… let snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Today was a 5 layer day. Long sleeved tee shirt, flanelette shirt, sweater, jacket #1, jacket #2.
If you count the scarf, 6 layers.
The problem with a 5 layer day is that you are wedged in so tightly that when you get on the subway, you can’t sit down. There is not enough wiggle room to accommodate sitting.
So you have to undo a couple of the layers.
But 5 layers was necessary because the day started at 2°C and never got any higher than that.
For the whole day. It’s like NYC’s temperature gauge was broken, and it was stuck at 2°C.
Today we were booked to go to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall – just across the road from the Rockefeller Centre, and not far from Times Square.
We normally get on the Subway on the G line, and our local station is Classon Aven-oo.
Today Google Maps thought that it would spice it up a little for us, and sent us to Franklin Aven-oo on the C line instead. A little bit further than Classon Aven-oo, but in the opposite direction.
The C line is the one we used to catch when we were here last time, staying in Sesame Street, and it goes directly into Manhattan which is quite convenient.
Which reminds me – I must give you some photos of where we are staying this time.
So the Rockettes didn’t start until 11.00am and it didn’t take long to get there, so we had a real sleep-in today.
Ablutions, breakfast, coffee, put on 5 layers of clothes, and head out the door.
If I said that 2°C is bracing, I’d probably be understating it. It is probably closer to numbing.
Not that I’m complaining, just observing. I’ll probably complain later in the post about the cold.
Last year when we were here I made some comments about the announcements on the subway. It continues to amuse me, so I figure that I can still get more mileage out of it again this year.
On the NYC Metro subway system, they use a female voice to make announcements, and a male voice to give instructions.
So you get this smooth as silk female voice telling you that “the next station is 4th Aven-oo and that you can change to the R, S or Q trains”, and then you get this male voice bark at you to “stand clear of the closing doors, please”.
NYC metro subway users are a different breed to Queensland Rail passengers. NYC subway passengers have to try not to fall over when the train starts and stops with an unusual, and unnecessary degree of violence, but they also need to ignore all of the beggars and weirdos on the train.
And I can tell you that there are usually beggars, and always lots of weirdos on the NYC metro.
On top of that, the trains are really quite disgustingly dirty.
So NYC passengers assume this look of bovine detachment and/or check Facebook on their phones.
New Yorkers don’t make eye-contact. They certainly don’t (generally) do anything helpful, and have a pre-disposition to either shove you out of the way or tell you to get out of their way.
So they are an interesting crowd. Not that I am complaining, again just making an observation.
And then we had a young couple get on the C train a couple of stops after us this morning, and they started doing kissy-face.
The fact that the train was pretty crowded and they were jammed up hard against each other clearly encouraged them, but it was pretty intense.
I actually wondered at one stage if he was giving her CPR, but apparently not.
They finally stopped and started a meaningless conversation about something, then she was preparing to get off the train and so they started goodbye and have a lovely day, I miss you already kissy-face.
Sigh.
We got to Radio City Music Hall at around 10.00 for an 11.00 start, and the crowds were already surging inside, so we followed the flow.
The place was crawling with NYPD – directing traffic, directing pedestrians.
Inside, the RCMH is absolutely stunning, in an old world charm kind of way.
Their rest rooms are called a ladies room and a gentleman’s room … and even the rest rooms are worth going to RCMH to see 🙂
Like everywhere in NYC, the RCMH was heated to a pleasant, don’t need 5 layers kind of temperature, so we both shed a few layers and got comfortable.
And then at about 10.50am, 2 pipe organs rolled out from either side of the stage, and they proceeded to play duelling Christmas Carols.
As part of the show this year, they had a 3D segment that they showed, so everyone got a pair of 3D glasses.
The show started, and the Rockettes were absolutely spectacular. Everything that we have heard about them is true.
Graceful, synchronised, talented … it was an amazing show that involved a great deal of singing and dancing and told the Christmas story.
The whole of the RCMH auditorium appears to be covered with LED panels, so in addition to the action on the stage, there was a light show broadcast across the stage, walls and ceiling.
I haven’t included any photographs or video of the show because it wasn’t allowed.
If you broke the rules, an usher will shine a torch at you and tell you to put it away. I know that for a fact, because it happened to someone sitting near me.
The seating capacity of RCMH is about 6,000, and I’d say it was pretty much at capacity for the show we saw. My understanding is that this is normal for every show of the Christmas Spectacular.
Considering how much we paid for the tickets – and we only sat in the nose-bleed section – I expected that we would get a Rockette to take home as a souvenir … but I was mistaken.
But it was still a great show and we would both be happy to see it again.
Something that made the day even more spectacular was that as we walked out of RCMH into the street, it was snowing!
Very lightly, but snowing all the same!
After the show finished at about 12.30pm, we headed back up to Columbus Circle to grab some lunch and explore Central Park.
Central Park is a man-made park and is 840 acres (340 hectares) in size.
Central Park is the very large, green rectangle in the middle of Manhattan NYC.
We wandered around the south end of the park and it snowed very lightly the whole time that we were there – pretty exciting!
Not enough to see in a photograph, and certainly not enough to build a snowman, but snowing.
We found the famous ice-skating rink and it was pretty busy.
After Central Park we were both pretty cold and in need of a caffeinated beverage, so we started a walk down 5th Avenue to look at the window displays and Christmas lights.
There are some pretty spectacular displays on 5th Avenue.
Saks 5th Avenue featured Frozen for the displays. That was appropriate because that’s how I was feeling. Frozen.
We kept walking down 5th Avenue until we got to 34th Street and went into Macy’s to get out of the cold for a while.
One of the things that you notice as you walk around NYC is that drivers of all vehicles seem to believe that there is a direct relationship between how long, and loud, they honk their horn, and how quickly they move through the traffic.
We were on a b52 bus the other day and as he came to every street and intersection, he’d honk his horn.
The other thing that you notice is that there are NYPD cars constantly patrolling the streets – both in Manhattan and across Brooklyn.
If you are walking, it is unusual to walk more that a block and not see a police vehicle either patrolling or stopped at the side of the road with it’s blue lights flashing.
They are constantly sounding the siren to move along traffic that is illegally parked.
In the city itself, there is normally a NYPD vehicle parked on every corner – particularly around Times Square, Radio City Music Hall and Trump Tower.
I’ve spoken previously about how hard it is to adjust between being inside where the temperature is normally around 24°C and you are sweltering wearing 5 layers, and outside where it can be 2°C and 5 layers are barely enough.
Last night on the way home on the subway, I was sweating like a horse and couldn’t work out why – it was just so hot on the train.
It was like I was having a private vacation in the tropics.
Then I realised that I was sitting above the heating vent that heats the whole carriage … whew.
So all in all, another great day in NYC.
Rockettes. Snow. Central Park. Macy’s. Christmas lights. Coffee and a Cinnabon.
Tomorrow is forecast to be a little warmer, but 100% chance of rain. Bummer.
Maybe we will get on the subway and ride it all day from Harlem to Coney Island to stay out of the weather?
With any luck they will get it wrong and it will be sunny.
Here is today’s song for your listening pleasure: Let it snow (Michael Bublé).
Ciao
#G&KTAKEUSA