A Bite Out of the Big Apple

Some people go to New York City to see shows. Others eat themselves into oblivion. Me? I walk a lot and start a blog.

The friend who is graciously hosting me on a futon in his Upper West Side apartment is an engineering student at CUNY, so I'm on my own for much of the day when he is studying and for much of the night after he goes to bed, given the three hour difference between West Coast time and East Coast time. Rather than talk to myself (and get a sock stuffed in my rather ample trap) finally starting the blog seemed like a good idea. And here we are!

Anyhow...One of the best vacations for me is to visit a place where public transit and walking, not cars, rein supreme. This vacation is a two-fer. Four days in New York City and seven days in Chicago. This is Day 2 of the NYC leg. Yesterday was spent getting my bearings after not having been here in two years. Just walked around taking the place in. Today, after meandering down the West Side past Lincoln Center and a taking a lunch break at Whole Foods, I braved the crowds at Times and Herald Sqaures and walked over to Madison and 36th to the J.P. Morgan Library. It is a very interesting little museum showcasing the personal collections of J Pierpont Morgan. Seems Pierpont fancied renaissance art and amassed rather an impressive collection of it. There's also an extensive collection of manuscripts (seeing one of Henry David Thoreau's diaries that spawned a passage in "Walden" was a highlight) After that, I wandered down through Chelsea to the West Village, had a snack, read the Onion while spying the handsome men, and hopped the subway back to home base. Met my friend for a burger at Jackson Hole (where they have the best dill pickles) and drank at Dive Bar til my drowsy bud and I had enough of the crowd and called it a night.

Speaking of which, it is time for me to do the same. Nighty night.