New York on a lighter note October 1st onwards

New York October 1st to the 9th 2014. Busy busy busy!

Wow, such a busy place, not somewhere either of us would fancy driving in, we heard sirens most of the time day and night from all the services, it made me think of how much time it would take for an ambulance or a fire engine to get to you if you needed one. We watched more than one firetruck trying to get to its destination stuck in a huge traffic jam.

Here we were in Central Park a little way from where John Lennon lived

I think I took this after I bought 2 pairs of shoes in Macy's, Don wasn't impressed by his "look"

I think the policeman was a little amazed at the big needle and button

Don said he fancied a sandwich! Eaten at the famous Carnegie's deli on 7th Avenue

Some days several streets are closed to traffic which must make the traffic situation even worse but we loved it

Grand Central Terminal, so so busy, here is one of the famous "shoe shine" stands

This was the "non busiest" pic I can find, however as I mentioned before we lost all our New York pics, these are some of the recovered ones.

The old and new buildings

So I managed to cross off another "bucket list" item, the Empire State building, it was in view from our hotel bedroom window all be it not much, it looked great at night all lit up.

It had to be then, a visit to the top to watch the sunset and the city light up, we walked there in the afternoon and arrived around 4:15 so thinking we would catch the sunset. 

This is in the lobby 

In 2009, 18 months were spent restoring its aesthetic to the original 1930 design - it only took 13 months to build the entire building!

Highlights of the lobby include the Art Deco inspired ceiling murals—in a homage to the mechanical age, planets and stars are rendered as an assembly line of gears, brought back to life in 24-karat gold and aluminium leaf—and, on the wall above the front desk in the Fifth Avenue lobby is one of the most famous images in New York City, a depiction of the building itself with beams of lights radiating from the mast.

Well the people in lines were huge, up the stairs and that was before getting the tickets when we did get them eventually the wait went on forever to reach the lift. 

When we came out another line of folks and someone shouted if you want to see the sunset you will have to climb the last 6 stories as the lift wait was at least another hour. 

The main viewing deck is on the 86th floor Don and I passed most folk taking a breather but by the 5th I just had to give in and take a rest. When we reached the 86th floor we went out onto the viewing deck, we had missed the sunset but there was a little blue in the sky. The deck was packed, it was very difficult to get to the rail to take photographs, I was elbowed in the ribs and almost pushed to the ground by a very rude Chinese woman. 

Anyway little by little we made our way around the perimeter to see the stunning view over New York.

The Chrysler build looks amazing in the dark

Looking down towards a small park

This is looking up to the 103rd floor so we had to go there too, it wasn't anywhere near as crowded and all behind glass

Please forgive me for posting so many pictures taken here but it was so good, I am indulging myself, some of the photos were taken behind glass so they are a little blurry. 

All the lifts are hand operated and have guys going up and down all day, its open until 2 in the morning.

Exploring Dare To Dream, you’ll find original documents including period photographs, architectural sketches, construction notes, and daily bookkeeping documents, as well as reproductions of photos and mementos from the more than 3,400 workers who helped create history.

Empire State Building’s open-air 86th Floor Observation Deck. As the most famous observatory in the world, the 86th Floor has been the setting of dozens of movie and television scenes

The Observation Deck wraps around the building’s spire, providing 360-degree views of New York and beyond. From up here you’ll get one-of-a-kind views of Central Park, The Hudson River and East River, The Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, The Statue of Liberty, and much more

Each night the building is lit up, so many different colours, some are to music and at Christmas they play Jingle bells as I write this blog (well it is December 12the now)

A little history and facts

1930: On March 17, construction of the Empire State Building begins. Under the direction of architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates, the framework rises 4 ½ stories per week.

1931: On May 1, President Hoover presses a button in Washington, D.C. officially opening and turning on the Empire State Building’s lights.

1933: The movie King Kong is released in New York City on March 2.

1945: A B-25 Bomber crashes into the 79th floor of ESB during heavy fog on a Saturday morning. The building’s construction limits the spread of fire and despite a 20-foot gash, the Empire State Building is open for business-as-usual on Monday.

1950: ESB gets an antenna tower that is over 200 feet tall.

1994: On February 14, the first Valentine’s Day weddings take place at ESB. 

More than 250 couples have exchanged their vows during the event since its inception.

We came back buzzing!

Ok this is enough for this page, I have more to tell of our visit to New York in the next blog, hope I'm not boring you all.

So its BFN

Don and Glenys

Currently in Guadeloupe on our way to Antigua.