Almanac Travel: Travel Shorts NYC #9

Madison Square Garden, The Soup Nazi and The Met

 

Tuesday 2^ndSep 2014 8pm. Talk about a paradoxical way to end the day yesterday. After returning from the raw exuberance and energy of the Brooklyn parade, we cleaned up and headed into the Flatiron district for some dinner.

 

This is a trendy NYU area where you would expect to see Rachael, Ross and Joey hanging out and it didn’t disappoint. We went to a cool burger place and there were all American, corn fed, white guys called Randy and Jeff everywhere and would you believe it, Madonna came over the sound system when we got seated! If only I’d bought those Michael Bolton and Hall and Oates cds! I could have sold them for $20 and made a killing in this joint!

 

Can someone please explain the use of the word ‘like’ in this generation’s vocabulary? My girls are guilty of it, but the middle and upper classes of New York take it to another level.

 

It’s not used as a simile (eg the night was black like coal) but is rather used in the same way as a punctuation mark at any pause in a conversation (eg I was like going downtown and I like saw like a lady who was like really tall and I was like amazed…). The double barrelled one is even more annoying (eg It was like, like awesome). Let me tell you something kids…either it IS or it  IS NOT. Make your comment and END IT!!

 

“Winning is a habit. Watch your thoughts, they become your beliefs. Watch your beliefs, they become your words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character.

(Vince Lombardi, legendary NFL Coach)

 

Started the day trying to get into a Radio City tour but the queue was horrendous so headed to Madison Square Garden for a tour. Recently renovated at a mere $1 billion it’s quite nice! It only seats 24,000 people so one can only imagine that not many of the working class New Yorkers could afford Nicks (basketball) or Rangers (ice hockey) tickets).

 

We got to see where the elite celebrities hang out, the franchise owner’s entertainment area and the changerooms. Now this was a bit strange because they looked more like boardrooms than changerooms! The Nicks and Rangers teams are based out of the city so all they really do is literally ‘get changed’ at MSG and put on the show.

 

 There are apparently some other gym-like rooms attached but essentially they warm up on court. The basketball and ice hockey seasons are separate of course, but they can present a basketball stadium from an ice hockey rink in less than 24 hours.

 

Anyway, I reckon it’s obscene what these guys get paid compared to what AFL players put themselves through but they are freaky athletes all the same and are chosen from a massive marketplace. I bought some Knicks shorts not thinking that the usual wearer of these shorts is a 210cm elite athlete with skinny legs as opposed to a dumpy ex footballer with legs like a billiard table. I am wearing them now, and I look like a dwarf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Um, excuse me, I – I think you forgot my bread.”

“Bread, two dollars extra.”

“Two dollars? But everyone in front of me got free bread.” 

“You want bread?” 

“Yes, please.” 

“Three dollars!” 

“What?”

“No soup for you!” 

(George and the Soup Nazi, in “The Soup Nazi”)

 

Took a break and popped into the café that is the inspiration for the Soup Nazi in Seinfeld. The original instructions when ordering are on the counter which is brilliant. Bought a very nice iced coffee and headed back into the heat. We decided to head back to the Met for “seconds” and it was a great decision. Less people there and we got two hours of quality eye balling.

 

 

 

We are not arty people by any stretch of the imagination but we just love hanging out in galleries and we’ve been blessed to have visited some beauties such as the Louvre. The Met doesn’t have the decadence of the Louvre but some seriously quality art.

 

I see art pretty simply. I either like it or I don’t. (as opposed to :  like you know that Monet, like is he like gay? Cos like when I like look….et all). I love impressionist paintings in particular (I’m a Van Gough fan and Lynda Monet), and I just see all the older paintings as a time when we didn’t have a camera which means we’d be stuffed without these incredible people who preserved it all for other generations.

 

Art is calming and is available to everyone. My best mate Greg and I have always joked whenever there is a major exhibition somewhere, that the working class should be forced to go in order to open their minds.

 

There should be an announcer out the front of the gallery like at the MCG or Etihad…”OK can we have all artists, teachers, social workers, philosophy students and musicians to the back of the line please? Thankyou, that’s very orderly. Now can we have the council workers, tradies, unemployed and salespeople to the front now please? Just take it easy please, no rush thankyou!” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally a stroll back from East to West through Central Park only stopping to watch two squirrels put on a performance for us chasing each other. Cracking day and had a feed at Appleby’s back in Brooklyn where you can eat beautiful food in a great environment whilst the building rattles every 5 minutes when a train goes through the subway underneath! Finally got to see the brilliant doco on TV tonight Waiting for the Sugarman about the reclusive 70’s artist Rodriguez. Very inspirational. Off to bed. Hope all’s well back home Love Willow and Lynda.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To read more from Ian Wilson click here.

 

 

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