From Brooklyn to The Bronx

From Brooklyn to The Bronx
October 2015

Things became very steamy today and New York showed its summer face. The temperature was in the high 20's and rain was threatening.

Probably not a day for the cycle ride we had planned so we walked to the Circle Line pier on the Hudson River and used one of the five attraction phases to buy a pair of tickets on the "round the island" tour. Predictably, the section down to Manhattan and out to the Statue of Liberty was great, as was the run up the West River which gave a really good look at Brooklyn and the skyscrapers of Midtown. 

The northerly section was through an ever narrowing waterway which showed the less impressive side of New York and the commentator resorted to lengthy explanations about American Football and Baseball clubs which went a bit over my head. In some ways it had the feel of entering Birmingham or Manchester by canal, seeing the underbelly of the city. All in all it was a great way to get a feel for Manhattan Island as a whole and well worth a trip.

Fortunately the rain held off although the humidity was sky high and it was all very sticky!

We returned to Midtown at 4.00pm and as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) opens till 8.00 pm on Fridays we thought we would take a look. Big mistake! The museum is open free after 4.00 so it was more than rammed which caused us to turn back and leave it for another day.

With the storm clouds gathering around the towering skyscrapers we decided on an early meal and in desperation we literally stumbled across Ellen's Stardust Diner on Broadway. Oh wow! What a treat if you were just looking for a burger! Ellen's is renown for its singing waiters and the place comes complete with an MC and in turn all the waiters do their star turn, sometimes singing from the narrowest stage in town! It turns out that many of the waiters are actors between jobs and it's a good place to keep performing. With the rain hammering down we indulged in a pitcher of beer plus a dessert which pushed the bill up but it has to be said that the entertainment was well worth it.

But the night was young and at 10.30 we ventured out again to meet up with Miles Richardson in  Sardi's after his final rehearsal of King Richard 3rd which will be playing at The Music Box. We were ehtertained with thespian tales of years gone by, including stories from his youth when he lived in New York when his father played on Broadway. Miles guaranteed star treatment on hIs rerun to this watering hole by mistaking a 50 dollar bill for a 20 when he tipp the barman! Oops.