Jim's New York Experience: UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN

When its 100 degrees in New York, it's 72 in Los Angeles. When its 30 degrees in New York, in Los Angeles it's still 72. However, there are 6 million interesting people in New York, and only 72 in Los Angeles.

Neil Simon

My year (actually 11 months) in NYC has come to a close. While I shall miss all of the concerts, plays, and galleries I have had the joy of experiencing, it is the place itself that I shall miss the most. It has been said that you do not really begin to know a place until you have gotten lost in it several times and this certainly happened to me many times!

My list of "things to do and places to see" is still overflowing and I can only hope that I will have some opportunities in the future of revisiting NYC and making more of a dent. I can say that I did manage to experience quite a lot. I also made a few friends along the way with whom I hope to continue to keep in touch.

I conclude my NYC blog with a "look back" at some of the odds and ends I did not deal with in my other blog entries. After weeks of frustrating apartment hunting an apartment in a building on Washington Avenue near Grand Army Plaza and across the street from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden seemed like a good choice.

Front entrance to my apartment building.

Moving day!

The windows to my apartment are on the third floor.

The Brooklyn Public Library on Grand Army Plaza

I never tired of, but rather always delighted in walks through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, often on my way to the 2/3 trains going into Manhattan. I took dozens of photos in the Garden at different times. It is truly a NYC gem.

Entrance to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden at Grand Army Plaza

Guide to the Garden.

Though a delight year around, Spring and Fall are truly spectacular.

My apartment building can be seen from the Garden.

Palm Court where many social events take place.

When entering the Garden from the side entrance nearest my apartment

my first view was always the Japanese Garden.

A few more highlights of the Garden.

From a distance, or up close, the beauties of the Garden dazzle the eye.

Right next door to the Garden is Prospect Park. Designed by Olmsted and Vaux, the designers of Manhattan's Central Park, Prospect Park evolved from grand gentility to become a haven for drugs and crime but then to evolve into a space for all to enjoy its many delights.

The grounds of Pratt Institute have revitalized the once extremely blighted area around Ft. Greene in Brooklyn. The many sculptures that dot the grounds reflect many stages of its life and its current vitality.

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) has transformed itself from being a bastion of staid European culture -- Charles Gounod's Faust was one of the first productions in the opera house contained in the building-- to become a center for contemporary music in its various guises, film, theatre and dance.

I was always drawn to the water and the Brooklyn Promenade often made a good spot for reading, sipping a cup of coffee, people watching and viewing the spectacle that is Manhattan and the harbor of NYC.

Along the rail of the Promenade a simple wreath serves as a sad and poignant reminder of September 11, 2011 and one can just imagine the view from this vantage point on that day. ("September 11 Broken Sky")

The historic Green-Wood Cemetery, "home" to more than 450,000 "residents," made for an interesting but far-too-short morning visit.

Ostentation and humility abound here as they do in life.

On the other end of the spectrum is Coney Island with all its kitsch.

Of all the places I have discovered in Brooklyn, perhaps the most special place was Park Slope United Methodist Church. I first went there hoping to find a place to practice at least two or three times a week but almost immediately found that the people and mission of the church embraced so much that I value. I enjoyed Pastor Herb Miller's sermons, the music of the choir and its director Pam McIntyre, and fellowship with such wonderful people of such varied backgrounds.

Park Slope United Methodist Church - Brooklyn, NY

My passage into Manhattan was accomplished mainly by taking the Q or the 2/3 subway lines. The Eastern Parkway stop for the 2/3 line was the portal hundreds of times.

In Manhattan, there were many visits to the Upper West Side, Greenwich Village, SOHO, Tribeca, the Lower East Side, the East Village, Chelsea, Chinatown, and Mid-Town. The only areas that I did not get to explore very much were the Upper East Side and Harlem.

Of course major cultural institutions such as Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall (with its three concert venues) and the Guggenheim Museum were not-to-be missed.

Lincoln Center at night.

The Metropolitan Opera House

Alice Tully Hall

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Historic Keyboards at the Met.

The Guggenheim Museum

Carnegie Hall

Parks in Manhattan range from postage-stamp sized to the huge and magnificent Central Park. Each has its own unique identity and surrounding ambiance.

Union Square (14th St.) in the snow.

View from Bryant Park (42nd St. and Fifth Ave.)

Bryant Park

Central Park

Beethoven Statue in Central Park

The Lake at Central Park

The Peace Fountain by sculptor Greg Wyatt is the centerpiece for a small reflective park by the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

For three decades, this sculpture stood in the plaza of the World Trade Center. Entitled "The Sphere", it was conceived by artist Fritz Koenig as a symbol of world peace. It was damaged during the tragic events of September 11, 2001, but endures as an icon of hope and the indestructible spirit of this country. The Sphere was placed here on March 11, 2002 as a temporary memorial to all who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center.

This eternal flame was ignited on September 11, 2002 in honor of all those that were lost.

Their spirit and sacrifice will never be forgotten

New York City, and especially Manhattan, is more of a collection of smaller communities than one large city. Retaining the character and "vibe" of each area keeps the city livable and always fascinating. Merely going from one section to another is like a mini-vacation.

A market in Chinatown.

Homes of notables dot the city. One of George Gershwin's houses on the Upper West Side (on West 103rd St.) is indicative of his move up in the world. Royalties from works such as Rhapsody in Blue helped pay for this home.