THE BIG APPLE

July 1,

Hey there Campers;

First day in NYC. The big Apple. We started the day with taking the PATH. (Port Authority Trans-Hudson. This is the subway from New Jersey to New York under the Hudson river).  It takes you to the World Trade Center.

                                   

The World Trade Center is still under construction but looking great.

We bought a sightseeing package call The NY Pass. It gave us 80 attractions to see. We decided  to start with a City Tour on a hop-on-hop-off bus ride. Here is a hint: Don't buy the pass until you get there. They have online deals all the time. And they have a 6 event pass for those who are only going to be there a short time. It is the cheapest deal. The city tour is the best so you can see what really want to go to.

We took the uptown tour first. Our tour guide Darius was hilarious.  He could sing, act and was very knowledgeable about the city. We saw a magazine shooting a fashion add in the front of Trump Int'l Hotel and Tower. Guess who ones this!! You think the Donald right. You would be wrong. It is Ivana Trump. She got this in the settlement. You go girl.

Lincoln Center is devoted to the arts. Do you know why it is called the Lincoln Center? Well, it was name in honor of Abe Lincoln because he was killed in a theatre. Also the Julliard School of Music and Performance is located in the center.

 

Ok, if you live on the Upper West side you really doing well. Even Madonna tried to move there and was told NO. It really is for politicians and wealthier celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld. I residence shown is called the Dakota Bldg. It is where John Lennon lived and was shot outside of his building. See the lanterns. They are lit 24/7 in honor of John.

There is so much architecture in NY that it is mind blowing.

 

 

The city is full of churches. Most of them are old with lots character. Rockefeller built The Riverside, one of the largest churches in the US in honor of his mother. It takes up a whole square block. They were going to tear down the St. John of Divinity church. When Jackie Kennedy Onassis heard about this she was appalled. She started the NY Preservation Society. So now when any old building in the city is going to be torn down the committee will decide if it can or should be torn down. This has caused many problems for builders. It is sometimes good that old building stay. Hello, where is our history if they are gone.

The city also has lots of strange statues.

Some of famous schools in the US is located in NY. New York University, Columbia. It cost $74,000 a year to attend Columbia. There is also a seminary there. NYU is a private university. The joke around town is over 90% of the graduates make up the default of student loans. They have 1.2 trillion dollars of outstanding loans.

The City University of New York (CUNY) prides themselves of debt free students.

Harlem use to where the Irish and Italians lived after they arrived from Ellis Island. But in later years it was taken mostly over by Blacks and Spanish. This was during the Harlem Renaissance. There is a street dedicated to the Duke Ellington.

 

However, lately, there has been a in surge of whites returning to the city and taking over any apartments they can get and remodeling them. This gentrification is causing long time residents to be misplaced. The same thing is happening in SF with the yuppies taking over the Tenderloin

The one thing that has been a staple in Harlem is the Apollo Theater. In has been around since 1917. Over the years the greats and near greats have played there. It is said that the people coming to hear a concert or show are all worst than Simon Cowl on American Idol. Trust me I can believe this.

All restaurants want an A rating from the health inspector. The rule is:

Eat at a "A" rated restaurant. Food will be great.

Question the food at a "B" restaurant

Run for the hills if the restaurant has a "C" rating. The place is just nasty and probably going bankrupt.  
So much to learn when you travel. Ahhh... But it is so worth it.


Facts:

• 65,000 cops in NYC
• Manhattan means - Island of many hills
•  Manhattan Indians were settled there first

 
Do you recognize this building??? It is called the San Remo

            
Here is a hint: Who you going to call???







Fifth Ave is home to Museum Mile. It has the Guggenheim, The Metropolitan (better known as the Met.) And several smaller museums.

 

Question of the Day

What famous person went to NYU? There are many/

Well, Until the next time Campers...

Lo & Bren