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Jul. 15th, 2010 01:24 am
New York New York New York: Friday
Friday was a relatively late start. Got up, had my breakfast. I forgot to put my 'do-not-disturb' sign on my door, so there was an awkward moment where I finished my breakfast before room service was finished with my room. And with the narrow hallways of the place, I really couldnt get in until they were done.
Got my stuff, and got ready to visit the Ed Sullivan theatre, and hoping for a chance to at least get in on, if not get on, The Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman had always been my favorite late night talk show. Leno was always such a friggin inoffensive pussy, and Conan was annoying, and, well, just not funny unless he had Andy Richter to cover his ass. Ok, well, Colin Ferguson is good too, but I dont quite have the history with him that I do with ol' Dave. I plotted out the journey on the map, got off on the right subway exit, walked a few blocks, only to find THIS.
SHIT.
This would probably have to be my only real disappointment in the visit. But that couldnt mean that I couldnt have a good lunch though. I stopped in at that Deli next door to the theatre, that is often seen on the show. It was a very, tiny place (but then again, in NY, ALL such places are small. And yes, I did get to see the Korean guy from the show, too. I was waaaay too shy to gush over him like a typical star-struck tourist asshole, but I was excited to have my order taken by the real guy. All the sandwiches were named after people frmo the late show and reoccuring guests (The Letterman, the Paul Schaeffer, the Regis Philbin, the Tony Randal, etc). The guy was really friendly, and the food, while not gourmet, was still good. And, aside from club night, he was probably the most famous person I got to meet while there. I sat in the deli to eat, and listned in on him and two wall-street-types talk stocks and etc, then went on my way.
Saw this, just across the corner from Dave's place.
A great little example of the stereotypical seedier side of NY.
So, not being able to get to see Dave, I decided to hit Rockefeller Plaza, another symbolic centerpiece of New York. I got off at the subway exit just below the place. And at that point, I really needed to use the restroom. And at that point, I began to learn just how hard it was to find a restroom (or a public one, anyway) in the city. Eventualy, after more walking that I should have done, I found one. I was surprised to find Rockefeller Plaza, or at least the 1st floor anyway, to be more like a mini-mall than anything else... kinda like a much more upscale version of kansas city's Crown Center. I decided to indulge at a Ben and Jerry's shop, then have a look outside. Of course, being well into April, there was no ice skating rink. But the gold statue was there. And just the landscaping and design of it all, I found to be just simply amazing. Going through the main interance, it was just a typical office building (well, not so typical really, given that it was supposed to be NBC's world headquarters. And the fact that the place looked to be a giant church, devoted to the worship of Art-Deco. The hallway was lined with beautiful murals, and all sorts of uniformed security types, dressed up like 1930s doormen. I looked into getting a tour of the studios. They were sold out up to 6pm. So, with 6 hours or so to kill, I decided to go next door, to Radio City Music Hall. They were having tours too, but only an hour waiting period. So, still having a little bit of time to kill, I explored the block. There was a grand cathedral across the way, a stunning statue of Atlas across from it, and the the statue of liberty aliens again... The lobbies itself wasnt too remarkable. Granted, they were marvels in the science of interior design, I found it much like kansas city's Midland Theatre. At least until I got to see the stage. Seldom have I seen such a sight. Ill let the picture speak for itself
There was ALOT of stair climing throughout the tour, which made it hard, and taxing, to keep up. There was also a short film about the music hall, and an interview with a 'real' Rockette... which really wasnt all that impressive... I didnt think she was THAT good looking, but the outfit looked cool, and she was very friendly, giving a brief lecture on the history of the Rockettes, and posed for pictures. Appearantly, we all just missed Oprah Winfrey by just minutes. I can live with that.
The tour over, and still having time to kill, I took the subway down to City Hall Park. It was a good chance to take a break. It was also the 1st, and only time, I saw Squirrels in the city. The place had a real aged beauty to it. Like all parks in the city, it really was a refuge of peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city. Took a walk around for a bit, took some pics. Brooklyn Bridge was not far from the park. It was actualy alot closed than it was at the stop I got off on tuesday when I wanted to look at it, proving that hindsight is 20/20, AND that maps are not always drawn to scale. I was tempted to walk it, but, with the time that I had to work with, and the energy that I had, I only made it about 1/5 of the way, if that. I bought a 3.00 can of pop from a street vender. He generously offered a straw. And I told him if I was going to spend that munch money on it, I might as well get the most out of my money that I could, and I got a laugh out of him.
It was time to get back to Rockefeller Plaza for the tour. It was a bit of a wait in line, then it was into this dome-thing for a introductory video, and a review of security, which i thought was a bit strict really. No phones, no weapons, no cameras, no food or water, and no restrooms period. If you were caught with recording materia, it was confiscated permantly. If you were caught with a weapon, it would be returned at the end of the tour. o_O.
We took an elevator trip to the next floor, and the tour guide pointed out a picture of the original SNL cast, and challanged the group to name them all. Which everone did (although no one except me knew who Garrett Morris (aka "The Black One") was (but, to be fair, he's the one out of the entire 1st cast who had the smallest-profile post-SNL carreer that didnt die of cancer). And then, the tour guide pointed out the portrate of the current cast next to the orignal cast portrate, and again challenged the group to name all the cast. No one knew ANYBODY. Which I suppose stands as a testimate to the current quality of the not-quite-ready-for-SNL-players. Then, we went to the viewing booth for stage rehersal. I was overwhelemed by just how SMALL the damned set for SNL was. You would never have known just from watching the show. Ive seen high school auditoriums larger in size. Which didnt make me surpised to learn that the waiting list for tickets to the show were over 15 years long, and the 1st-come-1st-serve method had long since been abandoned in favour of the lottery system for giving out tickets... and even then that was a once in a lifetime chance. I did spy Maya Rudolph, Amy Pohler, Anna Ghastyer, and Rachael Dratch on stage. Sorry kids, no Betty White though.
Then, it was a look at the SNL make up processess, a look at NBC's national control room, then a photo op at the old NBC news desk, and that's it. Tours over. A bit underwhelming, I thought. But then again, NBC does have a rich history of underwhelment...
Having bought a trip to the GE building's balcony along with the tour ticket, that was the next stop. The line was a bit long for that one also, but along the length of the line was a somewhat interesting exhibit on John Rockerfeller Jr. The balcony was a bit crowded... but, at sunset, the view was AMAZING... actualy better than that of the Empire State Building. Becuase not only could I see just about everything, but I could also see everything light up as the sun went down. The Empire State Building. Times Square. The Chrysler Building. Cnetral Park. Even the statue of liberty. And with the weather being what it was, I couldnt have asked for a better experience.
The night was wearing on, but I still had so much energy. So there was only one place I could think of to go: Back to Times Square. Seeing it in daytime was NOTHING compared to seeing it lit up at night. It was amazing. Simply amazing. City lights everywhere. People all about, all types. There were even evangelist whackos out and about. Including this really old and stingy looking old lady handing out church pamphlets, and shot me a very dirty look when I took out my camera for a picture. And yeah, bums in New York City are verrrrry camera shy for some reason....
It really was a good feeling and vibe all througout the place. Yes, it was corporate mickey-mouse type shit. But really, it was a relaxed, laid back, fun atmosphere. Like everyone was really welcome, and, for the most part, everyone was there to have a good time. And I think that its good to have a place like that, just like its good to have underground, subcultured and exclusive places as well, if nothing else than to maintain a balance. With so much about me, and not sure how much money I had to my name, and not having enough energy to walk around too much, all I could do was just take a seat on the plaza patio, and just soak it all in. It was perfect, just absolutely perfect. I could ill-remember the last time I felt at such peace. My only (other) regret, is that it couldnt last forever.
Evently, I had to journey back to home base. I stopped off at the times square walgreens (a walgreens in times square?!?), took in a brief music show in the subway station, and headed back. There was an art student drawing portrates of subway folk, and with mothers day around the corner, I took him up on his offer for portrates for tips so I could get my grandmother something. The portrate, while not flattering, wasnt lacking in talent in merit, and was pretty damned good in terms of skill. I couldnt stand to look at it, but my grandmother really liked it.
There was only one more day left. More or less, I got to see everything I wanted to see at that point.
Got my stuff, and got ready to visit the Ed Sullivan theatre, and hoping for a chance to at least get in on, if not get on, The Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman had always been my favorite late night talk show. Leno was always such a friggin inoffensive pussy, and Conan was annoying, and, well, just not funny unless he had Andy Richter to cover his ass. Ok, well, Colin Ferguson is good too, but I dont quite have the history with him that I do with ol' Dave. I plotted out the journey on the map, got off on the right subway exit, walked a few blocks, only to find THIS.
SHIT.
This would probably have to be my only real disappointment in the visit. But that couldnt mean that I couldnt have a good lunch though. I stopped in at that Deli next door to the theatre, that is often seen on the show. It was a very, tiny place (but then again, in NY, ALL such places are small. And yes, I did get to see the Korean guy from the show, too. I was waaaay too shy to gush over him like a typical star-struck tourist asshole, but I was excited to have my order taken by the real guy. All the sandwiches were named after people frmo the late show and reoccuring guests (The Letterman, the Paul Schaeffer, the Regis Philbin, the Tony Randal, etc). The guy was really friendly, and the food, while not gourmet, was still good. And, aside from club night, he was probably the most famous person I got to meet while there. I sat in the deli to eat, and listned in on him and two wall-street-types talk stocks and etc, then went on my way.
Saw this, just across the corner from Dave's place.
A great little example of the stereotypical seedier side of NY.
So, not being able to get to see Dave, I decided to hit Rockefeller Plaza, another symbolic centerpiece of New York. I got off at the subway exit just below the place. And at that point, I really needed to use the restroom. And at that point, I began to learn just how hard it was to find a restroom (or a public one, anyway) in the city. Eventualy, after more walking that I should have done, I found one. I was surprised to find Rockefeller Plaza, or at least the 1st floor anyway, to be more like a mini-mall than anything else... kinda like a much more upscale version of kansas city's Crown Center. I decided to indulge at a Ben and Jerry's shop, then have a look outside. Of course, being well into April, there was no ice skating rink. But the gold statue was there. And just the landscaping and design of it all, I found to be just simply amazing. Going through the main interance, it was just a typical office building (well, not so typical really, given that it was supposed to be NBC's world headquarters. And the fact that the place looked to be a giant church, devoted to the worship of Art-Deco. The hallway was lined with beautiful murals, and all sorts of uniformed security types, dressed up like 1930s doormen. I looked into getting a tour of the studios. They were sold out up to 6pm. So, with 6 hours or so to kill, I decided to go next door, to Radio City Music Hall. They were having tours too, but only an hour waiting period. So, still having a little bit of time to kill, I explored the block. There was a grand cathedral across the way, a stunning statue of Atlas across from it, and the the statue of liberty aliens again... The lobbies itself wasnt too remarkable. Granted, they were marvels in the science of interior design, I found it much like kansas city's Midland Theatre. At least until I got to see the stage. Seldom have I seen such a sight. Ill let the picture speak for itself
There was ALOT of stair climing throughout the tour, which made it hard, and taxing, to keep up. There was also a short film about the music hall, and an interview with a 'real' Rockette... which really wasnt all that impressive... I didnt think she was THAT good looking, but the outfit looked cool, and she was very friendly, giving a brief lecture on the history of the Rockettes, and posed for pictures. Appearantly, we all just missed Oprah Winfrey by just minutes. I can live with that.
The tour over, and still having time to kill, I took the subway down to City Hall Park. It was a good chance to take a break. It was also the 1st, and only time, I saw Squirrels in the city. The place had a real aged beauty to it. Like all parks in the city, it really was a refuge of peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city. Took a walk around for a bit, took some pics. Brooklyn Bridge was not far from the park. It was actualy alot closed than it was at the stop I got off on tuesday when I wanted to look at it, proving that hindsight is 20/20, AND that maps are not always drawn to scale. I was tempted to walk it, but, with the time that I had to work with, and the energy that I had, I only made it about 1/5 of the way, if that. I bought a 3.00 can of pop from a street vender. He generously offered a straw. And I told him if I was going to spend that munch money on it, I might as well get the most out of my money that I could, and I got a laugh out of him.
It was time to get back to Rockefeller Plaza for the tour. It was a bit of a wait in line, then it was into this dome-thing for a introductory video, and a review of security, which i thought was a bit strict really. No phones, no weapons, no cameras, no food or water, and no restrooms period. If you were caught with recording materia, it was confiscated permantly. If you were caught with a weapon, it would be returned at the end of the tour. o_O.
We took an elevator trip to the next floor, and the tour guide pointed out a picture of the original SNL cast, and challanged the group to name them all. Which everone did (although no one except me knew who Garrett Morris (aka "The Black One") was (but, to be fair, he's the one out of the entire 1st cast who had the smallest-profile post-SNL carreer that didnt die of cancer). And then, the tour guide pointed out the portrate of the current cast next to the orignal cast portrate, and again challenged the group to name all the cast. No one knew ANYBODY. Which I suppose stands as a testimate to the current quality of the not-quite-ready-for-SNL-players. Then, we went to the viewing booth for stage rehersal. I was overwhelemed by just how SMALL the damned set for SNL was. You would never have known just from watching the show. Ive seen high school auditoriums larger in size. Which didnt make me surpised to learn that the waiting list for tickets to the show were over 15 years long, and the 1st-come-1st-serve method had long since been abandoned in favour of the lottery system for giving out tickets... and even then that was a once in a lifetime chance. I did spy Maya Rudolph, Amy Pohler, Anna Ghastyer, and Rachael Dratch on stage. Sorry kids, no Betty White though.
Then, it was a look at the SNL make up processess, a look at NBC's national control room, then a photo op at the old NBC news desk, and that's it. Tours over. A bit underwhelming, I thought. But then again, NBC does have a rich history of underwhelment...
Having bought a trip to the GE building's balcony along with the tour ticket, that was the next stop. The line was a bit long for that one also, but along the length of the line was a somewhat interesting exhibit on John Rockerfeller Jr. The balcony was a bit crowded... but, at sunset, the view was AMAZING... actualy better than that of the Empire State Building. Becuase not only could I see just about everything, but I could also see everything light up as the sun went down. The Empire State Building. Times Square. The Chrysler Building. Cnetral Park. Even the statue of liberty. And with the weather being what it was, I couldnt have asked for a better experience.
The night was wearing on, but I still had so much energy. So there was only one place I could think of to go: Back to Times Square. Seeing it in daytime was NOTHING compared to seeing it lit up at night. It was amazing. Simply amazing. City lights everywhere. People all about, all types. There were even evangelist whackos out and about. Including this really old and stingy looking old lady handing out church pamphlets, and shot me a very dirty look when I took out my camera for a picture. And yeah, bums in New York City are verrrrry camera shy for some reason....
It really was a good feeling and vibe all througout the place. Yes, it was corporate mickey-mouse type shit. But really, it was a relaxed, laid back, fun atmosphere. Like everyone was really welcome, and, for the most part, everyone was there to have a good time. And I think that its good to have a place like that, just like its good to have underground, subcultured and exclusive places as well, if nothing else than to maintain a balance. With so much about me, and not sure how much money I had to my name, and not having enough energy to walk around too much, all I could do was just take a seat on the plaza patio, and just soak it all in. It was perfect, just absolutely perfect. I could ill-remember the last time I felt at such peace. My only (other) regret, is that it couldnt last forever.
Evently, I had to journey back to home base. I stopped off at the times square walgreens (a walgreens in times square?!?), took in a brief music show in the subway station, and headed back. There was an art student drawing portrates of subway folk, and with mothers day around the corner, I took him up on his offer for portrates for tips so I could get my grandmother something. The portrate, while not flattering, wasnt lacking in talent in merit, and was pretty damned good in terms of skill. I couldnt stand to look at it, but my grandmother really liked it.
There was only one more day left. More or less, I got to see everything I wanted to see at that point.
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