NYC Then and Nowtag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-812475716169623162018-08-07T13:06:47-04:00About exploring New York City as a visitor or a resident.TypePadCome From Away 2tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef022ad3a6c4e9200b2018-08-07T13:06:47-04:002018-08-07T13:05:27-04:00Nick, who oversaw the restoration of the WP Murals at SI Borough Hall used to say that humans like stories. Even though we know how the story ends we read, view, or listen to the stories again and again to see how the stories are told. This post tells of my first encounters with the Sept 11 Come From Away Back Story. To me, Come From Away, is a remarkable musical sound byte that condenses the stories of over 6000 people who landed in 38 planes in the town of Gander NL when the US closed the air space on...Sue Katz2018-NYBG Train Showtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef01b8d2cc23a8970c2018-01-03T12:19:05-05:002021-02-01T21:08:42-05:00A Guide Named Sue took a tourist guide's daze off to visit the train show at the NY Botanical Gardens. It will continue until Jan 15th. Truly excellent. All the buildings are made of plant matter. You should go sometime! (I bought my ticket a while ago and today was my first day out after being house bound with a bad cold for the holidays). Glad I went but I'm staying home tomorrow. Pictures speak louder than words. NY Botanical Gardens. Grand Central Terminal. Macy's. NYPL. JFK TWA. Belvedere Castle. Gracie Mansion.Sue KatzJune 5, 2017 Pianos and Taste of Times Squaretag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef01b7c8fb501a970b2017-05-24T15:43:06-04:002021-02-01T21:02:10-05:00The Sing for Hope pianos opening event takes place downtown at noon. Join A Guide Named Sue for a subway/walking tour to the event. Details here. Many Broadway shows have designed pianos this year and cast members will be performing. Later in the day, you can work up an appetite for Taste of Times Square on this Central Park Walking Tour. Two great NYC events for New Yorkers and visitors. Come on along. The more the merrier. One tour or both!Sue KatzMummies (not Mother's) Day 2017tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef01bb0995b925970d2017-05-05T15:31:50-04:002017-05-05T15:27:24-04:00While both places will be too crowded on Mother's Day, This is the season of the Mummy in NYC. The Egyptian Galleries in the Met now have a scientific Mummy counterpart at Natural History (and spoiler alert, this exhibit includes Mummies from Peru - who knew and no pictures for good reason). And, the Mother female IMAX humpback whales are pretty amazing! Membership has its privileges at Natural History. It's really nice to order your tickets for special exhibits and films and pick them up from the machine when you arrive. While at the Met, when you've finished with the...Sue KatzNational Tourism Week FREE Tour May 12, 2017tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef01b8d279a51c970c2017-04-19T23:37:14-04:002017-04-20T01:13:43-04:00In honor of National Tourism Week, NYC Guides Association member A Guide Named Sue invites visitors on a "tourist guide's daze off" FREE tour from Grand Central Terminal to the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens. The tour will meet in Grand Central at 12:30. After a brief introduction to Grand Central, we'll visit the Transit Museum Annex to see the latest exhibit and buy MetroCards if needed. We'll travel by subway to Queens and make a brief visit to the Fisher Landau Art Center. Then we will bus and/or walk to the museum on 35th Avenue. The tour...Sue KatzMarch 2017 - Early Custom Tourtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef01b8d277d971970c2017-04-16T22:25:44-04:002017-04-16T22:23:16-04:00When A Guide Named Sue received a request for a 6 AM custom tour the next morning through AnyGuide that included Central Station and Madison Square Garden, she responded with several questions, checked on a few things, came up with a proposal and the next morning we left my guests' hotel in the West 30's at 6 AM. The tour was a bit (less than an hour) longer than expected because of unexpected events that enhanced the tour. The Starbucks barista may have been a bit rude to the guest who asked for restroom directions without ordering (her friend ordered...Sue KatzTribeca Film Festival 2017- reviewstag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef01b7c8eb9d92970b2017-04-09T21:15:08-04:002017-05-01T14:14:54-04:00UPDATE 4/26 The matinee pass this year was disappointing. There are very few real films before 5. The festival is branching out to TV and virtual reality. I ended up using one of my tickets for something that was free on Friday and I had to buy a senior ticket to see my friend's son's documentary which only shows in the evening. Here's what I'm seeing - all at Cinepolis on 23rd: 4/24 3:30 Frank Serpico - might need a bit of editing but it is fabulous. Serpico gets to tell his own story the way he wishes. See it!...Sue Katz4/6/2017 Atlas Obscura - Open House New Yorktag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef01b8d274fa37970c2017-04-07T00:00:33-04:002017-04-06T23:58:30-04:00So, tonight I went to an Open House New York lecture about Atlas Obscura. Atlas Obscura is a website by and for people seeking wonder and off the beaten path places and spaces when they travel the world or, in the case of New Yorkers, explore their back yard. It was a great lecture for OHNY volunteers. The founders have also published a book about their journeys - traveling and creating the website. Dylan, the lecturer, mentioned The Trash Museum as a place loved by Atlas Obscura and Open House New York. I certainly loved my visit there. When I...Sue KatzTrash Museum 3 - some collections...tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef01bb098aeb36970d2017-03-31T17:02:14-04:002017-03-31T17:02:14-04:00A collection of thoughts and typewriters and dolls and lunch boxes and NYC Marathon stuff and super heroes.Sue KatzTrash Museum 2tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d8341cdd0d53ef01b7c8e52a7a970b2017-03-28T09:09:43-04:002017-03-31T17:04:20-04:00We could not touch anything. Nelson was free so I asked him to show me what looked like a piece of Mexican pottery I owned with a sex change. Speaking of change, Nelson didn't know what the hole in the top was for. When I returned home, I found my version still sitting heavily and happily on top of my book cabinet near an ancient picture of my Guides Association tour guide friends. I've had the pottery (not the picture) for about 50 years I think. Maybe I should write to the museum to see about a tour for guides....Sue Katz