Central Park had 25 inches and JFK 30 inches. Bus service resumed this afternoon (Sunday). This morning the Long Island Railroad was still shut down. Subways are mostly running.
Was out at 9:30 this morning and walked towards Battery Park. 20F as I went out the door. Along the way I had to stop for a bagel with cream cheese and some orange juice to get me started.
Biggest challenge today was crossing intersections. Some had snow walls built up that you had to climb through or over, while others had a slushy mix of ice and water and you didn’t want to walk through that if it was too deep. Several times I walked a half block or a block in order to cross the street without getting my feet soaking wet.
It was beautiful in Battery Park. This is where the ferries depart for the Statue of Liberty, though not a ferry in sight today. Some foot paths had been plowed while others were just worn in by foot traffic through the snow and had enough space for one person to get by.
Walked down towards the Brooklyn Bridge and took some photos. Didn’t appear to be anyone walking across it, so didn’t walk all the way down and try to cross it.
Back to South Ferry and caught the #1 train to Columbus Circle. Visited the Time Warner Building where CNN is housed - you’ve probably seen some of their reports the last few days from street level right in front of that building. Good views from the upper levels of Columbus Circle. 30F on a big video sign atop an adjoining building. There is a grocery store in the basement that I briefly walked through.
Walked into Central Park to see lots of kids enjoying the snow with everything from plastic saucers to toboggans to inner tubes. One person with skis was coming out as I walked in. Also a lot of dogs, including an English bulldog that was really enjoying the snow, running around in it and knocking down the snow at the side of trails. Some of the dogs had paw protectors on so their paws would not be exposed to the cold snow/ice or the salt on the roads/sidewalks.
The ice rink was not operating and there were employees with shovels trying to clear a path into it and to clear the area where you put your skates on.
Started walking down Fifth Avenue but gave up on that after two blocks. Just too much of a slushy mix in the intersections and you really needed snow boots to not get soaked. Walked over to Sixth Avenue instead which didn’t have that problem due to less foot traffic. Stopped for a roast beef sandwich at a Pot Belly Deli.
Down Sixth Avenue to Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center. Along the way I passed buildings with snow and ice melting and dropping on the street below. Quite the hazard if an icicle falls on you from 50 floors up. Caution tape was up keeping pedestrians a distance form those areas.
From there I worked my way over to Seventh Avenue and 49th Street where I got the R train back to my hotel. Once there hit a Dunkin Donuts for some hot chocolate.
Heading back out around 7pm but thought I’d get this out right now. Not expecting to take many photos tonight.
Photos for this section start here:
https://tom911.smugmug.com/Travel-US...-sno/i-DG9Pnkz