Pat Kennedy - Your Washington, DC Real Estate Connection

Like many old railroad stations around the country, Grand Central has recreated itself as a destination in its own right.    It’s filled not only with people getting on and off trains, but also with people who are coming to the station for the restaurants and the shopping.

This trip, I discovered the Grand Central Market, with beautiful produce, fish, meat and cheese.  Oh!  And I don’t want to leave out the spices, flowers and the wine shop! 

If you forgot someone on Valentine’s Day, you can make it up!  And everything with red hearts is for sale!

If your favorite child of any age is having a birthday, this M&M’s cake is certain to be a huge hit.

Then I found these sardines – silly me!  I thought they came in cans!

If you are a native New Yorker and a serious cook looking for fine ingredients, you’ll fine them here!  Or if, like me, you are a tourist looking for prepared foods that might make a wonderful picnic, you won’t be disappointed. 

The market is in Grand Central Station near the exits to Lexington Avenue. 

Earlier today, I found myself in front of an old favorite haunt, FAO Schwartz, in search of a baby present for a favorite client's first grandchild.  So I went inside and began my exploration. 

My needs were simple.  I was looking for something nice, cuddly and made someplace other than China.  Now Schwarz is not K-Mart, where you expect to find low budget Chinese imports.  This is a high end toy store where a doll house sells for the equivalent of about a month's mortgage payment on a starter home. 

Just inside the front door, I found some fabulous stuffed toys.  They are famous for almost life-sized polar bears, unicorns, and the most adorable bunny rabbits I've ever seen!

The bunnies were a definite possibility.  I mean, look at these guys!  They raise adorable to an art form!  But they had these little tags that showed, oops!  Chinese bunnies!

I almost relented.  And as I write this and look at the picture, forget about the new baby!  I want some of these guys for myself!

So, next I checked out Raggedy Ann dolls.  Her name is Anya, and it seemed like a good idea.  And this American classic is now, yes, made in China. 

So what to do?  Maybe seek out a certified previously owned bunny or Raggedy Ann?  I could head for a consignment shop in Takoma Park and find something there.

Or maybe I'm being silly.  

I shoulda got a freakin bunny!

Sorry, Anya.  I'll make it up to you! 

As I was walking down Park Avenue the other day, I reached the intersection with East 49th Street of was literally pulled through a revolving door by some unknown force!  While I lived in New York for over 10 years, I had never set foot inside of this amazing city landmark, and when I finally walked in, there was a sense of being back in the 1930’s, soon after the place opened its doors.

The original hotel, built in in 1893    stood on the site of today’s Empire State Building.  And that could be a blog all of its own, with a fascinating family feud involving the Astors, one of America’s wealthiest families.

This “new” art deco classic was designed by Leonard Schultze and S. Fullerton Weaver, opened its doors in 1931.  At over 40 stories in height, it was the world’s largest hotel.  And since then, every US president has stayed there, "Bugsy" Siegel, "Lucky" Luciano and General Douglas Macarthur called it home, and Grace Kelly got engaged to Prince Rainier in the Conrad Suite.  In the 1940’s and 50’s, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor found a home away from home after the Duke abdicated the thrown.

It was the first luxury hotel to allow unaccompanied women to check into a room.  Its first maitre d’hotel, Oscar Tschirky (known as “Oscar of the Waldorf”) invented the famous Waldorf Salad, with apples, walnuts and mayonnaise.

Walking through the lobby, I was drawn toward the big, 9-foot tall clock in the center of the lobby.  It has a miniature Statue of Liberty on top, some Deco eagles who stand atop a circle with the likenesses of a bunch of US Presidents (Cleveland, Harrison, Washington, Grant, Lincoln, Franklin, and Jackson) with Queen Victoria included to add a little interest.  The clock was first seen in 1893 at the Chicogo World’s Fair before finding a home at the Waldorf.  To make Queen Elizabeth as comfortable as possible with all of the guys, the clock sounds the Westminster Chimes each quarter hour.

As I stood in the lobby, I could almost hear Cole Porter, another former resident, tickling the ivories on the Steinway he once played.  

Maybe the next time I’m in New York, I’ll stay here, maybe in the same room that Ginger Rogers, Cary Grant or, if I feel really, really flush, stay in the 42nd floor Royal Suite – where the Duke and Duchess lived! 

Dang!  That would be so cool! 

 

Washington, DC where I live,  and New York City, where I am visiting, have something important in common.  Both have beautiful urban oases designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.

The topography of Central Park was carved out by the glaciers that covered the area during the Ice Age.  The Park has outcroppings all over the place. 

The one in the picture on the right was a favorite of mine when I lived in the city.  I worked at Rockefeller Plaza, and i would often bring my lunch and a book to this rock to get away from it all.

Then, there is the Wollman ice rink, a favorite movie and TV set for skating scenes.

At the southern end of Central Park, There is the beautiful reservoir that is home to a population of huge carp.

Central Park was planned to begin at 59th Street (now called Central Park South) when the city only went north as far as about 38th Street.  The planners had a vision of a beautiful place where people could go to get away from the crowds and dirt of the densely populated urban neighborhoods.  You can't help but wonder if they foresaw the huge buildings that circle today's Central Park.

Yesterday, the sun came out, and we took a walk up 5th Avenue to a favorite old haunt of mine, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  When I lived here, my fifth floor walk-up apartment was in a run-down brownstone around the corner, and I visited the place often.

The Met is an amazing place, with the Rembrandts, Goyas, Miros and paintings that you would have to spend days to really see and appreciate.  There is also an impressive collection of Egyptian art and sculpture, Greek and Roman, Renaissance and Baroque - then you get to the home decor and fashion sections, and you gotta go "Wow!" 

But there is one section of the Met that is an absolute must if you ever visit New York with a child.  Since I went with a big kid, we had to stop by the hall with all of the medieval armour.

It's a whole huge room full of knights!

Some are on horseback. 

Some are just standing around. 

Others are behind glass. 

The duds at the right were among the fanciest (and I'm sorry about the glare from my flash).  They belonged to The Earl of someplace, and they were a lot more colorful than any of the others - which were mostly gray.

It's such a fun room because there are usually lots of awestruck kids pressing their noses against the glass cases.  

As we started to make out way toward the exit, one little guy was tugging at his dad's sleeve, asking,

"Um, Dad, how did these guys ... you know?"