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New York City - New York, USA
I worked out that it's been around eighteen years since I first realised I wanted to visit NYC. At long last the excuse to go was some friends visiting from the UK on the tail-end of their Honeymoon.
Click on the image to open a larger version. Unless stated otherwise all images are Copyright © Mike Hume 2005.
Broadway
Brooklyn Bridge
Everyone has seen pictures of this iconic Manhattan bridge. It opened in May 1883 and sits 135ft above the East River. It is well-known for its photogenic nature given its aesthetically-pleasing geometric layout.
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building was built in completed in 1930 and was the tallest building in New York until the Empire State Building came along. The building was financed by Walter P. Chrysler, head of the car manufacturer Chrysler. The design is based on components used in cars in the late 1920s and 1930s.
Ellen Stardust Diner
The Ellen Stardust Diner is a little slice of 1950s America right in the centre of town. The place is stuffed full of 1950s memorabilia including a train running around the ceiling and old TVs playing films from the era. Here the waiting staff perform songs standing on the tables or carrying a tray of drinks to your table. The strawberry milkshake has to be the best in the world.
Empire Diner
The Empire Diner is a 1950s railway carriage style diner on 10th Ave and 22nd St. Lots of character here with a live piano and it's open until something stupid like 4am. Eating here is the definitive 1950s diner experience and it great fun. The second best strawberry milkshakes in the world.
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building must be about the best-known skyscraper in the world. Currently the tallest building in Manhattan you can see from the photos below that when it gets overcast the view from the top isn't so good. However it does mean the queues are very short. Apparently the building is lit up in different colours for various occassions. On July 16th it was blue and green although I don't know what for...
Flat Iron Building
The Flat Iron building is in midtown Manhattan and is well known for it's tiny footprint on the junction of Broadway and Fifth Avenue at Madison Square Park. The slim end is only 6 or so feet wide.
General
Some general photos here including the entrance lobby to the company apartment which is about 50 yards from the façade of the New York Stock Exchange (which must have the largest Starry-Spangled Banner in the US!). There are also some pics of some vaguely famous buildings around Manhattan including the Carnegie Hall (note this is not the one in Dunfermline ).
The Ed Sullivan Theater plays host to CBS 's tapings of "The Late Show With David Letterman" every Monday to Thursday night and anyone who has seen the show will recognise that section of Broadway which often hosts Dave's pranks on the unsuspecting public.
A friend at work had a spare ticket to "Wicked" which is the untold story of the Witches of Oz. A very clever musical which respects L. F. Baum's original work but puts a new twist on the whole story. Altogether an amazing experience at the Gershwin Theater on Broadway. The set was built right out into the auditorium and there were points in the action where we had people flown above us - makes you realise this is how the shows are meant to be seen before they go on tour. It will be interesting to compare it with the touring production which will be in Boston in April 2006.
Grand Central Station
Helicopter Tour
Services provided by Helicopter Flight Services Inc .
New York Public Library
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is the largest indoor theatre in the world seating just under 6,000 people. The proscenium opening is 100 feet wide and 60 feet high with a shimmering curtain weighing 3 tons supported on 14 independent motors enabling it to elegantly open in many ways. The stage is equipped with one of the most flexible elevator systems in the world. Three sections each 15ft deep and 70ft wide can independently rise 13ft above and 27ft below the stage. When they are all at the same level a 43ft diameter revolve may be used in the center.
The interior decoration is sumptuous and no expense was spared in the restoration which took place a few years ago. All in all this is one magical place.
Rockefeller Plaza
The Rockefeller Center takes up a whole city block and near the center is the Rockefeller Plaza. This is the one famously covered with an ice rink in winter.
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island ferry runs every 30 mins and joins Manhattan with Staten Island. It's free and conveniently passes very close to Liberty Island giving everyone a good chance to look at the Statue Of Liberty .
Times Square
Times Square and 42nd St. Imagine Leicester Square in London on a Friday night and multiply that by 10 and you're somewhere approaching this place. It's non-stop 24 hours a day. You might spot "The Naked Cowboy" if you're there - some guy who stands in all weathers wearing just a pair of jocks and a stetson playing his guitar. It takes all sorts I guess. You'll see the countdown to the Harry Potter launch where a crowd joined in with the coutdown whilst TV crews scrambled to get pictures of all the fans.