You would think that I would sleep really well after a long day like yesterday, but I did not. It seems like my mind was racing and I couldn’t quite fall into the resting state that I needed. This is very unusual for me! The hotel room we had was designed for people in wheelchairs so it had very little surface space in order to accommodate a wheelchair. And it had a walk-in shower so when we used it, water got everywhere.
The hotel included a free breakfast, but honestly, when we got down there that first morning, I am not sure it was worth it. It was an absolute "zoo." The place was filled with people moving all over trying to get at the food they wanted. We had to sidle up to a bar that faced the windows to the street. We sat next to an older couple from near Chattanooga. They had just arrived and were embarking on a New York-to-Bermuda cruise. The woman said they are able to walk from the hotel to the cruise ship. She said she was surprised that the ships could get so close to shore. Interestingly I could explain to her why, because we had watched the High Line lecture that explained just that! In the early 1900s shipping was key to New York and they needed ships to be able to easily dock. To accommodate this, they filled in around the edge of Manhattan, creating a deep harbor next to the shore. I hadn’t realized that New York had so many cruise ships that docked here.
After breakfast, we decided to first check out Pier 83 where many of the harbor tours launch and which is right next to the Intrepid Museum. We considered trying to do one or both of those things, but there just wasn’t enough time.
The main goal for today was to get rush tickets to a play so we headed to the TKTS booth in Times Square. By 9:15 AM, we were in line, settling in for what would be a nearly two-hour wait. Times Square is overstimulation to say the least, gianormus LED screens everywhere.
We had a nice place to sit on a long marble slab next to the George M Cohen statue. However, sitting on a marble slab in the cold temperature made us even colder. It seemed like the temperature dropped but I think the major issue was we weren’t moving. The upside of standing in line is we got to talk to all the folks around us. It was a very friendly line! We talked to a:
- Hungarian man now living in Paris, but travels to NYC frequently for work. He was waiting in for his 15th Broadway show.
- newly engaged couple from Florida who were visiting NYC for the first time.
- woman from Los Angles who had traveled across the country with her family and planned to see multiple plays.
The TKTS staff walked the line sharing flyers from various plays. Originally I thought they were just trying to hawk a specific play, but really they were offering advice on which ones to see and explaining plots, etc. It was quite interesting. We were able to get what we wanted: 2 tickets to the Buena Vista Social Club for this afternoon at 3 pm.
A TKTS staff person also gave us a lunch recommendation so we headed to Carnegie Diner on 50th street for lunch. It was a diner packed with people, tables very close to each other. I had a lovely beet and strawberry salad along with a latte. Jim had to use his coffee cup to warm his hands.
Post-lunch, we trekked 1 mile south to B&H Photo Video. Jim has been ordering audio and video gear from this company for years and NYC is where it is headquartered so he needed to see it. It’s a huge building, with everything video / audio / lighting. Just walking through was quite amazing to see. We tried to go there on Saturday but they’re closed for Shabbat, but open on Sundays! We saw lots of men that worked in the store wearing yarmulkes.
By the time we left B&H, it was 1:30 PM. Our show started at 3:00 PM, plenty of time to get to the theater. But Jim had one thing on his mind: the carrot cake from Carnegie Diner. He wanted to stop there for a piece of cake and coffee before the show. I put Carnegie Diner into my Google Maps and we headed back north. We walked. And walked. It seemed like it was going too far. Once we got near it I realized there are multiple Carnegie diner locations. My map program was set to their other location on 57th Street, practically at Central Park! We arrived at the diner, panting, and the man at the door was great. He got Jim coffee and cake within 2 minutes he was eating. It was 2 pm and I asked them how long it would take us to get to the Schoenfeld Theater. They said no problem, straight south through Times Square. At 2:05 pm we began the 12-block sprint down 7th Avenue, weaving through the Saturday crowds of Times Square like Olympic power-walkers.
We collapsed into our seats at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre at 2:30 PM. We were in the 7th row, stage left. It was a small, intimate theater. It reminded me of the Pantages in Minneapolis. The plot of the
Buena Vista Social Club centers on four prominent Cuban musicians, in the 1950s just prior to the revolution, the impact of politics on their careers and personal relationships, and their eventual reunion and collaboration on a landmark 1997 album. The music was amazing! Plus add dancing and costumes!! So thankful to be able to see it. The woman sitting in front of me was dancing in her seat and I didn’t mind at all because so was I.
We left the theater around 5:30 pm. We decided to take a quick pit stop at the hotel to recharge our phones, we decided to eat close to home and went to
Valla Table, a Thai restaurant on 10th Avenue.
- Jim’s Choice: Tom Yum Mor Fai—a seafood medley in a bubbling broth served in a traditional flaming pot (it looks like an angel food cake pan.)
- My Choice: Ka Prao Moo—classic spicy ground pork with holy basil, Thai chili, and a fried egg.
In order to digest the great meal we decided to walk along the Hudson River waterfront. Back in the room, we caught the end of the Iowa men’s basketball game who was playing the number one seed, the Florida Gators. We were stunned to see Iowa win! So they are headed to the Sweet 16!
Over 23,000 steps, the Broadway magic, great food, and a Hawkeye victory, "exhausted" doesn't even begin to cover it. We slept like rocks.