Empire State of Mind

A few blogs previously I depicted one of my favorite NYC landmarks which appeared on the cover of my favorite novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Take a guess?

This is none other than the Empire State Building! I was lucky enough to take a ride up to the top of this iconic Big Apple monument last weekend under the encouragement of some friends and an out-of-town visitor. Can you believe after four years of living in NYC I still have never gone?

The ride to the top consisted of many many iconic emblems of the building in this very gold and emblazoned Art Deco style. It had a very Industrial, Gilded-age feeling.

The top of the ESB was actually very peaceful and there was even the soothing sounds of a jazz saxophone the moment you get off the elevator.

My tips: skip the express lines and go late at night. Last ride is at 2 a.m. You'll get amazing views of the night skyline without the headache of tourist lines! Just don't forget to bring your camera!

87 floors later....expect your ears to pop!

Clip!

I tend to show restraint with the various iPhone gadgets and gizmos out there but this gadget here is all kinds of ergonomic, functional and ingenious!

A clip-case for your iPhone.. perfect for taking notes or clipping random things like money, tissues, etc! Of course, the Japanese are all over this!

On the Streets: 42nd and Madison

This is on my top 5 favorite scenes in NYC. Nice summer afternoon, on my stroll to the 6 train. The majestic Grand Central Station to the left. With a very elegant Chrysler Building up ahead.

These two NYC landmarks were also featured in a previous blogpost, "NYC at night." The lights! The glamour! There is really no comparison!

 P.S. Another recognizable NYC landmark is on the my favorite book, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Take a guess?

RIOC

I made the trek to Roosevelt Island a few weekends ago. For those of you who don't know, Roosevelt Island is one of the few satellite islands surrounding Manhattan, namely, plopped down on the East River right between midtown Manhattan and Queens.

It is only a 2-mile long stretch of land and has a wealth of old New York history. The most notorious landmark on the island is the old New York Lunatic Asylum, open during the 18th-19th century. Enough said. On the southernmost tip there is also an old abandoned building called the Smallpox Hospital that is now incredibly dilapidated. Seems like the naming on Roosevelt Island is quite literal.

Making the trek to Roosevelt Island is incredibly convenient, either by the Queensboro bridge or a tram.

View on the Queensboro bridge. 

Lots of families inhabit the many rental properties on the island... most with beautiful city views! 

     

I spotted the most curious pieces of art in the East River waters towards the north end of the island. There were a sequence of four bronze sculptures depicting a Coin and House at play. I finally was able to find out more on the Internet and turns out it was done by Tom Otterness and is called The Marriage of Real Estate and Money. The artistic style looked eerily familiar and upon further digging, I found out he has actually done many public exhibits around NYC including one large frog in front of a LES playground.

A day out in RI is not a bad way to spend a day, especially for a Staycation! You'll never know what funky, interesting things you'll find!