Day One (10/17):

Iconic New York view from Renee’s apartment on the Upper East Side. Jim and Renee bought two apartments in the same building and combined them. (Their neighbor Madonna bought three townhomes on the same block and combined them.)

Here, Karen can be seen pointing to Madonna’s roof.

Nearby Central Park.

Day Two (10/18):

Natural History Museum 

The Great Elephant Migration

Sam

Day 3 (10/19):

Wall Street’s “Fearless Girl”

Fearless Girl is a bronze sculpture by Kristen Visbal, on Broad Street across from the New York Stock Exchange. The statue was installed on March 7, 2017, in anticipation of International Women’s Day the following day. It depicts a 4-foot high girl promoting female empowerment.

Drinking at New York’s oldest bar with The Infamous Weaver Brothers.

The “New” World Trade Center

Day Four (10/20):

Escape to the country.

Spending the night in a mid 19th Century schoolhouse.

Day Five (10/21):

Big hike to “Sam’s Point” in the Shawangunk Mountains with Sam The Dog (not pictured).

Day Six (10/22):

Karen considers a Tiffany. 

Mada Primavesi, by Gustav Klimt, 1912

The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, by Edgar Degas, 1922

These young women in confident poses remind me of “Fearless Girl”.

The room where The Met Gala is held.

View of Central Park from the roof of The Met.

Day 7 (10/23):

Poet’s walk now has a few women poets. It was about time!

A long journey to Brooklyn to see the bridge with lots of interesting sights along the way.

New York Public Library

Good ice cream!

Day 8 (10/24):

Manhattan awakens as the sun lightens the sky over Madonna’s roof on our last day in the city. We took Jim and Renee out to one of their favorite restaurants on our last night to thank them.

The tops of 80 foot tall Gingko trees as seen from the apartment.

A final walk through the park to the North Woods.

Culinary Achievements while in NYC

Note: non-veggie fare was permitted during this trip

A veritable feast of veggie Indian fare at Pongal

A slice of pizza from Ray’s

A slice of pizza from Saba’s

A slice of Pizza from Unregular

McSorley’s beer (visited twice)

Brooklyn Hot Dog (Time Out Market)

Manhattan Street Hot Dog (Nathan’s)

Pop Up Bagels

Luna Rosa (Italian): full dinner plus dessert (cannoli, ricotta cheesecake), good espresso

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

Pastrami sandwiches from The Pastrami Queen

Carreau Club on Governor’s Island (Sandwiches, including melts and Cubanos)

Joe Coffee (local coffee chain)

Shopping

$5 hat from street vendor on Museum Mile (5th Avenue)

Cough Drops from Eisler Chemists on Lexington

Three $1 key chains from downtown street vendor

Subway Rides: Fifteen

Bonus Sights: 

One rat

One garbage barge

One big, intimidating man on the subway counting hundred dollar bills, then swearing

My completed checklist:

• The Highline
• 911 Memorial
• Brooklyn Bridge and Ice Cream 
• Hayden Planetarium
• Natural History Museum
• Met Art Museum
• Governor Island Ferry 
• Pizza w/ the Weaver Bros.
• New York Public Library
• Pastrami on rye
• St. Patrick’s Cathedral
• Seeing Karen enjoy herself completely!