After the hop-on, hop-off tour Monday, we got back to our hotel (the nearest stop was about a block away: convenient!), changed clothes, and headed back to Times Square for the CSI: the Experience at Discovery. There, we got to figure out who killed the victim in Crime # 3 with conjecture, speculation, and insufficient information.
When we picked up our jackets at the coat check (yes, coat checks really do exist!), we asked for recommendations for area restaurants. The young lady suggested Junior's, the back entrance of which was right across the street.
The food was fine, but the company was better. Again, we sat next to native, born-and-raised Manhattanites. The lady had a young daughter, maybe age 7 or 8, and was meeting her husband, who worked in the area. We talked about what our plans were, which shows we were seeing, which museums we were visiting -- you know, all the things locals ask tourists visiting NYC. She liked our choices and didn't have many suggestions, except for the African American Burial Ground Memorial, which was on our list already (though we didn't have time to visit this trip).
She had ordered an "egg cream" for her daughter, which I'd never heard of, so I asked if that was something "very New York." She said, yes, it's a treat! So Drew ordered one. It was kind of like carbonated chocolate milk ... not a favorite of either of us.
From there, we walked half a block to the Majestic Theatre, where we were going to see The Phantom of the Opera.
Silly us: that line down the block? All in line, waiting to enter the theatre! We were so far away that we couldn't even see the theatre!
The show was fantastic! But the seats were so close together that even my knees were touching the seat in front of me. I don't know how any tall person could manage to get comfortable there.
After the show, we made a donation to some charity that many of the Broadway theatres were supporting, and in return, we got a CD of Christmas carols sung by various actors in various shows. I also got a picture with Raoul, played by Kyle Barisich, and - perhaps even better - a picture with the phantom himself!
The next day, we continued touring the city on the Gray Line hop-on, hop-off tour, but this time, we headed north. We drove (roughly) along Central Park, saw where John Lennon lived and was shot, and eventually hopped off at St. John the Divine, an Episcopalean cathedral.
It was so huge that it was impossible for me to capture the entire church in one picture! We walked into the church, which was beautiful, but "voluntary" donations were being accepted just inside the door, before the main part of the church, so we headed on our way.
Next door, on the cathedral grounds, there was an interesting garden featuring this very interesting scuplture:
From there, we walked north to Columbia University. Like NYU, this was another nice college campus in Manhattan.
We visited the book store, where I was able to pick up a local interest book of some sort. Outside the bookstore, between the campuses of Columbia and Barnard College, was a fantastic farmers' market! I love to purchase local honey when I travel, and I was lucky to find a vendor who kept bees in a nearby town. I was sorely tempted by the veggies, but good sense got the best of me, and I managed to walk away.
From there, we walked to another gigantic place of worship: Riverside Church. It was an amazing sight to see! The church was like a skyscraper, which was quite shocking, but the chapel inside was quite nice and very sedate.
Next up: Grant's Tomb. What a ridiculous, over-sized grave! There's something to be said for subtlety, but it was sorely missing here. See Drew standing next to the column? He's that little black line, just to give you an idea of scale:
We somehow managed to find a tour bus to pick us up again. We headed north to Harlem, past the Apollo Theatre and then south on 5th Avenue. We saw a statue of Duke Ellington, who eventually led the band at the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. (Later, we would see "The Cotton Club Parade," a show at New York City Center based on the Cotton Club!)
We hopped off the bus for the last time at The Frick Collection and walked south through Central Park, which was vibrantly colored with red and golden leaves.
Since there was no where immediately available to eat, and since we were starving, we ate hot dogs from a street vendor. They were quite tasty, I must admit! And then we got a bag of hot, sugary-sweet cashews for dessert. Yumola!
The weather was ominous, so we walked a little more quickly. Our next destination was FAO Schwarz!
Stay tuned for NYC part 3: TOYS!
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