NYC 2024

 "Hey Dad, this DJ producer guy I've been following is doing a show in Brooklyn this year. Can we go?"

Sure. It's been 5 years since Zoe last destroyed NYC. 

6 hours of delays and 4 flight changes in Salt Lake City moved our arrival from 10pm to 0430. Oh well; at least our hotel room was waiting for us. 

I woke before noon while the kid was still out cold. And I found our first meal destination!

Yes, we split that monster! No way I was eating it solo. 

Incredible pastrami!

Zoe first told me about this new play in 2016, i had no idea. So glad I finally was able to bring her to the show. 

Front row balcony is a really good vantage point!

Friday's main event; subway to East Williamsburg. First, some ridiculous Korean food...

Had time for a stroll thru a nearby park; we should have just eaten there!

The club, 'Elsewhere.' Kid was up front all night. 

I punched out, grabbed a subway, and went to visit buddy (and fellow umpire) Lloyd for a bit. Spent a nice hour meeting his lovely family and watching the Olympics. 

Next day, Zoe again is out for the count. I find out thru bizarre coincidence a day ago that Hayward Field Backstretch Bandit (also two time NCAA champ and professional runner) Claudette is in town visiting her son, who literally lives a block from my hotel. So we hit the Chelsea High Line...

Zoe found another DJ mixer performance thing for Saturday at the Museum of Modern Art, so we put that on the schedule as well. The MOMA Design store is super cool; so many ways to make coffee!

I asked for royalties on the skateboards below, with no luck. 

Zoe wanted a prime spot for the performance...zoom in. 

I called this exhibit 'Chihuly Lite.' Looks like that display at the Space Needle, but cheaper. This literally is recycled stuffed animals. 

Paris 2024? In the words of Ricky Bobby, "that...just....happened!"

No royalties here, either. Can NBC the person sue NBC the station for copyright infringement? 

Sigh. No better reason to visit NYC than to spend an evening in classmate Craig's superlative digs. 

We even got the Captain's Table!

Craig was tied up; his lovely wife Kay and GM Tom took great care of us. 

Lobster ravioli, branzino, and the 'small' plate of carbonara that was anything but. And the tiramisu ended up being breakfast. Incredible food!

Sunday morning, I'm up early...my body rarely sleeps late, time change notwithstanding. So, a WTC walkabout. 

For the life of me, I don't understand how the WTC courtyard sphere wasn't pounded flat into a pancake. 

Three USNA guys in this photo below, one that i knew well (Billy D).

Confirming: AHam is still dead. 

Took the subway to Brooklyn, and found this great pizza place folks told me about years ago. When I tried to visit in 2019, I saw that the health inspector had closed it down! And it's still down. 

Walked the BBridge back into the city...

Chinatown...

Last day was in my Somerville NJ hometown....the train took us past the hometown of 4x Olympic Gold Medalist Sydney. 

Martino's was our favorite restaurant back in the day, exquisite Cuban food. Now they've moved a block or two away. 

Our old neighbors across the street weren't home. Bummer!

Fun trip with my kid!