24 Hours in NYC
ATL/EWR → 34th → 46th → 59th → 50th → 44th → 41st → 48th → 33rd → 37th → EWR/ATL = 19,808 Steps
I spent the day in New York – literally the day. 23 ½ hours, door to door, to be exact. But, before we dive into my trip, here are some observations on New York from a gent who lives south of the Mason-Dixon line:
1st – Don’t believe the “news” that New York is struggling, it’s overridden with homeless people, the streets are empty, and businesses are closing left, right, and center. Trust me – it’s bullshit. New York is alive and thriving. And thank God for that.
2nd – “Post-COVID” New York does not look like “Pre-COVID” New York. There just aren’t as many people. That said, it’s still packed with humans. And not just your run-of-the-mill humans, but that self-absorbed species that parachutes in during the holidays to take hundreds of selfies between West 48th and 51st, undoubtedly scrutinizing each photo for double chins and lazy eyes in a futile attempt to show their “followers” - all 317 of them - how fabulous their lives are. These are the same morons who block intersections and back into parking spaces. They’re shamelessly addicted to themselves, and if I didn’t know any better, I would’ve assumed the 88th Annual Dickhead Convention was in session, but it wasn’t. It’s New York in December. I digress.
So, here’s my day traveling in and out of Manhattan:
3:30am – Woke up to Bill Withers singing “Lovely Day,” splashed cold water on my face, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, put a white dress shirt on, stepped into my trousers, thumbed a pair of suspenders over my shoulders, tied a four-in-hand, and threw on my new double-breasted blazer.
3:50am – Climbed into a freezing cold car, put on “Questioningly” by the Ramones (I recently dove into Punk), off I went to ATL/Hartsfield.
5:37am - $8 cup of airport coffee.
6:53am – Departed ATL for EWR (I bought a ticket last minute – the only available flight was to Newark, NJ).
8:44am – Landed. For the record, EWR isn’t the EWR of several years ago – they classed it up, it’s no longer the armpit of American airports.
9:09am – Train to NY, listened to a bunch of old hip-hop: “Bust a Move,” “My Adidas,” and LL’s “I’m Bad.”
9:50am – W 34th. Arrived at Penn Station, first thing I saw when I walked out was the Empire State Building.
10:07am – W 39th. Bought a $10 plaid scarf from a vendor on the street.
10:22am – E 46th. Bagel and coffee at Milk n’ Honey. Had a bit of a cultural awakening with the shouting behind the counter – welcome to the Big Apple.
11:07am – E 59th. Bought a phone charger at the iconic Apple Store on 5th Avenue.
11:17am – Swung by the Ritz-Carlton on Central Park South to catch my breath.
11:30am – Quick jaunt to Central Park to take pics of the new supertall skyscrapers on Billionaires Row.
12:30pm – E 44th. 1st meeting of the day for coffee at the old Brooks Brothers on Madison Avenue. It’s quite the sight to be drinking coffee in what used to be a Brooks Brothers shop (coffee was great).
2:08pm – W 44th. 2nd meeting and lunch at the Havard Club. It’s quintessential New York and New England. It’s old-school, it’s classy, and oh so warm (wood-burning fireplaces are perfect on a chilly day) … both figuratively and literally.
3:10pm – E 44th. 3rd meeting at the Yale Club. I got lucky with back-to-back meetings on the same block. The Yale Club is big – very BIG. It’s twenty-two stories tall. TWENTY-TWO. You read that right. To put that in perspective, The Plaza Hotel is eighteen stories tall. In any case, it’s spectacular, friendly, and, like the Harvard Club, dripping with class and aristocratic charm.
4:00pm – E 41st. Swung by the New York Public Library to write post cards (something I’ve done since my first job out of college).
4:35pm – W 48th. Visited Rockefeller Center to see the tree and got bombarded with the aforementioned humans. People aside, seeing the ice skaters beneath the tree during Christmas is such an American thing. I just love it.
5:15pm – E 33rd. Got a Coke and a Baby Ruth at 7-11 on Madison Avenue.
5:45pm – E 37th. 4th and final meeting at the Union League Club off Park Avenue. Yet another spectacular, and very old, club. Founded two years before the Harvard Club in 1863, this place has it all – including CIGAR SMOKING! Actual smoking in doors. What a treat! I couldn’t have possibly capped off my trip in a better place.
8:07pm – Uber to Newark. I have no idea how the driver got me there in time, let alone alive, but damned if he didn’t.
9:08pm – Arrived at Newark
10:25pm – Plane took off (a bit late)
12:34am – Landed at ATL/Hartsfield
1:15am – Drove home
2:20am – Got home
2:35am – Read a Playboy that I purchased on eBay (December 1961). If you’re over forty, you’ve heard the old saying, “I read it for the articles.” In my case, it’s the truth. Besides, the centerfold is not only wearing pants, but she’s also covering her chest. Old Playboys have exceptionally good writing. Plus, they’re fun to thumb through.
3:03am – Went to bed
