New York Windows: Henri Bendel

The caricatures of famous illustrator Al Hirschfeld are made three dimensional in Henri Bendel's holiday windows.

Famous New York Structures: 570 Lexington Avenue

I decided to take a self-guided walking tour of Midtown's skyscrapers. Here is the G. E. Building, also known as 570 Lexington Avenue. The current G. E. Building is at Rockefeller Center, but this was the  original location of G. E. It's now occupied by multiple commercial offices and owned by Columbia University.

It is famous for its many Art Deco emblems -- at entrances, over windows, at its crown and in the lobby. It was commissioned by RCA, and the tilted zig-zag lightening bolts represented radio waves. But before the building was complete, RCA had chosen another site, and they sold it to G. E. The radio wave emblems easily translated to electrical emblems, so that worked out!

The architects were challenged to compliment but contrast its neighbor, St. Bartholomew's Cathedral. Thus the two structures share the same salmon-colored brick. It has 42 stories above ground, 11 elevators and was constructed in 1931.

This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States. Its reference number is 03001515.

This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States. Its reference number is 03001515.

Progress on the Building Outside My Window

I have become used to see construction workers climb ladders on open balconies 20 stories from the ground, but I wonder if the workers ever get used to it.

New York Christmas Windows--Ellie Tahari

Apparently Ellie Tahari thinks tying shoes to our heads with a big black ribbon complete with a large chin-strap bow would be festive this year.

Two Things I Learned Today

My husband and I like to spend time at Celcius, a temporary winter restaurant at Bryant Park and watch the ice skaters from our table on the second level. This weekend, my husband ordered a lovely drink that made me catch the server and switch out my wine. This drink, I learned contains maple-flavored bourbon. Ever heard of that? I hadn't either, it's brand new.

I was pretty excited about having found a new spirit to serve during the holidays that would appeal to my girlfriends. So, I looked online to learn that I had been manipulated very nicely.

A November 1st Bloomberg News article in the business section entitled, "In the Bourbon Business, Maple is the New Brown" states:

The sweetened varieties are truly succeeding at luring women, according to Beam Chief Executive Matthew Shattock. “We think females are now participating in flavored bourbon at twice the rate they are in the unflavored bourbon,” he said in a conference call today. (“Participating,” we assume, means “drinking.”)

So, two things: If it's new, you will run across it in New York, and second, to get women to buy it, sugar will have been added.

Bloomberg News Business Article.

Shoe Choices in New York

People seem to care a great deal about their shoe choice in New York. Boots are extremely popular with the women—including wedges, kitten-heel, pointy-toe, cowboy, etc. No white gym shoes here, not even on the men.

Coffee Drinks Explained

A local coffee shop in a Cincinnati suburb has this sign explaining very nicely the names of different varieties of coffee drinks. In New York, one needs to know what one is ordering when it's one's turn, so I thought I'd keep it handy in my phone photos.

Celebrity Alert: Hoda Kotb

My husband and I saw Hoda Kotb, host of The Today Show, walking her dog in Central Park this summer. She was looking up and smiling as if she was used to being recognized and wanted to be friendly.

Celebrity Alert: Hank Azaria

We saw Hank Azaria, voice of over a dozen Simpsons characters, at The Rockettes' Christmas Show right in front of us. He had a little boy with him I assume was his son and was wearing a denim jacket with a scarf looking very New Yorkish. (This photo is off of the web.)

How One Changes

If I stay in one city over a month, my perspective of time changes. I really have to work to adapt. The attitude in Cincinnati: Don't be rude by seeming to be in a hurry—in New York: "Get out of my way!"

When I returned to Cincinnati the last time, I was impatient with people to the point that I worked myself into a fit when a group of three older men were chatting with the attendant at the movie theatre ticket booth. Don't they know there are other people (me, in particular) behind them???!!!!

After two months in Cincinnati, when I returned to New York, my first thought as we endured the frantic taxi ride bolting and braking its way to our apartment was, "What in the world is this man's  hurry?"

The New York City Rockettes' Christmas Show

Hey! I'm back in New York after being in Cincinnati a couple of months. I have lots to write about, but the first thing must be the amazing Christmas Rockettes! Tickets were pricey, as you would imagine, but you need see this show only once in your lifetime. Just walking into the enormous Radio City Music Hall will knock your socks off.

I purchased our tickets the week of the show in person at the theatre on a Wednesday afternoon. There was no line, and I avoided service charges for over-the-phone or online ticketing. We sat in the back of the orchestra section where you could see all the action—tickets closer to the stage were actually cheaper because your view is limited.

Here's a video of the Toy Soldier March that will give you an idea of the talent on stage and the visual excitement of this show: Watch the Rockettes' March of the Toy Soldier.