Joiner's Musings

News Sand  News stands. They are everywhere and seem to be busy all the time. I used to see these in old movies and wondered if they are still around and yes, they are....everywhere in the city. Architecture   Architecture. Look up and you will find many classical buildings. A lost art at a time when the designer really thought about the building and its place in the city. Too bad many of these stately buildings are being razed to make way for ever taller condos.. Parking Manhattan style   Parking. Certainly at a premium and that means finding ingenious ways to stuff as many cars as possible in the least amount of space. Wonder how long it would take to get my car if it was parked at the top. Oculus   The Oculus. At first I thought, what the heck is it? A bird, a statue, a jumble of metal? No, it's a train station and I'll bet it costs a pretty penny to build. Trendy cafe   Cafes. They are everywhere. We wanted to sit down and have a c...

Hotel Bellclaire A market just around the corner on Broadway We stayed at the Hotel Belleclaire near 77th Street and Broadway during our Easter weekend getaway.  It is a cozy boutique style hotel with smallish but comfortable rooms. It is well situated near a subway station and a great jumping off point to just about anywhere in the city.  If you preferred not to venture into the downtown area you could shop to your hearts content in the immediate area as well as take walks in Central Park, just three blocks from where we stayed in this Upper West Side hotel. Main lobby of the Empire State Building  One of my personal favorite stops was the Empire State Building. Waiting time was less than 20 minutes and the trip to the 80, then the 86th floor was no more than a few minutes. A great way to see grand vistas of the city. The rain that day did not dampen our spirits but made for so-so photography. Apparently the new World Trade Center will have an observ...