What a wonderful surprise it was when I found out that Bern and her three daughters would be coming to New York. Her daughters, aged 11 to almost 16, had never been to NYC. This meant I would be seeing New York through some very young eyes. It would be pizza and soft drinks, ferry rides, and bus tours.
They arrived early Friday morning, and the first thing we did was to get on a “Hop-On/Hop-Off” tour bus. It was a bit chilly, but we mustered through and sat on the top floor with no cover.
The bus is good because everyone is given headphones, and various sites of interest are pointed out. We got off on 42nd Street to walk towards Times Square when I received a phone call from my high school friend Ann, who loves the theatre and sees as many shows as she can when she visits NYC. Can you imagine how good it felt to answer, “42nd Street!” when she asked, “Where are you right now?”
We walked to Times Square, and the first question I was asked was, “Where does the ball drop on New Year’s Eve?”. I thought I knew the answer, but Kathie later corrected me. From then on (and for the next two days), I pointed out many things around NYC and always added, “That’s where the ball drops from on New Year’s Eve!” I even said it in Brooklyn.
We were getting tired and hungry, so I quickly used maps on my phone to get us to PJ Clarke’s in Midtown. I didn’t dare tell anyone how far the restaurant was from where we were. It wasn’t that far, but it was enough for me to know to say, “It’s only 15 minutes away.” EVERYTHING was 15 minutes away from that point on.
PJ Clarke’s opened as a saloon in 1884. By the early 1900s, an Irish immigrant, Patrick J. Clarke, started working there, and ten years later, he bought the place. It is a popular place to go for food and drink. Needless to say, our entire party enjoyed the meal.
A ride on the bus back to Lower Manhattan, and the girls were ready for their room. Fortunately, Kathie, Bern, and I had the lovely little bar in their hotel. Now, EVERYONE was happy. The girls were upstairs, and the three of us were having adult beverages solving the world’s problems. Another perfect day!