New York 2

My my what a life I have and what a day I've enjoyed.

A bright sunny day and delightfully chilly - top of 40 F. It is quietly doing my head in trying to think in Fahrenheit again.

Breakfast is pretty good although the dining room is pretty small so had to share a table with a French couple. No cereal, although oatmeal is available so had toast and yoghurt.

The hotel is only a five minute walk from Central Park so I got some guidance from the receptionist about the best way to get to the United nations for my 11.15 tour. She printed out directions for walking and different options with that and one if I took the bus.

Had a quick look at the Dakota Building, only from outside of course but great to see the place where John Lennon was shot, where Lauren Bacall still lives, Judy Garland and Andy Warhol would also have flitted in and out of there during their residency. So many flash apartment blocks and often side by side with some pretty drab ones.

Crossed the road to Central Park. Quite beautiful and similar to Hyde Park in London. A bit of work being done around so maybe not seeing it at it's best but gee the City skyline in the background really show it off.

Lots of joggers and walkers and plenty of cops as was true throughout the city.

I had plenty of time up my sleeve so decided to walk to the UN and it really only took about an hour. A bit of security to go through and just made it to the tour. Great and interesting look through much of the building, including the General Assembly. The room was being set up for a special concert commemorating the Japan Tsunami. So amazing to be sitting in the room that has been the focus of world attention on so many occasions. Shown through some of the exhibit areas and learnt about some of the initiatives in play currently. One very sad statistic they told us when discussing some of the things to be eradicated by 2015. Each year 11 million kids under five die and 53% of them die from malnutrition - simply unacceptable because in this world it should not happen. If we committed half the amount spent on going to war (maintaining peace?)on child starvation it would NOT occur, think of that.

I was really buoyed by my visit there and the little bit of shopping in the bookshop. I then wandered along to the nearby Turtle Bay to see where my fave actor Kate Hepburn lived, nice brownstone (up for rent). Stephen Sondheim still lives in the somewhat plainly facaded house next door. They have renamed the block Kate's house is on 'Katherine Hepburn Place'. Up the road a fraction is Dag Hammersjold park, named after the revered former UN Secretary General and a little garden has been installed and that too is committed to Kate's memory.

 Only a few  blocks along is an enclave of buildings giving name to the area called 'Tudor City'. I walked through a nice park and had some  fun with a couple of cheeky squirrels.

Jet lag started to hit around 2.00 so I made my way to Grand Central which is majestic and passed the Chrysler Building...so many people photographing it. I must say it was much cleaner than I imagined.

Much of the day I noticed how wide the streets of New York generally are and Park Avenue was very reminiscent of Oxford Street in London and I really didn't notice the crowds. My encounters with people so far has been that they are friendly and genuine. They are fools for crossing against the lights (in front of cops quite often and  they are never challenged) and seem to be in a constant rush but nice.

I grabbed some food and headed for Times Square to get the subway home. Well children the crowds had all come out to play, swarms  of them. Freaked out a bit and hopped on the train. I'll save that little 'excitement' until later in the trip. The subway was pretty clean and the train fine, very quick trip to 72nd Street. I've got a 7 day ticket which saves me nearly half the normal cost.