The Sights of New York

I started the day moving to my temporary housing. I was very grateful to have a co-worker offer to pick me and all my luggage up and drive me to the house. I got settled quickly and then Carlyne (my hostess for the next two weeks) drove me to the train station where I took the train into the city. I arrived at Penn Station and after walking around for just a bit I realized the city is MUCH more crowded on the weekends, than during the week! My first stop was Macy's at Herald Square. It is all decorated for the holidays. The were having a one day sale and the store was so crowded you could barely move. I found the Ball that will be dropped from Times Square on New Year's eve and took several pictures. It's very beautiful and changes colors on display.

Shrek is the mascot for Macy's this season. He's on all the shopping bags and they have an inflatable above the door, similar to the balloons for the parade next week.


The crowds in Macy's were really too much so I made my way out of the store and found the nearest Dunkin Donuts (they are everywhere here) for a cappuccinno. It was pretty cold this morning, so a hot drink was definitely in order. Once I got warm again, I set out for the biggest Apple store in existence. Being a recently converted Mac user, I wanted to check it out for myself. I made my way there via subway and couldn't believe what I saw when I got there. First of all, the store is quite a sight to behold. There is just a clear glass structure above ground as the store is actually below ground. So, it is very cool looking. There was actually quite a line just to get into the store. Due to the popularity of the store, and fire codes, they can only let so many people in at one time. My first reaction was "forget about it, I can buy anything I need online." But then I realized that I didn't have anywhere I needed to be, and I noticed the line was moving pretty quickly so I decided I'd go ahead and check it out.The line did move pretty quickly. The picture below shows the circular staircase down into the store and in the middle of the staircase is the round elevator.
When I got inside, it was amazing. There were people everywhere and lots of employees to assist with whatever questions one would have. If you've never been in an Apple store, they are very interested in letting you interact with the merchandise, using the computers, iPods, etc. In this Apple store they even had two table dedicated to their smallest customers. They had kid tables with chairs all around. The tables were outfitted with iMacs filled with kids games. It was adorable! I know Mzee would have a blast, and I'm sure we'll take him there at some point. I did realize there was one thing I could buy there, a case for my iPod, but they actually didn't even have the one I wanted...go figure!
My next stop was Central Park. In all my visits to New York, I'd only ever been on the perimeter of the park, so decided that since it had actually turned into a pretty nice day, I'd take a walk through the park. It was amazing! The park is truly an oasis in the city. I entered very near the Central Park Zoo, so was able to see the sea lion show from outsize the zoo. I did discover that the zoo is very reasonable by New York standards, about the same price as Omaha's Zoo. Of course, I'm sure this zoo can't compare to Omaha's. They also have a separate Children's Zoo.

The changing leaves really made for some beautiful scenery in the park. It was just a great day to walk in the park and take it all in.



I walked through Strawberry Fields, where the memorial for John Lennon is.


After the park, I made my way back to 42nd street. I stopped in Bryant Park where they have free ice skating. The skating rink is surrounded by little structures containing shops where you can buy all kinds of things. It was a great place to sit and watch the skaters.
From there, I made my to Grand Central and then to get a bite to eat. I walked back down 5th avenue where I saw the Lord & Taylor all lit up. They have some of the most wonderful window displays for the holidays. I also walked past Macy's one more time on my way to the train, to see it all lit up as well. They were also starting to reveal their holiday windows.
All in all, it was a great day of sightseeing. I had an uneventful train ride back, where Carlyne was nice enough to pick me up at the train station.

The big news from home is that Mzee had his first sleepover tonight! He was so excited about it! I think they are having a great time! Milan is hanging out with Don and 'the guys' tonight. Some of Don's friends are in town, so they are having a small get together.