Warning: a picture-heavy post today.
Okay. Where do I start? Don is having a great time on the road. His aim was to get through the Northeast and Midwest and then linger in his favorite places in New Mexico and Arizona. He is following the old Route 66, when he can – as it doesn’t go straight through anymore. Darn that guy! I miss him and am a wee bit envious. He turns 66 in June and he’s dreamed of doing a ’66 on Route 66′ trip. With the job offer in LaJolla, his dream has come true. I’m really happy for him.
I’m on another kind of adventure here in NYC.
We had our first preview last night. The line of ticket holders stretched down the block and all the way through Shubert Alley. As a treat, they were given these buttons (so were we):
(Any photo taken in this hotel room is a challenge!)
I have to say it was an incredible evening. The audience cheered from the moment the lights dimmed and the orchestra started the opening music. We couldn’t have asked for a better audience and the cast was incredible. It was very emotional for everyone involved. This musical has been in the works for years and seeing it have its first public performance on Broadway is a dream come true. I’m so happy for everyone, especially those who have shepherded it from the early days to the present. Afterwords, we had a champagne toast.
It was hard for me to get to sleep last night after all of the excitement.
During the day, I attended part of the afternoon rehearsal to pass out notes and talk to the actors. Then, when it become clear that technical aspects of the show were on the rehearsal docket, I left and had some lunch at Schnippers, which is on the ground floor of the New York Times building. Then I got on the subway and traveled to the neighborhood of Nolita to visit McNally Jackson, a bookstore that has long been on the ongoing ‘bookstore visit list’ that runs in my brain.
It’s on Prince Street. They have a large inventory of all sorts of books and a little café, as well.
They actually print books here. I have no idea how it works, but it’s awfully cool.
Of course, the place to go for mysteries is the Mysterious Bookshop, but I most likely won’t get there on this trip. I did, however, buy the paperback version of a mystery I’ve had on my Kindle for a couple of years and have yet to read. It’s had rave reviews, but I keep forgetting it’s there. Seems like a three-dimensional book will be a visual reminder to READ it! And, let’s face it, I love my Kindle, but there’s nothing like a real book.
Then I walked around the corner to Mulberry Street, where McNally Jackson has an offshoot called Goods for the Study.
It’s tiny. But there are lovely items for the desk and for reading/writing, along with some lovely framed prints that are expensive, but beautifully done..
I like it.
They had my favorite pencils, the Blackwings, notebooks, desk accessories, all of them sleek and well designed. Since I never have enough notepads around and dislike using post-its when I make a list of things to do, that sticky back is a pain, I bought a thick notepad and a Pilot Frixion pen (in blue.)
I walked a whole lot yesterday and at this point I was tired, so I came back to the hotel and had some dinner and wrote replies to your comments.
The hotel room:
There’s the little desk, where I am sitting as I write this. On the other side of the curtain is the shower enclosure.
The ‘console.’ Great quality television, by the way. And my snacks, most of which I haven’t eaten.
The bathroom. It’s dark in here and I’m using my iPhone, so this is the best I can do. The mirror lights up. There’s a safe, ironing board and iron, as well as a hair dryer. And there’s the window.
The shower, which they call a ‘monsoon’ shower. I guess that’s due to the large shower head, but, in terms of water pressure, I can’t really tell any difference between this and the one we have at home. The door you see here, slides across the enclosure (which also includes the toilet) to keep water out of the rest of the bathroom.
And there you have it. The bed, by the way, is incredibly comfortable.
The hotel’s coffee is not good, so every morning I pull on my jeans and a sweater and run around the corner (well, actually, I walk, too sleepy to run) to a coffee shop that has a good dark roast. I can barely function, but I do it. It’s worth it.
Today, I’m off on some more explorations until I have to be at the theater for notes in the late afternoon. Fish’s Eddy (my favorite dish shop) and maybe another bookstore…we’ll see.
The reality is: I’m constantly checking Twitter and the news. All day long. As this scandal unfolds (and did we ever doubt there would be one…several?) and the health care vote looms, I can barely think of anything else. This sign (on the Port Authority Building) says it all:
Happy Friday.
Yes! to the New York Times sign.
Amen!
I’ve moved my grandma’s dressing table into my late husband’s office, and will set it up to use as a desk there. I would love a nice shop like Goods for the Study!
It’s quite lovely, Wendy.
I am getting so sick of Tom Price and his explanations! This is such a nightmare and only getting worse by the day. What a bright spot for you to have Anatasia in your life right now! And Don his great trip! Be safe.
A giant nightmare, Dottie. My mind can’t even take it in. (I think Don is enjoying not being tuned in at the present. Can’t say as I blame him.)
Fishs Eddy! Always something fun to find in there!
I know. I’m looking forward to it!
That and ABC Carpet & Home are my favorites for looking, more than buying.
I didn’t go into ABC Carpet and Home yesterday. Too tired to handle that store!
I really do like your hotel room (I would not like it as a permanent room for myself, but for a time away from home I do like it).
Glad Don is having a good trip and so happy that last night was fabulous!
Have a great weekend.
By about tomorrow, I’m going to be ready for my (still small but much larger than this room) cottage!
Oh my goodness, a Route 66 trip! I so want to do that. As I was growing up, living in the southwest, we traveled on parts of it going to relatives. If he drives by Holbrook, AZ, there is a motel there, The Wigwam Village Motel, that I loved! There are individual wigwams ( actually they look like tepees) that are made of concrete and steel, painted white with colour detailing. Inside it has wood furniture, and bathroom, etc. They are just something different than a regular motel. Oh I do hope he takes tons of photos and shares them with us!
An opening night, wow! Seeing a Broadway show is on my bucketlist and an opening night would be heaven! I’d probably cry through the whole thing! My emotions run high.
If I could spend a whole week there, I would go to every bookstore! Not complaining about Barnes and Noble, but living or visiting somewhere with more than one bookstore would be a dream!
Claudia, you lucky lady, I hope you have a wonderful day!
I’ve seen photos of The Wigwam Village Motel, Debbie. I know exactly what you’re talking about.
Thanks, Debbie!
Your pod actually looks cute and cozy! Anastasia sounds great. I envy all those wonderful performances that you are so very close to seeing. The book store visits sound great. We have no bookstores here except the small university one. That is mostly text books and school supplies! We once had a Hastings, but they’ve even closed. The Walmart selection doesn’t count.
I was embarrassed yesterday when OK was featured on the evening news as a T state. I knew that, but to be one of the featured states.! Ugh. I can’t even type the man’s name. My mom calls every few hours to update me, tell me how terrible things are. She watches MSNBC off and on all day.
Have a great day Claudia. I wonder if Don went through OK. There is still quite a lot of Route 66 running through the state.
Sending lots of positive vibes, Becky
No, Walmart doesn’t count!
Don did go through Oklahoma, Becky. And, he has roots there, as his dad was born in Oklahoma.
An interesting post, Claudia; thank you for taking the time to do it and sharing your experiences when you are so particularly busy and also very tired. Congrats on the Anastasia preview; sounds glorious. I love the ‘Fanastasia’ button; clever.
Very cool; Don at 66 on 66.
Love to hear how you get around and do things in the city. I know absolutely nothing about public transportation and how you’d get from here to there, as I’m from the land of the automobile and it’s a whole ‘nuther mindset, although I think it’s wrong (my mother always said that the worst thing that happened to L.A. was losing the streetcar, which she’d been riding on since she was a little girl, often all by herself [what can I say, it was the 1930s]; frankly, she didn’t learn to drive [there was no need to] until she moved to the burbs, first learning to drive a car at age 35).
Fun photos all; the pod ain’t bad. It seems like maybe you do get a little daylight coming through that curtain by the desk (window in the shower area?) unless it’s an illusion. But one last question…is this like a tiny house (maybe you’ve seen this sort of thing on the tiny house movement articles/TV shows) or even a boat, where you shower over the toilet and get everything so lovely (hear my sarcasm) and wet (I think this sort of thing is called a wet bath; I’ve used one, in a old hotel in Europe a hundred years ago; the floor drain didn’t work and I flooded the entire hotel room as a result)…or is the toilet to the side of the shower stall (separated)?
I just looked at that photo again; I think I answered my own question; it has to be separated, toilet from shower head.
A lot of thinking went into designing your pod! Even an ironing board? And lots of cubbies.
Yes, it’s pretty well designed. The only thing missing is room for a suitcase. I have a small duffle, so it’s not a problem, but it would be if I had a larger piece of luggage.
I get around on the subway, like most New Yorkers. It’s easy to figure out, there are lots of maps and people are very helpful if you need directions. I’ve been using the subway for years, so I know it pretty well.
No, this isn’t like a Tiny House. The shower is separate from the toilet.
Love a visit to a book store, and your descriptions! Enjoy every moment of this !
Thank you, Melissa. I am!
So delighted to hear that preview night went so well! I’m intrigued by the shop around the corner…the study shop. Sounds like a writers dream. You really do get around well in NYC…that would scare the bejeebers (sp?) out of me. Guess I’m more of a car gal. And 66 on Route 66…utterly cool! ;)
It’s not hard. I think it appears intimidating to anyone who hasn’t traveled around in Manhattan, but most neighborhoods are laid out in a grid pattern (except for Greenwich Village) so it all makes sense.
What a great night you had! I really can’t wait to hear all the music from this production. Your room is quite small but has all you need and as space is very expensive in NYC I guess this makes sense. I’m so happy you have had time to explore the city. The bookstores are amazing but I loved the store with the office supplies and paper. Another thing I always enjoy looking at and buying. I could have joined Don on his road trip…I’m 66 and could take Route 66 to Cali! Of course I will turn 67 in June when Don turns 66 but still!!! Enjoy the rest of your day.
Hugs!
The music is gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. They’re recording the cast album in a couple of weeks! How exciting!
We went into Madison this morning and had MSNBC on the radio. It is just a total cluster of a horrific mess. After every commercial, when they returned to the air, it was one more thing after another. How, in the name of everything decent, did we land here?
Glad your evening went so well. I was thinking of you last night………… Happy Friday.
(But, how will we actually ever get back to happy??)
Unbelievable. At least that terrible Ryan/Trumpcare bill has been pulled. What a relief. And a comeuppance, too.
Good question. I haven’t felt pure happiness in a while. Moments of it, like when I hear Christy sing in Anastasia or hear the applause and cheers at the end of the show. I guess we have to make sure we allow ourselves pockets of happiness. But it’s awfully hard to find them.
that pod sure is interesting….. not as homey as your usual rooms but you seem to have adjusted well :)
what book did you end up buying? I love a good mystery
take good care Claudia
Gosh, I can’t remember the title at the moment. I’ll write about it at some point, Sue.
Reprieve on ACA!! For now, at least. I’m sure agent orange and the swamp rats are even now planning the next thing to hurt Americans. But, for now I can breathe, even just for a minute.
Thank you for sharing Broadway, just the diversion I need right now. Your way of telling it makes me feel like I’m there. I even like the funny little hotel pod.
And Don’s trip, a dream come true for him. I’ve only seen a tiny bit of old Route 66, in OK, makes me feel all nostalgic for a romantic time.
Amen. I was thrilled to hear it. A major defeat for his agenda and that makes me very happy.
Thanks for taking us along as you visit such interesting corners of NYC. I have had to take a break from the news, to keep my sanity, so your posts are very welcome.
This week has been a welcome respite for me, too!
My family traveled on Route 66 in the late 50s on our way to California from New York. We were heading to my Grandmother’s house. We stayed in Arizona for a day on the way back. My twin had a bad Asthma attack and the weather and climate helped her breathing. That bookstore sure looks inviting.
Marilyn
It is inviting, Marilyn.
Don is having a great time, but he has to get to Arizona and then on to California. Move in day in LaJolla is Monday!
I love when you visit NYC and post photos. I’m pretty sure I’ll never get there, so it’s very fun to live vicariously through your NYC experiences! I’m finding your little pod room extremely fascinating, so I loved the shots you posted.
Good to hear that Don is enjoying his road trip. Any chance you can fly to California and make the drive home with him?
We’ve already planned to do that, Debbie. I’ll go out for a couple of weeks and then we’ll drive back together.
Love your pictures Claudia! You do have a beautiful view!! Love the New York Times sign. Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome!
Your post made me want to go into the city — and normally someone has to bribe me to go there. Anastasia looks amazing, and is that much more appealing knowing you have been a part of it.
I hope Don is documenting his travels and a guest post might be in the future.
He is documenting them. I imagine a guest post is far off in the future as he starts rehearsals on Tuesday.
How true that sign is!
Perfect, isn’t it?