Give it a rest!

Much like Garfield, I've always been more partial to lasagne than Mondays, but I have to say that I'm facing this week with renewed vigour.  I think this is largely the result of putting myself to bed at 8pm on Saturday and Sunday nights this past weekend.  Two consecutive evenings of excellent sleep seem to have done the trick.  New York City may not sleep but at some point, its residents must.

Back in the early 1800s, the hustle-bustle of New York City ended at 14th Street and everything north of that was farmland.  The air was fresher, you could swim in the East River without contracting something nasty, and the wide open spaces that weren't being farmed were being used for horse riding and for quiet walks.  And it was to areas like these that busy New Yorkers flocked when they needed rest and recuperation.

The Mount Vernon Hotel is one of the oldest buildings in New York.  Built as a carriage house in 1799, the building once sat on a sprawling estate owned by the daughter of former US President John Adams.  The property chanegd hands a number of times over the years and the carriage house operated as a hotel from 1826 to 1833, and was a hugely popular spot for daytrippers from the southern parts of Manhattan.

Mount Vernon's location, on what is now residential East 61st Street, may seem quiet by New York standards, but it's still opposite one of the busiest Bed, Bath & Beyond stores in the City, and in the shadow of the bustling Queensboro Bridge which is trafficked by 183,000 cars and nearly 800 bicycles per day. 

In fact, if you ride the tram over the Queensboro Bridge to Roosevelt Island, and look out the northern side of the tram as you pull away from Manhattan, you get a great birds-eye view of the Hotel.  See?  My sincere thanks to the lovely Gaynor Shaw for her excellent photography!

These days, the Mount Vernon Hotel is run as a museum - a time capsule, really.  When you go there, you're transported back to a quieter period, when New Yorkers would check in early morning and spend the day in pure leisure.  Ladies would retire to the upper rooms for reading, sewing, listening to music, or catching up on the local gossip.  Men would sit downstairs and play card games, smoke cigars, and (no doubt) enjoy a pint or two of the local brews.

Male visitors to Mount Vernon would have been especially fortunate because their downstairs location put them in easy reach of the delicious smells emanating from the busy hotel kitchen.  The small complement of hotel staff would serve a lunch of delicacies such as turtle soup, or roasted meats and vegetables - all included in the daily hotel rate.

In those days, it was rare for visitors to stay overnight at the Mount Vernon Hotel.  It really was just a retreat for the day - a chance to recharge your batteries before once more heading back into the fray.  But one story I particularly liked was that of Scottish traveller, James Stuart, who stayed overnight at Mount Vernon as part of a three-year tour around America.  During his US visit, Stuart was enormously critical of American manners (or lack thereof) and he documented his many complaints throughout his rather rare volume, Three Years in America. Of course I had to buy the first volume of this work from the Museum bookstore afterwards, to see how he finds New Yorkers.  I suspect it will make rather compelling reading.

Mount Vernon Hotel has been beautifully restored and is staffed by friendly, knowledgable tour guides.  Admission to the Museum is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and students with appropriate ID.  Children under 12 can get in for free, but must be accompanied by an adult.  The Hotel also runs education programs for NYC school students, and there is a donation box in the lobby.  Even if you just deposit a couple of dollars, your contribution will ensure these valuable programs continue.

Another thing to bear in mind is that you're not allowed to take photographs inside the Hotel but outside photos are fine.  The Hotel maintains a beautifully-landscaped back garden that gets a lot of sun.  Sure, the garden is much smaller than the estate's originally 23 acres, but for a New Yorker who is more accustomed to living in a one-room studio apartment, it was a very restful oasis indeed.

Boston: it gives you more than a feeling

I have just come back from two days in Boston and it was just beautiful.  I worked out that it's the first time I've been to this great city in good weather.  The last three times I've been met with snow, high winds, and rain.  But having said that, every trip I've made to Boston so far has given me a fantastic holiday - there is something for everybody here, at any time of year you're fortunate enough to visit.

South Street Station, Boston

In a little over three hours, the Acela Express trains on Amtrak can get you from New York's Penn Station to the impressive South Street Station in Boston.  You can often get cheaper fares on some of the budget airlines of course (and I've flown them too), but generally speaking I like to travel by train, so I will always do that if I can.

This time around I came to Boston on the spur of the moment.  One of my oldest friends is a commercial airline pilot and he was flying into Boston and invited me to visit.  In one of life's happy accidents, given that I was on holidays already, I could make the mid-week trip without any problems.  My Amtrak train was 25 minutes late getting into Boston however, so I dragged my suitcase straight to Captain's hotel and met up with him and the flight crew for a few drinks at their hotel's Irish bar before they turned in for the evening.

The airline's hotel of choice is on the Boston waterfront, right by the super-modern and enormous Convention Center where, on previous visits, I've attended both a classy wine expo, and then a crazy motorcycle expo - with bonus beef jerky!  There must have been another convention in town this week, because hotel rates were astonishingly high at all the hotel properties on that side of the river.

Omni Parker House

Not to be deterred however, I used this as an excellent opportunity to splurge on a fantastic hotel room at the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston's historical precinct.  Rooms here aren't cheap either; however, the hotel has been operating since 1855 which makes the Omni Parker House the oldest hotel in the United States and boy, has it seen some action over the years!  Charles Dickens, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Ralph Waldo Emerson used to convene here for catch-ups, and Dickens wrote & gave his first public reading of "A Christmas Carol" here.  JFK hosted his bachelor party in the Hotel, and announced his candidacy for Congress here, several years before.  And John Wilkes Booth stayed here 11 days before he assassinated President Lincoln (and was allegedly sighted having target practice near the hotel during his stay).

The Omni Parker House chef also invented the state dessert of Massachusetts in the Hotel's kitchens.  It is called the Boston Cream Pie  and it's actually a cake, not a pie - but of course I had to have one during my visit.  Delicious!  I also made the somewhat fateful decision to enjoy the hospitality of the award-winning whiskey bar located in the hotel lobby, called The Last Hurrah.  They certainly know their way around the whiskey bottles, and they're very generous hosts, let me tell you.

I was nursing a somewhat sorry head early the following morning, when Captain met me at my hotel and we set off for our sight-seeing adventure.  I put Captain in charge of the map immediately, and we wandered over to the tourist drawcards of Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, as well as the site of the 1770 Boston Massacre, and we did some souvenir shopping along the way.

The grave of Mary Goose, who
inspired the "Mother Goose" myth

History is everywhere you look in Boston, and nowhere is it more obvious than on the headstones in the Granary Burying Ground.  Founded in 1660, this is actually Boston's third oldest cemetery.  A lot of leading figures from the Revolutionary War era are buried here (as well as Mary Goose, who allegedly inspired the "Mother Goose" myth).  When we arrived, we were also lucky to meet Jimmy, a local resident who has prepared little manila folders of trivia for visitors to the site.  You borrow a copy of the folder when you walk in, and return it to Jimmy at the end.  The folder is an excellent resource to guide your walk around the site.  Just by reading the trivia that Jimmy has pulled together, you learn about the origins of the "skull and wings" motif that is popular on a lot of the gravestones you see (where age and weather has not worn away the writing).  Jimmy's folder also shows you the location of some significant graves on the site, including that of John Hancock (first signatory on the US Declaration of Independence), and also explains the history behind the imposing Franklin family cenotaph, which marks the spot where Benjamin Franklin's parents are buried.

Our walk from the Granary Burying Ground led us directly into Boston Common, a free public park spread out over almost 50 acres.  Kids were splashing around in the Tadpole Pool, where the water only comes up their ankles, and there was a popular playground and carousel getting a lot of attention too. Hard to believe that public hangings used to take place here (up until 1817) and livestock used to graze on the lush, green lawns until as recently as the early 1830s.  These days however, joggers and cyclists make full use of the many well-tended footpaths around Boston Common, and there are historical monuments and sculptures to look at along the way.

The swan boats in the Public Garden,
across from Boston Common

If you leave Boston Common and cross over Charles Street you come into the Public Garden, which was the first Botanical Gardens in the United States.  Here you'll find a tranquil duck pond where people and their kids were feeding the ducks, ducklings, and swans.  Continuing the bird theme, there is also a lake where tourists can ride on the famous swan boats, which have been around for about 130 years.  The boats are obviously only out in fine weather, so I got to see them for the first time on this visit.

All our walking around had worked up quite a thirst, so it was logical that we would call in to the famous Cheers bar.  If you're a fan of the TV show, as I am, you will definitely recognise that exterior shot. I indulged in a delicious icy-cold beer which went down a treat, and the gift shop isn't bad either.

At this point in the day I had been talking up a fantastic seafood restaurant that I felt we needed to visit for lunch.  Fortunately Captain's map-reading skills far exceed my own (but whose don't!?) and before long we pulled up to the wonderful Barking Crab restaurant, right on the Boston waterfront.

I came to this great little restaurant on my first visit to Boston and had my very first taste of clam chowder.  It must have made a real impression because I bought my cousin here on a subsequent visit, and I was really keen to share it with Captain too.  Fortunately he was quite taken with the rich and creamy clam chowder and the enormous Alaskan king crab legs, and my lobster roll was just the perfect meal for me.

Captain's flight out of Boston was later that evening, so we parted ways after our lunch and I headed over to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, which we could see from the Barking Crab.  I didn't buy a ticket to the Museum itself which I do regret, now that I've seen the website for the place.  But nevertheless, I did relax for a while in the Abigail Smith Tearoom upstairs, and I sampled three delicious teas - including the recreation of two varieties that had actually been dumped into the Harbour in the Boston Tea Party incident of 1773.  While I sipped the tea from my lofty vantage point, I could hear Museum visitors and the rowdy tour guides re-enacting Tea Party scenes, with frequent and resounding HUZZAHS!  This Museum is a definite must-see for history buffs and their families.

Left in charge of my own navigation from here, I trudged back over the bridge in the general direction of my Hotel, stopping off at the historical Old South Meeting House.  Given where I'd just come from, it was actually quite appropriate to call in there, as the Old South Meeting House was where the Boston Tea Party actually began.  Colonists used to gather there for public meetings that would challenge British rule.  As their gatherings grew larger, and anti-British sentiment grew more fervent, the American Revolution gathered steam.  There are a couple of really interesting display boards inside the museum, and even some shout-outs to the women who helped shape the Revolution, at a time when women were really just seen but not heard.  I was particularly taken by the gift shop downstairs, as well as the adjacent second-hand book store, where some books were only one dollar.  Bargain!

You wouldn't think it was possible to still be hungry after all the eating and beer-drinking I had done up until this point.  But clearly we have to get to know each other better because, frankly, there is always room for more food!

I was so proud of myself on Thursday evening, to consult my tourist map and actually get myself to The Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant in the United States.  In fact, such was my excitement to find the place, I even high-fived the hostess upon my arrival.  Bless her heart, she didn't think I was weird at all.

The Union Oyster House has officially been operating as an oyster restaurant since 1826, but records suggest it was a dining establishment for at least 100 years before that.  The place is now a national historical landmark, for obvious reasons.  I came here on my most recent visit to Boston (a work trip) and dined like a queen in the upstairs dining room, where lucky patrons can still snag a seat in JFK's permanent booth.  This time around, however, I just needed a half-dozen local oysters, and an icy-cold beer to take the edge of my appetite.  Sitting at the tiny oyster-shucking bar just inside the front door, I had a lovely chat with a retired couple next to me, who are doing their "grey nomad" tour through the northeastern US, and had actually come back to the restaurant for the second night in a row.  We were clearly kindred spirits.

On previous trips to Boston, I've been to the beautiful Museum of Fine Arts; I've cheered the Celtics to basketball victory at the TD Garden; and I've done a tour of Fenway Park - home of the famous Red Sox.  I've also done a Samuel Adams brewery tour, which was a great way to see how the tasty local beverages are produced.  As so often happens, time was just too short to see these places again, but I would never hesitate to come back to this wonderful city.  Tourists call Boston "Bean Town" for the famous baked beans recipe that comes from here.  But can you believe I still haven't tried them?  Reason enough to come back, wouldn't you say?

If you want to see some more photos of my Boston adventure, please visit the link below:

Post by The ABCs of NYC.

If these walls could talk, you'd probably blush

At the time of its construction between 1883 and 1885, the Hotel Chelsea (otherwise known as the Chelsea Hotel, or simply The Chelsea) was the tallest building in Manhattan.  At only twelve storeys high, it didn’t take long for other buildings in Manhattan to surpass it, but what the hotel lacks in elevation it more than makes up for in pedigree and drama.

Located West 23rd Street, the hotel contains 250 apartments and over the years has been home to some big names including Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Arthur Miller, Iggy Pop, and Jane Fonda.  

Not all visitors to the hotel left warm and vertical though.  Welsh poet Dylan Thomas expired from alcoholism/pneumonia there in 1953, and Nancy Spungen, girlfriend of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious was stabbed to death there in 1978 (and he was later charged with her murder). 

Less tragically though, the painter Alphaeus Philemon Cole lived at The Chelsea for 35 years until his death in 1988, at the grand old age of 112.  Bravo, sir!

The hotel closed for renovations in 2011 and while it no longer accepts new long-term leases, the building is still home to many residents who lived there before the rental policy changed. 

Architecturally the hotel is known for its delicate ironwork balconies outside, and its grand staircase and artworks inside. 

If The Chelsea’s walls could talk, they’d probably tell stories of brave Titanic survivors, and returning WWI soldiers, who had emergency housing there when they got back to New York.  Or perhaps stories of Andy Warhol’s Factory regulars, who holed up at the Hotel to sleep off the effects of the night before. 

And the hotel is widely regarded to be one of the most haunted places in New York, leaving even former resident Janis Joplin to admit, “a lot of funky things happen in The Chelsea”.

What fresh hell is this?

"I've never been a millionaire but I just know that I'd be darling at it"

Dorothy Parker

At last count, New York had over 240 hotels, and more than 69,000 rooms.  One of the most storied properties is The Algonquin Hotel on East 44^th Street in Midtown.  This 111 year-old, 174-room hotel was named after the Algonquin tribes that had been the first residents of the area. The Hotel is now a New York Historical Landmark. 

Of similar historical note are the stories of those who gathered at this Hotel - literary luminaries by today's standards.  In June 1919 the Algonquin became the site of the daily meetings of "The Algonquin Round Table", a group of journalists, authors, publicists, and actors who gathered to exchange bon mots over lunch in the main dining room.  The group met almost daily for the better part of 10 years.  Some of the core members of this "Vicious Circle" include comic playwright George Kaufman, short story writer and poet Dorothy Parker, and playwright and editor Robert Sherwood.  Together the group founded The New Yorker magazine, and all hotel guests receive free copies of the publication to this day.  Their get-togethers also inspired the 1994 film "Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle" starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Matthew Broderick.

The hotel also has a long tradition of keeping a cat that has the run of the hotel.  The cats are named either Hamlet or Matilda.  The current Algonquin feline, a Matilda, is a Ragdoll that won Cat of the Year at the Westchester (New York) Cat Show in 2006.  Visitors can spot Matilda on her personal chaise longue in the hotel lobby, or she can alternately be found behind the computer on the front desk, or lounging on a baggage cart.   Matilda also has her own email address so you can contact her directly (good grief)!

This is (not really) what we call the Muppet Show!

Across the street from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden is the Hotel Pennsylvania.  

Constructed in 1919 by the Statler Group, the property was known as The Hotel Statler for more than 40 years, but when Nicky Hilton purchased the Statler in 1954, he characteristically bestowed the Hilton name upon it.  

While rumour has it that the Chef salad was created at the Statler, the property also has the distinction of owning the New York phone number in longest continuous use. 

The hotel’s phone number, PEN-5000, inspired a hit single for the Glenn Miller Orchestra, who would often play at the hotel’s famous Café Rouge.  And even though the property became the Hotel Pennsylvania in the 1980s, you can still telephone them today and Glenn Miller’s famous tune will be your hold music.  

But the Statler name hasn’t been entirely lost to history either.  It lives on in Jim Henson’s witty old muppet who, along with his wise-cracking friend Waldorf, held court in a box seat for all but one of The Muppet Show episodes, heckling the performers and complaining about the acts.  Legendary characters, just like their NY hotel namesakes.