Candy's New York Blog: Upper East Side

UPPER EAST SIDE

Rain or shine, uptown we go! Umbrellas in hand , we trek uptown to explore the elegant Upper East Side. Our first stop is the neoclassical New York Public Library. A pair of huge, statuesque, marble lions by Edward C. Potter flank each side of the wide, open steps (BB,p 208). These stone icons are nicknamed Patience and Fortitude by former NY Mayor Fiorello La Guardia to remind New Yorkers of these important virtues during the hard times of the Depression Era (BB,208).We are in for a treat as we step into an incomparable interior reading room and are inspired to write Haiku poetry. The Main Reading Room is extraordinarily beautiful. Hand carved vaulted wooden ceilings frame equally exquisite paintings. The walls are decorated with tall arched windows and murals which tell a story about the written word. The room itself is an architectural work of art and reflects the importance and value of the great books within.The collections were bequeathed to the public as gifts from rich men such as John Jacob Astor and Samuel J. Tilden (BB p 208).

Beauty permeates
the walls of books colors,old.
Thanks to those who scribed.

On the lighter side,kids of all ages will appreciate the "Lego" rendition of the famous library lions. These are fairly large constructions with perhaps thousands of the tiny, grey bricks.

To walk north on Fifth Ave. means that we will pass many elegant stores such as Tiffany and Co., Cartier's, Harry Winston Jewelers http://www.harrywinston.com/ and more. Rare jewels, estate finds and investor grade gems are the fare. These are "grown up toys"!

A child's version of elegant shopping is the high-end toy store, FAO Schwarz. The candy section catches my eye first.http://www.fao.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3810527 FAO Schwarz is the oldest tory store in the United States. I still have my original Madame Alexander doll. She had an ice skating outfit with tiny white skates and a ballerina outfit which I just loved! This was a high end toy at the time and is now a collector's item. Also, they sold giant, life size animals and a visit to the store with Aunts and Grandmother was always very special. In my attic is my last toy. I remember picking out a child's size porcelain tea set with rabbit designs as my Grandmother generously instructed me to pick anything I wanted. I knew I was getting older at the time and not to play with toys forever, so I picked the tea set as something more functional and that would last for the future! It is still in the original box!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

But we digress.

Let's think about history in New York. St. Patrick's Cathedral is the center for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Historically, the Cathedral represents Irish immigration to New York and its new found roots. It is the largest Catholic Cathedral in the United States and it is NeoGothic in style (BB, 254). https://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/restore/ People from all over the world visit St. Patrick's Cathedral and it is an historical landmark. This is a most extraordinary and holy place. There are many altars devoted t saints and a huge chancel organ with 2,520 pipes (BB, 255). Mass seems to be going on all day and workers as well as visitors can attend freely.

I didn't realize how huge Central Park is. We could literally walk for miles, and we did do 8 miles in total. Certain paths will bring you to different points. Pass the Children's Zoo and explore 834 acres of nature and recreation (BB, p279). There is a boathouse where row boats can be rented for a leisurely afternoon. Ice skating and swimming are at Wollman Rink. Cyclists , walkers and those wishing to have a carriage ride are all part of the Central Park experience. There is a carousel which we didn't get to see. The musical clock at the Children's Zoo is a gem. Each half hour the animals circle and a nursery rhyme is played. In fact, there is so much at Central Park that it could constitute a whole day of adventure. We didn't get to Strawberry Fields of John Lennon memorium but the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain were elegant and picturesque. The statue in the center of the fountain is "Angel of the Waters (1868) by Emma Stebbins. It represents an angel conferring healaing powers on the water as in the angel from the bible who stirred the waters of the Bethesda pool in Jerusalem. It was built at a time when waters were frequently contaminated and cholera epidemics occurred . The angel was dedicated to protect the public water on the opening of the Croton Aqueduct in

1842 (BB, p 292).