The movers just took all my stuff. Now, I’m cleaning the place, and getting ready to take the train on Thursday morning at a ridiculously early hour!
Enjoy the view of the Hudson from the train!
And @puzzlegal Brooklyn Botanic Garden admission unfortunately is now $22, $16 for seniors.
I’m jealous! I’ve always wanted to take the train from Toronto to New York.
Have a safe trip, and tell us how it went!
That is a pretty train ride. Good luck!
New York is much more walkable than Montreal. One thing I cannot get used to is how narrow the Montreal sidewalks are–to the point of unpleasantness. And no verges. To be sure it makes it easy for the sidewalk snowplows, but still annoying. Also the subways in NYC have much better coverage than the Montreal rubber-tired (therefor quiet) Metro.
When I lived in NY (511 W. 113th St. for the record), it was much easier not to have a car. In Montreal, I would be lost without a car. Very different feel.
I tend to think of Montreal as a walkable city with public transport because of my sister’s experience. She lived in NDG for 12 years, then moved to NYC for 15 years, and now has been back in Montreal for 3 years, always without a car, and never really missed having one. When we visited her in Montreal recently, we walked or took the bus everywhere. She says that she likes Montreal’s Metro and buses better than NYC’s.
Hi, everyone! I’m here!! My train arrived ~9 pm on Thursday, and now, I’m settling in. I’ve got a huge, long list of banal tasks to get accomplished in the next couple of weeks - new phone, Social Security Number, driver’s license, change of addresses…
Last night, my wife and I were at a lovely Sounds of the City concert - it felt like my ‘Welcome to NYC’ party! Home — Sounds of the City . I know, they would have had the concert/party even if I hadn’t got to town, but it was a wonderful ‘first full day as a resident of NYC’ event!
I feel like I should clarify - I’m not from Montréal! I’ve worked there several times, and love the place, but I’m originally from Brandon, Manitoba, and have lived in Toronto, Ontario for the last forty years. I’m a francophile, but not a francophone, and while my French is good, it is very much a second language for me…
Well, bienvenue anyway!! Do share the goss about any interesting upcoming Met Live opera productions, and have a great time in the city!
Kimstu
(upstate)
Hi, everybody! Today marks the start of my fourth week here. I’ve seen four operas at The Met, I’ve got my first gig coming up on Sunday (bass ringer for the Nippon Club Mixed Chorus’ concert), and I’ve been getting my 10,000 daily steps in by walking all over Hamilton Heights!
“The city is incredible, and I’m having a blast!” is the quick version.
Good to know you’re having fun. I no longer miss NYC, my home for decades, but am glad someone else is getting a thrill out of exploring the city.
OMG was one of them Grounded?? I just saw the movie-theater Met Live filmed version of Grounded last night, and I am wrecked.
Was Madame le Ministre involved in that production design? If so, I am now lowkey frightened of her as well as in awe of her as usual, and would like to request that you burn an incense pastille or make some other minor propitiatory sacrifice to her on my behalf. Can’t hurt.
Yes, indeed - I was at the season opening gala for the Met premiere of “Grounded”. I agree, it’s a fantastic show! (It also helped that my friends Emily and Greer were in it! 
)
So yes, my brilliant wife was involved, but not in the way you might think. She’s not the one who designs a production, but rather, the one who coordinates and facilitates the execution of the designs, in addition to taking copious, extensive notes about all of the details of a production so it can be remounted with minimum effort. She’s also the one who keeps things on time and on budget - not an easy task when dealing with productions of that scale! (Her private motto is “On time, on budget, and beer for everyone.”)
Her specialty is new productions, meaning either that a show has been constructed by and for The Met, or that it is a show receiving its first performance at The Met (even though it has been premiered at one of the many companies that do co-productions with The Met). This year, that means six productions out of a season of 18.q
Wowza, congratulations all around, I was more impressed than even with Champion and I thought that was fantastic too.
Genuinely new yet polished grand opera in my lifetime, never thought to see.
Late to the party, as usual, and didn’t read the whole thread (also typical), but I’d recommend Birdland and Blue Note for top jazz performances. Also Dizzy’s Club, which was created by Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center. It has the added perk of large windows behind the stage that look out on the city.
A side note: good friends of ours who have spent a large part of their lives in NYC have grown completely disenchanted with the place and are planning to move to Rhode Island from Manhattan’s Upper West Side. She cited the crowds of people, the filth and the noise as prime movers. Both worked and retired from journalism careers, he for the NYT.
In the early 80s and 90s, I used to come down to NYC for lessons, coaching, and auditions. I’m quite amazed at how much safer and cleaner the city is now!
And while my pandemic lockdown was quite quiet, being ~8 km outside of the city on 20 acres of Carolingian forest between the top of the Eramosa Valley going all the way down to the Eramosa River, for the last three years I’ve lived a biscuit’s toss away from an active rail line or an active above-ground subway line. NYC is much quieter!!
Everything’s relevant to experience, innit? It’s much noisier outside our apartment window here in MSP than it ever was in our quiet suburb in Portland. Our building here is on a main thoroughfare, so sirens are common.
I lived on Amsterdam avenue, which was an emergency vehicle route. I also lived near the bottom of a hill. I heard a lot of sirens, and a lot of screeching brakes.