I felt sadness and a profound sense of loss that a precious piece of New York is slipping away when I learned that the iconic rink at Rockefeller Center is scheduled for demolition in January 2021. It is classic New York sensory overload to skate here, with the magnificent Christmas tree shining rainbow colors above, and golden Prometheus forever falling to the ice at rinkside. Colored lights flash and bathe the ice in pink and blue, and sometimes the music from the Saks Christmas display across Fifth Avenue is so loud it drowns out the music at the rink, which seems to range between Christmas classics and funk.
When I read the news, I immediately went online and bought a ticket to skate at 6 PM every Saturday from November 21 to January 16. The first Saturday, the splendid 75-foot tall Christmas tree (which weighs 11 tons!) was in place, but not strung with lights. I went downstairs to the skating area right at 6 PM, pasted a yellow sticker from the ticket taker on my right leg, and rushed towards the rink. I was enchanted to see two angelic ice dancers in white costumes with fairy lights walking down the hallway to the dressing room ahead of me. I found a locker, put on my skates, and rushed onto the ice. The ice dancers were already out there, filming a video. They spun and twirled and swooped in the center of the rink for the entire time I was on the ice, which seemed to last only 20 minutes.
It was my first time on skates in a couple years, so it took the full 20 minutes just to warm up and feel less wobbly in the ankles, but still I soared past all the other skaters on the rink. I kept telling anyone who would listen, “I’m Canadian!” to explain my superior performance, possession of my own skates, and knowledge of ice grooming. The ice was a choppy mess, in fact. But I loved the feeling of gliding and tentatively trying out a few of my skating chops—switch to backwards skating for a few seconds, try a twirl in a quiet corner. And secretly wished I could skate like the ice dancers.
Because of Covid, the ice was socially distanced, meaning less crowded than usual, but it was still at the maximum allowed, filled with couples holding hands and trying to keep each other vertical, kids falling and skating in the wrong direction, and packs of people taking each other’s picture and blocking the flow.
Unfortunately, my mind kept finding fault with every little thing for the entire 20 minutes until I was told people wearing the yellow sticker had to get off the ice. Then the problem was that my miserable time had been cut short!
I went over to the skate rental return counter with my litany of complaints. I didn’t have any skates to return, having brought my own (because I’m a Canadian). But I complained about the quality of the ice and the short session, which was supposed to be an hour from beginning to end. After lodging my comments with the skate rental attendant, I waited for a manager, and then repeated the litany. The manager asked to see my yellow sticker, and my ticket, and went to investigate. It was the first day of rink operations, and the manager–let’s call him Tim, since that’s his real name–determined that an error had been made in the color of sticker I was issued. I should have received a blue sticker, not a yellow one. He said I could go back on the ice, but by now I had changed out of my skates. He said they were still working out the system but that next week would be better.
Then we turned to the matter of the ice. “The ice was a mess!” I said. “We cut it every few hours,” Tim said, clearly not realizing that this was completely inadequate. “I’m a Canadian!” I said. “I’m used to better ice.” He appeared to be quite sympathetic to my plight. I obviously knew what I was talking about, since I was a Canadian, and besides, I’d purchased eight tickets in advance.
He gave me the general manager Kristen’s business card, and said to email her on Monday. Which I did. I didn’t mention the fact that I was a Canadian, but my expertise in ice matters must have been convincing; by end of day she had changed my remaining tickets to the 7 PM session, immediately after the ice cleaning, which for some reason they call cutting here. That’s quite a stretch, considering the puddles of water everywhere on the rink. Their ice is not exactly cuttable!
The next Saturday, I knew the drill. I was first in line to go downstairs to the rink. Since I was the only one who brought my own skates (quite probably the only Canadian) I changed into my skates in a flash and was the first on the rink!!! For five minutes I had the rink to myself! I couldn’t believe it. The lights were on the tree, casting a magical glow. There were hordes socially distanced above on 49th Street, waiting for their timed visit to look at the tree. And here I was, circling round and round, the rink and the tree all to myself. I wept at my good fortune and craftiness. Finally I could relax. I had controlled the universe. And when others started to trickle and totter onto the ice, I smiled with fond benevolence. I was the ruler of the rink!
Check out my new video, “Crappy Skaters”!
P.S. They use an inferior ice cleaning machine called “Olympia,” perhaps in deference to Prometheus’s family. Every Canadian knows that Zambonis are the ice machines of the gods.
A seldom viewed deer-populated forest outside the dressing room
2019 Goal List and my modelling comp card. Dusty Berke took the two photos on the right—my two absolute favorites of the year. Red pants photo by Morgen Purcell. Leopard photo by Zoë Pappis Schultz.
I just read an interesting article about creative geniuses. The key to great ideas like Edison’s light bulb, sublime music like Beethoven’s “odd-numbered” symphonies, and influential plays like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is to be continuously working and creating. Not all ideas are good ideas, and not all works will bear fruit. But the people who have reached the pinnacle of success have been driven to create (in enormous quantity), for better or worse, and haven’t been afraid to fail.
As I look over the past year and my successes and failures, I am cheered by this perspective.
I worked at my “day job,” technical writing, for the first quarter of 2019, and then was lucky enough to spend the remainder of the year pursuing various interests and creative projects. I tried a lot of new things, and was generally happy with the results. Even when I may have failed (to live up to my idea of what I should achieve), I am still glad I gave it a try.
At the beginning of the year, I wrote down my goals for 2019 on a small piece of notepaper that I kept by my computer all year long. Every now and then I whited out some bits and added new items or details. I also took great joy in noting my progress on the goals and putting a checkmark beside the ones I accomplished.
Modeling
Modeling was the first item on my list. Although I didn’t have an agent, I had quite a successful first year as a model:
A monthly style column, Karen’s Quirky Style, in West Village’s beloved WestView News, with my picture appearing every month
A print ad for a local healthy juice restaurant, Juice & Joy
Related video and sandwich board ads
2 photo shoots for glossy fashion magazines: The Face and Vogue — both amazing experiences!
2 photo shoots for clothing designers, for use on social media: New York’s Engineered by Andrea T, and London’s sustainable swimwear designer Elliss Clothing (photographed by the fantastic Rosie Marks)
1 runway gig at the United Nations
3 photos of me were on exhibit in an art show at the prestigious Salmagundi Club, and one of them won an award
My friend Dusty Berke from WestView took this great photo, which won an award at the Salmagundi Art Club. Definitely one of my fave moments of the year, doing this shoot with Dusty.
I didn’t earn a wack of dough, but most of these gigs paid a bit, so I was actually paid for working as a model.
National Arts Club Membership
I fell in love with the National Arts Club (NAC) last year, when we had our graduation dinner there for the United Nations Association New York’s (UNA-NY) Worldview Institute leadership training program. I started attending their FashionSpeak Friday events, and set a goal of becoming a member. I put quite a bit of attention into creating a resume and application worthy of this institution, and with the help of two wonderful sponsors, Francis Dubois and Phillip Edward Spradley, I became a member on May 28, 2019!
Linda Zagaria, president of the National Arts Club. I wrote a story about Linda for WestView and Karen’s Quirky Style.
What a thrill. I attended a gala there honoring the best-selling and much beloved author John Irving. (I also attended a UNA-NY gala honoring those who have worked to end human trafficking. I was blown away by the enormity of this problem when I researched this subject for a story for WestView News.)
Ann Nicol, Executive Director of UNA-NY, and me, at the gala at Essex House on Central Park South. Gorgeous designer dress loaned by my friend Andrea, owner, designer, and creator of Engineered by Andrea T!
Photojournalist for WestView News
My byline is on the cover of WestView News!
This was not on my to-do list at the beginning of 2019, but WestView News became an enormous part of my life this past year. I researched and wrote more than 40 stories for them (which would make the State of California deem me an employee—one of the 2019 larger news stories that made all freelance journalists shiver). One of my stories was even a cover story! Thank you, George, publisher and dear friend. It was fascinating to interview people and write about them, and made me feel a happy part of the West Village community.
But more than that, I became friends with many people at the paper and feel like I’ve found another family here in New York. This has been a tremendous blessing in my life. I feel so lucky to contribute to one of the last remaining local Village papers in New York. (You may recall that the Village Voice closed in August 2018. Lincoln Anderson was fired from the Villager in October 2019, heralding a new era of schlock.)
Photography Course & Video Series
As I mentioned previously in a story about taking my friend’s portrait, I started an online Master Class with wizard Annie Leibovitz in the fall of 2018, and it was on my to-do list to finish the course in 2019. Aargh! Failure! I still have about 7 lessons left to do, and my membership expired.
Summer Piano in Washington Square Park was on exhibit at the Salmagundi Club!
But on the plus side, the course has been a huge inspiration, and I have had a few great impacts from the course:
My work was exhibited at the Salmagundi Club. (Picture shown above.) I learned about professional photo retouchers, printing, mounting, and framing. I was very happy with the result hanging on the wall.
I accompanied almost every published article for WestView with my own photos.
I did another class through the site, taught by Anna Wintour, and it was very inspiring. Main takeaway—be inspired by life around you. Hello, New York!
I also took a workshop on video storytelling through the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
And Wow! I did 13 videos for YouTube in 2019. My goal was to do one a month to add to my New York Love Affair video art project, but I always feel like I’m neglecting my pet project. I guess I didn’t do too badly.
This was a very fruitful, creative part of my life and yet I feel like it is a demon, always chasing me to do more! I went through about 10,000 photos (from New York only) to find appropriate images to enter in the Greenwich Village exhibit at the Salmagundi Club. Of those, I entered six, and one was chosen. And didn’t sell. So I feel this tremendous urge to produce, but I don’t feel that I have succeeded fully. Partially, yes. It was a great honor to have my work accepted in the exhibit. (It was an item I added to the list partway through the year, when I received an email about it from Village Preservation.)
However, in March I have a solo exhibit for Shadow Play, phase four. We’ll see what happens there! (More details on that later.)
Shoebook.me
Failure! Or I’m not sure what to call it. This was a genius idea I had for social networking for shoes, Christmas Day, a week before I moved to New York. People like the idea, and I’ve got the domain name, built the site once and took it down, started again, and then abandoned it. I guess I am pulled in other directions. Perhaps I’ve lost my enthusiasm for shoes? [Moment to ponder additions to my shoe collection this year. Hmmm.]
My 75% successful shoe acquisitions in 2019
Honestly, I needed all of these shoes. Well, most of them…
Rubber boots to wear when I clean the shower with CLR
Two cool pairs of sneaks to wear while travelling in Scotland, London, and Paris
Wingtip brogues were actually a re-do; I stripped and painted these 70s-style platform boots for my David Bowie tribute performance at the NAC
Black flip-flops replaced an old pair, and I wear them all the time for doing errands around my building
Rainbow flipflops – cute mistake
Silver Margaux flats – just a mistake; I thought I could eventually like them, but it never happened. And I didn’t get any ad revenue from them, either! Moral of this story: never buy ugly shoes, even if you think they will be comfortable.
But I guess I have been following too many alluring tracks this past year to sit down and focus on shoebook.me. Maybe in 2020! I’m not putting it on the list, so don’t hold your breath.
Dance Parade
Yup! This was a lot of fun. I set the goal of participating, and couldn’t find anyone to go with me, so I joined another group and had an amazing time.
My butterfly costume for the Dance Parade. I danced with the exuberant, colorful, kinky House of Yes, a “performance fuelled” dance club in Brooklyn.
In addition, I’ve continued to study ballet at the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet School, and I took a couple of classes at Lincoln Center, taught by dancers from the New York City Ballet. What an amazing opportunity. Plus, of course, classes at Barre3 five times a week. When I had to stop running in 2018, I was worried about losing my figure, and also my sanity. I’ve managed to retain the former through Barre3, and found another family there as well. As for the latter, it might be highly over-rated!
New York Love Affair Website
This is another partial success. I had the domain name loveaffair.nyc for quite some time. When I first created the 20-minute video of excerpts from my New York Love Affair series for the Vancouver International Film Festival, I created the site to support the video series. But I never kept it up, so this year I folded it into this very website that you are looking at now.
My wild New York view from my favorite reading chair. Ah, autumn in New York!
I rebranded this site Wild Visions: Love Affair NYC. I didn’t want to lose the tremendous SEO I’ve achieved with the bcwildernessvisions URL, so I’ve kept it, and I point loveaffair.nyc to this site. I also revamped the graphic design a bit, and added an email sign-up option. Go ahead, sign up!
You won’t be inundated, as this is simply a monthly blog. If you want to dip into my New York doings from time to time, this is the place.
Total Blog Entries in 2019
I mentioned above that I wrote over 40 stories for WestView News in 2019. I also wrote lots of blog entries:
I would have to count this as a rousing success! Almost 50 blog entries. This is probably what gives me the most satisfaction of everything I do. But wait… Every time I sing I feel a mix of euphoria and angst (wishing I was better). And there’s nothing like the feeling of dancing freely to music that moves me…
This year I’ve continually asked myself the question what am I meant to do? What is calling my heart?
I’ve sung, danced, modeled, written, photographed, created videos, and in general explored my artistic passions to the fullest of my capacity within a given year. I love all of these activities. I guess there is no single answer to what satisfies the heart. Except, perhaps, a singular mystical answer about abiding in the mystery. So they say!
Friends and Family
Friends in wigs on Christmas Eve: me, Shawn, George, Dorothy, and Dorothy’s neighbor
The recap of the year wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the amazing richness I have in my life, of friendships and wonderful times with my family. My cousins Irma and Julie and Stephan visited New York and we saw many amazing special corners of New York. My Mom and I went to Arizona with my dear friends Sally and Bill, and I also went on trips with Deborah (Scotland) and Rosanna (Switzerland), plus dipped into London, Manchester, Paris, and Big Sur. Wow. Some friendships may have ended last year, but many wonderful new friendships have begun, and I am very grateful for the ongoing friendships with people in BC, New York, and around the world. Thanks especially to all the friends who came to hear my Bowie performance. That meant so much to me.
The focus of this entry was on creative flow, so I didn’t touch on everything I did this year, but of course there were also many fantastic cultural events and lots of fun time with friends. All of this gladdens my heart and brings more inspiration in a reinforcing cycle of creativity.
Where’s the Money?
You might have noticed that in the upper left corner of my notepaper list for 2019, I had written a high number. I didn’t earn anywhere close to that. Not even a quarter of it! True, I only worked at my day job for one quarter of the year. I had hoped that some of these various endeavors might have led to a new income stream. Not yet!
But I have always looked to my technical writing career to pay the bills. I didn’t want to put any strain on the creative stream to have to be successful. That way the creative expression can be pure joy and love. My art doesn’t have to suit other people. I don’t have to convince anyone of its merit. It’s 90% creative flow for its own sake, as an unstoppable source emerging from my being. But there’s still that 10% that hopes someone will like it!
I guess in that sense, it has been a successful year. I hope yours was too. Thanks for reading. And all the best to you in 2020. There is much possibility for hope and positive change in the new decade.
As I mentioned in my last post, this year I attended the famous Easter Parade in NYC on April 21, beginning at 10 AM at 49th Street and proceeding north to 57th Street. The parade ended at about 1 PM. I also watched the 1948 film, “Easter Parade,” with Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. This is a classical musical, with the song and dance numbers blending absolutely seamlessly into the story, in glorious color, with fun tunes by Irving Berlin. The grand finale is on Fifth Avenue, and this is where the Easter Parade takes place to this day.
Here are some photos of this year’s paraders:
Easter 2019
It was a glorious sunny day, and people were in a jubilant mood, as you can see. The man in the hounds-tooth jacket actually sang a few bars from “Easter Parade” to me! People were happy to pose in their festive finery, though I also captured a few candid photos on the subway and platform. It was a joyful day with the true Easter spirit of new life and growth bringing happiness to everyone’s hearts.
Each year on Easter Sunday, celebrants in New York don fantastical finery and show off their very best bonnets along Fifth Avenue. This year’s parade takes place on April 21, beginning at 10 AM at 49th Street and proceeding north to 57th Street, continuing until about 4 PM. This New York City tradition dates back to the 1870s, and anyone wearing a bonnet can join the parade. As you probably know, the best place to watch is from the area around St. Patrick’s Cathedral between 50th Street and 51st Street.
Macy’s Fashion Pods
In the weeks leading up to the parade, Macy’s has its annual Spring Flower Show at three New York locations. This year’s theme is a sci-fi spectacle called Journey to Paradisios, complete with “fashion pods,” alien trees, and a spidercrawler. Each location has different flower displays and events. This is the 73rd annual Macy’s Flower Show. According to Susan Tercero, executive producer of Macy’s Flower Show, “This year Macy’s Flower Show will take spectators on an incredible extra-terrestrial journey filled with wondrous sights, dazzling discoveries and unexpected experiences as we invite them to explore Paradisios. More than 1 million spectators in three cities nationwide will have the opportunity to experience this immersive floral world and be the first humans to set foot on this majestic planet.”
National Arts Club Bonnet Bash 2019
In a related event, the National Arts Club will be holding their Bonnet Bash 2019, “Carnival of Capital Sins,” on Friday, April 12, 8 PM to 11:30 PM. Tickets are $35, available on eventbrite.
Stay tuned to this page for photos from this year’s parade!
As I’ve mentioned previously, I’ve been writing fashion pieces for the WestView News. With spring hovering near, the West Village is starting to take on a greenish hue. Tiny leaves are budding on the trees in sunny gardens. Birdsong is in the air, calling us to spring forward out of our beds at an earlier hour. A sprinkling of fairy dust was also in the air on St. Patrick’s day, as West Village residents and visitors alike took to the streets sporting green to celebrate our favorite Irish holiday.
Paul MacKnight’s St. Pat’s ’stache
It’s an eerie coincidence that Paul MacKnight works at both Barre3 and Bar Six, both in the West Village. (And frequents Hell’s Kitchen’s Bar Nine, the dueling piano bar?) He poured a wicked Irish coffee on Sunday, serving it up to St. Patrick’s Day patrons during his shift behind the bar. In honor of the day, he put on some gold and green sparkle, making him the pixiest bartender in town.
Sana Siddiqui strolling down Sixth Avenue with Jefferson Market Library in background
Meanwhile, Sana Siddiqui strolled with her family down Sixth Avenue, and this couple power-walked in green splendor down a Gold Coast side street.
I’ve been getting emails from Cornelia St. Cafe owner Robin Hirsch for the past month, letting his mailing list know that the cafe will be closing for good, after 4 decades of being a Greenwich Village institution. I wandered over there today after Barre class, not realizing it’s the last day they will be open.
I had a chat with Robin, and he said the closure is not just about rent increases, but also about general landlord nastiness. Evidently the landlord who owns the building is on the Top 10 list of worst landlords in New York, and actually boasts of being THE WORST!
I’ve had a few wonderful evenings at the cafe over the past few years, and recently was the first patron in for a morning coffee, trying to soak up the last few bits of memory before the cafe closes. Some of you may recall that when I worked at Krystyna’s Place, the vintage clothing store on the same block as the cafe, we wound up the photo shoot at the cafe, and I met Robin that day. He gave us each a glass of wine, as Krystyna is a good friend of his. It was the perfect ending to a dream day.
So I have a soft spot in my heart for this New York institution. For a while, my writing teacher from Gotham Writers, Nelsie Spence, was hosting a monthly comedy reading show here, the Imperfect Perfect Show. Sadly, I never got over to see it.
Today was an especially vibrant and emotional day at the cafe, with regulars and new visitors alike thronging around the bar, filling the tables, and lining up outside for the 3:00 PM Songwriter’s Exchange. Tonight, the final event will be an artists’ salon, starting at 7 PM. I was lucky to get a seat at the bar, and ordered a tasty New Year’s Day brunch of eggs Florentine, coffee, and mimosa. An excellent first meal of the year, though tinged with sadness.
Here are some short clips of the scene outside the cafe today.
On one side of me was a couple from Toronto, in town to celebrate New Year’s Eve. The man is a performer in Come From Away in Toronto, and his partner is a tango dancer. They went to a tango event last night and then finished up the evening at Marie’s Crisis, a sing-along piano bar in the West Village. On the other side of me, I met a long-time New Yorker and cabaret performer, MAC nominee Kathryne Langford. She is under consideration for a Bistro Award for a recent cabaret performance, and has promised to take me out to some of her favorite New York places. How wonderful to meet a new friend on the first day of the year.
The cafe is selling its custom-made tables. Lacking space in my apartment for any more furniture, I took home a Cornelia St. Cafe sparkling bottle instead. (See top photo.)
Robin Hirsch is an amazing person, a former Oxford, Fulbright, and English-Speaking Union Scholar, who has acted, directed, taught, and published on both sides of the Atlantic. He is a long-time supporter of eclectic artists and art forms, ranging from stilts, to tight-rope walking, to writing to spoken word to music, and much more. He has written a book about the cafe, called The Whole World Passes Through: Stories from the Cornelia Street Café, and other works as well. His cafe will be much missed, and I wish him and the staff all the best as they head in a new direction.
Here’s a brief history of the cafe, and some stories about the cafe on the same page. Here’s another great article about the cafe and some of the famous and infamous people and goings-on.
I spent this New Year’s Eve with my friend Lew, and we began the evening with a cocktail at the Rock Center Cafe Bar, overlooking the ice rink from the north. (In my case, a refreshing peppermint martini–close cousin to the Rempeltini!) Then we dined at the Sea Grill, overlooking the ice rink from the south.
We had a lovely view of the statue of Prometheus, framed by the fountain backdrop, illuminated by lights that changed color periodically. The fountain was so beautiful it truly enhanced the splendor of the evening.
According to the bards at the Rock, “Prometheus is said to be the best-known sculpture in Rockefeller Center and the most photographed monumental sculpture in all of NYC. Created by famed American sculptor Paul Manship, who held a great fascination for mythological subjects and events, it has become the main attraction of the Lower Plaza. Its central theme is best stated by the quote that’s carved in the red granite wall behind him, taken from the sixth-century B.C. Greek dramatist Aeschylus: “Prometheus, Teacher in Every Art, Brought the Fire That Hath Proved to Mortals a Means to Mighty Ends.””
We had hoped to begin the evening with a cocktail at Bar SixtyFive at the Rainbow Room, which had a holiday party beginning at 9:30. Tickets for this event on the 65th floor of Rockefeller Center began at $450. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow anyone upstairs prior to the party, so the closest I got to the Rainbow Room is this coatcheck ticket!After our lovely dinner, we walked up Fifth Avenue, retracing my steps from a week ago in reverse. We saw the Bergdorf Goodman windows again, and walked along the park to 7th Avenue. I’d read online that the ball at Times Square would be visible all the way up 7th Avenue to the park, and indeed it was, albeit the size of a pea.
We stood under a shelter until 5 to midnight, then stepped out in the rain at the top of 7th Avenue, near Central Park, to watch the ball drop. Being that it was about the size of a pea from where we stood, once it started to fall we couldn’t see it. However, we could see the fireworks down in Times Square, and fireworks behind us in the park.
It was fun to be out in the rain with other people in a festive mood, and I am glad Lew was up for the adventure!
After our taxi dropped Lew off in Chelsea, I finished the night at Small’s in my West Village neighborhood, with a set of jazz and a glass of prosecco. I made it home by 2:15 a.m., and woke up feeling pretty good…
I hope you all had a wonderful evening, in whatever key you chose, and wish you the very best for 2019.
And just to start the year off on the right note, I want to share this article about the Top 99 Good News Stories of 2018. Thanks, Jill, for passing this on.
Bergdorf Goodman 2018 – one of the windows facing the Plaza Hotel
I recently saw the film Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s with my friends Deborah M. and Nancy G. (Nancy is co-founder and co-owner of Zeitgeist Films, and this year she distributed the New York zeitgeist films Bill Cunningham New York and Studio 54, and many others.) One segment of the fascinating documentary about Bergdorf Goodman was devoted to the efforts that go on behind the scene to create the Christmas window displays. The displays wrap around the corner of the building, from W. 57th St. (facing the Plaza Hotel) to Fifth Avenue. There are about 6 or 7 full-sized picture windows, complete with picture frames of various sorts, including ivy, as well as a number of smaller insets. Each individual window is indeed a work of art, filled with treasures.
Bergdorf Goodman has been lighting up 5th Avenue for over 100 years, moving up the avenue and occupying several locations over the years. The main store, on the west side of Fifth Avenue, opened in 1928. They also have a men’s store, across the street.
BG 2015 First
I first admired the window displays on Fifth Avenue the winter of 2015. The photos above are from this first foray into New York’s Christmas magic. Some of you may have seen my video of the Lord and Taylor display. Sadly, L&T is closing its flagship store on Fifth Avenue, and they did not have displays this year—just “Everything Must Go” signs filling every window. So sad to see a New York institution die, to be replaced by WeWork headquarters. (Lord and Taylor is now owned by the Hudson Bay Company, and other locations remain open, but not the flagship.)
BG 2015 Second
Awash in more than seven million Swarovski crystals, the 2015 theme was appropriately named Brilliant Holidays. Two of the windows shown in my slide show are called The Crown Jewels and The Treasure Chest. I think you’ll be able to tell which images are part of these incredible displays.
Bergdorf 2018 First
In any case, I was especially motivated to go look at Bergdorf’s windows this Christmas (2018) after seeing the documentary. And I thought it would be interesting to compare this year’s windows with the ones I saw in 2015. So I’ve prepared the “then and now” slideshows for you–two sets for each year. These windows are truly the epitome of fine craftsmanship, creativity, bling, and extravagance. This year’s theme is Bergdorf Goodies, with all manner of cakes, cookies, and candies, and I wanted to enter into these displays and start biting. But really, I got a sugar rush just by looking at them!
Bergdorf 2018 Second
In case you are wondering how these windows come into being, I highly recommend you see the documentary. Once the theme for the current year’s windows is selected, craftspeople in Brooklyn create the backdrops and sculpture creatures that populate the displays. Other groups of people select clothes and accessories to work with the theme, dress the manikins, and mount the displays. I can’t imagine how much it costs to create these gorgeous displays for the enjoyment of New Yorkers and visitors. Of course, the goods on display cost hundreds of thousands of dollars too. I must confess I wish I could wear clothes like this from time to time. They are so fantastical and fun.
It was a rainy night, but there was a constant stream of people passing by and stopping to admire the windows. It was a challenge to get the unobstructed views of the main picture windows. A New York couple who clearly looks at the windows every year was commenting on the displays, and I couldn’t resist filming them.
“Oooooh. Adorable. Fantastic. They must be just divinely inspired to come up with one of a kind things. These are not normal off the rack. These are things that they actually made. Look at these manikins, how skinny the legs are. No sense of reality. These are just divine. This is the height of the trade. It doesn’t get any better than this. No one can do anything … like this. They made these… they make everything. It’s all too great. [Street vendor: “Umbrella, umbrella…”]”
More Displays
After enjoying the display at Bergdorf Goodman, I continued down Fifth Avenue, past Tiffany’s and Trump Tower, to the always decadently rich Dolce & Gabbana display. My first New York designer dress was a Dolce & Gabbana satin party dress, which I lost 15 pounds to fit into. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for D&G since then! This clip shows the Cake Factory in one of the windows at BG, followed by the window at D&G:
Continuing south down Fifth Avenue, I saw the marvellous Saks Fifth Avenue display, across the street from Rockefeller Center. People were thronging the sidewalk across the street, and barricades were up on both sides to prevent gawkers from seeping onto the street and causing vehicular incidents.
It is an amazing display of lights set to a Christmas carol. After this, there was a pause, and then the lights started up again to New York, New York. Ah, home!
Finally, I headed along W. 47th St., over to the BDFM subway line on Sixth Ave. that would whisk me home. On W. 47th, I saw the Rockefeller Christmas tree and rink, as well as FAO Schwarz, the oldest toy store on earth. It was open on Fifth Avenue continuously for 150 years, then closed 3 years ago. It just reopened at Rockefeller Center this November, in time for Christmas. The splendor of life-sized stuffies is back!
Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. Photo credit: MSG Photos.
I’m going to make a new Christmas tradition, shared by many New Yorkers and tourists before me, to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall for their annual Christmas Spectacular.
Outside Radio City Music Hall
I saw them for the first time last year, on a dream date with a guy named Guy, and I was super excited to see the show again this year.
Christmas Balls
My friends Sally S. and Heather F. (of 9 W. 10th St, my former home) know people connected with the show, including the people who sew all the sequins on the costumes (in a tiny tailor’s shop in Chinatown) and one of the former dancers. These creme de la creme fraiche dancers do up to 4 shows a day! Sally told me the choreography has been the same since the 1930s. The repertoire is too big to do all the numbers in one year, so they switch them around, with the most popular numbers being performed every year. For example, the precision dance of the toy soldiers.
Waiting for the curtain to rise. During the show, the entire proscenium arch becomes a movie screen.
There is something so fascinating and mesmerizing about the chorus line, when they are all kicking their legs in unison. I don’t know why I love it so much. It is thrilling to see, and it never gets boring… Sally, who is a prominent member of the dance community of New York (founder of the International Tap Society, on the Bessie Committee, teacher, author, etc.), said this question has occupied the dance world for decades, if not centuries, with no clear answer!
Each year, children’s choirs perform a pre-show Christmas carol. How cute is that?
This year I attended with my friend from work, Sally M.
Sally M. outside Radio City Music Hall
We had a fantastic time, and I can’t wait to see the show again next year!
On my way to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, with my friend Sally, shown in the post above
Dear friends, it is the holiday season, and things can get chaotic, especially with a full moon like yesterday. Up until now I’ve been having a great time in New York, taking in wonderful holiday events like the Rockettes at Radio City.
But then it comes time to leave the city… And I had the most annoying non-travel experience yesterday, due to Delta Airlines’ thoughtlessness. So let me take you on a holiday kvetch, if I may…
At 6:10 am yesterday, I was prevented from checking my bags, and hence from boarding my 7 am flight to Seattle, and then endured 6 hours of the most frustrating phone calls you can image. I found Delta Airlines’ customer service to be appalling, and vow to never fly on this airline again if I can help it.
Since I couldn’t board my flight without checking my bags (though there was actually time for me to go through security and board the flight), I had to miss the flight entirely. The alternates I was offered were to pay $7,000 to book another flight the same day, or to do an overnight flight involving 5 hours’ layover in the middle of the night at LAX. Just imagine the fun! All because of a misleading statement on the Delta Airlines boarding pass… Followed by the worst customer service you can imagine, both at the airport and on the phone.
By contrast, this is the thoughtful information that WestJet sent me for the replacement flight I booked with them:
Hello Karen Y, your WestJet flight leaves in less than 24 hours…
Please remember that Holiday travel is the busiest time of the year at the airport, so give yourself the advantage of a little extra time. This email contains your flight details, and will help you check in easier. We look forward to welcoming you on board…
We strongly encourage you to arrive at the airport a minimum of two hours prior to your scheduled departure, to ensure that you do not miss your flight. Due to a higher than expected volume of guests traveling, and current U.S. Transportation Security Agency (TSA) staffing, excessive security wait times are expected.
Changes at Calgary International Airport – When you arrive at the new terminal, you no longer need to pick up your bags when you go through Canadian customs. We also recommend you allow for extra time to reach your next gate; in some cases, 25-30 minutes may be needed.
This information is so thoughtful, and tells me all the details I need to know. Plus, they offer one free checked bag!
And this is their boarding pass:
With a handy quarter-fold layout. Brilliant!
By contrast, this is what Delta said on my boarding pass, which I printed after doing an online check-in the night before my flight:
Imagine checking in online at 11 PM, tired from a week of work and a day of Christmas shopping, packing, and wrapping… Wouldn’t you be delighted to see you only need to get to the airport 75 minutes ahead of time for a domestic flight from New York to Seattle? Well, I was, and set my alarm for an extra hour of sleep, getting up at 4:40 a.m., to arrive at the airport by 6 a.m., in time for my 7 a.m. flight. Note the wording “recommended,” implying 75 minutes is lots of time and you could even allow a bit less. At least that’s how I read it!
Imagine my shock when I was standing in the extremely long bag drop line, after waiting in my taxi 15 extra minutes to travel the last quarter mile at JFK, due to 5 lanes of jammed traffic, and saw the notice that bags must be checked an hour before the flight. I had not been informed of this in my emails from Travelocity nor on the Delta Airlines boarding pass. Normally I do arrive at the airport 2 hours ahead of time as a matter of course, but because of this notice of 75 minutes on the boarding pass, I didn’t do this. Hence I discovered the hard way that this 60-minute limit for bag drop is evidently the norm, which everyone knows but me.
Much hilarity (actually, many F-bombs) ensued, as I waited in Delta’s so-called “Rebooking” queue at JFK. There were over a dozen poor travelers ahead of me. There was only one woman at the counter, and each rebooking transaction seemed to require from 20 minutes to 90 minutes (as in the case of one woman in a white and purple blouse who was there the whole time I was, who must have had an exceeding complicated travel itinerary to reschedule).
After dropping the F-bombs, commiserating with others in the line, and noticing the line’s slower-than-snail’s pace, I made the call to Delta Airlines. Others in line began to do the same, trying to rebook on their phones, and eventually another Delta employee came over to hand out cards with the phone number to call to rebook. Never mind adding another person to the counter on one of the busiest travel days of the year. That would actually help people! Meanwhile, there was a crowd of a dozen Delta employees in matching t-shirts sitting in the next area, waiting to assist passengers with wheelchairs. Of whom there were none.
I called Delta (13 minutes), who said I had to call Alaskan Air because they were the “overarching” carrier for my itinerary, which culminated in an Alaskan Airlines flight from Seattle to Kelowna, BC. Geez! Alaskan Airlines (12 minutes) said they couldn’t help me because the first leg was with Delta. Next call–Travelocity. (40 minutes). This is where I found out my alternative travel options. (The aforementioned $7,000 trip or the appealing 5-hour middle of the night layover at LAX.)
I declined these options, and found a cafe on the arrivals level where I could do my own research. Within minutes, I had hot coffee, scrambled eggs, and a $660 WestJet flight to Kelowna leaving at 5:20 pm the next day, arriving at 11:21 pm (unfortunately requiring my sister Kim to travel an hour to pick me up, and then another hour to take me back to her home in Armstrong). Still a crappy option, but better than the others.
So, I sorted it out and was reasonably happy, due to Google, the coffee, and the eggs. I left the airport, and had a harrowing cab ride in a Drakkar-drenched taxi back to Manhattan. I opened the window to stop from choking on the stench. The driver kept looking at his cell phone and texting, while driving at high speed! I asked him to stop three times. Can you believe this? The third time he was actually texting while going over the bridge! Geez. Then he asked me if I want a ride back to the airport tomorrow (with him). Not!
So, finally I’m home, merely 3 hours after I set out…
But there’s one more matter to attend to, which is the exorbitant $80 in baggage fees that Delta Airlines charged me. No way was I going to let this ride, when they refused to accept my bags at the airport. (Did I mention the original flight cost $1,155!?? To fly from New York to Kelowna, BC! Plus this $80 fee for bags!!)
So at 8:12 am, I embarked on a new journey into unprecedented levels of frustration, until at 12:41 pm I finally got my baggage fee refunded. That’s right, 4.5 hours. 4.5 horrible hours of rage, helplessness, tears, shouting, MF-bombs, cajoling, insistence, and rudeness (on my part). The first call was to Delta, but they said Alaska had the money for the bags. The next call was to Alaska, and they said Delta had the money. Back and forth, on hold, being told one thing by one party, another by the other, until finally someone at Delta admitted they had the money and would give me a refund. Which took her about 30 seconds to do, as I saw the refund email pop up on my phone immediately.
Sheesh! By now it was after noon, and I felt like a complete wreck, and sadly lacking in holiday cheer.
I spent the afternoon on the couch reading a New Yorker article about dementia, and then went to see The Grifters at the Metrograph Theater on the Lower East Side–a very civilized theater with a bar in the lobby! Both very cheering activities, as you can imagine. 😉 These reconnected me to my beloved New York.
Thanks for tuning in to my holiday kvetch, and I hope you join me in boycotting Delta Airlines forever!
