With Russ and Daughters out of the picture, we ended up grabbing a bite at the nearest White Castle--a bucket list item for us since these famous square-pattied sliders are something you can't find on our West Coast streets. This White Castle run came as a big disappointment though, bagging the award for the worst customer service in history (ever had an irritated cashier make you tear your own receipt from the register?)! The food was consequently so unappetizing, we had no problem giving it away to the approaching panhandler.
A green oasis amidst an urban jungle, Central Park is truly the quintessential New York hangout. We went boat rowing on the lake and reminisced about our favorite Central Park movie scenes (mine is from Home Alone 2, sadly I did not make friends with the bird lady). The hour we spent in Central Park was far from enough to fully explore the grounds, but we managed to stop by the Bethesda Fountain and Strawberry Fields, the latter a mosaic memorial for John Lennon.
Right across from our section of Central Park stood the Museum of Natural History, popularized by the movie Night at the Museum. A statue of Teddy Roosevelt greets you by the entrance, and rumors say he comes to life as Robin Williams afterhours. I'm sure you've noticed the overcast in the photos so far; rain was beginning to pour so it was just fitting to switch to an indoor activity.
The museum houses a large collection that includes dinosaur fossils, prehistoric animal specimens, rocks and gem stones, wildlife habitat displays, and cultural artifacts. My biggest gripe about this place though is how it's completely overrun by ill-mannered children! One can't pause to get a good look at a display without finding at least one unruly brat climbing all over it. Our tickets came with a free 3D screening to Great White Shark and it was just our luck that the only member of the 24-months-and-under crowd was seated right in front of us. Is it too much to ask to ban young children from such venues? Movie-watching etiquette requires us to silence our cellphones, and it's just logical to extend the same policy to anything or anyone else creating disruptive noises. Anyway, we would've loved to stay longer had the museum not closed at 5:30 pm. Here are a few photos I took of interesting pieces.
Our plan to have dinner at Momofuku was unfortunately also met with a setback; the subway line we needed to take had an unforeseen service interruption. Despite the worsening rain, we took a detour up north to Amy Ruth's in Harlem. This establishment is considered a local institution, serving soul food staples to hungry regulars and curious travelers. I ordered the Kool-Aid of the day and the Reggie Harris (southern honey-dipped fried chicken) with collard greens and candied yams. They also gave us a basket of cornbread to nibble on, but I found it a bit too dry.
Now back around the hotel area, we tried to give McSorley's (the Irish bar from my previous NY entry) another shot but it just seemed like it wanted to spit us back out. But with the cold rain beating down, we had to put up a fight. Perhaps against maximum room capacity, we pushed our way in and found a tiny corner on the bar to hang. McSorley's Old Ale House is one of the oldest bars in the city and was exclusive to men until the 1970s. Five bucks gets you two house made beers--light or dark, which is the only kind they serve. I didn't have any to drink but Ryan gives it a solid thumbs up. For my personal nightcap, we walked a block and were at my safe haven, Papaya King!
To be continued...
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