A blog for older adults about loving this City even when your knees hurt and your hearing is not what it used to be!
Author: Kay
I knew when I started my blog I wanted to reach out to seniors like myself. I wanted to share my stories and even be a bit of a tour guide on what I’ve learned and the fun I’ve had at famous and not so famous New York places.
Back in 2009 I saw the revival of SOUTH PACIFIC at Lincoln Center. What a wonderful Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. Those marvelous songs, “Younger Than Springtime”,”There’s Nothing Like A Dame”, “Some Enchanted Evening”, but the song from the musical that has been repeating in my head since Charlottesville and Barcelona is, “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught”…
You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear You’ve got to be taught from year to year It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear You’ve got to be carefully taught
You’ve got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made And people whose skin is a diff’rent shade You’ve got to be carefully taught
You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late Before you are six or seven or eight To hate all the people your relatives hate You’ve got to be carefully taught
With love and with the hope that in my old age I will live to see prejudices of all forms disappear from this country and this world.
Or… Easy, just follow my four rules and become a suave sophisticated, “I know what I’m doing” with an attitude, rider.
It seems to me that taking a bus shouldn’t be intimidating, because pretty sure the odds are good that we all have taken buses at some point. We got on, we got off and ended up where we wanted to be. Right?
Well, when I became a permanent resident here, the thought of riding a City bus was not only intimidating, but downright scary. Instead I took cabs and car services, a costly way to travel I quickly found out.
So I decided one night to stop being a wimp and just do it. The next morning, after checking the schedule, off I went with my “unused” reduced fare (senior) Metro card safely in my wallet. I took the M66 to Lincoln Center an easy trip across Central Park. I can report now that nothing, absolutely nothing, happened to me. I got on the bus, I got off the bus and gave myself a high-five as I landed on the sidewalk. However, I did begin to learn of the unwritten rules of riding a City bus which helped to reduce my angst from a 10 plus down to a “Hey, I’m a professional bus rider here, people!”
Following are my lessons learned, but first a word of advice. Ignore all the stuff that goes on around you, including the passenger who not only hates the bus, the bus driver and everyone on the bus, but will also tell you why in words your mother told you never to say!
Rule 1 Always, and I mean always, allow extra time. Because anything could and probably will make you late. Those huge delivery trucks seem to be dropping off all kinds of stuff just when your bus approaches and then there’s the ever -popular surprise detour for a myriad of reasons – it is New York you know.
Rule 2 Have your Metro card or exact change in hand when you board. Otherwise, those people behind you that were nice a few minutes ago will change in a NY second if you fumble – and if it’s raining? Fuhgeddaboudit!
Rule 3 Hit the strip “Stop Requested” after the bus leaves the stop before yours. Otherwise, it doesn’t light up and I learned this the hard way as I watched
wide- eyed my bus driving right by my stop.
Rule 4 No seat available? Grab any strap, bar, back of seat, but never, ever a person.
Unless of course you’re about to fall which could result in bodily harm, which will stop the bus, which nobody wants. Then I can almost promise that your fellow passengers will offer to let you hold on to one of them so that their bus will just keep on moving without any further ado…hopefully.
And not a rule, but just a kind act of civility is to thank the bus driver when you get off – these people have to put up with all of us.
Love this City and have come to love the buses! (I don’t take subways).
Happy Trails!
KAY’S NOTES:
Important to know: Just visiting? You can get a reduced fare card as a senior citizen or person with disabilities even if you’re not a resident of NYC. Check out the website – all info you need is there http://web.mta.info/nyct/fare/rfindex.htm
Good to know: Many of you probably know all of this, but for those of you who don’t…hope it helps!
Disclaimer: I try for correct info on my posts, but no guarantees people.
Or… how about a quick FREE trip to Vegas without ever getting in a plane, in a car, in a bus or on a horse – well maybe a horse if you’ve been ” carriaging”* around Central Park.
Simply take yourself over to Lincoln Center Plaza on Saturday, August 26th. Grab a chair and sit back under the stars to see Rigoletto with all its lechery, murder, sex, gambling, kidnapping, deflowering and disguises, just like the real Casino town! This hit production by the Met of Rigoletto places the action in a neon-bedecked Las Vegas in 1960.
RIGOLETTO Vegas style
Yes, the Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival will be in full swing as of August 25th. This is one of my favorite things to do in the City as summer starts to murmur with hints of fall. I’ve had such great times watching these wonderful operas and enjoying the audience craziness before and after the screenings. And all free!!!!!
The Festival runs from August 25th thru September 4th. All performances begin at 8 PM except for Sunday the 27th which begins at 7:45.
Here’s the schedule starting on the 25th
Beginning with the Ingmar Bergman film, The Magic Flute followed the next evening by Rigoletto, and then in order, Il Barbiere Di Siviglia, L’Amour De Loin, Manon Lescaut, Roberto Devereux, Tristan Und Isolde (on two nights) Eugene Onegin, Nabucco, ending on the 4th with the beautiful La Traviata.
Hope to see you there! Come early – relax and watch the seats fill up which they do. As usual – I’m the one with the hat, popcorn and wine.
Love this City and love the Metropolitan Opera especially when it’s free.
Good to know: The series goes on rain or shine except thunder storms. Suggest you bring extra jacket or sweater as it can get chilly. And perhaps a seat cushion. Where to eat: All over the place. Many people, in fact, bring their own food, drinks and snacks. I, myself, am a popcorn and wine person. Restaurant prices: In the area – varies from hotdog carts to OMG$$$$ Where is it: At Lincoln Center Plaza known as the Josie Robertson Plaza in front of the Met Opera House on the Upper West Side between West 62nd and 65th Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. Buses and subways close by. Plenty of parking. Met website has all kinds of info on directions. Restrooms: Here’s the tricky part. If there is an event at the David Geffen Hall (formerly Avery Fisher) the restrooms are open in the Hall. But if not there are restrooms on the Concourse level below the Met Opera house. There is an elevator to Concourse level on the outside of the David Koch Theater or an escalator in front of the David Geffen Hall. Restrooms also at the David Rubenstein Atrium on Broadway between 62nd and 63rd right across the street. Kid Friendly: Absolutely and stay for a little while or for the whole performance. Lots of kids will be there along with opera loving well behaved dogs!
Photos and italic text from Metropolitan Opera website.
*Carriaging – a made up word -but you get my drift.
Disclaimer – I try for correct info on Kay’s Notes– but no guarantees people.
Finished reading the paper and finished the crossword and checked out anything of interest on my phone. Well…. yeah…. and yeah again. I love the Museum of Modern Art and how I missed this, I just don’t know. The events are sold out except for the ones in July only because registration hasn’t yet opened. Really sorry about missing the workshop on Smartphone Street Photography and the Contemporary Art in New York City event. How did I miss this program at MoMA, I ask again. A summer camp for Seniors…Wow!
Summer Camp for Seniors is just part of the Prime Time program for seniors 65 and older at MoMA. Check out their website for full info.
Prime Time is an initiative to engage older New Yorkers at MoMA and in the community. Each month we offer multiple programs that encourage older adults of diverse abilities and backgrounds to learn about modern and contemporary art.
For more information, please call Prime Time at (212) 333-1265, fill out our contact form, or e-mail primetime@moma.org.
These events for June are sold out.
Prime Time Summer Camp: Smartphone Street Photography
Prime Time Summer Camp: Crafting Sunprints
Prime Time Summer Camp: Contemporary Art in New York City
Prime Time Summer Camp: Gestural Painting
July Events:
Prime Time Summer Camp: Landscape Drawing Workshop
Registration opens June 27th at 9:30 AM
Or…walk Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 110th Street and enjoy free admission to 7 major museums with fun along the way!
Yes, FREE access to The Met, Neue Gallerie, The Guggenheim, Cooper Hewitt, The Jewish Museum, Museum of the City of New York, and El Museo del Barrio! As you walk along, Fifth Avenue will be packed with special events. See you there! (no cars) Check out their website for alisting of allevents.http://museummilefestival.org/
Love this City!
KAY’S NOTES: CROWDS, CROWDS, CROWDS and FUN!
Disclaimer: I try for correct info on my posts, but no guarantees people.
Wonderful memories to me are gifts that are always there to pull upon when life or times get a little complicated. And this is one of my favorites. I try to make kaysnycways timely but I just couldn’t find the right time to share this memory until now. After reading that the Waldorf Astoria was going under a total renovation and would be closed for a few years, I said to myself now is the time and I finished the draft I had started. Remembering this night always lifts my spirits and in these chaotic times wonderful memories are indeed wonderful!
LENA’S RED HOT!
We were right at the edge of the dance floor at a very small cocktail table for two…waiting. It was the last night of Lena Horne’s run at the Empire Room. We were in our 20’s and it was our first time at such a fancy, elegant New York City supper club. We were wide-eyed and we were star struck not just for the excitement of seeing her, but also because we were surrounded by celebrities like Carol Burnett, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh and the McGuire Sisters. When she came out and started to sing, all we did was look at each other with huge smiles! The evening was a surprise from my boyfriend (and future husband) and what an evening it was. Her rendition of “SurreyWith the Fringe on Top” turned a bouncy melody into a sensual romp! As she went from one song to the next, everyone was spell-bound and the room would explode with applause, cheers and words of love after each. She took it all in with her usual aplomb as she waited till we became silent again before she moved on. What a night!
“FROM THIS MOMENT ON”
The amazing, beautiful, elegant Lena Horne never leaves us. We still hear her voice and see her thru her recordings, movies and TV taped appearances. . She was a native New Yorker born in Brooklyn (1917-2010) )and used her voice, her strength and her intellect to fight “against racism in the entertainment industry throughout her career and against racial discrimination in this country throughout her life. “*
There is a new children’s picture book about her life as a performer and activist written by Carole Boston Weatherford, *”The Legendary Miss Lena Horne” published in February ( 2017). I discovered something I didn’t know from this bio, *Lena learned to read before kindergarten and books were her lifelong love. The cover of the book illustrates the dress she wore when she sang “Stormy Weather”.
Next May there will be a tribute to her at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Michael Feinstein’s Jazz and Popular Song Series.
I don’t want to get too sentimental here, but it occurred to me that we all, especially as we get older, have wonderful memories that help us get through our crazy lives. Those memories also seem to have a will of their own as they just suddenly decide to pop up, or a song plays and it triggers one, or you’re sitting there with a glass of wine, minding your own business, thinking of family and friends and there it is that memory that always makes you laugh out loud. And all the time those other wonderful memories just sit there in the back of our minds waiting their turn to be rekindled. Like my memory of Lena Horne – always there and always fresh.
Love this City and love Lena Horne!
KAY’S NOTES
Important to know: Google Lena Horne and read more about this amazing woman and what she accomplished.
“The Legendary Miss Lena Horne” – by Carole Boston Weatherford a children’s picture book on the life of Miss Horne both educational and inspiring with beautiful illustrations by Elizabeth Zunon. https://cbweatherford.com
May 2–3, 2018 | 7:00pm & 9:00pm | The Appel Room Michael Feinstein continues the Jazz & Popular Song series with a tribute to an American national treasure: “The Enchanting Lena Horne”.http://www.jazz.org/
Good to know: “Lena Horne at the Waldorf” is available on CD or to download with many of the songs she sang that night.
“Surrey With The Fringe on top” by Rodgers and Hammerstein
“Stormy Weather” by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler
“From This Moment On” by Cole Porter
*Unfortunately I couldn’t find the source of this sentence I copied, so my apologies to the writer.
Photos courtesy of flickriver.com
Disclaimer: I try for correct info on my posts, but no guarantees people.
or..if it’s not Central Park what else could it be…I ask.
Yes, friends, 843 acres running 2.5 miles long and a half mile wide is that glorious part of the City starting at 59th Street and ending at 110th with pure magic in between…Central Park!
Now where to begin on my walks through the Park? A walk to the Boat Basin or to Belvedere Castle or to Strawberry Fields or to the Zoo or to the famed Carousel with the 57 hand carved horses? What to do, what to do.
I made the decision (not quickly) for this first post on the park, to write about my most frequent walk, which is to enter on East 66th Street and wind my way over to the exit by Tavern on the Green to Central Park West. (I miss, by the way, that gaudy shiny Crystal Room at Tavern even if the food and service were not so great).
Now before I go any further, just wanted to say, you probably know much of what I’m writing, but if, like me, sometimes a different perspective brings about some kind of awakening to something new. Even doing my research for my posts, I always have a discovery (e.g.The Central Park Conservancy Institute for Urban Parks The Institute teaches park users and managers to care for urban parks everywhere. ) Didn’t know that.
So let’s get started
If you’re going to the park for any reason, take the time to just enjoy! Wear comfortable shoes, take water, snack, hat and maybe a sweater, throw an umbrella in just in case, a blanket and a book and crossword puzzle if you’re so inclined. Much of the walkways and paths are good but there are interesting paths and trails that are unpaved and often muddy.
The East 66th Street Entrance
Here’s one of the frequent sites seen everywhere in the park- people reading. Those readers could be on benches or on the grass or even on the rocks. I’ve done it many times myself or should I say I’ve tried to do it, but it’s not easy to stay focused when there is always so much to see and hear. Must admit weekdays is an easier time of it because it’s quieter, but even then, the birds chirp, people talk, interesting people talk, tours come through, children laugh and I’m very easily distracted . No, I don’t use a headset. One reason is “my hearing is definitely not what it used to be” plus I like the sounds and often a musician or group of musicians are playing. Love that!
As I walked down the small slope and past the children’s playground, I saw the usual puppeteer with his egg puppet to the delight of the kids. And just a little further up the hill is the popular Balto statue, the famed sled-dog who saved children’s lives in Alaska in 1925.
The Mall – the American Elms – Wow!
As I walked up the hill through the arch and up to one of my favorite places in the park The Mall, of American Elms It’s just so beautiful (by the way, how many times can I use “beautiful” in a blog…a lot when describing the park, but I’m going to try to use other adjectives, I promise. It’s gorgeous in the spring, summer, winter and fall.
The Mall and Literary Walk
And here we are: the single walkers, the bikers resting on the bench, the couple holding hands, the stroller in the distance, all under those magnificent elms. (saving for another post the section of The Mall called Literary Walk with statues of prominent writers.
Ahead of me was Sheep Meadow
I stood under this magnificent tree to take the photo of Sheep Meadow
FROM THE CENTRAL PARK WEBSITE: The fifteen-acre meadow holds true to this intention today as Central Park’s largest lawn without ball fields and as a designated quiet zone. No organized sports or gatherings are allowed on Sheep Meadow to preserve the space for quiet picnicking and relaxation.
It certainly is, trust me on this one
Sheep Meadow Is a wonderful place to stop, bring a blanket, a book, a snack, a hat and spend the morning or afternoon or day. (restrooms and cafe close by). With kids? Yes, bring balls.
And now I’m getting close to Central Park West, I stopped to rest on a bench and watch the action as people went by on bikes, some built for two, scooters, pedi-cabs, horse and carriages, piggy backers, strollers and the most popular…walking!
THANK YOU SAILORS FOR YOUR SERVICE!
As I write this Memorial Day weekend, it brought back to mind my last post on Fleet Week. I’m sitting looking around when these handsome sailors (told you I loved men and women in uniform) came by and cheerfully let me take their photo! What a great way to end this post on this Memorial Day! A thank you to all who served and serve!
LOVE THIS CITY!
KAY’S NOTES:
Important to know: Go to the Parks website – everything you ever wanted to know about this magical 843 acres! http://www.centralparknyc.org/
Disclaimer: I try for correct info on my posts, but no guarantees people.
Or…what you knew and then forgot and then remembered!
A friend told me Lincoln Center Theatre has a membership program that offers discounted tickets to their productions. Now some of you might know that, not me. She said that not only are tickets heavily discounted, but you learn about new productions coming up with tickets available before the general public.
Wow, that is for me. I checked out the site and found that the membership was closed. Bummer! But, good news, there’s a waiting list. I put myself on it and then forgot about LCT until a few weeks ago when I received an email inviting me to join. Then, of course, I remembered! Immediately I entered all my info and Voilà I was in!
So go ahead and put yourself on the waiting list – cause right now membership is closed again. It took me a few months to receive that all important email, but it came. Membership is $50 plus small fee. As soon as I joined, I checked what was on and immediately bought a ticket to OSLO, center orchestra, for the great price of $57.00 (with fees)
My $57 seat sells for around $147- if you can even get one! OSLO is based on the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It was originally at the Mitzi Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center to sold out audiences before moving upstairs to the larger venue, the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Vivian Beaumont, Mitzi Newhouse,Clare Tow Theaters at Lincoln Center by the Reflecting Pool.
Here’s the link, check it out. See, it’s good to know what you don’t know, unless of course, you knew and maybe forgot or maybe you’ve been a member for years! Who knew?
IMPORTANT TO KNOW: MY FAIR LADY opening Spring 2018 so plenty of time for a membership and early tickets!
GOOD TO KNOW: From LCT OSLO website: OSLO – How did the 1993 Middle East peace talks come to be held secretly in a castle in the middle of a forest outside Oslo?
INTERESTING TO KNOW: Not only is the membership available for Lincoln Center Theater productions at Lincoln Center but also for any performances outside of Lincoln Center that have been produced by LCT.
DIRECTIONS: Enter the Vivian Beaumont, ( Mitzi E. Newhouse and Claire Tow Theaters, housed in the same bldg) via the street-level entrance on 65th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam), or at the Lincoln Center plaza level (near the reflecting pool).
WHERE TO EAT: Too many choices, so little time.
Disclaimer: I try for correct info on my posts, but no guarantees people.
d out.
ppet to the delight of the kids. And just a little further up the hill is the popular Balto statue, the famed sled-dog who saved children’s lives in Alaska in 1925.
