Our last day in New York City. Breakfast in the hotel again then out to the post office to get stamps for postcards and mail a couple of things back home. The whole process took about half an hour.

First we didn’t fill out the envelopes correctly and then we needed to add a US address in the ‘from’ field and then the guy behind the screen took ages to fill out all the bits and pieces. Luckily there was a very helpful and friendly postal worker out front directing people and giving assistance and when Glen needed to get back in queue she put him right to the front. She was fun to watch.

We then walked downtown to the start/end of the Chelsea Highline and walked the whole thing. It was a beautiful day so, apart from maybe Central Park, there probably wasn’t a nicer place to be.

View from the Highline

This one reminded me of a Sesame Street character.

More sculptures along the way.

Shiny wall

Leafy green goodness

Train tracks reclaimed

The Empire State Building. (Ignore the billboard)

Gardens

Though the glass looks predominantly pink and red and purple, it actually included greens and yellows.

From underneath one of the buildings over the Highline.

Glen took off his shoes and splashed in the water for a bit. Other people followed suit.

Autumn is here.

Remnants

I liked the purple

Pan in his natural habitat.

When we reached the end we caught the subway uptown to the M&M store, which wasn’t as amazing as I was expecting though not sure why I was expecting it to be anything other than tacky and awful. Didn’t buy anything.

Walked back to the hotel, finished packing and then bid adieu to Albert. We were planning on taking a taxi to La Guardia but when we asked the doorman about a taxi to LGA he said there were nicer black guys waiting right there that would cost $45 to the airport. Considering we’d spent about $50 to $60 from the airport to the hotel, $45 in a nice car (plus tip) didn’t sound unreasonable so we agreed.

The driver was very friendly and chatty. Talked to us about our trip, how he bet the things people had told us about New York weren’t true (rude people being one), and then about how New York is no longer the crime-ridden cesspool it used to when he was a cop. He was a cop for 20 years and now his son is one too. I should have asked for his card because I wouldn’t mind having him as our driver again.

Checked-in at LGA, got to change our seats so we were next to each other, had some food, went through security and boarded the place. There were 20 people on the plane, which could seat about 65 people. We didn’t have to worry about being able to sit next to each other at all.

I’m keen to return to New York as there’s still a heap to see and a bunch of plays and musicals I’d like to attend. It also looks like a great place to just be, despite the hectic pace. A place to just take it easy, eat some food, and wander around without the need to “do something”. And it’s only an hour from Toronto. The one thing I definitely won’t do next time is stay in Times Square.

We got through Customs quickly (and got to bring in the take-home granola that Eleven gave us) and were soon on a bus and a train back home. Unpacked, put the washing on, went and bought food to make dinner and have now settled back into Toronto life. I like the emptier streets, the cleaner subway and the comfortableness that is ‘home’.  Doesn’t mean I don’t like going places but it is nice to be in familiar surroundings.

Tomorrow it’s back into some sort of routine, starting with the gym. Six days off has been a bit much. This weekend is Nuit Blanche, an outdoor contemporary art event, and then we’ve got two more trips away this month. Oh, and Thanksgiving as well. So lucky.

(And this is my 100th blog post! I’m pretty chuffed with that.)