NYC Rundown Book Post:
- My only regret from this trip is that we didn't track down Keith Morrison to have him narrate our visit. Perfect weather, saw everything we wanted to, stayed in a great spot (Tempo by Hilton in Times Square, btw - brand new, super clean, rooms quiet even with a view of the stage on Broadway), didn't get murdered by hobos or the bald eagle-sized pigeons, etc.
- Made it to the American Natural History Museum, 9/11 Memorial and Museum (for second time), Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, the Ghostbusters fire station, USS Intrepid Museum, Madison Square Garden for Knicks-Clippers, bonus strolls in Central Park and Fifth Avenue, and anniversary dinner at a spot in Bryant Park.
- The Intrepid Museum was really cool - I've been to Air and Space/Udvar-Hazy, but walking the deck of an aircraft carrier with fighter jets everywhere, seeing a space shuttle up close, and walking through a cruise missile sub all in one spot in the Harbor was a special kind of cool. Also, were dudes in the 40s and 50s all tiny little manlets (in stature, not bravery)? I'm 5'9" and felt like the 50 Foot Woman walking through there. They have replica helicopters, etc. in the museum you can climb in, and I wasn't sure I would be able to get back out of those because they were not made for tall people. How was David Robinson in the Navy?! It bottles the mind, as they say.
- If you walk through Ellis Island and don't feel awe at the folks who came through, I don't know about you, man. My grandma's dad came through from Sweden in the 20s; I can't imagine the combination of fear and hope he must have felt sailing in and seeing the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan Skyline, and knowing that even if he got through the checks at the island without issue, he still had a cross-country journey to California ahead of him. 'Merica.
- Had no clue we were in the City the same weekend as the Marathon until we got there. I can't fathom how the winner ran 26.2 miles in 2:04:58. We walked 30 miles in three days and my hips felt like they were going to explode, and these psychos were walking the city seeing the sights after running that. PTI, are the runners contractually obligated to walk around the city the day after with their medals on? While I get flexing on everyone for running it, it was weird as hell watching people put their medals back on after going through security everywhere.
- There's incredible architecture all over the city, but nothing inspires awe like One World Trade. Really glad we got to see the Memorial at night, too. It hits in daylight, obviously; but it has extra gravitas at night - a la the Korean War Memorial in DC.
- MSG - what can you say, place is unreal. The Knicks fanbase seems to adore Randle and Quickley, which makes me feel all kinds of happy. They also HATE James Harden. I mean hate like he's Osama Bin Laden and it's still 2001. Hilarious. Julius put on a show for us and (inadvertently) exploded Mason Plumlee's knee, so obviously he bleeds blue and he's a Wildcat for life. And Kawhi Leonard is the most awkward human being I've ever seen in real life.
The flow of the NBA compared to college ball...I just don't know how college ball can be fixed. Marcus Camby was courtside and thinking about the difference between his era and now just breaks my heart.
- I'm a dumbass for having a deposition the afternoon we flew back. Never again.
/long
