Too Much To Do and Too Little Time

We have done so much, so fast that it's hard to get time to put it all down.  Sunday evening when my friends came in, we went down to SoHo, walked around and took Mulberry Street to see Little Italy.  Dinner was at Balthazar and afterwards we stopped in for the view atop the Peninsula Hotel.

Mulberry Street

A view of Central Park and 5th Avenue

Monday, June 10

Monday began in the rain so we went to a movie at Lincoln Center Plaza.  We also stopped in at the Julliard Music Store looking for more six-hand music.  Didn't find much but the associate was very helpful and pointed us to a website that listed several pieces.

A view in the rain

Tuesday, June 11

Tuesday was a pretty day.  We walked around SoHo and then went over to the Meatpacking District and had lunch at Spice Market.  Afterwards we gallery hopped around Chelsea.  Tuesday night we had tickets for the premier of the documentary 20 Feet from Stardom which was a TimesTalks event.  After the showing, the New York Times music critic along with the film's director and three of the featured backup singers,  Darlene Love, Lisa Fischer, and Merry Clayton,  held a panel discussion.  It was fascinating. 

Afterwards, we met Lane Stone, a former news anchor in Shreveport who is now a producer for the local NYC CBS affiliate and related to Jane's daughter-in-law.  It was late by the time we left Lane and we were hungry so we went to Carnegie Deli.  It was serendipitous because several things came from this very random stop!  The place was almost deserted as far as diners go, and we were seated next to a man who was by himself.  Long story short...we met him and visited with him for quite some time...he was Phillip Kawin, a Steinway concert pianist who is on faculty at the Manhattan School of Music.  We loved visiting with him.  He gave us two names of contacts at Steinway Hall, the big Steinway store, performance space, and practice rooms on West 57th Street.  He encouraged us to call and ask for a tour.  We were giddy walking home Tuesday night, thinking about meeting Phillip and hoping for a tour of Steinway Hall the next day!

The three of us with pianist Phillip Kawin

Wednesday, June 12

Wednesday was another beautiful day.  We got to MoMA early for the members' special preview of the Rain Room.  We had to stand in line for about an hour but it was quite the experience.  Once inside, there is a large area of rain coming from the ceiling; however, as you walk around in it, sensors stop the rain in the space your body occupies.  It was pretty surreal.  

After the Rain Room we took the subway down to Madison Square Park for a burger at Shake Shack.  When we walked up, I recognized a teacher at Magnet High School, David Wells and his wife.  It's always fun to see someone you know in a big city where you least expect it.

The Flatiron Building

The art installation at Madison Square Park

Sunny day for lunch in the park with the Flatiron in the background

 We walked down to Union Square for the green market.  Lots of brightly colored vegetables and fruits!

 We took the train back uptown to the Met where we were told to spend a few moments with T's "Lady" which of course we did.

 View from the Met's Rooftop...a panoramic taken with my iPhone camera

A picture of me and the city in the window's reflection

The afternoon was pretty surreal:  we saw Woody Allen and Paul McCartney all in a space of about 30 minutes!

Thursday, June 13

On Thursday we called our contact at Steinway Hall and were told we could get a tour at 12:30 so we headed over there and were met by a lovely young woman.  She, of course, was curious how we got her name so we told her about meeting Phillip Kawin.  Our tour was astounding.  We were shown several piano showrooms and were told all about the US and German Steinways and Mr. Steinway who made the first one.  We were taken to a room with photos of Steinway pianists covering the walls and our friend from Carnegie Deli was there!  We were shown the basement area where the pianos are shipped out and where the concert pianos (numbered so artists can request a specific piano) are stored and where Rachmaninoff wrote his third concerto and where he and Horowitz had a few disagreements...a room full of musical history!  It was special for the three of us!

Then we were off to the far corners of Brooklyn to see a couple of exhibits at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.  The El Anatsui Gravity and Grace was a treat for the eyes!  (Photos of the exhibit follow.)  We were all crazy about this special exhibition.  We also saw the John Singer Sargent watercolor exhibit and, of course, it was wonderful.

Drainpipe (linked milk tin lids)

Earth's Skin

Killing Two Pigeons with One Stone

I decided to kill two New York pigeons with one stone this morning by putting on my running shoes and walking to Redeemer's 11:15 service on the Upper West Side.  Well, the sidewalks south of the park were really crowded with everyone getting ready for the big Puerto Rican Day parade that was to start at noon.  I was having to hoof it as it got closer to 11:15.  Finally I made it into the service and was shown a seat on the fifth row.  I sat down and realized I was sweating like I had been running in a marathon.  During the "greet your neighbor" part of the service, I had to apologize for sweating so to the girl sitting next me!  About 20 minutes into the sermon and I was still feeling sweat dripping from my hair onto my shoulder.  I felt like Jim from The Office when he rode his bike to work!  But at least I got my exercise in!

"Father" Tim did not preach but David Bisgove,the pastor of the UWS congregation spoke and he was really good.  They are teaching through Acts and have come near the end.  Very good stuff. 

I passed all kinds of beautiful brownstones on my way to the service.

And here is Redeemer's new building on the Upper West Side, on 83rd Street.

The quintet that played was incredible.  I stayed after the service to listen to the postlude.  The building has been renovated and very contemporary.  Below is a photo I took after the service had ended and I was listening to the last bit of music.

On my way back, I passed this bright red firehouse

...and the Natural History Museum

...and the New York Historical Society

...and this cool building which I don't know the name of.

I cut across the park and stopped in at Strawberry Fields and then walked through the mall and the Poets' Walk.

Everyone was out enjoying the good weather.

This picture is a panoramic I took with my iPhone.

And finally a few pictures from the top of the Peninsula Hotel.  The tall building in the background is the apartment building going up on 57th Street that had the crane dangling from it during Hurricane Sandy.

Below you can see 5th Avenue running all the way up the park, past Mt Sinai Hospital, the dark building rising in the distance.

Painting It More Pink Today Than Red

 The city as seen from the TriBorough Bridge

The Strand Book Store's 5th Avenue sidewalk shop

Getting ready to chow down on this Sprinkles cupcake

And there are even Sprinkles cupcakes for your pooch!  Madeline would have done double somersaults for one of these!

The Plaza Hotel is covered in a fake facade mural while it undergoes refurbishing on its actual facade. 

 While waiting for my chicken tacos at Todd English Food Court in The Plaza, I sat and watched the guys make the pizzas.

 More treats at the Food Court

 The GM Building at 59th Street

 The Paris Theater by Bergdorf's and The Plaza

 Windows at Bergdorf Goodman

 This is the building on W 57th Street that sported the dangling crane during Hurricane Sandy.

The Peninsula Hotel

Getting the barricades put up for tomorrow's Puerto Rican Day Parade

And finally me in my comfy slippers!