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Category: New York

2022 US Trip – Day 4 (Blind Tiger in New York)

I thought that I’d stay nearby to my accommodation as I was quite tired, instead of trekking back out to a brewery further away, so I went for Blind Tiger in Greenwich Village.

It was a busy bar with limited seating available, so I thought that I’d just have one beer. However, after trying to do that, I was told that there was a two drink minimum which I wasn’t entirely impressed with. Having written that though, I was happy to have two (indeed, it’s very rare that I only have one), it’s just there was a lacking of seating space, but that problem soon resolved itself.

I propped myself by the window for my first drink, a very decent fruited sour from Kings County Brewers Collective, but more on them in a later blog post as I went to their brew-tap the following day.

A table then became available, but two of us headed for it at the same time. We soon agreed that we were happy to share that table and had a lovely chat about various matters. With my new friend guarding the table, I went to get my second drink, a very decadent (and slightly expensive) strong ale, the Firestone 19 (XIX) Anniversary Ale from the Firestone Walker Brewing Company. Suitably rich and full of flavour though, I was pleased with it although its strength (13.8% ABV) meant that I sipped at it for some time.

There was quite a cosy atmosphere in the bar, which also had some outdoors seating, and some people were vaguely watching the sport that was showing on the TV screens. I was very pleased with the two drinks that I had, and actually was quite satisfied that I was forced to stay for a second drink, but I’m still not sure that’s the best strategy. The prices weren’t unreasonable for the location and the beer choices were decent, so no complaints there. Although I didn’t have any, there was also food served here such as sandwiches, tacos, chicken wings and the like.

The bar is well reviewed on-line but I can imagine their irritation when someone left them a 1/5 review which stated “Coors Light served warm”, clearly annoying and they soon replied that the bar didn’t sell such a drink. Indeed, I would be horrified if they did, bloody Coors Light…..

September 26, 2022
2022 US Trip – Day 3 (Other Half Brewing in New York)

Obviously this blog had to veer into beer at some point and that time is now. This is Other Half Brewing, one of a number of bar set-ups that my friend Nathan recommended to visit. They were founded in Brooklyn in 2014 and although they have numerous locations now, I went to the taproom in their home area.

The very exciting draft list and I was pleased to see the 4oz pour so that I could try a number of different beers. There’s something intrinsically exciting about that board, not just with the bright colours that always appeals to me, but you can just tell they are passionate about beer from it.

The bar and off to the right is the brewery area. The staff member was helpful and engaging throughout, of course knowledgeable about the different beers that were available. It’s beautifully on-trend, but that probably isn’t a phrase they’d like, they’d just claim they’re being themselves and doing what they like doing. It is on-trend though, although they’re setting them in terms of the beer. It’s pure pleasure sitting in a venue which is helping to define the future of brewing rather than just somewhere that is going through the motions of selling beer.

Three of the six beers that I tried and I won’t go in too much detail here, it’s easier to follow me at https://untappd.com/user/julwhite. The quality was exceptional and the LAX2JFK In the Clouds Triple New England and the Double Dry Hopped Double Mosaic Daydream Imperial IPA were just incredible, pure decadence. They don’t sell much dark stuff here, but I was more than happy with their IPAs, smooth, silky and bleeding flavour out. I’m not sure the word bleeding can be used there, but I’m going to anyway as I don’t want to use the word oozing.

They don’t sell food here, but there’s a McDonald’s over the road, although other nearby food venues are also available. There’s plenty of seating inside and out, mostly on high tables inside which is just what I like. But food deserves to come second, this is one of the best breweries in the world based on Untappd scores, an average of 4.23 out of 5 from over 5 million beer reviews.

A quick photo of Smith 9th St. station on the New York Subway, although the word subway is a little ridiculous here.

I mention that because it’s nearly 27 metres above ground level and is the highest rapid transit station in the world. I find this astounding, what a breathtaking heap of structure it is. I adore it, the trains sweeping across the top of that.

This is the view over New York from the station platform.

September 25, 2022
2022 US Trip – Day 3 (Budget Accommodation in New York)

I’ve mentioned that the US is currently expensive for UK travellers due to the collapsing of the pound, so I went for a budget option at Chelsea Pods (also known as Chelsea Cabins) which is effectively a very small room within a large floor. It’s a better option than a hostel as there’s some private space, a lockable door and it’s all relatively self-contained. There’s nothing else there, other than a towel, a bin and a book which has the wi-fi password in it, but there’s access to power and wi-fi at least.

There are a few public areas for seating for those who wanted it. I had picked up a cold at some point which slightly impacted my stay in the city, but I’m pleased to report (since I’m behind writing this up) that I’ve been very brave and I’ve fully and completely recovered. That’s what craft beer and fine food does, it leads to a swift recovery.

There were no shortage of rooms on this floor, and there’s a floor for women below. I was surprised just how quiet it was, the owner provides a lovely welcome and they come and check that the rules are being followed. I heard someone on their phone being told very quickly to please go outside if they wanted to continue their conversation. I had wondered if it might be a little noisy from exuberant travellers, but as all of the cabins are for single use only and they don’t take bookings from groups, there was no party atmosphere. I liked that.

One of the drawbacks is that I had to climb five sets of stairs every time and there’s no lift. There is a breakfast provided which is very basic, but I didn’t try that as it started a little later in the morning and I was able to get free food in New York anyway (legally I’d add, I didn’t pinch it).

I’d stay here again if I was in New York as it was reasonably priced, it was clean and I felt it relatively comfortable. The owner had put me at one end of the floor relatively near to a window, so that kept things quite cool which helped. They did provide ear plugs as there is outside traffic noise, but I quite like listening to the sounds of the city and didn’t need them. It’s designed to be a place to sleep rather than a comfortable place to relax and contemplate the world, an objective that it meets.

Obviously it would have been nice for stay in a decadent hotel in New York, but the average room rate on Manhattan for just an average room was over £250 per night, and I was able to stay in this cabin for £130 for the three nights combined. Given its central location, that worked perfectly for me and I liked their business set-up and model.

September 25, 2022
2022 US Trip – Day 3 (Resonating Bodies)

Something a little different, this is a pair of bronze sculptures designed by the British artist Tony Cragg. They’re located at one of the entrances to Battery Park which is located at the southern tip of Manhattan. My friend Nathan might remember that we saw Cragg’s artwork Mean Average in Bonn a couple of years ago, although I didn’t really understand that one.

At the rear is a tuba and in the foreground is a lute, with the New York parks authority noting:

“This playful work is based on the concept that all physical bodies, including ourselves, are constantly enveloped by various energy forms from heat, light, sound, and gravity to magnetic waves, x-waves, even radio and TV signals.”

It’s quite a nice metaphor in this busy part of the city and one of the great things about New York is the energy that is all around.

September 25, 2022
2022 US Trip – Day 3 (Photos from Battery Park)

This post is just photos from when I was standing at Battery Park looking out over the Hudson River onto New Jersey and over to the Statue of Liberty. It was a lovely half an hour of sitting there wondering about all the people who sailed into the city over the last few hundred years.

As an aside, I’ve always liked this photo of the head of the Statue of Liberty which was put on display at the World Fair in Paris in 1878. My visit to the statue on Liberty Island is pre-blog (there was such a time…) but I liked looking it at afar from Battery Park. Very calm and peaceful. Although if I had been sitting in the same place on 15 January 2009, I would have watched flight US Airways Flight 1549 land into the river here, a remarkable event now immortalised in the film Sully.

September 25, 2022
2022 US Trip – Day 3 (Freedom Tower)

I adore this building, which is formally known as the One World Trade Center, but which I’m calling by its informal name of the Freedom Tower. It’s the replacement for the Twin Towers which were destroyed on 9/11 and it stands 1,776 feet in height, a nod towards the year of the Declaration of Independence. A lot of the tower’s height is from the spire, with the observation deck being at the same height as the tower destroyed in 2001, standing at 1,368 feet.

I think it’s majestic and I remember visiting this site whilst they were still constructing it being in awe of its height and glimmering effect. There’s an interesting article at https://untappedcities.com/2014/11/04/the-nyc-that-never-was-1-wtc-and-the-competition-for-the-world-trade-center-site/ which shows some of the other designs which were drawn up for this site, but I personally think that they picked the best one.

September 25, 2022
2022 US Trip – Day 4 (McChicken Biscuit)

I had a wait of around thirty minutes before Bronx Zoo opened and I wasn’t sure how to fill that time until I saw that God had put a McDonald’s near the entrance, so I went there to sit with my laptop. As can be seen, this McDonald’s at 1101 E Tremont Avenue sits underneath the rail line they plonked here a century ago.

I don’t really like McDonald’s breakfasts in the main, but I noticed that they had a McChicken biscuit and I’m a big believer of when in a country, get local food, and for this trip I define that as American fast food. This was delicious and nutritious (perhaps not scientifically) with the tender chicken being just what I needed as a breakfast snack. That Fanta, which I note is the correct bright orange colour whilst the UK one seems to be ever more watery, costs 99 cents for an unlimited amount. It’s easy and cheap to stay hydrated in the United States…..

As for whether I needed to write a blog post just because I had a McDonald’s menu item that I hadn’t had before, then yes, yes I do…… I should probably get out more.

September 25, 2022
2022 US Trip – Day 3 (Reflecting Pools)

There are two reflecting pools at the World Trade Centre site and they mark the footprints of where the Twin Towers once stood. It’s a beautiful memorial, powerful in its size and the strength of the water cascading, but also peaceful because there feels like permanence and tranquillity. The the design for this project was submitted by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker, opening on 11 September 2011 to mark the tenth anniversary of the attacks.

I decided to pick a random name to take a photo of, partly because of the nearby flower, and it was James Douglas Halvorson. The 9/11 Living Memorial has details of nearly all those who died and it has the details for Jim (not my informality, it says that’s what it was called) at https://voicescenter.org/living-memorial/victim/james-douglas-halvorson-jim. He was a 56 year old Managing Director of Marsh, perhaps starting to plan his retirement years before he was killed, leaving his wife and son. His son, Douglas James Halvorson, mentioned in 2001 that his father had completed one marathon and was very proud of that achievement, as well as he might be.

Some considerable thought went into where the names were placed around the pools, with the 9/11 Museum noting:

“The names of the 2,983 people who were killed in the 2001 and 1993 terrorist attacks are inscribed on bronze parapets edging the memorial pools. The names are grouped by the locations and circumstances in which victims found themselves during the attacks. The North Pool parapets include the names of those who were killed at the North Tower, on hijacked Flight 11, and in the 1993 bombing. The South Pool parapets include the names of first responders as well as victims who were killed at the South Tower, on hijacked Flight 175, at the Pentagon, on hijacked Flight 77, and on hijacked Flight 93.

Within these groupings, names are arranged in a system of “meaningful adjacencies.” Friends and colleagues appear together, as well as the crews of each of the four flights and first responder agencies and units. Additionally, during the Memorial’s development, victims’ next of kin were invited to request that their loved ones’ names be inscribed alongside specific others. In this way, those who were connected in life reside together on the Memorial.”

I’ve visited the 9/11 Memorial before, both the temporary one and the permanent one, and a visit to the latter is something that I’d definitely recommend. It was genuinely upsetting, primarily for me at least, as they have on display some oddments that people in the planes were carrying and also that had fallen from the offices. It’s those very random and ordinary things that survived that somehow felt so powerful.

September 25, 2022
2022 US Trip – Day 4 (Bronx Zoo)

If you book in advance, then Wednesdays are free of charge at Bronx Zoo. And, I wasn’t going to turn that chance down, I love a zoo and needed to cut costs somewhat with the dreadful exchange rate. I might be mentioning that a lot during this trip.

Here are some of my favourite photos from the day, with a few of my random comments at the end.

The zoo would have cost me just under £40 to go in if I hadn’t got free admission, which would have been a lot. However, I enjoyed my time at the zoo although the signage was a bit ropey in places. My free admission enabled me to get into most parts of the zoo, although there were some exhibits that were chargeable and so I skipped those. I’ve also never seen a zoo with so many food concessions dotted around the place, there were tens of them. New Yorkers must spend big on refreshments whilst perambulating around the zoo.

I didn’t see some of the big ticket animals, although I had better not start a debate on speciesism, fascinating though that debate is. There was though still plenty to see, with a particularly strong focus on reptiles and birds, which form most of the above photos. I only discovered after my visit that a snake escaped in 2011 (they’re shifty like that) and managed to hide for a week before they found it. The zoo hadn’t closed during that time, but they thought they’d better shut the reptile house until the venomous snake was found.

I saw a bear from a distance, but didn’t see any sign of the gorillas, elephants, tigers or numerous other animals, but there was enough else to keep me occupied. The zoo was instrumental in saving the bison from going extinct in the United States, which now makes me feel guilty as I had bison burgers yesterday. For one shocking story, the article on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ota_Benga is, well, odd to say the least, it’s from a time when the zoo put a pygmy on display which I’m not sure was an entirely well thought through decision even for the early twentieth century.

September 25, 2022
2022 US Trip – Day 2 (First Airbnb – Needs Must)

I quite like hotels, but the recent trend in many countries, including the UK, Ireland and the United States, is that prices have been soaring. I’m not entirely sure why, I suspect it’s pent up demand. There’s another factor perhaps in play that hotels seem willing to leave lots of empty rooms, some are no longer going for occupancy rates, they’re looking for total revenue and that’s a different equation.

Anyway, what with the exchange rate soaring, I’m having to be more creative on this trip and am switching to Airbnb more where hotels are too expensive, particularly in the first week. I’ve done this on trips away before in little groups, but never on my own as it seems like too much hassle. But, some of these Airbnb arrangements are becoming like small hotels, and that means that the experience isn’t much different. It’s hardly going to be the Sofitel in Warsaw, but we can’t have everything.

Right, I’ve digressed, my choice of Airbnb location meant I had to find the bus that would take me out of the airport, which is already a cost saving compared to the AirTrain. After some faffing about in a lift and several quiet complaints about the poor signage, I found the bus stop.

And talking of which, there’s the AirTrain on the upper level.

I’m pleased that since my last trip to New York that there is a new public transport payment system which is called OMNY. In effect, it’s like TFL and allows passengers to use their contactless cards, which works for me. It’s been installed on all buses and at all Metro stations in New York and I was excited to see how it worked. Anyway, to cut a long story short, it was broken on this bus and the driver let me on free. It’s a good system though, it will automatically cap fares at $33 for the week (starting Monday, which was handy as that’s when I arrived) so I’ll hit that relatively quickly and then get transport free until I leave on Friday.

After going a few stops on the bus, I thought I’d walk to the Airbnb since it was only twenty minutes.

Passing by Springfield Park, created in 1932, with the area given that name by seventeenth century settlers who noted that there were lots of springs in the area. Creative naming. Fun fact incidentally, the area of New York known as Queens, where I was staying, was named after Catherine of Braganza who was the wife of King Charles II.

It’s not very evident from the photo, but the wind picked up and dust went everything, it also got cold very quickly which I liked.

The dust is sort of visible in the rear of this photo. Use your imagination…..

It was evident, from some subtle clues, that the accommodation was near to the airport.

Little kittens came to welcome me. You don’t get that at Accor.

The room which was spotlessly clean and the host was lovely, pro-actively turning the air conditioning on full which is just as I like it. She seemed aghast that not every house in the UK has air conditioning and I can’t blame her. The welcome offered was better than at most hotels that I’ve visited, I was suitably impressed.

Free snacks were available, I went for an orange (I think I had jet lag and was confused) and nuts, along with a rather lovely coffee. For the price, this worked very well for me and was a positive first use of Airbnb. It cost just over £55, but hotels even further out were around £90 and anything in New York was realistically £300. I slept very well, it was delightful to catch up on sleep after the meandering way I had taken to get here.

September 23, 2022