NYC adventure

 Drew and I used to have a Christmastime tradition.  We’d pick a Saturday in December to go into Manhattan to see the decorations, the store windows and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.  If you search this blog you’ll find posts from 2011 through 2019 describing our adventures.

And then came the pandemic … 

But to be honest, the last few trips into the city were less than optimal.  It was so crowded near Rockefeller Center that we literally struggled to walk on 5th Avenue.  So we never went back …

Until Sunday.

Drew has a membership with the NY Public Library, meaning he donates money to the library to sponsor some of its programs.  We were invited to a “members only” party at the library’s main building, 5th Avenue and 42nd Street.

So we took the train into the city.  We could have gone to Grand Central, it’s on 42nd Street so we’d have a very short walk to the library. But we chose to take the train to Penn Station(7th and 32nd)  because we wanted to see the windows at Macy’s (34th and 6th, Herald Square).

I was a bit disappointed.  The 34th Street windows featured Legos, the Herald  Square windows featured those two characters you see in the current Macy’s commercials.

(Sunny afternoon, lots of reflections in the glass.)

But it’s interesting to note that Herald Square is now a pedestrian park, no traffic allowed, and there are kiosks housing small stores.  

Eventually we arrived at the library,

And a moment of serendipity.  We got on line to enter the library and found ourselves perfectly positioned to watch the West Point Cadets.

There were many activities inside the library.  Costumed characters in the lobby, music from a jazz band and the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus, puppet shows for the children, a scavenger hunt and trivia contests …

Mother Goose and I bonded over a childhood favorite.

In an old house in Paris

That was covered in vines 

Lived 12 little girls in two straight lines …

If you recognize that book …

We got silly in the Photo Booth 

And I really loved the Grinch.

  

I won a magnet because I’m good at NYC trivia

The library has some amazing collections.  There’s a display case on the second floor with some original Dickens’ manuscripts, and his inkwell.

We spent about two hours at the library.

Next stop was Bryant Park (42nd and 6th…er, Avenue of the Americas), right behind the library.  There’s a Christmas market at the park, lots of kiosks selling everything from candy to socks to jewelry to ….

I bought maple syrup and chocolate candy.  And Drew was interested in the goods at Metal Park.

They’re all made out of scrap metal.

There’s also an ice rink and a Christmas tree.

FYI Santa drives a pedal cab …

We walked up 5th to Rockefeller Center, to the most famous tree in the world.

Now that they close 5th Avenue to vehicles during the Christmas season, you can actually walk on 5th and see the angels …

Next we got on the subway and headed downtown.  I gave $1 to the young men who were break dancing. 

Got off at Canal Street, where Little Italy meets Chinatown.

Our destination?

Wo Hop

This place is the definition of “hole in the wall”.  It’s a tiny basement restaurant with some of the best Chinese food in the city. Pre pandemic they’d stay open 24/7/365.  Now, sadly, they close at night.  There’s always a line waiting to get in.  They don’t accept credit cards but there’s an ATM in the lobby.  We love it.

Then it was back to the subway and back to Penn Station and home.

Fitbit says I walked over 7 miles.  I really felt it Monday morning …

But we’re already talking about going back next year,