Twenty- five Seven

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  • Day 2: High Line in the afternoon

    Day 2 in New York City consisted of more visits to the Park. This time round my host suggested a completely new concept of parks – one an elevated one on an artificial island and the other a re-purposed freight train railway track .

    Changing cities

    Cities have a life of their own. In spite of being inanimate, they change with time.

    Starting out as tiny village clusters they grow into busy towns, important sea ports, seats of power, centres of learning or industrial hubs depending on the dominant activity of the place. Mumbai, for instance, which was once a malaria infested conglomeration of 7 islands has morphed into one contiguous mass with the larger part of the city part of of the mainland.

    Its initial beginning as a fishing village transformed into a textile town and then later into a thriving sea port. However, even this ‘avatar’ has changed since the JNPT port has come across the harbour. This has left a large part of the eastern seaboard bereft of activity with its numerous godowns that remain empty.

    Picking up freshy baked sourdough bread from the local bakery

    Our city is still trying to come up with a master plan to effectively utilise this space.

    Luckily New York has managed to revitalize its former docklands and Hudson Yards and its neighbouring industrial area of warehouses is once again buzzing with activity. The newly developed commercial and residential buildings that exist cheek by jowl with the old structures is a clever use of urban space especially in a city that is so densely populated and real estate so valuable.

    Little Island and the High Line Park are two unique concepts that give back to the city the much needed green lungs for the public to enjoy. As a matter of fact, it is amazing how the Air Quality in such a thickly populated city is not only breathable but also boasts a bright blue sky!

    Little Island

    After a quick breakfast of freshly baked sourdough bread picked up from the local bakery, we set off for Little Island the newest public park in the city.

    Our original plan was to actually pick up a bite at Market 57, at the newly opened food hall at Pier 57. We should have eaten at passed the food hall at Chelsea which was lively and happening but we thought that Food court at the James Beard Foundation would have been a better option. That was a tactical error on our part because by the time we reached the Pier, the sun was blazing. Furthermore, the seeming lack of activity deterred us from going ahead and after a quick tour of the Little Island park, we began our walk on the High Line Park.

    Little Island Park is an artificial park created on Pier 55 in the Hudson River. A series of upturned umbrella shaped pylons provide the base for this unique nature park where native plants are specifically grown in order to maintain or rather re-generate the natural flora and fauna of the place.

    The upturned umbrella pylons of Little Island that hold up a unique nature park

    Even though the sun was beating down, the park was full of people. Obviously, most of them were tourists like me who were bent on getting the most out of their visit to a New York despite the unusually hot September heat wave.

    Because of the blazing sunshine and oppressive heat, we couldn’t manage to spend more than half an hour or so but we did manage to absorb some of the vibe especially with the visitor who thumped away some foot tapping jazz music on the bright yellow piano.

    We did have an option of going to the Whitney Museum overlooking the park, but I was too lazy to cross the road and have a look at its latest exhibition, preferring to see street art with its architectural beauties and street sculptures. Perhaps I’ll leave New York Museums for another visit.

    The High Line

    With the docks moved out, the existing railway line was converted to a park. The 2.3 km elevated park is a unique way of seeing the city bustling below. Once again plants that are native to the area make up the garden.

    Despite the heat, it was a treat to walk in High Line Park. Not only was the flora interesting but the buildings alongside with their murals were equally stunning.

    We began our walk with a quick gelato from L’arte del gelato. What bliss it was to have the cool ice-cream slip down our parched throats.

    To break the monotony of walking down a railway track, there are some interesting features such as the Diller-Von Furstenberg sun deck where you can dip your toes in the very subtle water fountain that is specially welcome on a hot day. Or you could just laze around on the loungers scattered there.

    We stopped for a while at the 10th Avenue Square and overlook to catch our breath and stare at the city traffic driving underneath. There were many people who took a break like us and I’m sure on a cooler day it must be fun to watch the movement on a busy road.

    The Chelsea Thicket with its shaded pathway was a welcome relief from the heat. It was literally like walking through an airconditioned passageway with the thick foliage blocking out the glare and heat of the sun

    The Edge ,literally leaves you standing on the edge, looking down at the world below you. We didn’t visit this viewing gallery because I’m not fascinated by aerial views being a high-rise dweller myself. Besides, I often feel that pre-booking etc calls for too much planning and kind of kills the spontaneity of travelling. I like to go where my mood fancies rather than a water tight itinerary.

    The Shed an art centre in the square opposite the Mall for instance, looks like an inflated cube dressed up in a quilted puffer jacket!

    Similarly, the Vessel, a watch tower of sorts is made up of inter connected staircases, making a honeycomb like conical structure. Unfortunately, it is still not open to the public so one has to make do with admiring this ‘sculpture’ from afar.

    The High Line Park , my host explained to me was the brainchild New Yorkers like Diane von Furstenberg a grande dame of fashion credited with the invention of the wrap dress. With an open air viewing gallery over a busy street, whimsical sculptures, bits of the old railway line, murals peeping out from nearby buildings and even some loungers to sunbathe for those so inclined, a walk down the High Line is a great way to spend a few hours out in the open.

    And for those avid shoppers a spanking new Mall with high end shops and more eating options is the added incentive to make this park another must do activity in the city of New York.

    Free docent-led public tours are offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from May to October, and on Wednesdays and Saturdays from November to April.

    Before the date of your visit, make sure to review park rules below.

    Ciao

  • Day 2 : Dog watching in the morning .

    Day 2 : Dog watching in the morning .

    Finally Central Park.

    One of the cardinal rules of being a houseguest is to fit in seamlessly with your host’s routine. Of course this is not really possible because unless your host runs a professional guest house, they are bound to go through some effort and adjustment having you under foot. But it would help if you tried not to disturb your host’s routine.

    My host family is very health conscious and from time to time various family members go out for their routine exercise program. So when my host told me that she was used to a morning walk, I told her to go ahead. My ears perked up when I heard that her route that morning was around Central Park, and asked if I could join in.

    However, I was in no condition to ‘walk’ and preferred to sit it out while she carried on with her daily constitutional . So after huffing and puffing up the steps, we made our way towards the Great Hill , at the Upper West side of Central Park .

    At this time of day time pooches are allowed to be off their leash so Great Hill is a dog lover’s paradise: full of dogs and their owners enjoying the warm early morning sun.

    And accustomed as I was to seeing overfed Labrador retrievers, Beagles and the Indies waddle reluctantly behind their equally disinterested dog walkers, it was a treat to see the different breeds do their stuff. Honestly, I’d never even seen such a variety of dogs at a Dog Show.

    The magnificent oaks
    A chihuaua
    Seems like a Samoyed to me
    Wasn’t that a smart salute?
    Hounds having a race
    Running around
    Last of the summer blossoms
    One of the many benches to catch your breath
    Little Ms Frou frou in her tulle tutu
    Am I pretty or what?
    Don’t stare! It’s rude
    I couldn’t be bothered with silly dogs chasing me

    Walking down the path, amidst the calm of the trees , suddenly we came across a sun-soaked grassy meadow dotted with dogs and their owners having a blast . The dogs chased their friends with joyous abandon, tongues hanging out and fur flying in the breeze . Some of them flopped on the grass tired after a hard work out while others rolled in the grass or walked by sedately . A bunch of greedy guzzlers eagerly followed a Pied Piper in Red – a red haired woman who had a bag of beef jerky to treat her canine friends.

    This was really the best use of a public space where morning walkers, dog walkers, babies in strollers , regular joggers and of course dogs who were free run wild and stretch their legs could share the same space and enjoy the beauty of the park in their own way.

    Having seen most of the dogs only in picture books, It was hard for me to identify the different breeds. Labradors , Grey hounds, Chihuahuas and French Bull dog were just a few of the breeds I could recognise. Some looked awkward yet strangely beautiful with their thin elongated bodies covered in tight curls or their silky smoky grey slicked back. Some had coats in black and white and some had fringes that flopped over the face. But there was no denying that these handsome well groomed canine specimens were happy creatures.

    One pretty little ballerina strutted around in her frilly, pink, tulle tutu playfully following a sleek young hound with a slick, dark coat, firm muscled body, and a thin conductor’s baton of a tail. He naturally ignored her and walked straight ahead.

    They chased their friends or rubbed noses while some just walked sedately past looking questioningly at me. this strange human staring at them.

    Walking around or sitting on the few benches, under the shade of giant oaks soaring up to a bright blue sky, soaking in the smell of wet earth covered with dew laden grass is an unexpected treat in the middle of a very busy city just waking up to another busy day.

    The Great Hill with its well kept grassy lawns, shaded paths beneath magnificent trees is a pure delight for dog lovers and early risers. It is definitely worth a visit but remember that this special city experience is only possible before 9 in the morning when the dogs are allowed to be free and unleased.

    So the next time if you are in New York and are up for it, do go to the most beautifully landscaped Great Hill in Central Park , located on the West side on the third highest point of the park, between 103rd and 107th streets.

    Ciao

  • New York! New York!

    Serendipity

    How many times does your life go according to plan? Hardly ever, because in my opinion, life is a series of coincidences that come together as you join the dots.

    Time and time again, I’ve noticed that things have just happened without planning. My recent visit to the US is a case in point.

    Life doesn’t take you down the path you really want to go

    Ever since Ms Papaya and Prima Donna returned to India for good, from New Jersey , I put away my passport and completely forgot about travelling abroad. As far as I was concerned my travelling days were over. With Covid and its ugly head disrupting everyone’s life, with Hubby dear retired and my own enthusiasm for long protracted journeys slowly waning, my reasons for going abroad were diminishing. So I was completely ‘unprepared’ for visiting the US.

    Moreover, who would have imagined that nine days after seeing West Side Story at the NMACC, I would actually be walking down the streets of Upper West Side in Manhattan?

    It only drove home the point that life plays out in strange ways.

    A dear school friend who was Prima Donna’s Guardian Angel in New Jersey invited me to her son’s wedding. Under normal circumstances I would haven’t been able to go what with Ms Papaya’s school and Prima Donna’s work trips in the offing. But Prima Donna insisted that I attend specially since she was unable to do so herself. So with one thing leading to another, I spent the first half of September in New York and New Jersey.

    A Walking & Eating Holiday

    For most of my compatriots, a holiday in New York means shopping, meeting other Indians, dining in chic restaurants, visiting museums and taking in a Broadway show or two.

    Strange as it may sound, what I most wanted to do in New York was walk in Central Park and eat the iconic street food.

    Years of seeing Hollywood movie scenes shot in the park, it had assumed mythical proportions in my head. And in my fleeting visits in the past, Central Park was far removed from my tourist track. so this time round when my hostess in New York told me that she lived close to the park and I could wander there for as long as I wanted, I jumped at the chance. And I got really lucky because I walked through Central Park, Riverside Park, Highline Park and Brooklyn Park.

    Walking through Columbia University getting ready for the new students
    The magnificent peace sculpture in the Children’s sculpture garden at Morningside Park
    Street view
    The magnificent Cathedral of St. John the divine

    And I got lucky because not only was she staying a hop skip ad a jump away, she was equally passionate about walking . So for the six days that I was in New York, I not only managed to get a ring side view of the park but also walk up and down the streets of Manhattan, getting a real feel of the place and experiencing the busyness of New York in a uniquely personalised , customised tour.

    Day 1

    A dark and gloomy sky on the drive from Newark didn’t bode very well for my first day in New York.

    But miraculously, as predicted by my cousin who had checked on her phone, the skies opened up promptly at 11 am . And in spite of the long 11 hour non stop flight, after a quick shower, was ready to pound the streets.

    So on day 1 itself, we walked down to the nearest Shake Shack to tick off one of the boxes on my ‘to do list’.

    It was blazing hot at noon when we set off but I didn’t realise how hot it was because there were so many people up and about. Obviously, no one really minded the heat.

    We walked down the shaded street past the Carl Schurz Memorial from where we could get a glimpse of Harlem lying below and beyond. We didn’t step into this garden though the steps leading to it were tempting enough because the tummy rumbles were slowly getting louder. This was another of those things that I have to leave for another time.

    Having a Shake Shack burger was high on my list. I was lucky to have it on the very first day.

    We took a short cut through the Columbia University campus which was a buzz with students moving in. What an heart lifting experience it was to see young people moving about with the boundless energy of youth, on bicycles, in groups, carrying boxes and just chatting about in the sun.

    Even though it was hot, we preferred having our burgers on the roadside, sitting under an umbrella watching the world go by as we munched down our lunch.

    Once satiated, we made our way back down Amsterdam Avenue past the grand Cathedral church of St. John the Divine. The church is definitely a visit but unfortunately we ran short of time. Besides, I thought I could make a quick trip down this way some time in the next few days. Sadly it remained just a thought.

    The charming little sculpture garden for children along the way home, was filled with the most phantasmagorical creatures cast in bronze. I wondered whether the little children would be fascinated or scared? Once again, I would have loved to spend a little more time in this strangely magical garden but we had to return home for the rest of the family who were waiting for the lunch we had promised to bring back for them.

    Slowly but surely, jet lag began hitting me so we spent the rest of the day at home catching up on family gossip.

    Later that evening as we sipped wine and nibbled on crackers and cheese, we watched the last Super Moon of the year emerge in a cloudy sky.

    There couldn’t have been a more perfect start for a perfect holiday.

    Could there?

    Ciao

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