TRAVELING THE WORLD 365 days/year. You can visit us on Instagram at whereintheworldaremikeandjan. Do not hit “Reply” to message us – Use Contact Tab, above.
Back in New York, we have had a great time for the past two weeks! But the cold has set in, as we thought it might – November in New York is supposed to be cold, right? But it has gotten into the 40s and 50s over the past several days. Prior to that, it was short sleeves and shorts!
We visited some off-the-beaten-path places as well as the most famous. We attended a total of four Broadway plays and one off-Broadway show. They were all very different and wonderful in their own way. The off-Broadway show was “Tammany Hall,” held in an actual social club used by members of Tammany Hall. The setting was election night, 1929. It was interactive, so we talked with all of the actors throughout and followed them up and down stairs into different settings and rooms. In two of the rooms, you could even buy a drink to sit and chat with them. Mike (the Mike of 1929, that is) expressed his learned opinions on the stock market, that the crash of 1929 was short-term and that happy days would soon be here again; and, also in politics, that New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential ambitions were misplaced and he would never achieve anything further in politics. Only history will determine the quality of Mike’s prognostications. It was lots of fun. We would do it again, now that we are more familiar with interactive theater.
Speaking of little-known places, the first few photos are of the Morgan Library and Museum, one of the most stunning places we have seen, as you can see for yourself. Speaking of well-known places, these are followed by photos of the World Trade Center memorial. We have been to the memorial twice before. Both times it was still under construction, and we had to get tickets beforehand and undergo three security checks. Today, it is all in a park setting, and you just walk through on your own, as in any park.
We went on a glorious food tour with Nice Guy Tours. The food was great, and Dante truly was…a nice guy. The Museum of the American Indian is housed in a beautiful old building with a great rotunda…see for yourself! We ate in a historic tavern, walked our feet off just wandering and admiring the architecture, and we greatly enjoyed Times Square on Halloween night. It was very, very crowded, though, much more than we like, in these still-pandemic times. Overall, another great visit to New York, a gift that keeps on giving – we find new things and places every time we come here.
J. Pierpont Morgan’s library, now a museum. A little-known museum, it is one of the most magnificent rooms we have been in. Another view of the gorgeous Morgan library showing the wall tapestry and skylight.The skylight ceiling!The ceiling of the rotunda just before you enter the library! Lifestyles of the rich and famous, huh?One of the two fountains marking the footprint of the World Trade Center at the Memorial Site.Dramatic, soaring architecture at the World Trade Center site.…and more!The fabulous inside, now a subway/train station and mall.…bringing some color to the area.The area around the fountains has the feel of a beautiful, carefree park.The 9/11 Cross, outside a church across from the World Trade Center.The amazing story of the 9/11 cross.Fun!?!? Does this look like FUN to you?Boink! Rat runs into street sign!The lines have returned for popular restaurants. This was the lunch time line at one of the City’s best delis, Russ and Daughters.Outrageous colors for winter coats! So much variety!The Lady in Red!bu bu. Just bu bu. Cutest name ever!Love this! Oops!Gorgeous NY “Big Apple” chocolate cakes.Check out this glorious building!We visited Economy Candy on a Food Tour. These are just some of the old-fashioned candies we saw.In the Port Authority window, we saw – and loved – this display of two witches’ houses on chicken feet, called Baba Yaga in Slavic folklore. The beautiful ceiling at the Schubert Theater, where we saw Jeff Daniels in To Kill a Mockingbird.We wonder – did he pass the required height and weight minimums for the NYPD??In a store window as we walked around Soho.A little pricey for being idle, don’t you think?This was cool – the cat was climbing down from the top of the building, and moving back and forth every once in a while.The “speakeasy” part of Soho Playhouse, where we interacted with the actors of Tammany Hall.What do you think? Theater? Church? Museum? Think again. It is….a pizza parlor! John’s Pizza in Times Square.Look at all of those video screens! This is Halloween in Times Square.More Halloween. The Phantom mask appeared a few days before Phantom of the Opera’s return to Broadway.No comment! But….there were three of them! They were putting their arms around every man who passed, including Mike.You can see why Times Square is one of the most-desired marketing venues in the world.Can you believe this? It is the main rotunda in the Museum of the American Indian.“My Love, Miss Liberty.” 1987, Cup’ik Tribe, Alaska. This is made from sea lion fur, sea lion gut, sealskin fur, cotton, glass, and wood.These are Cherokee dance masks. The one on the right is a Booger Dance Mask,in fact, worn by the troublemakers!A view down Wall Street toward Trinity Church, seemingly right in the middle of the action!We had a delicious meal at this 1719 tavern – yes, predating our beginning as a country. The Fraunces Tavern hosted George Washington.The inside of Fraunces Tavern is very cozy. We counted four full bars as we wandered around after dinner!A peek of the interior of Walter Kerr Theater, now hosting the spectacular musical, Hadestown.
