Monday, 6 May 2024

New York City

Today the weather has turned clearer and warmer, even inching up to the mid-70's by mid-afternoon. We enjoy a very large breakfast at Junior's, a restaurant that started out in Brooklyn, but now has a branch  in Shubert Alley on 45th Street, just a short walk from the hotel. 

We have arranged for a private car to take us the 10 miles north to Riverdale, an exclusive residential section of the Bronx on the Hudson River.  This is the location of Atria Riverdale, where my cousin Helen has been in assisted living for about a year. Will and I had become very close to Helen over the past 30 years; she would often visit us in Richmond and in Tucson, and we would often stay at her co-op in the city. Most of her New York friends and relatives are gone, so she really appreciates visitors. I saw her last November, but Will hasn't seen her for several years.

The car ride takes only 30 minutes, but costs close to $75.00. We take Helen and her long-time care-giver, Marie, to lunch at a nearby Italian restaurant. 

We are pleasantly surprised that Helen is doing well and seems to be more aware of things than when I saw her in November. We are also pleasantly surprised by all the lovely spring flowers that are starting to bloom.

In the afternoon we cancel the car we had hired for the return trip and instead take the NYC Transit Express Bus that in one hour drops us a short walk from the hotel for about $3.00 each. The bus is very new, with wifi ports at every seat and first-class messaging about the route and upcoming stops.

Although we enjoyed a very large Italian lunch, we search out a "traditional" Chinese restaurant that serves familiar dishes rather than just dim sum or exotic cross-overs. Luckily, we find one nearby.

We have had a long day and gladly return to the Millenium Broadway for a quiet evening.