Andrew had identified another food experience for today, and it was definitely one that was going to need some serious kms to earn it!
We headed to Times Square on the subway… it seemed remiss of us to come to NY and not at least pause at the major spots. It quickly reminded us that it’s not our kind of experience… give me the trees and sunshine over the noise, lights, and cannabis smoke any day! I love the irony of the massive neon signs acknowledging Earth Day alongside massive flashing billboards encouraging consumption of… everything!
We headed South East along Broadway and enjoyed a slightly quieter pace as we passed the Empire State Building, through Madison Square dog park, and Union Square Greenmarket. Thanks to Earth Day, many of the roads were closed to encourage cyclists and pedestrians. The little concrete and Astro turf dog park again highlighted how fortunate we are!
Katz’s Delicatessen on the Lower East Side has been operating since 1888. It’s known for its pastrami on rye sandwiches and locals and tourists flock there each day. The queue runs down the street, and when you eventually make it through the door it’s mosh pit of meat lovers. Each sandwich has enough meet to satisfy a small family… and oh they are good! It’s said that each week Katz’s serves 6.8 tonnes of pastrami PLUS another 4.5 tonnes of corned beef and salami, and that’s not all that’s on the menu 😮 Quite an experience!
A big lunch set us up for a quiet afternoon before heading to Broadway to see Hamilton. The show has been in the Richard Rodgers Theatre on 46th St since 2015. The theatre opened in 1925 and seats about 1400. It has a beautiful facade and ornate ceilings and front of house spaces, all geared to housing the sell out crowds every night.
It struck me how compact the theatre was. We were at the front of the balcony, and felt so close to the stage. The conductor had a tiny space from which to lead the orchestra under the stage, and performers above.
The show itself was fabulous. Amazing set, cast, score, performances, and story. It felt like the perfect capstone to our fortnight learning about Independence through Albany, Boston, and New York. Highly, highly recommend it… such a privilege to have seen it in Manhattan.
We emerged at 11pm into a rainy Times Square. It was still going, confirming the reputation of NY as the city that never sleeps!!!
Love M and theGrady x
Comments are closed