Sunday, June 4: Midtown Manhattan with Plenty of Green Space

This was another glorious day, but this time with lots of outdoor time, which we both love. We ended up walking almost 15 miles today, which is a lot for us, but it did not feel hard–partly because so much happened in the green spaces of New York City. We started, after breakfast at home and the usual ride on the PATH underneath the Hudson, at the Christopher St. exit and High Line Park, which begins a couple of blocks from there. This is a GORGEOUS “up above” walking trail, the first part of which opened in 2009, where an elevated freight train line used to run, for about 1.5 miles from about 14th to 34th St. It weaves along through high-rises of all architectural stripes (and curves) on the Hudson harbor side, the water in view just 1-2 blocks away. Lots of pollinator plants everywhere, and also some gigantic magnolia blooms. I just could not get enough of the sights and the sensation of walking “up above” and looking down the streets of the Chelsea neighborhood but in a green space, AND early enough in the day so that it was pretty quiet.

We exited near “The Vessel” (which has stairs but is currently closed because of several suicides, which is so, so sad), and “The Shed,” a performance venue with an enormous roof that is retractable on wheels to make the space larger and smaller. We passed up on going up to “The Edge,” yet another enormous skyscraper, with a platform to look out on New York and another opportunity to spend lots of money on getting a unique view (there is a constant stream of helicopters above Manhattan, most of which are tourist trips).

The High Line
Antje on the High Line (“The Edge” in the distance)
Looking down a street from the High Line (so many streets)
Fun residential architecture
Giant magnolia bloom along the High Line (yes, that is really as big as my head)
The Vessel (closed)

After this lovely stroll, we went back to the waterfront–initially a bit unexciting, with piers but also some industrial areas and a long stretch along the spot where an enormous cruise ship was docking, as well as the aircraft carrier “Intrepid.” But then there is a nice stretch of Riverside Park for looking up the Hudson, with some fascinating ruins: of the 69th St. Transfer Bridge (transferring goods from rail to boats in the early 20th century) and the Miller Highway, an ill-fated elevated road along the Hudson begun in the 1930, which never quite worked out. In this particular spot, an abandoned exit ramp is still standing and reminds you of the many layers of urban planning in NYC that are typically obliterated by the “now.” Thankfully, New York City park people have realized that people walking through the park find such remnants fascinating rather than off-putting. There was a cafe looking out on the water that was neither too over-run nor too horrifically expensive, and we had some brunch food there. As we left, we also came across a (new-ish) sculpture of Eleanor Roosevelt in a corner of the park–might as well continue to record the attempt to commemorate more women in public sculpture, of which we are seeing so many examples both here and in Boston.

The former 69th St. Transport Bridge at Riverside Park
Kids’ baseball under the remnants of the Miller Highway
A very recognizable Eleanor Roosevelt contemplating the world.

We then walked from Riverside Park to Central Park–right by the Dakota, where John Lennon lived in 1980, when he was assassinated (right inside the gate to the building). The nearest area of Central Park is now called Strawberry fields, and there is an “Imagine” mosaic and some beautiful scenery–Yoko Ono apparently made the restoration of this part of the park possible. I am one of those people who remembers the morning in December when the news about his death was on the radio with extraordinary clarity–I was 14 and a nerdy outlier among teens as a hardcore Beatles fan. So it was chilling and moving to see this site.

We rambled around the South End of the Park for quite a while, along the Mall with its many sculptures (where we found three Women’s Rights Pioneers, again newly installed: Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Sojourner Truth), Bethesda Fountain (lots of tourists), and the Sheep Meadow (lots of locals on blankets).

The Dakota across from Central Park. This is where John Lennon lived in 1980.
I believe he was shot right inside the archway seen here on the left.
Exploring Central Park. I am standing on the Manhattan rock formation that makes sure all this brick, stone, concrete, and steel doesn’t sink into oblivion.
More women being honored in public — on the Central Park Mall
Rocks & trees & high rises — fun times in the world’s most-visited park

When we left, we had to keep skirting a long parade along Fifth Avenue (celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of Israel; so there was a lot of police presence, but apparently no violent incidents). We dodged into side streets whenever we came up to road closures, making our way to Rockefeller Center, where the plaza was festooned with many pride flags. Great to see, and I do love art deco skyscrapers. The Rockefeller Center did not disappoint, but the highlight of wandering through the urban canyons after Central Park was the New York Public Library main building–not because it was yet another imposing neoclassical monster (“I am a castle of learning” vs. Boston’s “I am a palace of learning”) or because of the lions, but because of the amazing display in the “treasures” exhibit. Yes, there are things that probably would wow everyone–a Gutenberg bible, a handwritten copy of the declaration of independence and of Washington’s farewell address. But what blew me away were the presence of artifacts having to do with Black cultural history, queer history, and of the kind of history of musical theater that my kids would love. The fact that there were not one, but TWO sculptures by Black women sculptors (Augusta Savage and Elizabeth Catlett) was completely unexpected and so moving. Also, I had forgotten that Dickens’s writing desk was owned by the library–and was unexpectedly moved by its display, partly because they set the calendar on the desk to his death date in 1870, June 9–just a few days from now. And then there are also Winnie the Pooh and friends–including the especially adorable Tigger.

Rockefeller Center (main building)
The New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Catching a library lion by its tail
More bombastic library interiors
Adoring Elizabeth Catlett’s Political Prisoner (1971) in the Library Treasures exhibit
The maquette (small bronze model) of Augusta’s Savage’s The Harp (aka Lift Every Voice and Sing, named for James Weldon Johnson’s Black National Anthem), created for the 1939 World’s Fair.
The full-size plaster sculpture was destroyed after the fair.
Dickens’s writing desk and chair, as seen here
Tigger, from Christopher Robin Milne’s stuffed animal “family”

The NYPL was a hard act to follow, but we did still check out Grand Central Station and peeked at the Chrysler building from there–I agree with my friend Jay: it is NYC’s most beautiful skyscraper! As art deco fans we might be biased, but still, it stands out even in today’s skyline with its beautifully terraced half-wheels. But by the time we found ourselves in Grand Central food court (“Dining Hall”) with coffee and a croissant, we were ready to go home. So we walked back to the PATH station (another bit of a hike from where we were) and went home to fabulous Chinese leftovers and another gelato sampling afterwards. It was a full day, but again fabulous, and with much more sun than forecast!

Grand Central Station, with Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building in its full slender glory
Interior of Grand Central Station, photographed from the end that is now an Apple Store. Sigh.