01-08 May 2025

One of these days Robert will look up why New York City is called The Big Apple. But not right now. We decided a week or two ago to make this trip. We haven’t visited since 2017 and things look different. There are a few astonishingly tall buildings and there are active bike lanes everywhere.

The flight from SFO went smoothly after they called off a two-hour delay—understaffing and other problems at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. The United Boeing 777 we took is enormous! Holds 550 people.

We arrived around 8:30 pm and after claiming our baggage and calling for a Lyft, we got to our hotel around 10:30. Bonnie picked a great location. The Luma Hotel is on a quiet block in Midtown between Times Square and Bryant Park, near the Theater District.

Immediate impressions of Manhattan: car honking is way of life here, and garbage pickups occur 24/7. And, there are hordes of people!

Bonnie took charge of the itinerary, especially musicals, jazz, opera, and restaurants. We even managed to meet cousins Mark and Janine Nolfi twice.

Lodging

Luma Hotel on 41st between Bryant Park and Times Square

Bryant Park

The park proves that a simple design is often the best. Central lawn panel (slightly sunken) surrounded by two rows of trees with lots of movable seating and tables and ample paving to accommodate an open market. It was nearly always full of people. A bar and restaurant at one end helps too!

Wanderings

Lunch with Mark and Janine!

Dinner and a Musical

Saturday Matinee at the Met

Fulfilling Bonnie’s quest to attend an opera at the Met. This time, The Barber of Seville (Rossini).

Dinner and a Stroll

Sunday … Bits of This and That

Bonnie’s Pilgrimage to Zuri

Little Island

This new city park on the Hudson River was created about four years ago, after extensive wrangling and court challenges, on the site of an abandoned pier. The photos we had seen show the dramatic white, tulip shaped pillars supporting the park over the water but don’t give much sense of what it is like to walk through the space. The scale of Little Island is much larger than we imaged from the photos. Abundant varied plant material, much in bloom. Very unusual and quite successful.

Hudson Yards

Newly developed area stretching over two blocks with shopping center, large sculpture called The Vessel, and a major theater space. Our overall impression: bulky in form and scale, lacking any intimate character. Soulless.

Dizzy’s Club

Our third time here. Part of Winston Marsalis’s Jazz at Lincoln Center (which is actually at Columbia Circle). It is a small venue with cocktails and dinner plus a fabulous view over Central Park. Always great. This time we saw Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, an all-female group of Afro Cuban musicians based in Toronto.

Lunch with Pat and John

Quick Stop at the Guggenheim Museum

Investigating Gelato

Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks

Our third time. Big Band of the 1920’s and 30’s.

Junior’s!

As recommended by Bob Schmolze

A Quick Visit to the Met

We went to the Met the morning after the Met Gala, and they were still taking down the exterior tents. The Met was CROWDED on a Tuesday. The John Singer Sargent show Paris was great although the crush of people made it hard to see each painting. The show focused on Sargent’s ten years in Paris beginning at the ripe age of 18 years, and it included many of his most famous works.

A Drink and then Dinner

Musical #2 – Buena Vista Social Club

Earlier in the week Mark and Janine mentioned that they were going to this musical so we decided to join them. Ten Tony nominations. Out for a fabulous dinner afterward.

Next: Train to Boston!