22.05 - Day 128 - New York
Wednesday 22nd May - New York (Day 128)
Our Even Hotel had unexpectedly given us two vouchers when we arrived, $15 credit for dry cleaning - enough for about 3 socks - which goes unused and another for half a dozen rides on the Citi Bikes. On my last visit to NYC (solo - thanks Kate - Kate added in this thanks) I’d used them exclusively to get around and explore, never using the subway.
Happy to be prompted to use them again, I head out of the room at 6am and cycle the four miles to the South of Manhattan along the Hudson River Parkway, an easy flat cycle path by the water. It’s busy with runners and exercising cyclists plus a few on their way to work early for the day.
I revisit the charging bull for a photo with no hordes of tourists, amble around a little before cycling back up and rewarding myself with a bagel from Liberty Bagels - which we’d walked past several times, each time a queue snailing out the door - picking maple bacon cream cheese from the 15 or so flavours. It’s tasty, but also overwhelming in size, even after exercise.
After eeking the school work out of a pair of tired children we walk to the Rockefeller Centre, going up the 67 floors to the Top of the Rock. It may not be the tallest or newest viewpoint, but from the rooftop it’s a clear view north over the - always surprisingly - large Central Park and to the south, the Empire State Building sitting loud and proud in the centre of the view. It’s really a great point to grasp the scale of the skyline in Manhattan.
Keen to catch up on their bagel allowance we walk to Bagel Market, the kids happy for something plain in avocado on their bagel, Kate going whole hog with smoked salmon (or lox as they call it?), capers and cream cheese.
Across the road is Grand Central Station, another building with classic style and substance when so many other buildings are dull in comparison - here’s looking at you Metlife Building which overlooks the station. The more pleasing Chrysler building is passed on the way back to the kids library where an hour is passed, Sienna barely moving, Seb happily flicking through book after book.
As it’s getting late by the time we return to the hotel, Kate and Seb stay in whilst Sienna and I venture out via Mexican food truck to meet Kathleen in Central Park for picnic dining, before Kathleen has a farewell drink with Kate and I in the lobby as she departs back to Sydney in the morning.
