New York/Pet Shop Boys - Day 4

This was Sunday the 13th and our last full day in New York.

We slept in and so it was nearing lunchtime when we left the hotel.  We walked a few blocks to Toasties on 49th and sat at the window as we ate.  I had the Cordon Bleu (on a roll) which was a chicken cutlet with grilled honey baked ham, melted mozzarella, grilled onions, lettuce & tomato.  It was delicious.

When lunch was finished we took the R train downtown to the Oculus and One World Trade Center.  The Oculus is a transportation hub for the area, but it's also a giant shopping mall.

Waiting at the 49th Street station

Having fun with the Prisma App:

Arriving in Lower Manhattan at the Oculus.  Not very crowded when we arrived...

...but foot traffic had picked up by the time we left.

The view of One World Trade Center (OWTC) through the roof

It stands out more in black and white

Outside the Oculus

Another view

OWTC is on the left, the 9/11 Memorial is on the right.

9/11 Memorial

When we were last here we visited the 9/11 Museum, so we're going to bypass that today

Our destination is the observation deck at the top of the tower

Or we could just stay here on the ground - that'd be ok too

Nah, fortune favors the bold.  Up we go.

On third thought...
Just kidding.  I don't have a fear of heights and we knew we wanted to go to the top before we left home.  Still, when you're at the base it's hard not to think about what happened to the last towers that stood here.
Tip:  To bypass the ticket line, buy tickets online in advance.  Or do what we did and buy them on the spot using your mobile phone.

Hello New York

OWTC casts a big shadow

The Statue of Liberty in a shining New York Harbor

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus, November 2, 1883

The Brooklyn (center) and Manhattan (left) bridges over the East River

A cruise ship makes its way down the Hudson

One last look before we leave

We spent about an hour at the top, including a short break at the cafe for a brownie and cranberry juice.  FYI:  If you go, dress in layers, as it was hot up there.  Also, there is no outside access, so any photos you want to take will be through glass.  Depending on the time of day, this could result in a lot of glare or reflections, plus the windows were also pretty spotted with dirt making it hard to get a clear picture.  Based on prior trips, I would recommend going to the top of 30 Rock (views of Central Park and the Empire State Building), or the Empire State Building over OWTC.

We took the R train back to 49th and walked to our hotel for a short rest.  Then it was over to the New Amsterdam Theatre to see Aladdin: The Musical at 6:30.  I'll just say here that I can't recommend this show enough!  It has everything you could want in a Broadway show:  Incredible talent (the show still has its original cast including James Monroe Iglehart as Genie, the role for which he won the Tony award), great songs, sets, dancing, magic, fireworks, energy, etc., etc.  The entire cast exceptional, but clear standouts were Mr. Iglehart who obviously works his ass off every show to deliver a fantastic (Tony Award-winning) performance, and Don Darryl Rivera as Iago.  Mr. Rivera delightfully steals the show every time he's on stage.  I'd happily pay good money to fly back to New York should Disney decide to star him in Iago: The Musical.

The ceiling in the downstairs lounge

Another view

The theater is beautiful.  It was in a ruinous state until Disney bought and restored it in 1994.

Look at all that detail

The show's about to begin

The show was fantastic and we left Aladdin satisfied and hungry.  We had a 9:45pm reservation for dinner at Joe Allen, a must-do restaurant for a pre or post-show repast (there's my fancy word for the day) and after a leisurely stroll from the theater arrived about 15 minutes early.  We weren't made to wait and were seated immediately - the restaurant wasn't busy yet but would be full by the time we left.

Joe Allen restaurant
Photo from wikimapia.org

Photo from joeallenrestaurant.com

I started with a glass of Jovino pinot noir and ordered the 12oz New York strip, medium rare.  It was served with a delicious red wine reduction and I substituted sautéed spinach for fries (I'm not normally a big spinach fan, but I was in a mood and was not disappointed - it was perfect with the expertly cooked steak).  Another glass of wine with dinner, and soon the plates were cleared.  For dessert:  An incredible light, sponge-like pear cake with maple sauce.  Simple but amazing; I would love to have the recipe.  I followed that up with an Irish coffee before we headed out into the night.  Joe Allen will definitely be a new tradition for us on any future NYC trips!

We walked back to the W fell asleep to the sounds of the city below.  Another great day in New York.

Next post:  Going home.