NYC Day Three - The Upper West Side

Another Early Start

^{No pastries were harmed in capturing these snaps.}

We kicked off day three in the city with another epic walk. Our to do list for the day included some “must see” attractions, some attractions of “personal significance”, and time with an old friend.

Here is the rough route of our day.

We started our day with a walk up Broadway. Along the way we passed a lot of tasty looking pastries! We also saw the theatre where the Colbert Show is filmed (though the writer’s strike has halted production for now). We made our first stop at Columbus Circle where I enjoyed a croissant from Farinella and my husband grabbed his second Magnolia Bakery banana pudding of our trip.

^{The Late Show with Stephen Colbert}

^{Columbus Circle is a large traffic circle adjacent to the southwest corner of Central Park. It gets its name from the marble statue of explorer Christopher Columbus that is the center point of the roundabout. This statue was carved in Italy and erected in 1892 thanks to the fundraising efforts of New York’s Italian American community.}

^{Soaking up those cafe vibes.}

A Church

Our first “attraction” of the morning was St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. This was a stop of personal significance. My grandparents on my dad’s side were married at this church in September, 1942! (My dad was born just nine months later…). My grandpa’s mom and dad also got married in this church! I am not sure of the year, but likely around 1900. It felt very special to visit this place, particularly in the company of my husband.

^{The church opened in 1885 after taking nine years to construct.}

^{Grandpa and Grandma Finney. Grandma passed away in 2003, and Grandpa passed in 2006. They were my favorite people.}

^{Every church I visit, I always light a candle for my grandparents.}

^Inside.

^{Churches have the most interesting decor…}

^{On the steps, just like grandma and grandpa.}

Architecture

From the church we made our way north along Central Park West. Along the route we soaked up the old school New York architecture. We passed so many old apartment buildings, churches and what looked to be old bank buildings. I am sure each had their own fascinating stories, but we just enjoyed the views.

American Museum of Natural History

Our main destination for the day was the America Museum of Natural History (AMNH). We prepaid for tickets online and received a timed entry reservation. Even so, the line to get in was massive and a bit unorganized.

The AMNH, founded in 1869, contains an impressive 45 galleries focusing of several different elements of the natural world. According to Wikipedia, the museum retains over 35 million specimens! Here you can see everything from dinosaur fossils, to dioramas of every mounted and stuffed creature, to gems, minerals, bugs, a planetarium, and various exhibits on the world’s many cultures. The place is huge, and while we zipped through, it is the type of place you could spend an entire day.

^{So many creatures.}

^{Hall of Gems and Minerals}

^{Hall of Human Origins}

^{Hall of Asian Peoples}

^{Hall of Mexico and Central America}

^{Northwest Coast Hall}

^{Hall of Ornithischian Dinosaurs}

^{Special ticketed exhibition on Sharks}

Hotel Time

Following the museum, it was only a few blocks to our next destination, the Hotel Beacon. Located on the corner of Broadway and W 75th, this hotel was my New York City home base back during my Tour Manager days. We picked this spot to meet up with one of my former colleagues/tour manager friends who currently lives in New York. The Beacon is also special to me because I first met my husband in the hotel’s lobby on July 1st, 1999.

^{Back where it all began. 😍}

^{Walking past the “stoops” of the Upper West Side in search of a lunch spot.}

^{Lunch at Patsy’s Pizzeria with friend & hubby.}

THE Park

^{Sandwiched between Phil and Jill. 😄}

After a bite to eat and an epic catch up at Patsy’s Pizzeria, the three of us went for a walk in Central Park. At a massive 843 acres, Central Park stretches from Midtown’s 59th Street all the way to Central Park North (51 BLOCKS) in Harlem. Designed by Fredrick Las Olmstead and Calvert Vaux, the park officially opened in 1858.

^{The Imagine Mosaic is in an area of Central Park known as Strawberry Fields. The area and mosaic are a memorial to the late John Lennon, singer and songwriter of the legendary British rock group The Beatles.}

^{Carriage rides, horse drawn and bicycle powered, are popular in and around the park.}

^{“The Bethesda Fountain commemorates the opening of the Croton Aqueduct, which first brought fresh water to New York City in 1842. Clean water was “healing” to New Yorkers, who had suffered through numerous devastating disease outbreaks because of contaminated drinking water.” Source The fountain has appeared in many movies and tv shows including “The Avengers”, “Gilmore Girls”, “Elf” and “Sex in the City”.}

^{Turtles and several other wild species inhabit Central Park. Raccoons, squirrels, bats, ducks, migratory birds and skunks are commonly found here. Coyotes have been spotted on occasion.}

^{Central Park has a varied landscape which caters to the many activities enjoyed in the park. There is a lake, several ponds, many lawns, meadows, three forested areas, hills and gardens.}

^{Alice in Wonderland statue.}

In addition to everything mentioned above, the park also has several man made attractions. These include a swimming pool (closed for renovations), tennis courts, The Central Park Zoo, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the famous Tavern on the Green restaurant. It is truly the city’s backyard!

Back to Midtown

We parted ways with my friend upon exiting the park on its east side. From there we followed 5th Avenue back to Midtown Manhattan. 5th Avenue is supposedly one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world. Along our walk we passed Tiffany & Co, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Harry Winston and Bergdorf Goodman. We also passed the famous Plaza Hotel and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.

^{Opened in 1907, the Plaza is both a hotel and residence. It has served as a location in countless movies/tv shows, and has hosted the world’s most famous celebrities, politicians and business leaders. See some examples HERE.}

^{St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of New York. Constructed from 1858-1878, the cathedral was dedicated in 1879 and consecrated in 1910 after construction costs were paid off. This marble clad structure is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic Cathedral in North America. Source}

The Rock

^{Statue of Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders in front of Rockefeller Center.}

Rockefeller Center is an office, media and shopping complex located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Constructed during the 1930’s in the Art Deco style, Rockefeller Center is famous for its annual Christmas Tree lighting and iconic winter ice skating rink. The complex is home to Radio City Music Hall and NBC Studios. The NBC Nightly News, Today Show, and Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon are all filmed in Rockefeller Center. Additionally, Rockefeller Center is home to the flagship FAO Schwartz Toy Store, a giant Lego store and a Nintendo Store.

Several different Rockefeller Center tours are available. Visitors can buy tickets to tour Radio City Music Hall as well as NBC Studios. A ticket for “The Top of the Rock” brings guests to the 70th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Here there are indoor and outdoor viewing decks that provide 360 degree views of the city.

^{Prometheus Statue above Rockefeller’s iconic skating rink.}

^{NBC (National Broadcasting Company) Studios}

^{Scenes from FAO Schwartz ⬆️⬇️}

^{LEGO Store! Iconic NYC landmarks, hubby and Hulk, and… a dachshund with back problems who needs little wheels to get around!!! (This one got me because I have a little dachshund that same color with back problems! 🥲)}

^{Scenes from around Rockefeller Center. Clockwise from top left: “American Progress” Mural by Jose Maria Sert, “I Love NY”, American flags at the Rock, “Wisdom” artwork by Lee Lawrie and Leon Solon, plaque marking the spot where the Christmas Tree stands every year, and looking across the skate rink from the Prometheus Statue.}

^{Radio City Music Hall, home to concerts, comedy shows and the world famous Rockettes.}

A Movie

Since we had walked another 10 miles during the course of the day, we decided to wrap up the night in a more couch potato fashion. We went to the movies! There was a pretty nice theater just a couple blocks from the hotel. We wrapped up the night with the most recent/last “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie. It was a bit of a tearjerker, but really enjoyable. If you know, you know… 😉