Part 5 of New York Trip
Once I could finally tear myself away from the beauty and elegance of Grand Central, we ventured out onto 42nd Street and I got my first view of Manhattan in nearly 50 years. Just glorious, the sense of excitement and buzz of energy, serious people rushing by, focused on their destination. People don't stroll in Midtown. Of course, it was about lunchtime when we got there, so perhaps they were just hungry for lunch!
For those who saw the 2012 film "The Avengers", here is a shot you'll recognize. The viaduct and Grand Central from the lower level of Pershing Square|Park Avenue.
Another shot of Grand Central from Pershing Square, with the Met Life tower rising directly behind. Last time I visited NYC, the sign on the building read "Pan Am".
The day was lovely - hot in the sun but cool in the shade. And there's a LOT of shade in Midtown, from all the skyscrapers. Good weather for taking pictures, though. Every time I stopped to take a picture, someone had to dodge me. I heard a few grumbles, but mostly people were very pleasant. They smiled, or laughed, or said "First time here, huh?" Sad to say, the general politeness of New Yorkers surprised me. I guess I'd bought into the whole "New Yorkers are rude" image, but I saw young people (male and female alike) give up seats on the transit system to oldsters and pregnant women. I saw a woman drop an item and someone picked it up and returned it with a smile. In crowds, there was little pushing or shoving. I could have easily believed I was back in Tennessee, with its reputation for courtesy.
New York is such a city of contrasts. I saw that in the European cities I've visited as well, where modern lives next door to something centuries old. It's not as marked in NYC, of course, but it's definitely there.
I loved this old brownstone squeezed in between two skyscrapers.
An upscale store on E. 42nd, but the architecture made me think it had once been a church. Check out the rose windows!
More amazing architecture on E. 42nd. Gorgeous decorative detail on the exterior. My first trip to NYC in 1964 is what awakened my interest in art and architecture, which eventually led to a master's in art history.
The New York Daily News building.
We kept strolling east along 42nd, toward the East River and the UN area, which I very eager to visit. Lo and behold, on the way I saw a sign atop a skyscraper that read "Hotel Tudor". That was the hotel where we had stayed on our 1964 visit! I had remembered the name and knew it was in Midtown somewhere, but didn't realize I'd practically fall over it within minutes of getting streetside.
The hotel is now a Hilton and I did not remember that it was right next to a charming little church.
The old Tudor Hotel was (still is, I suppose) a part of a separate little enclave in Manhattan that is called Tudor City. Back in (I think) the 1920's, the area was pretty rundown and people did not want to live there. So some entrepreneurs built a number of red brick, somewhat neo-Tudoresque apartment buildings between 1st and 2nd Avenues from 43rd to 40th Streets. There is an elevated street called Tudor Place that runs above 41st and 42nd Streets. There are two elevated private parks that flank 42nd street. There are some wonderful views of the East River and the UN complex from here. We wandered around Tudor City for a while, admiring the beauty and peace of this tiny pocket of serenity in the heart of Midtown.
Standing on the Tudor Place overpass, looking east on 42nd toward the East River. UN buildings are on the left side of the photo.
Some architectural detail on 5 Tudor Place.
The UN complex as seen from the Tudor Place overpass at 41st.
We checked out the view from the United Nations Plaza on First Avenue. I know that many feel the UN has outlived its usefulness in our modern society, but I felt such a sense of hope while gazing at these buildings. Here is the future we should strive for, searching for our commonalities and learning to work and live together in peace. The feeling I got standing here - this is why I love U.N.C.L.E. so much.
Once again I have gotten wordy and put in a lot of pictures, so I'll stop for now.
For those who saw the 2012 film "The Avengers", here is a shot you'll recognize. The viaduct and Grand Central from the lower level of Pershing Square|Park Avenue.
Another shot of Grand Central from Pershing Square, with the Met Life tower rising directly behind. Last time I visited NYC, the sign on the building read "Pan Am".
The day was lovely - hot in the sun but cool in the shade. And there's a LOT of shade in Midtown, from all the skyscrapers. Good weather for taking pictures, though. Every time I stopped to take a picture, someone had to dodge me. I heard a few grumbles, but mostly people were very pleasant. They smiled, or laughed, or said "First time here, huh?" Sad to say, the general politeness of New Yorkers surprised me. I guess I'd bought into the whole "New Yorkers are rude" image, but I saw young people (male and female alike) give up seats on the transit system to oldsters and pregnant women. I saw a woman drop an item and someone picked it up and returned it with a smile. In crowds, there was little pushing or shoving. I could have easily believed I was back in Tennessee, with its reputation for courtesy.
New York is such a city of contrasts. I saw that in the European cities I've visited as well, where modern lives next door to something centuries old. It's not as marked in NYC, of course, but it's definitely there.
I loved this old brownstone squeezed in between two skyscrapers.
An upscale store on E. 42nd, but the architecture made me think it had once been a church. Check out the rose windows!
More amazing architecture on E. 42nd. Gorgeous decorative detail on the exterior. My first trip to NYC in 1964 is what awakened my interest in art and architecture, which eventually led to a master's in art history.
The New York Daily News building.
We kept strolling east along 42nd, toward the East River and the UN area, which I very eager to visit. Lo and behold, on the way I saw a sign atop a skyscraper that read "Hotel Tudor". That was the hotel where we had stayed on our 1964 visit! I had remembered the name and knew it was in Midtown somewhere, but didn't realize I'd practically fall over it within minutes of getting streetside.
The hotel is now a Hilton and I did not remember that it was right next to a charming little church.
The old Tudor Hotel was (still is, I suppose) a part of a separate little enclave in Manhattan that is called Tudor City. Back in (I think) the 1920's, the area was pretty rundown and people did not want to live there. So some entrepreneurs built a number of red brick, somewhat neo-Tudoresque apartment buildings between 1st and 2nd Avenues from 43rd to 40th Streets. There is an elevated street called Tudor Place that runs above 41st and 42nd Streets. There are two elevated private parks that flank 42nd street. There are some wonderful views of the East River and the UN complex from here. We wandered around Tudor City for a while, admiring the beauty and peace of this tiny pocket of serenity in the heart of Midtown.
Standing on the Tudor Place overpass, looking east on 42nd toward the East River. UN buildings are on the left side of the photo.
Some architectural detail on 5 Tudor Place.
The UN complex as seen from the Tudor Place overpass at 41st.
We checked out the view from the United Nations Plaza on First Avenue. I know that many feel the UN has outlived its usefulness in our modern society, but I felt such a sense of hope while gazing at these buildings. Here is the future we should strive for, searching for our commonalities and learning to work and live together in peace. The feeling I got standing here - this is why I love U.N.C.L.E. so much.
Once again I have gotten wordy and put in a lot of pictures, so I'll stop for now.