The NYC Experience: Exploring the Upper West Side

It's a gorgeous day in the city! 80 degrees, sunny and way less humidity - WOW! I just want to be outside all day, but alas(!) I need a nap this afternoon.

In my quest to sample all the restaurants around me, I went to a different diner for breakfast - the Olympian Diner. Ostensibly Greek - but everyone in the place is Latino. I love all the Spanish practice I'm getting here. I've spoken more Spanish in the last week than I have in the last 4 years.

Today was a bit of the Upper West Side. I started my walk up 8th Avenue and headed over to 9th (Columbus Ave) at Columbus Circle. I wanted to see the Museum of Biblical Art. Unfortunately it's closed until the 12th, but that's the beauty of being here a month - I can still go see it when it opens. In the same building is the American Bible Society which has bibles in literally every written language. Very cool -

Steps up to Lincoln Center

I kept going to Lincoln Center and took pictures. The steps up to the fountain light up "Welcome" in different languages, but only when someone is stepping on the stairs. I walked around a bit and took a peek at the Juliard School before continuing Uptown.

The Juliard School

I waked back to Central Park West, so I could walk by the park. I went by the Dakota, where John Lennon was killed and finally made my way up to 71st St to the New York Historical Society. The museum had a special exhibit on WWII and NYC. SO interesting. They had the cyclotron which was the machine the scientists used during the Manhattan Project to split atoms. They had the letter that Albert Einstein wrote to the president about their research and possibility of using uranium in a bomb. They had profiles of all different New Yorkers who served in WWII with personal artifacts like letters, uniforms and medals. It was really touching. So many servicemen and women went through NYC during the war and the whole city accommodated them. They had all kinds of cool memorabilia like tourist guides and special discounts for service people. My favorite exhibit was a set of sketches and paintings that a solider did all during his trek through Italy and Germany, plus his journal notes. It was amazing!! I wish my mom could have been with me - it was an amazing collection of history and memory.

New York Historical Society

They also had a really well done multi-media presentation (movie, mostly) of New York City's history. I loved it. All the 9-11 pictures still make me cry though.

Next stop: Museum of Natural History. I went in and remembered that Cindy wants to see this one, so I checked out the lobby with all the dinosaurs and then decided to head back to the apartment and go see it with her and Tams next week.

Rode the subway - all by myself - right to my front door! Love that! And I went next door for lunch. It's an Argentinian restaurant called Sosa Borella. I had grilled polenta with goat cheese and grilled vegetables drizzled with chimichurri! I haven't had chimichurri since Costa Rica. It was DIVINE! Seriously to die for... Mmmmmm.