NYC - Day Three

We woke up to a cold and windy day but no rain, so no complaints here.  We did all return to our room to add another layer after stepping outside and realizing there had been a considerable drop in temperatures during the night.

Painfully aware of our inexperience in subway matters we left for Manhattan by 9:30, assuming this would give even us time to be at our 3pm musical on time.  After success in our first train switch we decided on another bold move: to disembark at Fifth Avenue and work our way on foot to the theater.

From Fifth Avenue to Park Avenue to Broadway, and Madison Avenue we sauntered around stores that had prices well beyond our humble stations.  We saw homeless people digging through trash cans and picking out food discarded by those of us who have more than we need.  We passed the Roosevelt Hotel, famous for its world-renowned patrons.  We ogled the huge screens at Times Square, bombarding the visual senses with non-stop input.  We paused to hear musicians performing along the street.  We took pictures with Spider Man and a few minions. We sampled more food and Marlene finally got her New York Style pizza.

It seemed only minutes until it was time to see Newsies, our musical of choice.  And a good choice it was.  Great music, great acting, a great time.  Not least impressive was the organizational genius of the bathroom parade.  During intermission a million (give or take a few hundred thousand) women lined up to visit the facilities. Why men never seem to have to go to the bathroom is a mystery to me.  Anyway, I digress.  I was a little intimidated and depressed when the usher outside the bathroom door sent me to the end of the line which started one floor down (yes a full flight of stairs), around a corner and up a hallway.  I was hoping I'd get back in before the show started again.  Not to worry.  The line moved almost continuously.  A young lady inside the restroom called out every time any stall was empty and ladies were swept through at the speed of. . .well, a swiftly moving stream.

Since the time had "fallen back" last night, we came out of the theater at 6pm to find the sun had fully set.  It was anything but dark though.  I wonder if Times Square ever sleeps.  The streets were teeming with activity on every side.  Emboldened with our two days of NYC experience, we decided to walk the mile to Grand Central Station and catch the subway from there.  Shopping our way back to Park Avenue at the countless booths along the street, we made our way to yet another food court located in the huge train station.  Marlene got her sushi, I got my turkey and brie sandwich, and Jaimee' and Kara got their Chinese cuisine.  My plan was to pick up a slice of cheesecake for later but seeing the two homeless people scavenging through the trash for our scraps helped me decide I didn't need any more food.

Walking the four blocks from the subway to our hotel caused me much less concern than the first time we did it.  Only two days in and I already feel like the city might not be out to eat me alive after all.  Even the man using the tree for his own personal hydrant didn't freak me out too much.  We marched on by without so much as a second glance as if it happened in our neighborhood all the time.  Maybe that's why men rarely have to use a public restroom.

I'm so glad we came to see what NYC is all about although I'm sure we barely scratched the surface.  We never even saw the naked cowboy.  Maybe next time.