Walking Off the Big Apple

It was raining on Monday morning in New York, one of those unpredictable rains that go back and forth from a light drizzle to a steady downpour. In Midtown near Grand Central Terminal, a hurried crowd of umbrella-wielding pedestrians made getting anywhere in the rainy gloom a little treacherous. Under the scaffolding on some blocks, in narrow makeshift passageways, you had to be extra mindful of the umbrellas as individuals opened and closed them without warning.  As Midtown is a workaholic area, many workers were also carrying tall cups of coffee. So between the umbrellas and the coffees and the fast pace, any casual sightseeing proved nearly impossible. The sound, too, was deafening, as piercing jackhammers mingled with sirens from fire trucks and police vehicles. Steam was rising in places on the street. It was the sort of dank atmosphere that could send shivers up your spine or give you pneumonia. I was on E. 43rd Street, just east of Lexington, on my way to a meeting, and I wa

Updated. Keeping up with the food hall trend in New York proves to be hard work, especially if you're trying to visit them all. Even harder is tracking the hundreds of vendors within the food halls and markets and sorting them out. Which ramen place is this? Whose tacos are these? Where exactly did I try those marvelous tapas? Great Northern Food Hall, Grand Central Terminal Once upon a time, Chelsea Market was the main go-to food market, even when its vast converted building was located next to an abandoned elevated rail line. Now, that rail line is The High Line, and the market continues to change and thrive with many new vendors and visitors. Other food halls have attracted mostly locals for some time, including the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side and the Arthur Avenue Market in the Bronx. More food halls are on the horizon, near and far. Los Tacos No. 1 in Chelsea Market Food halls often present an ideal choice for people gathering in groups, becaus

The famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel at 301 Park Avenue closed its doors Tuesday for a renovation said to last two years, and the word "indefinite" is thrown around, but I definitely remember the night I spent there. It was not an ordinary night. It was New Year's Eve, December 31, 2012. The occasion was unusual. Back in my blogging youth, I had the opportunity to do writing work for a major overseas airline company. The company had started a website that needed travel tips about New York City, so they thought I could help. Instead of paying me in cash for my work, the airline paid me in points that added up to travel miles. Reflection in a window,  Park Avenue at night. Waldorf-Astoria. December 31, 2012 I would write lists of things to do in New York that were similar to places in the major city of their country. The idea was that I could eventually cash in my points and fly wherever my points would take me. Being somewhat city-bound at the time, in circumstances