2011 The kids were treated to a pizza party and dance at the Hammerstein Friday night. With the changes made to the performance schedule the timing of the party was moved up an hour, making our time at Madame Tussauds necessarily brief. The buses took us back to the Hammerstein where the kids got their… Read More Two Tales of a City- Pt. 25
2011 Our meals during our short visit to New York were not quite evenly split between out-of-pocket costs, pre-paid boxed lunches, and two dining experiences. The first dining experience at Heartland Brewery was anything but an experience. The second was to be at BB King’s Blues Club and Grill, an option that sounded pretty damn… Read More Two Tales of a City- Pt. 24
1981 “Christ, I can’t believe she let us stay,” I remarked. Jeff and Lloyd agreed. We kept our waitress busy for a long while, ordering one round after another. Jeff got the bright idea to ask if we could move to the bar to free up the table and get out of her hair. “I’ll… Read More Two Tales of a City- Pt. 23
1981 It frustrated the hell out of me that we were unable to take advantage of the lower drinking age limit during our meal at Mamma Leone’s. The hot dog vendors didn’t serve beer. Neither did the café. Other than a couple of beers we were spending a largely dry week in the Big Apple. … Read More Two Tales of a City- Pt. 22
1981 A big part of the travel package for our visit to New York was a fine dining experience at Mamma Leone’s Italian restaurant. Italian was, is, and will always be one of my favorite cuisines. I was greatly looking forward to devouring as much sauced up pasta and bread as possible. The fine Mamma… Read More Two Tales of a City- Pt. 21
2011 Day Three of our New York Adventure didn’t leave a lot of free time for the kids. The morning started with the performance at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine followed by the solo performances of Jimmy and Rachel at the Marriott Marquis. The kids then had a few hours of seminars ranging… Read More Two Tales of a City- Pt. 20
2011 The movie and TV tour lasted less than two hours meaning we still had plenty of time to kill. Elise and Mrs. V (mostly Mrs. V) decided it was time to allow the kids some free time to shop. We made our way to Rockefeller Center where we debarked then listened to Mrs. V’s… Read More Two Tales of a City- Pt. 19
2011 Our first stop during our second day in New York City was the Lincoln Center where we toured the Metropolitan Opera House, Avery Fisher Hall, and the New York State Theater. We were divided into three or four groups and assigned tour guides for the ninety-minute exploration. Maggie, Elaine, and I tried to track… Read More Two Tales of a City- Pt. 18
2011 Day Two of our New York Adventure was mostly a free day to do what we wanted… as long as it fit within the group’s itinerary. The day started with a big breakfast at the hotel. I was among the first to arrive in the dining room. I nodded to the few kids and… Read More Two Tales of a City- Pt. 17
A Lifetime Ago in a Neighborhood Now Far Away 