Arrived Saturday rtned Wed. Flew UA, wife and I upgraded (with certs) both ways. Flight on time both ways!!!! Stayed at Grand Hyatt (refer Hyatt). Wife goes a few times a year.

Thanks to a FT member ( thanks boomer) I was prepared with information for a one day walking tour. I ended up shortening it a bit, making it two days and adding some stops, plus double backing ("lost" ) often.

Sunday: Visited the zoo in Central Park. Cost was +-$3 and included the childerns zoo too (we skipped that). Had an ok hamberger at the zoo eatery (profits go to help support the zoo operations). Worthwhile 2+hours if you are interested in such things. Nice selections of Tamerins, 3 polar bears and an employee with lots of data, lots of very active penguins, and two artic coyotes were of most interest to us. Numerous other animals in a small but well layed out facility.

Walked back 5th avenue. Visited St Patricks Catheral during services. Lots of people just "sightseeing" inside in addition to those attending services. Also went thru AO Swartz, the toy store....wow!!!

That late afternoon visited the street fair. Then went to the meet some distant couins for the frist time. Met at there place in Manhattan of 36th. Then walked back to Grand Central for dinner. We dined at Michael Jordan's. Quite pricy. Ala carte $30 and up. Food and service were excellent. Atmosphere is to taste.

Monday: on my own for the day. Walked from the Hyatt out onto the street to see the Chrysler building. Walked a little but was unable to find it (infact, when I gave up I was standing right in front of it!!!)...did I say this was my first trip to Manhattan! I crossed back and went thru the Central Market. Then preceed thru Grand Central and into the Met Life Building (asked a guard where the Met Life Building was and found I was in it!!). Received directions for my next stop across the street at the Helmsley building. Back out onto the street where I could now see the Chrysler. Around the block to get a closer look (again). Then it was off to the Empire state building where I walked thru and viewed the murals but did not go to the top(after a bathroom stop at the Hyatt). Then I wonder down the street to Madison Square Garden. I was surprised at it massiveness. I had skipped the Library and going thru Macys (too nice a day outside). I then headed off to times square and to find the deli you suggested, Ben Ash (it is at 55th and 7th Ave., restrooms available, but dicy). What a sandwitch! I am told others are similar, but I was certainly not disappointed. Some might think the $11 price for a sandwitch a bit pricy, but then it was plenty for two people. I spend considerable time eating the pastrami with my fork to get it down enough to reorganize on the bread to allow biting it!! A bowl of pickles and slaw are also included. It probably would have been easier to eat if I had not stopped at Ben and Jerrys for a rest and a single scoop ice cream (2.35). Without any special order remembered I also went into the St Regis Hotel, Pennslyvaia (they will not let you use the restrooms), Rosevelt Hotel (they will), Trump tower, Plaza Hotel and a couple of other hotels. I missed going to the American Crafts Museum, but I was told it was closed. I also did not proceed up beyond Central Park into the nice residential areas and museum row. I did walk thru Radio City and rockefeller center. I was awed by all the theatres. I know there are Broadway shows and off Broadway shows...but I saw an on Broadway show. A man standing in the middle of Broadway in his jockey underware, a hat and a guitar. On his butt was painted the "nude cowboy". People were paying him to have their picture taken. Police were on all corners, but this is not offensive enough.

It seemed that I was the only one who knew what 2 four letter words ment... dont walk...and did not constantly use two others f... and s... I was quite surprised at the number of people in Manhattan that smoke. They were everywhere. Cell phone use is also quite prevelent. Most walkers were also talking, eating, weaving thru traffic and using had signals with the drivers. Most drivers were also talking, on the phone, sending out hand signals and making dangerous turns at walkers. All in all, they seemed to be a very in your face type people.

Spoke with a lot of police about directions, all were very helpful and polite. While police were everywhere the only crime I saw enforced was illegal parking. It seems very popular to park illegally and the enforcement brings lots of people out of buildings to beat the "boot".

Had dinner at Sparks (210 E 46th) with a group my wife was working with. The place is imfamous for some murder. It is also extremely noisy. Great steaks, about on par with Michael Jordans, but a bit cheaper and nicer. Walked there and back from the Hyatt (now in a suit, tie and dress shoes).

Tueday: Planned to go to ellis island, but my feet just could not take anymore (I have a foot problem that I have suffered with since January...no treatment, lots of doctors). Even with an available free ride there, I just could not feature the walking around.

I am sure another time will come when the airfare is $2300 if you go Sunday and $400 if you go Saturday and I will "go along" again, as I do want to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I also owe my cousins a dinner.

Hope some of this will be helpful to others.

Translation of the "DONT WALK" ped signs:

Flashing -- keep walking (if it's a wide street, walk a little faster)

Solid but just recently stopped flashing -- walk faster (if it's a wide street, walk really fast)

Been solid for a while -- walk if there is no traffic coming (not advisable on a wide street)


Tourists are easy to identify: they're standing at the corner staring at the sign that says "DONT WALK", while the nearest motor vehicle is three blocks away.

JS- True enough, but many out of towners do not even know that a "Yellow" light means "hurry up" 'cause it's gonna' be red soon!

Sorry I missed the trip, ranles! Glad you enjoyed it BTW, we may have actually inadvertantly crossed paths during your stay- particularly if you were in Central Park Saturday!

Hey, I'm a tourist when in NY, but I circumnavigate just like the locals. Or even when I'm at home in li'l ol' PDX.

JS,

An accurate translation indeed, however, the problem of having lived here in the city for a few years is that now when I go back to Tokyo where I am originally from, I forget all the Japanese traslation of the changing colors of the traffic lights. I simply start
crossing the wide streets even when its yellow and red provided that there is not much traffic and I seem to be viewed by the fellow Japanese as a suicidal touritst.

Yes, street lights are merely a suggestion in Manhattan...

But what an energy level that place has. I love it.

Ellis Island is touristy, but worth the time and effort. My grandparents arrived in America through there.

While you are are the south end of Manhattan (downtown), a visit to the top of the World Trade Center is a real experience and heckuva view of the city. How many times can you remember seeing helicopters flying below you when you in a bldg?

NY city is also a 'nicer' place to visit now than it was 5 or so years ago.

Nice report, Ranles!

When my cousin and I visited the park in '94, we thought the Polar Bear was acting strange: swimming a repetitive triangle in its pool, always pushing off exactly the same way, etc.

Fast forward a month or two, and I'm home in SFO reading an NYTimes article in which the Central Park zoologists have decided the Polar Bear was "neurotic" because it had nothing to do. It was even fed every day at the same time, in the same place. Duh! Seems they started varying the feeding times & locations - made the bear "hunt" for its food - and it started acting like a "normal" bear again, more or less!

Yeah, I've got a nice pic from the top of the WTC tower with a Continental communter plane flying on the same level (I think it went into EWR). Great feeling!

This was a terrific report of your trip to New York. I am a New York native, but have lived in California for 30 years. My son is going to NY for the first time the week between Christmas and New Year's (he's 20 yrs old and crazy!)and I have been trying to put together a list of things for him to do...your report really helped. Funny- I told him not to bother looking at the traffic lights- just walk when everyone else walks across the street...and try not to be on the outside, closest to the cars! Thanks again!