Today is the final soccer game for the World Cup, and it is also the annual Christmas party lunch at the Chino Basque Club. It is particularly exciting because the Club is actually opening up by 7 a.m., a 75” flat-screen TV has been purchased to show the game and the bar is open. Great idea although it may prove to be a rather long (or short) day for some. Of course, I am in Lower Manhattan. By myself. I am not sad; after all, it was my decision to stay in NYC for the holidays. Rather than stay alone, I decided today would be a good day to take a walk to Midtown and be around, literally, thousands of people.
I started the day off with mass at the local church, a nice way for me to start the day. I am not really sure what I believe these days from a religious standpoint; nevertheless, I always feel as though I have done something right by starting the day off with mass.
Kicking off my walk, I passed by the Beer Garden that isn’t too far from home. It has not been busy more recently due to the inclement weather… but that certainly wasn’t the case today. They set up a gigantic screen and the place was packed with people. The game: France vs Argentina. As I walked by one of the teams (I believe France) had scored a goal. The cheering, screaming and yelling was incredibly loud.
I stopped at a nearby diner on Broadway which I have passed many times before. Each time I think of my cousin Jeanette; she LOVES diners. I thought it fitting I would stop there today since I was feeling a tad bit lonely. While there, I heard the final score of the game. It must have been heartbreaking for France.
Meanwhile, check out what I saw as I continued my walk! Could this possibly be the glove I lost in 2014? My hope springs eternal.
I once again passed an unusual building I have seen many times before, but I just recently learned it’s called the “Jenga Building”. When I heard this name I immediately realized why. Only in New York!
The Jenga Building was completed and opened in 2017. It was designed by a Swiss architectural firm and is 821 feet tall with 60 stories. Although there is an art gallery on the street level, the rest of the building is residential. It is located in Tribeca on Leonard St. and Church St. There are 8 full-floor apartments and the pricing today (2023) ranges from $2.5M to $30M. On September 2, 2022 the CFO of Bed Bath & Beyond jumped to his death from his 18th Floor apartment; he was named in a class action suit regarding the company’s stock price.
Continuing on to Midtown, here were some of my sights:
I really wanted to stop somewhere for a drink even though it is not something I do… well, not by myself. I don’t necessarily enjoy drinking for the sake of the drink. I like the social aspect of it; I like the idea of “having a drink” to enhance the time, the moment, and the ambiance. I tried to find PJ Clarke’s but couldn’t find it; I went to Monkey Bar, but it was closed; and then I just continued looking around for the “perfect” spot. It just wasn’t meant to be. Not today.
I looked for a bus that would take me back to Battery Park, but it was getting later and darker, so I called a cab and made it to my comfortable and warm New York “home.”
Days like today are a wonderful way to get to know and feel the City on my own. Places and streets are starting to look familiar. Dare I say, more like home? I have yet to feel nervous or frightened in my walks, and the variety of architectural triumphs makes me want to venture more and more. This move was definitely not a mistake, nor has it been a disappointment. I am loving every minute!