New York City visit for Paul Simon concert - Grand Central and Flushing Meadows Park photossteemCreated with Sketch.

in #travel6 years ago

unisphere.jpg
Flushing Meadows Park is where the world's fair was in 1964. A number of interesting sculptures and things were put there to feature the future and are still there today, such as the Unisphere shown here at night with the fountains running.
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But let's back up to getting there from Philly by train to Grand Central Station. You can see the Empire State building in the background.
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Inside the station is a bunch of hustle and bustle. It is larger and nicer than Phialdelphia's 30th Street station, but is the same sort of vintage and design of and old, yet modernized train station.
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It's amazing how the travel industries are the same, whether its for flight or train. Getting on an earlier plane on "standby" is free to do if there is seating available. If you want to get on an earlier train because you're there earlier, there is a change fee that is outrageous. Why wouldn't you want to get someone out of there sooner, if you have an empty seat anyway? You might be able to sell that later seat, because once that earlier seat is gone, its gone. It makes no sense to me that they haven't caught up in that respect.
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They still treat you like cattle, like an airline does though, and if there aren't seats together, you may need to sit apart from each other. This is not so terrible as a couple, but when kids are involved that are small, it is a nightmare. That wasn't an issue for this trip though. I had that issue going to Washington, DC on Amtrak though years ago.
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Once outside, it is so much nicer to stop feeling like a farm animal, getting herded around.
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You may recognize these towers built for the World's Fair from the movie Men In Black in ending fight scene.
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A closer look at the same thing. I probably have enough photo for a second posting, but I will keep going to try to close out the arrival day.
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The Unisphere again, but in the daylight. Pretty nice, eh?
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Arthur Ashe Stadium - you can see the US Open signs and markings in the picture.
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Citi Field
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Statue still standing the park with an ominous sky in the upper landscape.
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Eventually, the concert would get played at this venue, off in the distance on the opposite side. Perhaps I will leave that for post #2. It is interesting to have a concert in this park; where you are also so close to so much history.

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New York the great city, they say the lights will amaze you, the empire state building very popular, I have been hearing of new york but never visited, I hope one day I will be able to see this city to confirm for myself the stories.

Great place to visit indeed. There is really entirely too much to ever do. Anything you want to do is like a mini event to itself. I wouldn't want to live there because it is just too busy all of the time. Downtown Philly is busy and far less busy and I wouldn't want to live there either. It is amazing how much things can change from awful slum like streets to very cool streets with beyond upscale businesses and shops.

The whole Broadway area is like going on a bit of a vacation itself. The prices are higher for everything. Driving is not even feasible. It's either a taxi, Uber, subway, train, or just walk.

That is an amazing place for a concert, love the historic landmarks.

I find it odd also that they would not give up the empty seats on the earlier departure without a fee. Seems like a lost profit situation to me, more chance of selling off the later seats with the extra time then the earlier ones.

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Yes, that's exactly what I was saying and as a former regular air traveler, I used to go on standby pretty regularly with success and I have to think the airlines loved that because the seat I was giving up was on a more "prime time" flight. Same thing was happening in this case. They made it as if I was simply buying the ticket all over again, so that was a non-option. I just waited it out and actually had trouble finding two seats together. They could've used that extra space to resell twice while I was on an earlier train. Strange economics.

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Thanks very much for the upvote and mention. I worked on that post for quite awhile and then the HF20 went into place about 45 minutes later, so very few have been able to vote or comment on it.