NEW
YORK CITY
In which Bob and
Camille make their first trip to New York City together.
June 1st and 2nd, 2011
CITY
ISLAND
Camille was
tickled pink when Bob suggested they take a bus to City Island because it had
been twenty years since her last visit. She lived on this little island in
the Long Island Sound with her mom and dad and brothers John and Bob from 1958
to 1962.
CAMILLE’S
CHILDHOOD HOME AND SCHOOL
393 City Island
Avenue has never looked better! Like many of the homes here, the gardens
are well tended and pleasing to the eye. This home hosted many happy
memories. The big back yard was a place for all the neighborhood kids to come
and play. At one point, that gang of kids rolled a scrap hot water heater
tank up into the back yard and standing on it, rolled it back and for across the
yard all summer long. The back yard was home to wild roses and many wonderful
critters, including snakes and preying mantis which Camille carried around and
sometimes brought inside.
Camille attended
Kindergarten, first, second and third grades at St. Mary Star of the Sea
Catholic Elementary School in a blue plaid pleated skirt, white button down
shirt and blue blazer. Bob and Camille walked around back to take a peek
at the playground where Camille once played jump rope, hopscotch, ran around
pretending to be a wild horse, and drew winged horses with chalk on the
asphalt.
PIZZA AND
MOVIES
Arties, directly
across City Island Avenue from our old home is owned by what used to be our next
door neighbors and childhood friend, Artie has taken over the business from his
father. The next door down is the IGA which used to be the movie theater
where Camille remembers howling with laughter with the whole family over some
silly Disney movies.
WATER ON
ALL SIDES
Camille looks out
toward Eastchester Bay from the end of Ditmars Street, two blocks from her old
home. She remembers seeing swans out here and sometimes having to dodge
their wicked beaks. Sure enough, the swans still live in this cove.
The beach where Camille’s mother taught her to swim is now walled off, just
three blocks on the other side of City Island Avenue.
BACK TO
MANHATTAN
Parking lots in
New York City are like car carrier trucks on steroids. We liked this sign
because it was exactly what we were thinking when we parked our car at Union
Station in Washington DC and took the train up for our two days in the big city.
HIGH LINE
One of the most
unique parks in the world, the High
Line is a restored elevated rail system which now brings a breath of fresh
air to many.
STATEN
ISLAND FERRY
It’s free and a
must do for anyone looking for a free ride. You join the mob in the
Manhattan terminal, board the ferry, ride across, disembark on Staten Island and
walk around to the re-boarding line for the five mile trip back. On this day, it
was very hot and humid so the breeze created by the movement of the ferry
offered a little bit of relief. The ferries reportedly make over
33,000 trips a year, and are capable of transporting (depending on the boat)
between 1,000 and 6,000 passengers each. During peak rush hour, there may
be four ferries in operation simultaneously. When the ferries dock, they
bump up against wooden pilings, creating a rainbow of lost paint on wood.
SUBWAY
The New York
Subway system is basically cattle chutes for humans. When faced with
stairs the choice is go with the flow and walk them. In a hurry so you
don’t get run over! Bob lined out our trips across town with such
precision that we fairly flew from one platform to the other, stepping down into
the dark and climbing back up into light.
Art in the subway
platforms and cars was often quite nice.
ART IN A
SUBWAY CAR
We passed the time
in a nearly empty subway car by examining every inch of this drawing by Duke
Riley.
THE DAKOTA
AND STRAWBERRY FIELDS
We paused outside
the Dakota, the building where John Lennon lived and died. We crossed the
street into Central Park and soon came upon a beautiful mosaic with the word
“Imagine” in the middle. The mosaic lies at the heart of the two
and a half acre Strawberry Fields memorial, dedicated to the memory of John
Lennon. The lawns and pathways of Strawberry Fields are quiet places to
rest in and find solace.
CENTRAL
PARK
A trip to New York
must include a stroll through its gem, Central Park, Olmstead’s 843 acre
masterpiece.
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