World Travel with Bob: New York City

It has been a while since our last travel adventure, With anticipation of seeing a couple of Broadway musicals and the northeastern fall colors, we recently boarded an American Airlines flight to LaGuardia. Flying from the west coast to New York is pretty much an all day activity. Starting with a 6am flight, we had a layover in Dallas and arrived in New York around 5:30pm.

With an early morning outgoing flight it can be a challenge to get travel motivated. We were up at 2:30am and in the car by 3:30am to ensure plenty of time for parking and check-in. Luckily traffic in our area was light in the early morning and we moved along the drive with little delay. As "million-miler" fliers we were able to make use of the priority check-in line and "TSA-Pre" moved us quickly through baggage security. The only glitch was a short delay as one of our carry-on bags was selected for a more detailed look by a TSA inspector.

Our New York plans included seeing Hamilton, the musical, and watching a preview showing of the Great Comet with Josh Grobin. Our first day of sightseeing was altered as we didn't realize the popularity of visiting Alexander Hamilton's New York "Grange" residence. This historic house and national monument was restored and is managed by the National Park Service. Alexander Hamilton's life has garnered quite a bit of recent attention, likely from the book, "Alexander Hamilton," written by Ron Chernow and the Tony award winning Hamilton musical. The morning house tours were already filled by the time we arrived at the house. Rather than wait for an afternoon tour, we opted to move on.

Rearranging our first day outing, we returned to the subway to ride downtown to Chelsea Market and the High Line. After listening to a "Fresh Air" podcast describing the wonderful hummus from Michael Salomonov's Dizengoff counter, we made this a focus point for a mid-morning snack. We were rewarded with the creamiest hummus we've ever tasted. The hummus was served with grilled mushrooms, a side cucumber salad, pickle and freshly baked pita bread. We had no doubt about the attention to fresh ingredients and watched a baker prepare about 100 puffed pita shells from our counter seat. I understand the hummus is made fresh each morning and is kept at room temperature for best flavors.

There are many shops in Chelsea Market to draw your attention. We purchased some flavorful mixed cooking spices at Spices and Tease and stainless steel fish pliers at Bowery Cooking. These pliers are terrific for removing bones from fish fillets prior to cooking. Unlike steel pliers, stainless steel use avoids rust problems and can be placed in the dishwasher. Finished with our snacks and shopping, we exited the market area and walked along the High Line. The High Line is a 1.45 mile public park built on an elevated section of a former New York Central Railroad spurr. The surrounding area used to serve as a meatpacking district.

Our evening outing to see Hamilton was a great way to end our day. The creativity required to tell Hamilton's story through song and dance had to be a challenge but one that was met with smashing success. As I'm part way through the Chernov book, I found the musical storyline to closely follow the historical biography. It is amazing how much of our current government structure and treasury functions are based on Hamilton's ideas. Moreover, these concepts have proven to be enduring legacies.

The next morning, we focused on leaving the hotel right after breakfast so that we could arrive early enough for the 10am guided tour of the Hamilton Grange house. From Times Square, the trip took about 25 minutes via a limited stop subway ride and short rainy walk. The steps leading to the front of the house were being repaired, but it didn't matter as entry to the house tour is through the ground floor. If I recall correctly, the Grange served as home to Alexander, Eliza and seven of their eight children. The house was considered to have a country location at that time, away from the bustling downtown area.

One Hamilton history related site we didn't have time to include during our New York visit, was a tour of the Museum of American Finance, at 48 Wall Street. In addition to exhibits on Alexander Hamilton, the museum includes information on financial markets and banking in the US.

This is a replica of John Trumbull's 1792 painting of Hamilton
© 2016, R. Ono

Federal Style Cylinder Desk in the Office/Study
© 2016, R. Ono

The piano-forte in the parlor is original and was a gift from
Angelica Church to Angelica Hamilton, her neice
© 2016, R. Ono

With our early morning start, we had time to squeeze in a couple of additional day tours. Jumping back on the subway, we got off at the World Trade Center stop. I had recently read an article about the soaring architectural lines of the newly opened Oculus transportaion hub. Built at a cost of about $4 Billion, I wanted to see the contemporary interior structure with its smooth curves and rounded corners, interior walls and posts. Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava designed this building so that the exterior appears to be a soaring dove.

We were a little surprised that there were few casual dining areas in the Westfield mall area and those that we found had few tables for sitting. For lunch, we stopped at a Pret Manger counter for sandwiches, salad and chips. This cafe had three small tables.

Despite the continuing rain, we left the Oculus and walked under umbrellas to Trinity Church, at the intersection of Trinity Place and Rector Street. At this Church, you can view the burial site of Alexander Hamilton and his family. If you visit this cemetery, be aware that there are cemetery areas on BOTH sides of the Trinity Church. You may need to explore each area to find the Hamilton family plots. As a hint, the side which has a wire fence around the burial headstones is the wrong one.

Our next subway stop was a half block away from Trinity Church. We easily boarded a subway train to return to our hotel. The constant rain made walking a somewhat wet exercise, so we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon in our hotel room until our evening tickets for "The Great Comet." This musical is loosely based on Tolstoy's War and Peace and stars Josh Groban in a leading role as Pierre, a wealthy aristocrat. The staging of this show was unique for us. The stage setting was similar to a night club on the main floor, with audience members interspersed at several tables. The cast performed on the main floor stage as well as from the aisles and mezzanine. At times, audience members shared in the fun by receiving piroshki boxes and handheld shakers to move along with the music and singing. Overall, a fun evening for us.

If you're looking for a convenient hotel location in the Times Square area, we typically book a suite at the Doubletree Suites Times Square. While not necessarily the least expensive lodging alternative, most Broadway theaters are within easy walking distance from this hotel. We also try to stop by at Amarone Ristorante for at least one dinner. While service can sometimes vary at this Italian restaurant, the food is always delicious. For a quick salad and pizza in the Times Square area, Carve Unique Sandwiches is another favorite food stop for us.

World Travel with Bob

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Saturday, October 22, 2016

New York City - 2016

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