Cottage Renovations

[OT from cottage renovations]

last weekend provided an opportunity for a day trip to visit my favourite graduate student up in New York; I had been meaning to go up for the purpose sooner, but the demands of his academic schedule have been running him pretty ragged and it took rather a while for his schedule to clear up. 

(click through these thumbnails for higher resolution images)

---

Newark NJ

riding up the Northeast Corridor one is struck by several things:

• fast running: even the regional trains spend much of the time cruising in the 125 mph range.  this wasn't immediately obvious but I was using the opportunity to test a GPS equipped PDA for work. 
• density: even on a Saturday scads of commuter trains serve the Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York markets.  they do this all the time and it's taken for granted by the many riders but the reminder is salutary for those of us from the hinterlands. 
• the wonderful contradiction posed by this signage in the Newark NJ station:

(image crossposted to doorwindowwall)

I'm guessing the rest of us are supposed to wait outside the waiting room. 
or not wait. 
or something. 

---

New York

the first time I got there, it was too late. 
not a problem with the train, which the Penn Central had brought in right on time; but it was two years after the station was demolished.  Pennsylvania Station was designed for a 500-year service life but lasted only a tenth of that and the vestigial rail terminals make no sense without everything that once stood above ground to pull them together. 

as a result I've never had much use for Madison Square Garden though I do seem to recall watching the Russian Circus perform there in the early 1970s.  ducking up to street level the most bizarre facility reuse became obvious: a new bumper car concession.
finally, something useful:

except that, whoops, it was just a small herd of forklifts for some passing show's roadies.  nonetheless, as so often happens, consolation was to be found in detail:

it's always so cool to see a buccaneer-American (we do prefer the hyphenated form, thank you) getting in touch with his or her inner piratical self. 

---

so the obvious question arose: what to do?  the Wonder Boy expressed a wish to visit the airport that never was, so off we headed to check out what might remain of the airship terminal that was planned and actually built (but never used) atop the Empire State Building.  yeah, an obviously cheesy touristy thing to do, but what's the harm in that? 

the 86^th floor observation deck was supposed to hold a ticket counter, passenger lobby and customs area.  however iconic the view there's no reason not to stop and look gawk. 

(image crossposted to doorwindowwall)

the arrival and departure gate was a small round room on the 102^nd floor.  the hoped-for airships never came (however cool it was actually a pretty stupid idea) and the space ended up housing radio and television transmitters.  lots of them.  accordingly there's one heck of an antenna farm up there; here's a bit of detail of the top of just one:

(image crossposted to itsinthedetails)

the increased elevation provides an even better view: looking to the S a famous silhouette stands in the harbour:

before we leave, just one for the camera ...

Central Park is visible in the distance to the R; his student apartment would be a bit above the outer edge of the hood of his sweatshirt.