New York City Day 2

Today we actually got some real sightseeing done.

First up, the New York Public Library. This isn’t a traditional library – you haven’t been able to check books out of this one for awhile now. There are some computers for internet access but it is mostly a museum. We saw some really old copies of the Declaration of Independence there (a few of the first printed in New York, and some handwritten).

Next up, the headquarters of a little paper known as the New York Times. Sorry about the poor photo quality:

After that, Times Square, including the MTV Studios, Radio City Music Hall, and more. It’s a shame we couldn’t be here at night, as the effect of all those electronic billboards and lights must be amazing.

Next up, the Rockefeller Center. John D. Rockefeller, the richest person in history, has been left quite a name for himself in this lavish, humanistic center:

The quote in the background, if you cannot read it, says “Wisdom and Knowledge Shall Be The Stability Of Thy Times.” The center is decorated with several sculptures inspired by ancient mythology. This statue is of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to man, thus giving them technology and superiority over nature. It is a very fitting symbol in a monument to human achievement.  I found it very impressive.

Next, we found the actual Tiffany’s store featured in the film Breakfast At Tiffany’s. We didn’t try to go in and have something engraved. I wonder if people still do that?

Also, a quick glance of the Apple Store. The store is located on prime real estate, but instead of building an economically sensible skyscraper like its neighbors, Apple built a small glass box at ground level and put the rest of the store underground. This must frustrate the real estate community to no end.

After that, we headed rain-soaked into Central Park to find this sculpture dedicated to Alice in Wonderland. It was built by a husband to honor his wife. I’ve been informed that the ball is in my court now:

After this we still somehow had the energy to tour the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Here among many, many other great exhibits were those famous paintings of George Washington and other founders, and Jacques-Louis David’s The Death of Socrates.

Finally, we had some dinner. Does anyone remember the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld? That was based on a real guy named Al Yeganeh, who ran a soup kitchen with a similar atmosphere and product quality. Later on this guy made a chain, called “The Original Soup Man.” The store has a video montage of media references to Yeganeh playing on repeat as well as reprints of newspaper articles referring to the episode as well as his original store. The food was OK – apparently Yeganeh sold his stock in the company and left the US, and the soup is now manufactured elsewhere and shipped to the franchises and reheated there. The original store is now closed. You might skip this one even if you’re a Seinfeld fan.

Here is a gratuitous shot of the Chrysler Building!

That’s it for today, stay tuned for the final day of our NYC adventure…