NYC in March

Upon my arrival, Central Park looked so pretty, lightly covered in a layer of snow. Three days later, the snow was almost gone but the sky was blue and the warmer temperature felt like spring. Either way, you can’t beat a walk through the park. 

My dear friend is spending six weeks in NY while her brilliant husband undergoes cancer treatment at the renowned Sloan Kettering Center. There are no words for the horrors they face daily. But, as my wise friend would say, “We’re making lemonade.” When she accepted my offer to come up for the weekend, I eagerly made a reservation. After a short flight,  I hopped on the NJ Transit train from Newark to Penn Station. And, from Penn Station I took a cab to Central Park. Voila! I was in NYC for a weekend of friendship, love, and diversion … good things in the midst of bad.

I stayed at the Park Lane Hotel on Central Park South at 5th Avenue and 59th Street, practically beside the Plaza Hotel and diagonal to the Sherry-Netherland and Pierre. The rates are more than affordable for this prime location and lovely hotel.

Saturday afternoon we walked to the theater district to see “Ain’t Too Bad,” the new show about the Temptations.

It will be interesting to see what the critics think when it premiers in a couple weeks. I’m no critic, but I really enjoyed it. 

It’s like hanging with an old friend; 2.5 hours of Motown music with a bit of dialogue about the band and its members.

Every evening we had delicious dinners, all within easy walking distance. It’s hard to choose a favorite but Montebello on 56th Street was perfection.

The picture above is Columbus Circle at 8th Avenue, a couple blocks from my hotel. It’s full of great places including the Museum of Arts & Design with a lovely restaurant (Robert) on the 5th floor and the Time Warner Center with some upscale shops and a jazz club. This picture is a small corner of Robert where I enjoyed Sunday brunch with live music. The design of the room is delightful and the view of the park is even better. The menu, food, and service were characteristically excellent as I expect in NYC. 

Below is a picture of Dizzy’s, the jazz club on the 5th floor of the Time Warner Center. The Renee Rosnes Quartet was playing when I stopped by. You’ve got to love a female pianist on a Steinway. So smooth …

Walking the streets and stopping at interesting places is one of my favorite things to do. Galleries Bartoux had a lot of art that I would love to have at B-Flat (my home).

There were no price tags and I didn’t ask. Surely, the cliche applies, “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it”.

Before flying out on Monday, I went to the Whitney Museum of American Art. My ticket for the Warhol Exhibition was for 10:30 AM so I took the subway downtown about 9:00, joining the last of the rush hour travelers. When it’s a clear day, the view from the top floor cafe/patio of the Whitney is gorgeous. It’s a tiny spec in this picture but looking out on the Hudson, you can see the Statue of Liberty.

The Warhol Exhibition lived up to my high expectations.

The Faces of Jackie Kennedy below is particularly moving. Warhol searched thousands of pictures to use in this screen print. The top picture was taken that fateful morning when the President and First Lady arrived in Dallas . The next photo was taken later the same day at Johnson’s swearing-in ceremony and the last was taken three days later at President Kennedy’s funeral.  

Time was getting tight and I needed to get to the airport so I took the subway ($3) and train ($13) both of which avoid the congested streets and makes more sense than a cab or Uber ($90+). Plus, the subway has the extra benefit of providing random entertainment.

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” Helen Keller

“The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.”  John Updike

“We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.”            John F. Kennedy

“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse