I apologize for the late trip report. But here it is. Enjoy! 
On Saturday September 2, my father and I took a trip to New York City for one night to see the US Open. The night before, we were looking at the weather forecast, and we were thinking of cancelling our trip and going a different weekend instead. What made this decision difficult was that it seemed to be getting better, and we knew the rain would stop during Saturday night, but it just wasn't clear exactly when. We didn't decide until that morning.
It came down to this: It was going to rain some during the day, for sure. But it would've been such a letdown to not go because I had planned and looked forward to this trip for months. Plus, Sunday was going to be nice, so it wouldn't be a total waste. So we decided to pack our bags and go, and let me just say that we could not have made a better decision. It took a lot of nerve to do that, though! Most people wouldn't have taken such a big risk. I felt like a New Yorker after taking it and being successful, laughing at all the others who had cancelled their plans.
My father drove us to New Carrollton, where we would catch Train #54, the Vermonter, to New York Penn Station. It was raining in the DC area, which was not a good sign since it was supposed to have stopped there, but it settled down once we got to the station. Surprisingly, all trains in both directions were on time, including ours. We boarded the train in either the second or third coach (can't remember which). It was a new, blue-interior Amfleet I with interior red LED displays. The train was 5 coaches long, as the Vermonter always is, and was pulled by an AEM7 engine. The ride was smooth, and considering the weather (it was raining quite hard during some portions of the ride), we only arrived 10-15 minutes late at Penn Station.
Normally, we take the subway from Penn Station to our hotel, but since we weren't sure if it was raining outside, we opted for a cab instead. It actually wasn't raining at all at the time (!).
We stayed at the Hotel Giraffe, on 26th St and Park Avenue, 2 blocks south of the 28th St station on the (6) train. This is a GREAT little hotel. It is a beautiful, charming boutique style hotel that has become very popular lately. The staff is always very friendly. We got a room on the 9th floor, not much of a view, but still a great room with two heavenly beds that was large by New York standards. This was the third time we have stayed there, and it won't be the last. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Hotel Giraffe for all of you when travelling to New York City.
We couldn't check in just yet, but we dropped off our bags and then headed to the subway. We were going to the American Museum of Natural History to see the exhibit Lizards and Snakes Alive!. Now, my one beef with the subway is that to get from the middle east side to the upper west side, or the upper east side to the middle west side, one has to take 3 trains. My dad bought a one-day fun pass for both of us (stupid, haha). We JUST missed a (4) train (remember, the #4 has been going local on the weekends for quite a while lately, hope that ends soon!). We had to wait quite some time for the next train, considering the headways. It finally came in about 10 minutes. It was an R142A (6) train that wasn't crowded at all. We took it to 51st St. Then, we waited about 5 minutes for an (E) train, an R32, which is a lot less than I've had to wait for an (E) train on weekends in the past. The train was also not crowded. This is where it got a little annoying. Since the transfer at 51st-53rd/Lexington is near the 1st car of the (E) train, we were let off at the southern end of the platform at 42nd St-PABT. We had to walk ALL THE WAY BACK to the north end of the platform just to cross over to the uptown platform. While we were walking we missed an R44 (A) train (running local, due to running on the (F) line from Jay to West 4th Sts) that we would not have missed had we been further back. We then had to wait an OUTRAGEOUSLY long time for the next local train. We waited longer than 20 minutes. While we were waiting 2 (E) trains went by on the express track (uptown (E) trains were running express on 8th Av due to construction), and we all know how slow the (E) can be on weekends. This was just unacceptable. There should never be such a large gap between trains, especially when not one but TWO lines are running on the track. When the (C) finally came, an R38 consist (all R38s, not mixed with R32s), it was so crowded that we just barely managed to squeeze aboard. It didn't help that the train was only 8 cars long. I hope at least some R160s go to the (C) line because the service on that line is just so BAD, uggh. It's disgusting. I've run out of bad things to say about it, its that bad. We got to 81st St-Museum of Natural History and we were unable to get tickets to the next exhibit. We had to wait until 3:30. Had we not waited so long for the train, we might have been able to get tickets for an earlier exhibit. Anyway, while waiting, we had lunch with my great Aunt and her living companion, both of whom I love very much, at Isabella's restaurant on 77th St and Columbus Av. It is a very good place. Try the seafood Capellini pasta. Anyway, once we got into the museum the exhibit was fabulous. Some of the snakes we saw were bigger than my thighs. Let me just say I was thanking God with all the thanks in my body that there was plexiglass between those snakes and me.
By then it had started pouring, and we were losing hope that the US Open would be able to play that night. We didn't want to have to wait outside in the rain to hail a cab, so we got back on the subway. The downtown platform was extremely crowded, so I could tell a train hadn't come for a while. We, however, only had to wait a minute or two for the train. The train was crowded, but we were able to get on. We were in the front car, an R32, so I had a nice railfan window view of the Central Park West local for a short ride. I don't remember if the train was all R32s or if there were R38s mixed in that 8 car consist as well. Doesn't really matter to me. We got off at 42nd St-PABT, and we had to walk all the way back to the north end of the platform again to cross over to the uptown platform. We didn't have to wait that long for the (E) train on the express track. It was an R32, and it wasn't crowded. But get a load of this: The C/R closed the doors but we didn't move. Then, I heard him say over the PA, loud and clear, to move your hands from the doors, or something along those lines, in an angry voice. I turned around and saw a junkie, probably homeless, with his fingers between the doors. He wasn't moving them. He obviously wanted to get out. The C/R popped the doors open just enough for him to move his hand and then closed them again. He didn't move. The C/R did this three times. He didn't move. By now people were getting pretty mad at this guy, while I was getting pretty scared that a fight would break out. An MTA policeman finally came onto the train and arrested him, and we got moving. But you know something? While this homeless guy was clearly a jerk, I think the C/R is the most at fault here. Would it have hurt so much just to open the doors and let him out, rather than delay everybody 10 mintues? Anyway, the T/O went FAST through 53rd St, probably to make up some time. We got off at Lexington Av and transfered to the downtown Lexington Av line. A (6) train came within minutes, an R142A consist, and it was not crowded at all. We took it to 28th St and walked back to our wonderful hotel to check in.
Right after checking in, we took a look at the weather and saw that there was little chance of the US Open being played that night. We were disappointed briefly, but we weren't going to let a little rain spoil our fun. Instead, we bought tickets for Bodies: The Exhibition at South Street Seaport. Had it not been raining, we would've taken the subway there. But because it was pouring, we took a cab instead.
Oh man, what a great decision that was. Bodies: The Exhibition is UNBELIEVABLE. I mean, left the museum in a trance. I don't think I've ever learned so much in one evening. In fact, I don't think I've ever learned as much during a school day than I did during the evening. I learned so much about the human body that I actually might want to become a doctor now. What made this exhibit truly unique and amazing was this: Anyone can read about and look at pictures of the human body parts. But you almost NEVER get the chance to see them in person. This exhibit contained REAL BODY PARTS, that were once ALIVE on a LIVING HUMAN BEING! They were not models or replicas. All the bones and muscles were REAL. And the nervous system. In a glass display case was a REAL CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM! Again, not a model or a replica. That nervous system was once in a living human being. I was so awed that I was close to fainting. They had brains, livers, nervous systems, all the different muscles, bones, cartilage, blood vessels, you name it. And then the fetuses was the icing on the cake. In glass display cases were REAL HUMAN FETUSES! That were actually once inside a living human being! They had real fetuses from different stages during the pregnancy. How the hell were they able to remove them from their mothers' bodies?! If you have not yet seen Bodies: The Exhibition, you have not yet seen the greatest museum exhibition that ever existed. This was the kind of exhibit that you can only find in New York. I couldn't possibly imagine how much money it costs to build and fund the exhibit. While we didn't get to go to the US Open, we did the next best thing without question.
It was still pouring after we got out, and we hadn't eaten dinner, so we went to Lombardi's for a delicious, authentic New York pizza to conclude an amazing day. It was crowded, but worth the wait, as the pizza was the best I've ever had. My dad and I shared a large mushroom & meatball pizza. I love the crispy, charred coal-oven crust. DEE-LICIOUS!!!
We then got a cab to Union Square because we wanted to catch a movie. For the strangest reason, the movie we wanted to see, Invincible, was not playing there! That's unacceptable. Such a big movie theater should be playing a hit movie such as that. Anyway, we hung out at Circuit City for a little while, then asked where the closest movie theater was aside from the one at Union Square. The Circuit City employee said there was one at 34th and 5th. So we walked back down into the subway to head uptown to 34th St-Herald Square. An R68A (N) train was pulling in just as we were walking down the stairs. The ride to Herald Square from Union Square is so short that we didn't bother waiting for the slow (Q) express and just hopped on the (N) instead. We were in one of the rear cars and it was pretty much empty, with a couple other people. Surprising for a Saturday night, don't you think so? It had a busted door chime. Do all R68s and R68As have busted door chimes? It's been a LOOONG time since I've ridden one with a doorchime that worked properly. Anyway, the ride to 34th St-Herald Square was smooth and short. The Circuit City guy was wrong; there was no movie theater in sight. We were so tired that we just forgot about it and walked back to our hotel and called it a day.
Day 2 to come tomorrow.
On Saturday September 2, my father and I took a trip to New York City for one night to see the US Open. The night before, we were looking at the weather forecast, and we were thinking of cancelling our trip and going a different weekend instead. What made this decision difficult was that it seemed to be getting better, and we knew the rain would stop during Saturday night, but it just wasn't clear exactly when. We didn't decide until that morning.
It came down to this: It was going to rain some during the day, for sure. But it would've been such a letdown to not go because I had planned and looked forward to this trip for months. Plus, Sunday was going to be nice, so it wouldn't be a total waste. So we decided to pack our bags and go, and let me just say that we could not have made a better decision. It took a lot of nerve to do that, though! Most people wouldn't have taken such a big risk. I felt like a New Yorker after taking it and being successful, laughing at all the others who had cancelled their plans.
My father drove us to New Carrollton, where we would catch Train #54, the Vermonter, to New York Penn Station. It was raining in the DC area, which was not a good sign since it was supposed to have stopped there, but it settled down once we got to the station. Surprisingly, all trains in both directions were on time, including ours. We boarded the train in either the second or third coach (can't remember which). It was a new, blue-interior Amfleet I with interior red LED displays. The train was 5 coaches long, as the Vermonter always is, and was pulled by an AEM7 engine. The ride was smooth, and considering the weather (it was raining quite hard during some portions of the ride), we only arrived 10-15 minutes late at Penn Station.
Normally, we take the subway from Penn Station to our hotel, but since we weren't sure if it was raining outside, we opted for a cab instead. It actually wasn't raining at all at the time (!).
We stayed at the Hotel Giraffe, on 26th St and Park Avenue, 2 blocks south of the 28th St station on the (6) train. This is a GREAT little hotel. It is a beautiful, charming boutique style hotel that has become very popular lately. The staff is always very friendly. We got a room on the 9th floor, not much of a view, but still a great room with two heavenly beds that was large by New York standards. This was the third time we have stayed there, and it won't be the last. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Hotel Giraffe for all of you when travelling to New York City.
We couldn't check in just yet, but we dropped off our bags and then headed to the subway. We were going to the American Museum of Natural History to see the exhibit Lizards and Snakes Alive!. Now, my one beef with the subway is that to get from the middle east side to the upper west side, or the upper east side to the middle west side, one has to take 3 trains. My dad bought a one-day fun pass for both of us (stupid, haha). We JUST missed a (4) train (remember, the #4 has been going local on the weekends for quite a while lately, hope that ends soon!). We had to wait quite some time for the next train, considering the headways. It finally came in about 10 minutes. It was an R142A (6) train that wasn't crowded at all. We took it to 51st St. Then, we waited about 5 minutes for an (E) train, an R32, which is a lot less than I've had to wait for an (E) train on weekends in the past. The train was also not crowded. This is where it got a little annoying. Since the transfer at 51st-53rd/Lexington is near the 1st car of the (E) train, we were let off at the southern end of the platform at 42nd St-PABT. We had to walk ALL THE WAY BACK to the north end of the platform just to cross over to the uptown platform. While we were walking we missed an R44 (A) train (running local, due to running on the (F) line from Jay to West 4th Sts) that we would not have missed had we been further back. We then had to wait an OUTRAGEOUSLY long time for the next local train. We waited longer than 20 minutes. While we were waiting 2 (E) trains went by on the express track (uptown (E) trains were running express on 8th Av due to construction), and we all know how slow the (E) can be on weekends. This was just unacceptable. There should never be such a large gap between trains, especially when not one but TWO lines are running on the track. When the (C) finally came, an R38 consist (all R38s, not mixed with R32s), it was so crowded that we just barely managed to squeeze aboard. It didn't help that the train was only 8 cars long. I hope at least some R160s go to the (C) line because the service on that line is just so BAD, uggh. It's disgusting. I've run out of bad things to say about it, its that bad. We got to 81st St-Museum of Natural History and we were unable to get tickets to the next exhibit. We had to wait until 3:30. Had we not waited so long for the train, we might have been able to get tickets for an earlier exhibit. Anyway, while waiting, we had lunch with my great Aunt and her living companion, both of whom I love very much, at Isabella's restaurant on 77th St and Columbus Av. It is a very good place. Try the seafood Capellini pasta. Anyway, once we got into the museum the exhibit was fabulous. Some of the snakes we saw were bigger than my thighs. Let me just say I was thanking God with all the thanks in my body that there was plexiglass between those snakes and me.
By then it had started pouring, and we were losing hope that the US Open would be able to play that night. We didn't want to have to wait outside in the rain to hail a cab, so we got back on the subway. The downtown platform was extremely crowded, so I could tell a train hadn't come for a while. We, however, only had to wait a minute or two for the train. The train was crowded, but we were able to get on. We were in the front car, an R32, so I had a nice railfan window view of the Central Park West local for a short ride. I don't remember if the train was all R32s or if there were R38s mixed in that 8 car consist as well. Doesn't really matter to me. We got off at 42nd St-PABT, and we had to walk all the way back to the north end of the platform again to cross over to the uptown platform. We didn't have to wait that long for the (E) train on the express track. It was an R32, and it wasn't crowded. But get a load of this: The C/R closed the doors but we didn't move. Then, I heard him say over the PA, loud and clear, to move your hands from the doors, or something along those lines, in an angry voice. I turned around and saw a junkie, probably homeless, with his fingers between the doors. He wasn't moving them. He obviously wanted to get out. The C/R popped the doors open just enough for him to move his hand and then closed them again. He didn't move. The C/R did this three times. He didn't move. By now people were getting pretty mad at this guy, while I was getting pretty scared that a fight would break out. An MTA policeman finally came onto the train and arrested him, and we got moving. But you know something? While this homeless guy was clearly a jerk, I think the C/R is the most at fault here. Would it have hurt so much just to open the doors and let him out, rather than delay everybody 10 mintues? Anyway, the T/O went FAST through 53rd St, probably to make up some time. We got off at Lexington Av and transfered to the downtown Lexington Av line. A (6) train came within minutes, an R142A consist, and it was not crowded at all. We took it to 28th St and walked back to our wonderful hotel to check in.
Right after checking in, we took a look at the weather and saw that there was little chance of the US Open being played that night. We were disappointed briefly, but we weren't going to let a little rain spoil our fun. Instead, we bought tickets for Bodies: The Exhibition at South Street Seaport. Had it not been raining, we would've taken the subway there. But because it was pouring, we took a cab instead.
Oh man, what a great decision that was. Bodies: The Exhibition is UNBELIEVABLE. I mean, left the museum in a trance. I don't think I've ever learned so much in one evening. In fact, I don't think I've ever learned as much during a school day than I did during the evening. I learned so much about the human body that I actually might want to become a doctor now. What made this exhibit truly unique and amazing was this: Anyone can read about and look at pictures of the human body parts. But you almost NEVER get the chance to see them in person. This exhibit contained REAL BODY PARTS, that were once ALIVE on a LIVING HUMAN BEING! They were not models or replicas. All the bones and muscles were REAL. And the nervous system. In a glass display case was a REAL CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM! Again, not a model or a replica. That nervous system was once in a living human being. I was so awed that I was close to fainting. They had brains, livers, nervous systems, all the different muscles, bones, cartilage, blood vessels, you name it. And then the fetuses was the icing on the cake. In glass display cases were REAL HUMAN FETUSES! That were actually once inside a living human being! They had real fetuses from different stages during the pregnancy. How the hell were they able to remove them from their mothers' bodies?! If you have not yet seen Bodies: The Exhibition, you have not yet seen the greatest museum exhibition that ever existed. This was the kind of exhibit that you can only find in New York. I couldn't possibly imagine how much money it costs to build and fund the exhibit. While we didn't get to go to the US Open, we did the next best thing without question.
It was still pouring after we got out, and we hadn't eaten dinner, so we went to Lombardi's for a delicious, authentic New York pizza to conclude an amazing day. It was crowded, but worth the wait, as the pizza was the best I've ever had. My dad and I shared a large mushroom & meatball pizza. I love the crispy, charred coal-oven crust. DEE-LICIOUS!!!
We then got a cab to Union Square because we wanted to catch a movie. For the strangest reason, the movie we wanted to see, Invincible, was not playing there! That's unacceptable. Such a big movie theater should be playing a hit movie such as that. Anyway, we hung out at Circuit City for a little while, then asked where the closest movie theater was aside from the one at Union Square. The Circuit City employee said there was one at 34th and 5th. So we walked back down into the subway to head uptown to 34th St-Herald Square. An R68A (N) train was pulling in just as we were walking down the stairs. The ride to Herald Square from Union Square is so short that we didn't bother waiting for the slow (Q) express and just hopped on the (N) instead. We were in one of the rear cars and it was pretty much empty, with a couple other people. Surprising for a Saturday night, don't you think so? It had a busted door chime. Do all R68s and R68As have busted door chimes? It's been a LOOONG time since I've ridden one with a doorchime that worked properly. Anyway, the ride to 34th St-Herald Square was smooth and short. The Circuit City guy was wrong; there was no movie theater in sight. We were so tired that we just forgot about it and walked back to our hotel and called it a day.
Day 2 to come tomorrow.
.