Autumn in New York.
My wife and I marked our latest wedding anniversary with a five-day trip to New York City in late September.
Splitting our time between the Columbus Circle and Union Square areas, we immersed ourselves in experiencing the city up close, mostly on foot or via the subway.
Among the highlights: an historic apartment tour at the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side; a stroll along the Lower West Side’s elevated High Line; the reclaimed retro of Chelsea Market; the musical parody Forbidden Broadway; and the stunning puppetry of War Horse.
We also set aside part of one afternoon to visit the quietly moving 911 Memorial, with endlessly cascading water falling into the footprints of the twin towers. Grace described the effect as two holes in the heart of the city that could never be completely filled.
We connected with long-time friends PJ, Maxine, and Ron for drinks, snacks, and good conversation. In an unusual setting, we attended (and contributed to) a political fund-raiser at a classy Upper West Side apartment for friend Howard (running for state Senate) and met his wife, Marcie. Scott, a friend from Wally’s NU days, provided the political comedy entertainment.
Most important, on the trip we set aside time for each other. During our stay at the uptown Mandarin Oriental Hotel, we had a celebratory dinner at the a voce restaurant, swam, and gazed out our windows, taking in the beautiful cityscape.
When Hurricane Sandy hit New York the following month, we could clearly picture the twists and turns of the disaster on a personal level. It was more than a news story dateline.
This year, New York City became another very special setting for marking our lives together.
© Copyright 2012 Walter J. Podrazik; Photos © Copyright 2012 Walter J. Podrazik
Walter "Wally" Podrazik 