From DC to NYC. 10/27/21. Onward to NY

Greetings on Wednesday, October 27, 2021

After breakfast and a brief final walk around Adams Morgan, and final packing, we headed to Union Station to take the Acela to Penn Station (NY). We taxied to the station and again chatted with an Ethiopian driver who was both friendly and helpful. For those of you who do not know – I do not take either Uber or Lyft and love real taxi drivers for whom driving is a profession. But that’s another story for another day. Following so many wonderful meals, we settled for Shake Shack at the train station (my first Shake Shack experience). No review for the lunch, but we desperately needed something to eat before boarding the train. Train was pretty full; everyone with masks (but they didn’t check vaccination status as they do at all the restaurants in DC. I hadn’t taken the train from DC to NY in a few years and it was interesting to watch out the window as we traveled and skirted through Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

Arrived at Penn Station around 7:30 in the evening and as we got off the train, I remembered how badly Penn Station displays any signs regarding exits and ground transportation; glad I wasn’t a typical tourist, especially one who is visiting the Big Apple for the first time. We hustled our way to a taxi and headed for the Kitano Hotel (in the Murray Hill area – 38^th and Park). We decided on the Kitano where I’ve stayed several times before and many times in the vicinity of the Kitano because it’s easily accessible, near subway, near Grand Central Station, and most importantly NOT near Broadway and other highly touristed areas. After a quick check-in we headed to the Oyster Bar at Grand Central to have some food… and to be reminded that we were in NY… with waiters who want you to decide on your order as soon as you sit down and are ready to clean up just as quickly. But we weren’t going to rush. We were tired, hungry, and thirsty. [There’s a saying about NY Jewish wedding waiters – in that they are clearing off the tables while you get up to dance!] Obviously this description is not accurate for the upscale restaurants. Anyway, the meal was perfect.. fresh oysters and some other dishes. We strolled back to the Kitano which is only a few blocks away, and went up to the Kitano’s rooftop bar which has good views of the area and the Empire State Building all lit up.

Thursday, October 28

Carol was going to meet a friend who lives in Staten Island for lunch and I was meeting my brother for lunch. As it turned out all of us (without knowing) selected the same restaurant – Pastis – in the Meatpacking District (which doesn’t have any meatpacking going on anymore. I decided to walk – about 3 miles—to the restaurant. I selected Pastis because after lunch we were heading to the Whitney Museum and the location is perfect. But it’s also a really good restaurant. For many years, the original Pastis was the iconic French bistro in NY. I think it closed for a few years and then re-emerged with much of the same menu (or at least it seemed like that to me). My brother had their famous onion soup followed by a ravioli dish which looked quite yummy. I had my favorite steak tartare, followed by a fantastic herb omelet as I hadn’t had any breakfast and the lunch was early (my reservation was about two hours before Carol’s).

Timing was perfect and I was able to table hop and join Carol and her friend toward the end of their meal. My brother took off for home (Hillsdale–about two hours north of the city) where he is a member of the Town Council, to attend a finance committee meeting. Then Carol, her friend, and I walked to the Whitney to see the Jasper Johns show. Within 10 minutes, I remembered why I hate art museums. The Johns show included news clips about Johns including one about him being the first living artist to sell a painting for $1 million. That fact is part of my dislike of museums as the showing of art in big museums just increases the “value” of the work which is generally owned by wealthy people and then they want more by that artist and the prices increase and it just goes on and on.. and has very little to do with the “purpose” of the work. Here’s an interesting article about one of Johns’ pieces. https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/interactive/2021/jasper-johns-slice-painting-whitney/ . 

The show is actually in two parts with a parallel show in Philadelphia. From the photos I’ve seen, I think Philly may be a more interesting show. But it’s still inside an institution of “high culture” that is not comfortable unless you are white and educated (and those seeing the show certainly fit that profile—not a person of color to be found). OK.. I’ve had my fill of these kind of museums for at least another year.

From there, Carol and I walked all the way to Lattanzi (for an early-bird dinner) in order to make it to “To Kill a Mockingbird” at the Schubert Theater. Lattanzi is always a good choice if you’re headed to a Broadway show. It’s been around forever and serves consistently good Italian food with good service but an overall sense that you’re probably headed to the theater. Broadway shows are starting early these days –- 7 pm.. Generally, I prefer to eat after the show, but restaurants are closing earlier than usual because of Covid, so we opted for a vey early dinner before the show and figured we’d stop somewhere after the theater for another drink and a snack. 

Jeff Daniels was back in the leading role as Atticus Fitch and he deserves all the acclaim he got when the play opened  originally in 2018 and was shuttered due to Covid until just two weeks ago. Based on the classic Harper Lee book, the story is still powerful and perhaps has new and even more meaning in the Black Lives Matter era. Indeed there are clearly some lines that are meant to make the play contemporary in what it forces the audience to think about. Daniels was amazing in the part and the cast was superb. While most of us have probably read the book, the play is quite different in its format and its emphasis – and had to go through a lawsuit by the Harper Lee estate because of some of the changes. If you’re in NY, be sure to try to get tickets. 

After the theater, we strolled to the Campbell Apartment (located inside of Grand Central Station but on a second and third floor with an entrance on just one side of the station.) If you’ve never been to the Campbell Apartment, it’s a treat.. a bigger treat when it’s your first time. We didn’t have reservations and it was quite packed, but we managed to get a table up on the “balcony”.. After some “soothing drinks” and a snack, we headed back to the hotel and crashed. Carol’s room is about two doors down from mine and we both have interesting views of the city.

Remainder of NY part of trip to come… 

All the best –

Fern