more on NYC

Wow we only have one full day left in New York City and the time has gone so-o-o-o fast !!
What have we done since the last entry...lots!
Yesterday (Saturday) we headed out to the Bronx neighbourhood.. to visit the Woodlawn cemetery. Martin knew where he was going to find the grave site we wanted so after an hour of going round in circles we asked for a map and actually found the grave site we were looking for...that of Irving Berlin. Yeah yeah a long way to go to find a guy who probably won't even end up being related to me, but it was an experience and a half!!
From the Bronx we went to visit a friend of mine in Harlem, so ventured further into Bronx area, on Martin Luther King drive. rather than get to her house hungry we called into a McD's. LOL I think we gave them quite a surprise; don't know that too many people quite like us frequent that branch. We then got a bus to the subway to Harlem and found my friend's apartment complete with 4 week old bubby....aaawww...
We took the baby for a walk through the streets of Harlem, it's a very interesting place, it changes almost block by block..the architecture, the feel...everything. And we found out that Harlem is actually Dutch in it's history, there is a Harlem in Holland...as well as a Brooklyn....
anyway we left them after a photo shoot, ha ha, and came home via the Chinese restaurant again.
Then this morning began another busy day. Lucky my ankle is holding up!
Umm...started off going to Times Square (a-gain!!) to grab some tickets for a show we wanted to see, the Harlem Gospel Choir performing at an all you can eat brunch in BB King's restaurant and grill on 42nd Street. We were able to get tix and wandered the streets of Times Square til the show started...found the Scientology centre plus masses of other stuff...
Oh, an aside...if you find a DVD shop, check it out before you go in. We thought we'd go into one with "new releases" and see if we could get a latest release DVD for the kids; you know, before it comes out back home...and it was ALL latest release pornograhy. Seriously, we backed out so fast the guy in the shop probably thought he imagined us!! it was hilarious....the shop down the road was exactly the same so we gave up on DVDs...
Anyway, we love love loved the Harlem Gospel Choir..my friend had told me she has a pentecostal baptist church next door and we could have heard them singing for free..maybe next time!...this one came with all you can eat soul food, man!! All southern fried stuff: chicken, catfish, candied yams, jambalaya..and finally martin's curiosity has been sated..grits. he didn't like them. (For my kids: it's just like semolina but potato based; very bland)
The show was awesome, so much movement and fun and joy...and it was just wonderful!
So after rejoicing with the HGC we headed by subway to Coney Island...it's a bit cold and CI was a bit deserted but we imagine in summer it would be packed so it worked out well. Rode the "cyclone" roller coaster which proved once and for all that we are simply too old for this sort of nonsense, LOL
Subway back to the city and another stroll through Central Park. Melanie, your camera would be so happy there for a few days, every time you turn around there's another beautiful image to capture, I just had to stop taking snaps and enjoy the serenity. We walked through to strawberry Fields, which is part of Central Park, in front of john Lennon's home. Beautiful and so peaceful; it's a designated quiet area. Have decided I will put "designated quiet zone" signs throughout my house. flickr page has a couple of images I think, but they don't capture it as lovely as it is.
Anyway so only tomorrow left in NYC and we're headed up the Empire State building; forecast is for overcast so we hope to see more than clouds...
Have also found a fantastic (& cheap!) coffee place right across the road so they have been kept busy..no coffee making facilities in this room...
have rambled enough, hope you managed to hang on this long, LOL.