Another cold day on the streets of NYC… but people here are prepared. Strollers have several layers of protection. First a clear plastic outer shell that keeps the wind out. Then comes a down sleeping bag… at least that is what it looks like. Finally some warm clothes. The kids seem content & walking with a stroller beats driving I’m sure.
For the ladies, cold weather seems to mean all black… black is everywhere. Boots are also a clear favorite, some look like old style rubber boots (dressed up of course), others have 5″ heels. I was surprised to see that an REI staple… North Face, has clearly gone fashion conscious… North Face is everywhere on the streets of NYC and in some very non-trail friendly designs… the ladies appear to love the full length down coats with a hood.
Another fact of this dense urban environment is frequent trains. Who needs a schedule… the next train will arrive in 2 minutes. It is almost like having a high speed moving side walk. Makes for a quick and comfortable way to cover the city. The change in mindset when trains are so frequent is incredible. Not sure how long until MAX reaches the 5 minute frequency in Portland… but it will be a breakthrough.
We topped off our outings today by spontaneously buying tickets for the Met Opera this afternoon. Karen loves to watch these when they are shown live in the movie theatre… here was a chance to experience the real thing. We were just in jeans and tennis shoes, but did not feel out of place. The tickets we bought from a well dressed old lady were at the front of the 4th balcony… far enough away that it was tough to tell who was singing. All in all, Karen said she enjoys the movie theatre experience more.
We had a great day today out and about in Brooklyn NY. We are staying in a hotel in Manhattan, so we took the subway downtown & then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge with snow flurries & a dark sky. It is a fun walk across the famous bridge, high above the traffic lanes & beautiful vistas of the towering buildings as well as the statue of liberty. We passed an entourage of NY Jet fans marching from Brooklyn into Manhattan… I guess kicking off the NFL postseason. We walked a little circle in Brooklyn hitting the downtown, Brooklyn Heights, and Dumbo. They have some great plans for improving the river front area which should be a beautiful space with wonderful views of Manhattan when finished in 5 years or so. Great fun walking through the neighborhoods, checking out apartments, marveling at the density, and mystified about how snow removal ever happens on the narrow streets.
Then we hoped the Q train to head further into Brooklyn for lunch. We got off at Ave J & walked a block to Di Fara Pizza… a tiny hole in the wall place, reputed to have the best pizza in NYC. Well the critics were right, the pizza was excellent… the whole place is a one may show… an old guy in his 70s at least, who does everything (except take your money). He is also the only guy I’ve seen so far in NYC that isn’t in a hurry. The place is a dump… dirty, unkempt, small, falling apart… but packed with pizza lovers. Everything is fresh, the herbs are even growing in the store window fronts, and lovingly handled. If you are in the area, it is worth the trip (& the wait) for a Di Fara pie.
We closed out the day at the Brooklyn Museum… rock & roll photos/videos and the Egyptian exhibits were very good. They also had done a great job of putting a modern lobby onto the old existing building… we had to check the leftover pizza box & everyone joked about eating it… luckily all the slices were still there when we left. Looks like pizza for dinner tonight as well.
Thanks to Aaron’s suggestion, we brought long underwear along on the trip, so we stayed toasty despite walking for long stretches in the windy 20 degree weather.