Recently, I went with my husband on a trip to New York City. Usually, I am not happy about the prospect of being among millions of people . In fact, I tend to avoid crowds and tight spaces like the plague. But there is something about New York that transcends all of that. New York encourages and invites even the most claustrophobic of beings to break free and become part of the chaotic to-ing and fro-ing that constitutes daily life there.
I should point out that this trip was not intended to be carried out on a shoestring. It was being made in acknowledgment of my recent 60th birthday and so the rationale for going “high-end” on this vacation was in some way compensatory for having to watch my once perky everything take the inevitable nose dive toward the ground. So, if you are contemplating a trip to the Big Apple but don’t want to spend much money, you’ve probably come to the wrong blog. Go and find a writer with perky bits intact and I expect you will find what you’re looking for.
We stayed at the Lucerne Hotel. It is in the upper west side of Manhattan, about two blocks from Central Park, in a busy neighbourhood replete with children of all ages and people going to and from work with cell phones firmly attached to their ears. The hotel itself used to be an apartment block many years ago and so it is relatively small, classically furnished and very comfortable. We know about it being an apartment block because Stella told us.
St
ella is in her eighties and used to live in the same neighbourhood as the hotel. We met her at the Blue Note Jazz Club where we went to see Sophie Milman, a jazz singer from Toronto (click here and check her out). Sophie was great, and in the dark I could see Stella’s head bopping up and down to the music so she must have thought so too.
There seem to be a lot of women about Stella’s age in Manhattan. They are formidable and fabulous. I wouldn’t want to annoy one of them. Many carry walking sticks and I imagine would not be opposed to using them for purposes other than ambulatory should they see the need. Would that I could be that feisty in my old age.
During the day, we visited some galleries, the most notable for me being the Frick Collection on 5th Avenue. The collection is housed in the once home of Henry Clay Frick, a Steel Magnate. To learn more about him click here. Suffice to 
say, the art collection is right up my alley with many amazing portraits by artists like James Abbott MacNeill Whistler, Hans Holbein the Younger, and George Romney whose 1782 portrait of Lady Hamilton has a mesmerizing effect on all who cast eyes on it.
After The Frick, we went to the Guggenheim. We had heard a lot about the Guggenheim and were anxious to see it. The building did not disappoint. It is an 
interesting piece of art in itself. The exhibit, on the other hand, was not to my taste at all. It featured the work of Louise Bourgeois. Ms Bourgeois is a well known sculptor. Her work has been featured in The Tate Modern gallery in London as well and she is highly regarded among her peers. I suppose that I am far too naive to appreciate her work but none of it “spoke” to me, except maybe to say, ” This stuff is not for you Pollyanna. The exhibits in the cafeteria might be more intriguing” Suffice it to say that perhaps my imagination did not allow me to understand the deeper meaning of exhibits that all looked like genitalia to me. And once you’ve seen one, well…
Being suitably steeped in culture, our next move was to go and see The Lion King, (click here to see a 
little of it) Now that’s more my cup of tea. The Lion King is currently playing at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway. It is simply a wonderful show. The costumes are spectacular and the music takes you away to a very happy place. We had seats in the orchestra and although they were very good, if given another opportunity, we might have chosen seats in the mezzanine so that we could appreciate the illusion of the animals the costumes are meant to create . Sitting so close we could actually see the performers inside the costumes and that took a little away from the overall impression. Although, I have to say that the Hyenas were hilarious whether further away or up close.
In between all of this culture and entertainment, we managed to eat very well too. Our favourite place to eat was at Nice Matin. The fact that the restaurant was adjacent to the hotel was really beside the point. The food was excellent and the hot cocoa superb. Check it out. The warm apple and almond tart with home made ice cream was decadent, fattening and supremely delicious. Hey, when you’re on holiday you get to indulge!
On our last evening in New York we went on a dinner cruise. It is something people do when they are in tourist mode, or, if they are celebrating a special milestone. I guess we were doing both of those things so the cruise seemed appropriate. The boat left Pier 81 at about 7:00 p.m and travelled up the Hudson River, past all of the Manhattan landmarks. The piece de resistance was of course, the Statue of Liberty. I mean, you can’t go to New York without seeing her can you?
We spent a very pleasant evening eating and dancing to the usual tunes ( you know, YMCA and all that). And it was a fine time. Don’t expect the food to be spectacular. It was good but really can’t compare to some of the restaurants in New York. Go for the experience and you will find that it only serves to add to your good memories of a great city.
So, there it is. All that, and a walk in Central Park, (Check it out) served to give us a great holiday that we will remember for a long time to come. Thanks New York.
Click here andTake a tour yourself. Maybe it will whet your own appetite and then you too can Start Spreadin’ the News…
