Port Washington Mooring Field
We took the train into the city today...how fun. The train station is about a mile from the dock, but easy to find. We took the water taxi to the pier so we didn't have to worry about leaving the dinghy in town all day. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is also the oldest US railroad still operating under its original name and charter. The LIRR is the only commuter passenger railroad in the U. S. to operate 24 hours a day.
We arrived at Penn Station which is the busiest train station in North America. It serves 300,000 passengers a day at a rate of up to a thousand every 90 seconds...a very busy place. It's located near 34th Street close to Madison Square Gardens and Macy's. We wandered through Macy's for awhile, but there was so much remodeling going on it was hard to get round. The Macy building takes up the whole block...there is a pedestrian park on the Broadway side, so we sat and watched people while we decided where we wanted to have lunch. We decided on the 2nd Ave. Deli, it was a good choice.
After lunch we walked down 5th Ave. toward Central Park...stopping at a few of the exclusive shops and walking through St. Patrick Cathedral. We went into Tiffany's, but we didn't pick up any little baubles. Who needs shiny diamonds when you have The Pearl!
Central Park is a wonderful peaceful escape from the chaotic world that surrounds it. Taxis, buses, sirens, people hurrying around and loud noises seem to end where the park begins...our favorite part of New York City. We spent a little time relaxing on the grass and regaining our energy so we could walk down Broadway, through Time Square and back to Penn Station. We didn't have any destination or plan for the day, we just had fun watching people and soaking in the city.
The Long Island Rail Road train
The Empire State Building
Tiffany's & Co.
Looking down 5th Avenue
St. Patrick's Cathedral...The 133 year old cathedral is under going a five year $175 million restoration. There were scaffolding inside and out.
F.O.A. SChwarz...I'd love to bring our grand daughter here!
The view from Central Park
Relaxing at the park
Busy Time Square
The Long Island Rail Road train
I suppose the LIRR has improved since my days as a commuter, but it was pretty dismal when I commuted from LI to NYC for about 20 years. Crowded, subject to break downs, dirty, parking impossible . . NYC was an exciting place to work but I was delighted to move out of the area and have never felt the urge to move back.
ReplyDeleteLove the blog. Hope you have a peaceful run down the NJ coast, which can be rugged and shoreside facilities have been hammered by Hurricane Sandy in places.