A month with much activity, starting in NYC for a weekend, returning to Toronto to care for my father in the hospital, and ending the month in Madrid, Spain.
New York, NY; Toronto, Ontario; Madrid, Spain.
Roberta’s Bushwick: Checking quality of pizza fresh out of the oven, experiening the Bushwick neighbourhood. Will just have a weekend in the New York with 2 of our sons, before moving on. The urban vibe is energetic, but it’s getting harder for the elders to hear, over the music. (Roberta’s Bushwick, Moore Street, Brooklyn, NY) 20220902Roberta’s Bushwick: Dinner after a long day with family plans shifting, and then adjustments made en route. NYC weekend and then cruise to Bermuda was planned months ago, but I’ll be returning home on Monday before everyone else ships out. New York looks a little different since my last visit 7 years ago, but the energy persists. (Roberta’s Bushwick, Moore Street, Brooklyn, New York) 20220902Graham Ave, Avenue of Puerto Rico: Morning walk in neighbourhood to pick up bagels with lox cream cheese and tofu vegetable spread, and fruit. Apartment is full of light, home touches of our Chinese-American host. Slow start to a Saturday scheduled for art museums. (Graham Avenue (Avenue of Puerto Rico, East Williamsburg, New York, NY) 20220903
Williamsburg Bridge walk: Ambling eastbound from Williamsburg to the Lower East Side, on a warm September Sunday. Popular with joggers, bicyclists, and a few families with shopping bags. High outside fences unfortunately obstruct a scenic crossing. (Williamsburg Bridge, New York, NY) 20220904
Museum of Modern Art: Feeling small beside Gaetano Pesce (1970-1971) Moloch Floor Lamp, (1969) Up 5 Lounge Chair with Up 6 Ottoman, both made in Italy. Museum feels much larger than last visit years ago, I’ve lost my family walking around. Visitors to the galleries fully international. (Museum of Modern Art, 53rd Street, New York, NY) 20220903MacDougal Street: Salon conversation via @KositsMarianne with #PeterSkinner and @deadlinepundit on history in world affairs. Caucasus mountains blocking invasions of Georgia from the east; People’s Republic of China before opening to the west in the early 1970s. Tenement apartment in the heart of Greenwich Village since 1967, partygoers frequently sitting on the steep front steps up. (MacDougal Street, Greenwich Village, New York, NY) 20220903Whitney Museum of American Art: Fifth floor deck #DavidSmith (1961) Lectern Sentinel sculpture made of stainless steel, background southeast into Meatpacking District. Family plus friend walked through Lower East Side, Mott Street and Little Italy, and then discovered Columbus Park with Sun Yat Sen memorial. Called car service as we realized our time visiting museum would be limited by 6pm close. (Whitney Museum of American Art, Gansevoort Street, New York, NY) 20220904
Times Square: North view from 7th Avenue at 46th Street West, panning from northwest past George M. Cohan statue to look southeast. Labour Day weekend crowds were exceptionally packed and noisy. The bright lights were to wrap up a few family days in the bit city, followed by destination wayfinding to a strongly renowned pizza restaurant. (Times Square, 7th Avenue at 46th Street West, New York, NY) 20220904
Scarborough Health Network, Centenary Hospital: Fifth floor view northeast, gable skylights over the second floor below, and trees in the park around the Rouge River towards the eastern suburban edge of Metropolitan Toronto. Modernist facility constructed in 1967, with multiple expansions in decades following. Early admission for procedure with father scheduled tomorrow, medical professionals prefer control over food and drink for a day. (Scarborough Health Network, Centenary Hospital, Ellesmere Road, Scarborough, Ontario) 20220906Scarborough Health Network, Centenary Hospital: Behind the secure door, there’s a small children’s play area before the operating room corridor where only hospital scrubs are permitted. After the patient and family are briefed on the procedure, adults are normally asked to go to the waiting room outside the secure door. Normal scheduling aims for surgeries to finish off around 4:30pm, but urgent cases may see the doctors still onsite at 11pm. (Scarborough Health Network, Centenary Hospital, Ellesmere Road East, Scarborough, Ontario) 20220907Scarborough Health Network, Centenary Hospital: The first day recovering from surgery for my father, vital signs all look fine. We expect to visiting this semi-private room daily until he’s well enough to return home. Easing back onto solid food, a period of disorientation after general anaesthesia seems normal. (Scarborough Health Network, Centenary Hospital, Ellesmere Road East, Scarborough, Ontario) 20220908Scarborough Health Network, Centenary Hospital: After 11 days of wearing a hospital gown, got dressed in street clothes and walked out of the hospital. Now back at semiors apartment, where there’s no walker assistance, just handrails in the hallways. Only started on solid food again yesterday, so more rest and recuperation is ahead at home. (Scarborough Health Network, Centenary Hospital, Ellesmere Road, Scarborough, Ontario) 20220916Polson Street: The yellow of the Cherry Street Bridge South is distinct from the red of the Cherry Street Bridge North. The naturalization of the Polson Slip is still in progress, as the former rectilinear Ship Channel gains curves constructed in the River Valley to slow down fast-flowing water during anticipated major storms. Looking northward over the Lafarge cement operations, industrial production will continue long after the district transformation is complete in 2024. (Polson Street, Port Lands, Toronto, Ontario) 20220920Centre for Social Innovation Spadina: Festive spirit @csiTO Welcome Back Wine & Cheese party (with mocktails and vegan spreads) as first indoor event since the pandemic precautions started 2 years ago. Game cards with questions encourage meeting new people, exchangeable for drinks at the Social Capital Cocktail Bar after connection validated with writing on the back. Encourage to join the dancing, but that’s not my style. (Centre for Social innovation, Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20220922Thorncliffe Park Community Hub: Midafternoon break for bivalent booster vaccination, fifth in the series. Drove to the mall wtih a bike packed in the back to ride home, so that DY could continue shopping in the area. Feeling some stiffness, presuming recovery over the weekend. (Thorncliffe Park Community Hub, Overlea Boulevard, East York, Ontario) 20220923The Oud & the Fuzz: Entertaining in the urban Toronto style, on a rainy Kensington Market Pedestrian Sunday, with family visiting from Vancouver on business. Under the backyard pergola shelter, the band played bossa nova while we sampled Armenian small dishes. Walked to the local brewery for a 6-pack variety of flavours, enjoyed back in the apartment a little further south in Spadina Chinatown. (The Oud & the Fuzz, Kensington Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20220925
The Oud & the Fuzz: Bossa nova sax, guitar, bass and drums, in the backyard dining area under sheltering pergola, not further east on the stage exposed to the rain. Armenian entrees on the Kensington Market Pedestrian Sunday menu, with usual crowds diminished by the damp weather. Vancouver-side family gathering coinciding with business travel extending over weekend. (The Oud & the Fuzz, Kensington Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20220925
Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, International: Arrived 3h45 minutes before flight to Madrid, after driving in local traffic in rush hour from Scarborough 1h40m. Long queue in priority check-in, followed by diversion from E gate entrance to D gate queues, then crossing back across airport to international gates. Travel for academic meeting has a last minute extension for university lectures, we’re happy to be in person rather than online. (Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, International, Pearson Airport, Toronto, Ontario) 20220929Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía: On the 3rd floor terrace, Miralda (1981) Tri-Uni-Corn sculpture of fibreglass and corn husks of ox, pig and lamb on a table, ready for traditoinal slaugher in the Kansas way. Large museum with wings added to a quadrangle, particularly rich early 20th century works by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro on the second floor. Arrived ready to view art after 4pm, after airplane landed at 11am, checking out hotel, having lunch, and figuring out the bus system (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Calle Santa Isabel, Madrid, Spain) 20220930Antón Martín Market: Hardly the first, but maybe one of the brighter and attractive displays of jamon iberico hanging from racks to attract customers. I’m unlikely to make a meal of pork, since I’m a vegan, but I enjoy the vibe of thriving public markets. Located in a less-touristy local, this public market seemed to offer a lot of Japanese food options. (Antón Martín Market, Calle de Santa Isabel, Madrid, Spain) 20220930
Huertas: Started wandering this neighbourhood before dusk, found a welcoming restaurant after considering tapas bars that serve similar limited menus. Seated at a high table with view on the intersection, observing groups of friends convening and wayfinding. Madrid is active at 10pm, lots of pedestrians providing eyes on the street. (Calle del Leon, Huertas, Madrid, Spain) 20220930
Marianne joined me to try out Korean vegetarian food in NYC.
When there’s a large selection of restaurant to choose from, I’ll tend towards the more obscure. Vegetarian Korean food is pretty obscure in most cities, but in New York City, there’s Hangawi in Koreatown. Marianne was game for the adventure, and took in an afternoon train from New Jersey. We chose the set meal. The soup came with skewers in it.
The appetizers included a dumpling, a stuffed apple, and lotus root.
Korean pancakes came with an assortment of shaved vegetables and pickles, with a dipping sauce on the side.
A one-day business trip from Toronto to NYC was unusual in that every connection ran on schedule.
In my current day job, I probably spend the majority of the days at home at my desk. When I do client interviews, I try to schedule two to three days in one place, and stay in a nearby hotel. It’s a rare occasion when I do a day trip, boarding a plane in the morning, and returning that evening. The flight from Toronto to New York is scheduled at 95 minutes, so making two customer calls in one day is feasible. I’ve never been in the Chelsea neighbourhood before, but precise directions to a taxi driver dropped me off at 8th Avenue and 11th Street. Looking south, the buildings seem to be a few stories high, with a few skyscapers thrown in.
Greg called me on my mobile phone, and we met up. As a good sales person, he knows the preferences of his clients. Our first call was on an executive who isn’t a fan of bagels, but really likes donuts. Thus, we stopped by Donut Haven to pick up a fresh assortment.
We went on the customer call, and then headed northbound on the fastest mode of transportation: the New York City subway. Greg’s home is in Providence, RI, so he says he doesn’t really know the subway lines. By a strange coincidence, all of his clients and the office are all on the E line, so he doesn’t gets lost. Continue reading “2008/05/14 One day in New York: Chelsea to Times Square“
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