Coming on Saturday by train from DC, they took the subway from Penn Station to our house. They take pride in travelling by train. Living in Arlington, they park their car at the Washington DC metro station near their house, take the subway to the grand and elegant Union Station in D.C., relax aboard a Metroliner for a few hours and then switch to the subway in New York. A walk of a few short blocks brings them to our door, relaxed and rested from a peaceful and stress-free trip.
For Saturday night we made reservations for Jazz At Lincoln Center. Along with friends Carol and Mickey and Doreen and Stu, we were going to hear the great expatriot Cuban jazz artist, Paquito D'Rivera who was playing at one of the venues - Dizzy's Room. By the way, Jazz At Lincoln Center is not in Lincoln Center; it's a few blocks south at Columbus Circle in the new Times-Warner complex and is stunningly beautiful in its architectural design. Dizzy's Room, in particular, is a fabulous jazz space with a breathtaking view of the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows behind the stage. It's a bit pricey - $30 cover and if you want to spend some more, food and drinks are served as well.
Stu and Doreen, with NYC as their backdrop, at Dizzy's Room.
After the show Stacey and Ellen try to pick up a Big Guy in the lobby, but...
Brian and Matt send the Big Guy's girlfriend to foil their plans.
Times Square - going home after a Paquito D'Rivera concert.
My friend Brian, a French lad, on the Times Square station.
~~~~~
The next day, Sunday, we went back into Manhattan (Ellen and Brian live in Arlington, VA, but they L O V E New York!) On a very mild day (not unusual anymore, is it?) we walked from the Village up to Madison Square at 23rd Street and then took the subway up to the Metropolitan Museum to see the Ambroise Vollard show. Vollard was a famous French art dealer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who was responsible for promoting and influencing the careers of many of the impressionists of that time: Renoir, Cezanne, Picasso, Van Gogh, and so on.
Figurehead on a Greenwich Village fire house.
Watching the action in Washington Square.
Walking up Fifth Avenue: the First Presbyterian Church of NY set against a crisp, blue sky.
We reach Madison Square - I loved the shadow of the Met Life tower cast upon an adjacent building.
Heading uptown on the No. 6 to the Met at 83rd Street.
The Met was mobbed as you could imagine it would be on Christmas week. But we managed to view the exhibition anyway and it was worth seeing: dozens and dozens of impresssionist masterpieces hung on the walls of this very ambitious exhibit. Unfortunately, no photos were permitted so you'll have to visit it yourself if you want to see the artwork.
We took the subway back downtown to our parked car in the Village and headed back to Brooklyn. The new year was fast approaching. Dinner was at a lovely DeKalb Avenue restaurant that we've been to many times (and highly recommend to you): ICI (French for "here"). After dinner we walked over to Grand Army Plaza with Brian and Ellen and our upstairs neighbors, Rock and Diane. There we were treated to fireworks and great music and some champagne that we had packed to bring along. It was a wonderful way to ring in the new year.
With this post I want to send my best wishes to all our friends and family. Here's my fervent wish for peace and justice for all the world's people. Let us redouble our efforts to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home, safe and alive! If you agree, sign up for the big march on Washington on January 27th to tell Congress -- "In November, the American people voted for peace. We expect you to act NOW to achieve it!"
We're going to Washington on January 27th and hope you'll join us. If you can't, well then sit down and write a letter to your Congressmember and Senator - tell him or her you expect them to act right away to bring this sad chapter in our country's history to a close. It'll take you a few minutes but you'll feel real good about it. Peace! - Matt
We reach Madison Square - I loved the shadow of the Met Life tower cast upon an adjacent building.
Heading uptown on the No. 6 to the Met at 83rd Street.The Met was mobbed as you could imagine it would be on Christmas week. But we managed to view the exhibition anyway and it was worth seeing: dozens and dozens of impresssionist masterpieces hung on the walls of this very ambitious exhibit. Unfortunately, no photos were permitted so you'll have to visit it yourself if you want to see the artwork.
We took the subway back downtown to our parked car in the Village and headed back to Brooklyn. The new year was fast approaching. Dinner was at a lovely DeKalb Avenue restaurant that we've been to many times (and highly recommend to you): ICI (French for "here"). After dinner we walked over to Grand Army Plaza with Brian and Ellen and our upstairs neighbors, Rock and Diane. There we were treated to fireworks and great music and some champagne that we had packed to bring along. It was a wonderful way to ring in the new year.
With this post I want to send my best wishes to all our friends and family. Here's my fervent wish for peace and justice for all the world's people. Let us redouble our efforts to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home, safe and alive! If you agree, sign up for the big march on Washington on January 27th to tell Congress -- "In November, the American people voted for peace. We expect you to act NOW to achieve it!"
We're going to Washington on January 27th and hope you'll join us. If you can't, well then sit down and write a letter to your Congressmember and Senator - tell him or her you expect them to act right away to bring this sad chapter in our country's history to a close. It'll take you a few minutes but you'll feel real good about it. Peace! - Matt
Stacey, Ellen and Brian enjoy a romantic dinner at ICI on DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn.
Two good ol' friends.
ICI on DeKalb just west of Vanderbilt - great French food.
On our way to Grand Army Plaza (champagne in hand). Are we happy, or what??!!
Ellen: "Hallelujah! Bring it on! I'm not afraid of 2007!"
People were ready to party.
Two good, ol' friends, too.
ICI on DeKalb just west of Vanderbilt - great French food.
On our way to Grand Army Plaza (champagne in hand). Are we happy, or what??!!
Ellen: "Hallelujah! Bring it on! I'm not afraid of 2007!"
People were ready to party.
3 comments:
Dear Matthew
It was a delight for me to read you about this happy friendly rich & simple or genuine time ! not only to know more about lively & cultural things going on there in New York but also for the engagement of yours for Peace and envisioning a better world ! bravo to the man who is writing and those around him "underneath " what we see on the pics , from Micky ... so honoured to join you both very soon ! merci
Dearest Matty,
We would like to do the entire weekend all over again. Sure was Grand!
Thanks for a wonderful beginning to what we hope will be a year of peace and justice throughout the world.
love
MLP and the Silent One
Happy New Year, Matt.
Your great NYC weekend, ALMOST makes me want to move back to the Big Apple. My holidays were spent alone fighting with Fl tradesmen that know NOTHING about installing a new kitchen & bath. Four weeks now with no kitchen, if I could get a "permit" I could have done the job myself & been done by now. Enough complaining, Fl is still GREAT.
John
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