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 22nd Street we climb down and walk over to
10th 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.
