Time in the Apple – Pt 3 – New Vistas

Fog over the city this morning, tops of buildings disappear into the grey swirling mist.

What to do on this, at least initially, dismal day. We’ve enjoyed sightseeing bus tours in many of the cities we’ve visited but have never done so in Manhattan. So we hike to the Grey Line visitor center and sign on for a ride on the downtown loop tour bus. We climb aboard and settle into the sheltered seats on the upper deck.

I marvel at the vehicles that ply the busy streets of this city: big rigs, construction equipment on trailers, concrete delivery trucks, FedEx and UPS delivery trucks all competing with the vans, the taxis and the cars. Does anyone in this city own a Prius? Seems not. They favor big vehicles, Escalades, Chrysler town cars, major league Mercedes abound. (Perhaps they feel more secure inside a half ton of steel.) And buses: muni busses, tour busses and lotsa sightseeing busses. Somehow they all maneuver through the canyons of the city where every intersection is a death match between aggressive drivers and blasé pedestrians.

Our bus moves out into the melee. The misty drizzle ceases. I move to an unsheltered seat and as our bus ever so slowly moves through mid-town traffic, I see that I have obtained a unique perspective. In all my years of walking the sidewalks of New York I’ve never had this view of the medium-sized buildings, the five, ten and fifteen story buildings that I see now predominate. None are plain; all are interesting. Facades, pediments, casements all intricately carved stonework abound. Even those buildings built from ordinary brick feature elaborate masonry designs. There is a sense of style here I’d never noticed here before. For all the steel and glass towers that typify Manhattan architecture these less imposing structures more subtlety enhance and inform this city’s urbanity.

Our tour guide’s laid back narrative is entertainingly informative although somewhat celebrity driven. “This is the corner where Alex Baldwin was busted while riding his bicycle.” But by the time we reach Herald Square the weather is clearly resolving into a pleasant afternoon. This stop is announced as in additional to, obviously, Macy’s the stop for the Highline. We’ve both always wanted to see it so we abandon the tour bus and head east on foot.

We reach it, climb the stairs, and right away know we’ve made the right decision. What was once an abandoned elevated railroad line in now a marvel of urban park design. Late autumn colors abound all along this elevated park. Planking that fills the spaces between the former tracks rises gracefully to form benches and railings. At intervals we encounter public art, much of it by renowned artists.

At 22^nd Street we climb down and walk over to 10^th Avenue to the Empire Dinner for a late lunch. The weather has continued to improve and we opt for a table out on the sidewalk under an umbrella to shelter us from the now shinning sun. When an occasional cloud crosses the sun the breeze picks up producing swirls of autumn leaves. Almost too nice. Cobb salads for us both accompanied by cava and IPA.

Back on the Highline walking north it’s not possible to not notice that this neighborhood is in the midst of a wave of gentrification. All around once abandoned buildings either have been or are being restored. New construction abounds There is a lesson here for those who favor gracious urban living.

We reach the newest section opened just months ago where the Highline swings out around MTA rail yards to the river. By now it’s become what surely is the last gorgeous late autumn day. The sun now low in the west is adding colors to the panoramic views down river to the skyscrapers of lower Manhattan, to the dappled palisades across the river all of it reflected in the swift flowing yet placid appearing Hudson. We linger in the Zen of it not at all anxious to leave. But there’s another opera to attend tonight so reluctantly we catch a cab back to the hotel.