{"id":12853,"date":"2022-05-05T15:07:36","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T15:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=12853"},"modified":"2022-05-25T19:11:08","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T19:11:08","slug":"back-to-new-york-city-finally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=12853","title":{"rendered":"Back to New York City – finally!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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 Carnegie Hall<\/a>, where my brother and his wife will perform this June – with<\/strong> some other people…<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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May 5, 2022 – A month from now I’ll visit Carnegie Hall<\/a>, in New York City. That led me to wonder how long it’s been since I last visited The Big Apple<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. As it turns out, that was 2016, during a family visit headquartered on Staten Island<\/a>. Which means it’s been six years since that last visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn’t realize it had been that long, but it’s been a busy six years. One thing that happened was the COVID pandemic<\/a>, which screwed up family plans to visit back in June 2020. My brother, sister-in-law and other singers from our church* were scheduled to perform at Carnegie, but it got cancelled. (Then rescheduled for this June, 2022, which is where the “finally” comes in.)<\/em> And speaking of busy, those past six years included – aside from COVID – three hikes on the Camino de Santiago – in 2017, 2019 and 2021* – and a three-week pilgrimage to Jerusalem in May 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ll write more on the upcoming NYC trip in the future, but meanwhile it’s time to remember that last<\/strong><\/em> 2016 visit. As noted, my family stayed on Staten Island, which meant each day – starting on September 17 – we took the Staten Island Ferry<\/a> over to Manhattan. And as you recall, that September was just before the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election<\/a>. Which election brought out a slew<\/em><\/strong> of grouchy old white people. (From where most had been hiding under a rock, or so it seemed.) <\/em>That seemed especially true in Georgia, where I’ve lived since 2011. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which made the trip to New York City in 2016 so <\/em><\/strong>refreshing – so “get away from it all” – that I did two posts about it: “No city for Grouchy Old White People<\/a>,” and “No city for Grouchy Old White People\u201d \u2013 Part II<\/a>. For example, here’s what I wrote on Facebook on September 22, safely back on Staten Island: \u201cNew York City is a refreshing reminder that there\u2019s more to this country than just the right-wing wackos so prevalent back home.” That Facebook entry also included this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ever since last Saturday, September 17, we\u2019ve been taking the Staten Island ferry into and back from Manhattan Island. So that\u2019s eight times \u2013 twice a day for four days now \u2013 that we\u2019ve seen the Statute of Liberty, off in the distance\u2026  And I don\u2019t remember ONCE seeing a sign that said, \u201cthe heck with your tired, your poor,\u201d those \u201cwretched refuse \u2026 yearning to breathe free.\u201d  WE\u2019RE GONNA BUILD A FRIKKIN WALL!<\/strong>\u201c<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

(I also noted on Facebook that night that it had been a long day, but fun. “And I\u2019ve had my usual one beer at the South Manhattan Terminal,* then another one on the Ferry itself, and I\u2019m now finishing my third of the night, a \u2018Corona Extra.\u2019\u201d<\/em>) Ah, the memories…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just for some excitement – I noted a Saturday ride on a double-decker tour bus, our first night in the city. The bus was delayed, but eventually made its way down Sixth Avenue<\/a> toward downtown Manhattan, then over to Brooklyn. As we approached the Chelsea<\/a> district, we heard a lot of sirens. Then we passed some streets blocked off, “and all kinds of murmuring crowds.” As we rode down Avenue of the Americas<\/a> closer to Chelsea<\/a>, we heard a whole<\/em><\/strong> lot of sirens. (Even more sirens and louder than usual in the City.)<\/em> Texting a friend back home about all this, she texted back, \u201cExplosion reported in New York..  be safe.\u201d Which made me the first on the bus to find out about \u201cNew York City explosion rocks Chelsea neighborhood<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thing is, when the bombing happened \u2013 apparently \u2013 we were still back in that long line to get on the tour bus. And at the time we were kind of disgruntled about the long delay. But as it turned out, the delay meant that we DIDN\u2019T<\/em><\/strong> drive by right as the explosion happened.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Which I figured was some kind of object lesson<\/a>\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ll do another post later on \u201cGrouchy Old White People\u201d \u2013 Part II<\/a>, mostly because it’s so full of juicy memories. There’s lots of stuff on the Statue of Liberty, and some knucklehead saying the inscription is “just a poem,” with a citation about the Old Testament also be “just a bunch of poetry.” (Idiot.)<\/em> And the American dream, and a visit to the One World Trade Center<\/a>. And getting three \u201cStellas<\/a>\u201d at the Whitehall (Manhattan)<\/em> Terminal, for the ride back to Staten Island. (One for me, one for my brother and one for my nephew.)<\/em> And a hike on NYC’s \u201cHigh Line<\/a>,\u201d followed by lunch at Artichoke Basille\u2019s Pizza<\/a>, in Chelsea<\/a>.  (The same neighborhood where the bomb(s) went off Saturday night.)<\/em> A visit to the Museum of Natural History<\/a> \u2013 uptown \u2013 and later lucking into some $30 tickets to see \u201cThe Fantasticks<\/a>\u201d at the Jerry Orbach Theater<\/a>, at 210 West 50th Street.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, in February 2020 I posted Looking back on \u201cthe summer of \u201916<\/a>.” It talked about my learning to unfollow on Facebook<\/a>, mostly because way too many of my high-school classmates had turned into grumpy old Trump-humpers.* It also talked about how – once the family vacation was over – I kayaked across the Verrazano Narrows<\/a>, from Staten Island to Brooklyn and back, before leaving for home. (Via the Cape May Ferry<\/a> and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge\u2013Tunnel<\/a>.) And noting that I was lucky I kayaked across \u201cthe Narrows\u201d at neap tide<\/a>, so I wasn\u2019t either “swept by the currents into New York Harbor, or swept out to sea past Sandy Hook Bay<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gee, I wonder what adventures await this upcoming June…<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"brooklynsideVN\"
My view of the Brooklyn side of the \u201cNarrows\u201d<\/em> – from an 8-foot kayak…<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The upper image is courtesy of Carnegie Hall Image – Image Results<\/a>. It goes with an article, How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall? No, Seriously. | NCPR News<\/a><\/em>, with lots of background information.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re: “Brother, sister-in-law and others from our church.” They will be performing in one of several groups also performing “that night.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re: Three hikes on the Camino. Check the search engine above right for more details.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Re:  The \u201cSouth Manhattan Terminal.\u201d As Wikipedia noted, the formal name is \u201cWhitehall:\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ferry departs Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal<\/a> at South Ferry<\/a>, at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near Battery Park<\/a>. On Staten Island, the ferry arrives and departs from the St. George Ferry Terminal<\/a> on Richmond Terrace, near Richmond County\u2019s Borough Hall and Supreme Court.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Re: “Grumpy old Trump-humpers.” I had toyed with the idea of going back to our 50th class reunion, after joining the reunion site on Facebook, but way too many negative political comments followed.<\/em> As to the term Trump-humper, see “I used to be quiet and shy, all moderate and nicey-nicey<\/a>,” from February 2021, and an earlier post, On \u201cwhy it might be better\u2026\u201d (Gasp!)<\/a>. About why it might have been better if Trump had gotten re-elected. (Thus the “Gasp!”)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A note: I also reviewed the NYC visit in a December 2020 post, Now that the Trump Era is almost over<\/a>. (For a while anyway.)<\/em> And I took the photo of the \u201cBrooklyn side\u201d of the Verrazon bridge.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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*   *   *   * May 5, 2022 – A month from now I’ll visit Carnegie Hall, in New York City. That led me to wonder how long it’s been since I last visited The Big Apple. As it turns out, that was 2016, during a family visit headquartered on Staten Island. Which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12853"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12853"}],"version-history":[{"count":78,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13065,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12853\/revisions\/13065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}