New York City in the Spring

Springtime in NY is beautiful. Whenever I get a chance, I try to get out and explore new areas of the city. I was surprised recently to find rows and rows of tulips in the Park Avenue median, blooming azaleas in tall planters along 8th Avenue, and gorgeous tulip trees, forsythia, and other flowering vegetation in City Park. Bradford Pear trees line the median along West Avenue, and Washington Square Park is full of pink cherry trees raining petals on the lawn.

Last weekend when my brother Dave was in town on business, he pretty much worked the whole weekend. (I was supposed to be studying for a test but had a hard time motivating last week.) But he and I did get out walking for about four hours on Saturday. We took the subway to the Village and walked down several streets. One of our destinations was St. Luke's Place, a beautiful row of Italianate houses built in the 1850's, where the scandalous Mayor Jimmy Walker lived in No. 6 in the late 1920's. No. 10 was home to the Huxtables on The Cosby Show - although the series was set in Brooklyn. My favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn, played a blind woman living in No. 4 in "Waiting for Dark."

On we marched together on this drizzly Saturday to Washington Square Park - a place I've wanted to visit ever since Vonceil and I passed by it in a cab on our way to Lombardi's in SoHo during New Year's weekend. The park has an interesting history. It first served as a cemetery in the 1700's before morphing into a dueling ground and site for public hangings. In 1895, its magnificent white marble arch was built by architect Stanford White, the man who earlier designed Madison Square Garden, the building where he would eventually meet his tragic demise. Across the street from the blossoming park is the famous "Row" - a row of town homes once inhabited by writers and artists like Edith Wharton, Henry James, and Edward Hopper.

We also walked past the Jefferson Market Courthouse in Sherican Square, the fifth most beautiful building in the U.S. and a treasured Village landmark named after President Thomas Jefferson that dates back to 1833. It has served many purposes in the 172 years since, including a market, a home for the town fire bell, a court hall, and as a branch of the NY Public Library. It is the place where Harry Thaw was tried for Stanford White's murder in 1906, and went down in history as the first American to get off on a temporary insanity plea.

Note: You too might be fascinated with the history of Stanford White and the double life of debauchery he led, which I found at http://dede.essortment.com/stanfordwhiteb_rbyy.htm.

Dave and I walked to the West Village, and all the way down West Street to the World Financial Center, where we discovered a timeline of the events of 9/11 and eavesdropped on a tour being given and viewing the 3D model of the new World Trade Center towers. Dave commented that the tour guide was more of a critic than a guide -which she was. But I had to agree with her assessment of plan for the new WTC, which leaves the imprint of former Towers 1 and 2 on the 16-acre property in the form of reflecting pools - like a gaping wound.

We dropped in at the Stage Deli next to St. Paul's Chapel and each had a Monte Cristo sandwich before catching the R train up to Penn Station. From there we walked the one block over to the entrance of the Empire State Building. When I looked up, I couldn't see the top, thinking "this probably isn't a good day to go in." For once there was no line - and, as we found out from an employee, zero visibility from the observation deck. Dave noted that this was the fourth time he'd tried to get into the Empire State Building. It was my second attempt.

We walked back to my apartment and called it a day. I think we ate Virginia peanuts and fruit for dinner. Some hostess I am!

Happy spring everyone. Come see it in NY. It's more beautiful than you can imagine - especially Central Park.