Annual Trip to NYC

by Donna Shreve

Annual Trip to NYC 2024

Our journey began May 6th, a Monday, right after I had an eye appointment for a backup plan for my not yet healed eye from cataract surgery. I was actually practicing putting in and out a soft contact lens when my phone started ringing. I ignored the first two calls but I finally told the technician that I needed to take the call as I knew what the caller needed to say and I wanted to stop his frustration and let him tell me. My dear friend Ann had died and her brother was relaying the tragic news.

With a red sore eye and heavy heart, John and I picked up Melanie and headed for the BART station. First we had lunch in Livermore and readied ourselves for our long first day. Melanie is not a fan of BART and fortunately we made it to San Francisco airport without incident. Our goal then was to find a taxi to take us to a nearby hotel. After quite a tour of the airport, we finally found our taxi. Very helpful people gave us confusing directions or we were not firing on all cylinders. 

Checking into our hotel, we aimed for a very efficient quick start in the morning.  We walked to a nearby restaurant and ate dinner. The next morning we made the shuttle bus and checked into our flight. After a cross country nonstop flight, we gathered our luggage and got a taxi to Brad’s apartment. The ride is an hour long as JFK airport is in Queens and Brad’s apartment is at the Lower East Side. Thanks to the app Find Your Phone, Brad was waiting for us at the curb in front of his apartment complex.

We were allowed to settle into his apartment and rest a bit. Our first event was coming up. We changed into fancier clothes and headed to our 8:45 PM reservations at a highly touted restaurant called Dirt Candy. Brad has been trying off and on for three years to get reservations. Brad had warned me ahead of time that it would be a walk to the restaurant and we were not taking an Uber or taxi. It was six long New York blocks but we made it and had a delightful dining experience.

The menu is set for each day. You just arrive and the planned five courses are brought to you with full commentary by several wait staff. The restaurant does not use meat, just vegetables. The various blending of herbs of vegetables is quite imaginative and delicious. Because it was our first time visiting the restaurant, we received two extra courses as a welcome treat. At the end of the meal, we were quite full and delighted. We headed home and fell exhausted into our beds as Brad slept at a friend’s so we had his apartment to our selves.

Day 2

Brad had left some great items from a neighborhood bakery and we eased into our first full day in NYC. Brad worked with his clients while we adjusted to our new environment. Just before lunch time Brad arrived to escort us to Katz’s Deli. Timing is very important when trying to eat at Katz’s. A line is usually out the door, rain or shine. Thanks to Brad’s timing, we were able to get seated without a wait. The walls are covered with fascinating photos of past history with famous people. Their slogan which is used on their tee shirts is “Send a salami to your boy in the army.” We had a delightful waitress and delicious food. I had a pastrami on rye which comes with a kosher pickle. The pickle shop that supplies those pickles is on the same block where Brad lives. Of course, later we visited the Pickle Shop and bought some supplies for the week. 

After lunch we headed up to our first play. Jessica Lange headed the cast of three in “The Mother Play.” Also with her was Jim Parsons of television fame and a broadway actress I saw play Scout in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The subject matter was a study of a dysfunctional mother and the fall out with her two children. It contained adult material and during a sensitive scene beautifully portrayed by Jim Parsons, some little old ladies gasped in the back of the theatre. I was amazed the ladies involved were shocked by adult theatre in NYC.

After our matinee we headed back to Brad’s apartment. Dinner was in the neighborhood at an Italian restaurant that was a converted old wine cellar. The atmosphere was good and the food was delicious. The problem was unusually bad service. The clincher was after having to ask for missing parts of our order and then our bill, Melanie realized she had been sitting on a nail. As we examined her chair part of the chair fell apart. The condition of the chair was mentioned to the wait staff on our way out of the restaurant. Their reaction was, “Oh yes we are aware of that chair.” The restaurant was not crowded and the chair could easily have been removed. I am curious how long that restaurant lasts with that attitude.

Day 3

As I was unpacking my suitcase the day before, I discovered a can of mousse had leaked and invaded my computer. Brad made an appointment at an Apple store so my computer could be repaired or replaced. That appointment was at 6:00 so we worked our day around it. Thursday had been set for Ann to give a tour of The Met. Brad jumped in to be the tour guide. He had recently gone to The Met last July with his brother and nephew. I am not good walking long distances. My lower back starts to complain. Brad gave me a gummy to help my endurance and manage any pain. Off we went.

The Met offers so many choices and we hit a few exhibits before  going to the special section displaying the Harlem Renaissance. On the roof top we were able to get a fantastic view of the city and see child drawings made into metal sculptures. As we watched the time, we then headed to the Apple Store. I was correct in assuming the liquid had done the damage. My choice was a repaired computer or for three hundred dollars more, I could have a brand new computer. A new computer was the easy choice. My old computer was left to be transferred to the my new computer. As I am sitting at the genius bar, I took a picture of my genius with the genius bar sign behind him and my old computer in front of him. I sent the picture to John who had just received word that our deck repair had some additional costs. John was not telling me all of the bad news so I sent my picture and said I had a story and would share when he shared his.

Soon my genius guy returned with the floor manager and asked why I had taken a picture of him. He had taken my computer behind closed doors and saw the pictures on my computer. I explained that I had sent the picture to my husband and why. I then showed him my text on my phone, He was satisfied as I offered to delete it and not post on FaceBook or Instagram. He was reassured and seemed no longer concerned.

Now we were off to Joanna’s for dinner. she has a lovely apartment close to Central Park on the Upper West side. Joanna has been a client and friend of Brad’s for over 15 years. She is Brad’s theatre buddy and she went with us to The Mother Play. After a delicious dinner and lively conversation, we returned back to Brad’s apartment.

Day 4

We again were on our own for breakfast. We headed to the Party Bus Bakery in Brad’s neighborhood and got more supplies for breakfast and possible lunch. Brad arrived from working in time to take us to the tenement museum that was a walk from Brad’s appartment. We had a 12:00 appointment to hear about a German family that lived in the first floor and owned the bar. This family was well off compared to the other tenants.

Brad treated us to a home cooked meal and we got ready to see our first musical “Water for Elephants.” I had read the book and seen the movie. Now it was a broadway musical. Brad was not impressed with the music as there was not a song you would hum on the way home. However, there were fun circus acts and realistic puppets who represented the circus animals. One scene will stay with me for a long time. A circus white horse dies on stage and its spirit spirals upward into the top of the stage. It was so beautifully done and moving. I go to broadway shows to be entertain and they did not disappoint.

Day 5

This was Sunday and Mother’s Day. We were invited to Chauncey Upson’s home. He has hosted us several times over the years. Chauncey and Brad are third cousins. John and Chauncey’s father Tim are second cousins. There is a lot of shared Shreve family history and Tim has been very generous with sharing any information he has. Unfortunately Tim was sick and had to visit us via FaceTime. Chauncey invited another cousin Tommy Reddington over and he has been included each year. We had a delightful lunch and were entertained with a concert by Chauncey and son Peregrine on flute and piano. Great conversation ensued and then we headed home. For dinner this night we had Thai take out. Brad entertained us with a new comedian to us on Netflix and other YouTube hits

Day 6

This day started out with Brad insisting I join him on the floor for some yoga. Brad wanted me stretched out so I could endured our ambitious day. He also added two gummies to my arsenal as one did not seem to phase me. First we headed to the 911 memorial and explored the memorial water feature. We also went through the Oculus building which is located next to the 911 memorial. The Oculus is an architecture wonder and full of fancy shops. The atmosphere is so subdued and peaceful as many people travel to various destinations. We then boarded the Staten Island Ferry and got to view the Statue of Liberty from the ferry as we passed by. By the time we were on the ferry, I realized I did not feel steady on my feet. The gummies had hit. Brad now offered his arm so his mother would not end up on the ground. After the ferry we headed to 30 Rock. We were scheduled for a 4:30 T.V. taping for Seth Meyer’s show. We got a quick bite to eat at Rockefeller Center before the show. The T.V. show was fun and I have a new respect for Seth Meyers. He was so natural and friendly to the audience like he was so pleased we were there. Not all hosts are so generous. We explored a bit of 30 Rock and headed back home. There were enough leftovers from the Thai take-out to be our dinner.

Day 7

As Brad went to his work, we headed to Party Bus bakery, Target and Traders Joe’s which were all in Brad’s neighborhood. We were getting prepared for a fun lunch in the park right at Brad’s apartment complex. When Brad returned we took our yummy goodies out to a picnic table and had a very pleasant lunch in the park. We finished our final day with the musical “Suffs.” It was a musical based on the history of the suffrage movement. Unfortunately there were technical difficulties with the stage lift and there had to be two long delays while the crew tried to fix the problem. During one delay some of the cast came out and gave us a fun suffrage quiz with the reward of candy thrown from balcony box seats. The audience was understanding and the play was able to finish. After the play we were famished as we had not had dinner. A three block walk to Smackers would fix our hunger. Smackers is a gourmet cookie shop and they did not disappoint. Brad decided we could skip the usual subway ride after a theatre show and decided to hail a taxi. There was now a drizzle in the air and a taxi was a priority for several. As Brad was getting a taxi, a young girl about 20ish in age decided she was entitled to the taxi. As she stepped forward to take the taxi, Brad intervened. He asked very forcefully if she was really willing to steal a taxi from two old ladies. We then quickly rushed to the taxi and got in. Brad continued his lecture as the girl decided to back off. We even got a chuckle from the driver. Brad topped off our week by proving he was the best guide and protector. The next morning we left for the airport and finally arrived in Stockton at 9:00 which was really midnight by our time. Exhausted we collapsed after an extensive week that was full of many adventures and delights. Brad never disappoints.

2248 words

5/19/2024

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