Tag: New York
Columbus Circle, Central Park, and Park Plaza
Two words: Selfie Stick. I tried to keep a count of how many I saw, but after the World Trade Center and Columbus Circle… well… I’m not smart enough to count that high.
You know I am an artist because I took a picture of a lamp post in Central Park.
World Trade Center
It took two tries, but we made it to the observatory on the 100th floor of the new World Trade Center tower. It was difficult. Not scary, just very emotional. There were a couple of moments when I was very close to breaking down. Wimp? Yes. Do I care? No.
See the plane?
I think this was the view that affected me the most. I remember seeing a lot of these buildings damaged by debris and I couldn’t help but think that this was the last view many of the jumpers had. It was a very intense feeling.
One World Trade Center
Standing at the base of the new World Trade Center building. It’s not as cool a shot as my old Hancock Tower shot, but it’s… well, it’s taller.
Washington Square Park
If we were to move to New York, I would insist that we live near Washington Square Park. Only partly for the guitar playing busking opportunities. At one point there were four guitarists and a sax player. It was like my whole life jamming out in the park.
Someday I’ll walk down Waverley Place and I will see some wizards. Disney would never lie to us, would they?
Stupid dumpster muckin’ up my shot.
No wizards there.
Look what’s right down the street.
Top of the Rock
One of our stops in New York was the top of Rockefeller Center. As observatories go it’s one of my favorites. Mostly because there’s barely any wait to get up to the top.
Two of the two of the three tallest buildings in the city in one shot. (The third building is in the other direction. Be patient)
Screw you, Metlife building! You’re blocking our view of the Chrysler!
The Statue of Liberty is small and far away.
Central Park is not small.
There’s the other of the tallest buildings in the city.
Is this building done? Is it going to get taller?
On New Years Eve everyone will be focusing on this thing.
Stupid Metlife building.
Memorial
Times Square
We spent a lot of time in Times Square this week. Unlike the old days in the 80’s and 90’s, we never once were solicited by hookers. Times have changed.
This was extra cool.
Subway
We spent a lot of time on the subway over the last week.
9/11 Memorial
We tried to go up to the observatory in the new World Trade Center tower today. We didn’t. We’ll try again tomorrow. Unrelated to why we didn’t go up, my wife and I both had some difficulty while waiting in line for tickets. Somehow we each, when faced with the possibility of going to the top of the building that replaced the two that were attacked on 9/11, both got major cases of paranoia and cold feet. It was tough. It will be tough when we try again tomorrow too.
The kids didn’t understand, and they were getting upset with our flip flopping on going up vs not going up. I told them that for people who remember 9/11/01, going to the top of that building is just hard to do. For people who don’t remember the events of that day, it won’t really make sense. In the end we couldn’t get a ticket anyway so it didn’t matter (as mentioned, we’ll try again tomorrow) but in an attempt to make them understand, we walked over to the memorial.
I didn’t know any of the 9/11 victims, or any of their family. The one person I know who was caught up in the events made it out okay (physically at least). The only connection to a victim that I have is through work. One of the airline passengers worked for the company I work for now. It was three years before I was hired, but people still talk about her and the company posts a remembrance on our internal homepage every year. When I was first hired in July of 2004 I had my orientation in a training room in Canton that was named for her.
When I walked over to the memorial with the kids I tried to explain that the fountains are the size and shape of the buildings and they are located where the buildings actually stood. I said that was important, but the real important part was the names. I told them to look at the names and then try to understand that each fountain is completely surrounded by names. There are thousands of them. I was hoping that would sink in a little and maybe they’d get an idea of why their mother and I are so affected by everything.
As I looked down at the names that were right in front of us couldn’t believe it. That random spot on the corner of the North Tower fountain just happened to have the name of the woman who worked for my company. When I put my hand down on the list of names to try and emphasize the scale of the tragedy, it was her name I touched
My orientation was held in the Flyzik room.
Inside the Red Head's Head 