Diane and I flew on jetBlue to New York City on Thanksgiving (the flight was super discounted!). The cab ride from JFK to Patrick’s new apartment in Brooklyn took an hour and a half! But, Patrick, Katie, and their friends cooked us a delicious Thanksgiving feast: scalloped potatoes, turkey, cranberry jello salad, green beans, lasagna, and squash soup. Desserts: apple pie, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie.
Patrick now works out of the Chelsea GOOGLE office so he decided north Brooklyn was the best option for him for apartment living. The apartment building Patrick lives in is only five years old and very nice. Grand view of the City!
Katie took the train down from Boston and our niece, Elise, took the train up from Washington, D. C. Elise is a lawyer for the National Labor Relations Board. This was her first trip since the Pandemic. Diane, Katie, Elise, and I stayed at the Marriott Renaissance hotel in Times Squire since we had tickets to TINA (the Tina Turner musical), The Rockettes, and SIX (a musical about the six wives of Henry VIII).
By the size of the crowds in Times Square, you’d have no idea a Pandemic was raging here and abroad (watch out for the Omicron Variant!). NYC demands both ID and a vaccination card for admittance to restaurants and plays. And…masks.
The highlight of our visit to NYC was brunch at the wonderful Clinton Street Baking Company with Jeff and Jackie Meyerson. The food and the conversation were delightful!
Do you have any travel plans?
I haven’t traveled since a trip to NYC in 2002. I used to go places like Toronto, Austin, Memphis and Amsterdam with a friend but when he got married that put an end to that and I hate to travel alone. And everyone I am close to lives within 25 miles of me so I don’t have anyone to visit. I just live vicariously through my books which has me in Florence Italy right now.
Steve, I’m a reluctant traveller now. I worked as a consultant in the 1970s and the firm I worked for sent me to 48 of the 50 states. But, that’s when I was in my 20s. Now, the 70s make travel difficult.
No travel plans in our immediate future, but we’re looking forward to seeing Jeff & Jackie Meyerson this weekend when they are in New Orleans. Can’t wait!
We did go to the horse races the day after Thanksgiving. It had been a family tradition but we missed 2019 because I had pneumonia and 2020 because of covid. Although the Fair Grounds website said masks were required and proof of vaccine status would have to be shown, not everyone was masked (in fact, masked faces were in the distinct minority) and no one asked to see our vaccination cards. If this is the way the world is treating a highly-contagious virus, no wonder the omicron variant is spreading!
Deb, NYC requires ID and proof of vaccination for just about everything: restaurants, plays, etc. The Omicron Variant should show up in the U.S. soon and then we’ll see if that changes the mask mandates (or lack thereof).
Good to hear that you had a wonderful trip!
Your great pictures bring fond memories, thank you, George!
I’ve been to NYC probably a dozen times, first on business trips and backthe 1980s, usually just two nights before continuing the trip to the West coast.
Then I did several last minute short trips to buy books (at the famous Forbidden Planet) and records, CDs – and visit museums …
12 Years ago I took my new partner to NYC and Niagara Falls, Canadian side – wonderful!
Now we are both at over 75 years – even without the pandemic too old to do this kind of travel. But no one can take away these memories!
So my advice to everybody:
Do these trips – around the world maybe even – as soon as possible, some day you’ll be too old for them!
Wolf, I agree with your advice. We had a great time in NYC, but travel becomes harder for me. I move like a turtle and struggle with flights of stairs.
We spent Thanksgiving with my liberal/progressive in-laws in Whitehouse Ohio, and plan on a cheery Christmas with Kay’s voluminous (and arch-conservative) family in Ironton Ohio. Not terribly glamorous, but there are some fine folks and pleasant company in both camps.
Dan, I find the key to happiness is spending time with family and friends. Good food helps, too!
Great pictures (even if I did take one of them!) and it was great seeing you all (and meeting Elise). As Deb mentioned, we will be flying to New Orleans tomorrow and staying until next Tuesday (also on Jetblue). We’re staying again at the big Marriott on Canal Street. Can’t wait, especially for our Day In Slidell on Saturday.
This isn’t our first trip since the pandemic – we drove to Boston with my cousins just before July 4 – but it is the first time flying, which is no longer the thrill it was 50 years ago. But what can you do? We will also have an overnight on Long Island a week or so after we get home as we are seeing The Mavericks again in Westbury, another thing I’m not sure about as Nassau County does not have the strict vaccine protocols NYC does.
And of course the big trip is three months in Florida starting right after New Year.
Jeff, love your photos! We encountered delays with jetBlue on both ends of our trip. Your trip to New Orleans and Slidell promise to be fun! Our niece, Elise, is a lawyer and shared plenty of Washington, D.C. stories with us. I’m not surprised she knew Jackie’s friend. Elise is networked to the max!
But the main question is, what is that Giant Pile O’Books? The daily arrival at the Kelley Mansion?
Jeff, that Tower of Books resides in the Marriott Renaissance Lobby Level near the restaurant. The Tower extends from floor to ceiling! Hundreds of books! I’m tempted to recreate the Tower of Books here, but I suspect I’d end up sleeping in the garage if I did!
Cool. We’ve actually stayed at several of the Marriotts in Manhattan – the Marriott Marquis recently, but also the Renaissance on 25th Street off Sixth Avenue, one on the East Side on 57th and another East Side one (maybe Lexington?), plus one on the West Side in the 50s that was actually two hotels next to each other. They had one shared lobby, then two separate banks of elevators. Both hotels were very tall and very skinny. These days, if we have a concert and don’t particularly want to go right home late at night,, Jackie will look for a Marriott nearby, usually using points (though she doesn’t have anywhere near as many as Patrick!) or a free night.
Jeff, Patrick had his Marriott concierge book our hotel rooms at the Marriott Renaissance. Plus, we got a nice bottle of pinot noir, unlimited free bottles of water, some excellent chocolate, and excellent service. So Patrick treated us to our hotel rooms and you and Jackie treated us to that wonderful Brunch! Diane and I treated Patrick, Katie, and Elise to the tickets for TINA, The Rockettes, and SIX. It was a fabulous trip!
I was also wondering about that multi-stack. I’d advise standing a bit further away from it.
Michael, I was shocked to discover the books in the TOWER OF BOOKS were loose! When I first saw it in the Marriott Renaissance, I thought the books were attached in some way. Nope.
Is the Marriott Marquis at Time Square the one with those glass elevators or am I wrong there?
I remember when I came to NYC the first time on a business trip around 35 years ago and stayed near Times Square – I was flabbergasted!
On my holidays later I couldn’t afford that kind of luxury however, stayed a bit away from the center pf Manhattan …
Wolf, yes, the Marriott Marquis had those great glass elevators. When we were leaving the Marriott Renaissance all the elevators for guests weren’t working. We had to used the “Service” elevator to get us and our bags down to the Lobby.
Looks as though you had a grand – but cold – time in NYC. Thanksgiving dinner sounds amazing and what could be better than spending it with beloved family members. No travel plans right now. I can’t wait to get a trip to NYC in; my friend Nancy now has a spare bedroom available so I’ll be able to stay longer and cheaper.
I agree with Wolf. I did a lot of traveling when I was younger. When the time comes where travel is a thing of the past, I have lots of great memories to keep me company.
And, as Steve commented, books can take you anywhere. Right now I’m in New Jersey with a first novel – Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza. Suspenseful and funny.
Beth, NYC was windy and chilly while we were there. But, we’re used to Buffalo weather so the NYC chill was a breeze for us to handle.
Beth, when Jackie contacted my cousin DeDe to make reservations for brunch, she told her (jokingly) not to bring any more of Neil’s old girlfriends! For those who haven’t heard the story, Beth’s friend Nancy was my cousin DeDe’s husband Neil’s first girlfriend.
We both loved SUBURBAN DICKS too.
Wonderful trip and pics. Glad you all had such a great time!
Rick, there’s always trepidation when we travel these days. But, other than the jetBlue delays, the long cab rides from JFK to Time Square (and back again), we experienced the wonder of New York City decorated for the Holidays. Marvelous! Patrick and Katie and Elise took care of all the Lyft and Uber rides for us. The dinners were delightful! We all enjoyed the shows we saw. The weather was a little nippy, but we’re used to that. You really couldn’t ask for a more fun trip!
Another fond memory:
On one of those trips in the 80s we flew business class to NYC and on to SFO, LAX and on the return Washington DC etc.
And when I looked at the bundle of paper that was my ticket I saw:
Ticket from JFK to NYC???
It was a helicopter ride to the East river, 42nd st if I remember correctly.
Can you imagine that feeling when the skyline was getting near?
We also were invited to dinner at the Windows on the World – remember that?
Fantastic – and a paid for business trip!
Always a special time to be there. I was there two years ago. What a different time.
Patti, Times Square was packed with people…wearing masks. The stores were busy, too.
Have no desire to travel these days. My last big trip was two springs ago in March to Florida. When things started to shut down, I changed my flight and came back to Winnipeg two days earlier than planned. It was the right thing to do. Since then our family cottage on Lake Winnipeg, which is an hour away, is the only place I have travelled to. People have been starting to make weekend trips to Grand Fords and Fargo, ND like they used to. Several people failed to follow regulations when they went just across the border to Pembina to pick up parcels they had directed to a US postal box. Even though they were only across the line for a very short time, they now have to self-isolate for 14 days. Nobody’s fault but their own for not knowing the regulations.
Kent, we’re not traveling again until deep into 2022. Too many tests, restrictions, and hassles!