Bryant Park and a Nighttime Times Square

It’s been so much fun wandering aimlessly around one of my favorite cities ever. After leaving The New York Public Library, Bryant Park was my next destination.

It’s right next door, so it just made sense.

And, because I apparently can’t get enough of it, here it a parting shot of the Chrysler Building as we make our way west.

Bryant Park is such a neat place, with tons of offerings for patrons and guests. I’ve seen old men playing checkers and chess, and today I saw young men playing on one of the many free ping pong tables.

Who does that?! Who makes a ping pong table available in the middle of a park? It’s pure brilliance, I tell you.

And, had their language been a little cleaner, I probably would have stayed longer to watch these guys play.

Bryant Park is a comparatively large spot of green space in the middle of the city. I mean, it’s no Central Park, but it is nice and big!

I love this old black-and-gold building, The American Radiator Building. It was built for a radiator company in 1924 and sold in 1998 for $150 million. It is now a hotel with one-hundred thirty rooms and a theater in the basement. Pretty neat, huh?

Can you see the Empire State Building peeking through, too? It’s still one of my favorite landmarks in the city, but I’m sure that everyone says that!

That big building is the back of the library, which I just left. In fact, in the 1980s, they needed more storage space for the library’s collections. So they dug up Bryant Park and built a huge underground fortress underneath. Then they rebuilt the park on top.

In the summer, they host lots of concerts and cultural events in this green space.

It’s a great part of town to come relax while enjoying a hot chocolate or lunch from work.

Lots of the taller buildings in New York City also act as antennas on top to transmit radio signals abroad.

These skyscrapers are some of the tallest in the world, so it makes sense to use them for double-duty!

Here we are facing south on 6th Avenue before making our way back towards Times Square for the evening.

Do you see that sign that says, “No Standing?” Apparently, in this crazy city, that actually means no parking.

You would totally get that from the sign, right?

I feel badly for the poor tourists who discover that information the hard way.

Guess where we are now!

This sign is kind of funny…last month, the store was out of Hubby’s usual Old Spice Body Wash, so I tried this exact Irish Spring stuff for him.

In case you’re wondering, it smells delicious! Maybe this sign a month previous to purchase is what subconsciously inspired me?

No. My nostrils inspired me, since I smell them all to make my selection. It’s one of my favorite things to do in life…smell men’s body washes.

Is that creepy? The people in the store seemed to think so…

The sun was disappearing, but the crowds were not. Even in this chillier weather, people were out in full-force in Manhattan this evening.

Who knew that McDonald’s could look so cool all lit up at night?

And this is a cool shot of a famous landmark…

Can you see it?

It’s the ball that drops for New Years Eve! I used to think that it would be fun to experience that event once in my life in person. But I’m singing a different tune now. The crowds are just too crazy!

I would like to point out my favorite clothing store on the right. Hi, LOFT! I love you!

In fact, since I had forgotten to pack a skirt for church a few days later, I did a little shopping at LOFT while in Manhattan. It was so fun to get a skirt and necklace here, since I will always remember that they are from Times Square!

The evening sky is so pretty with all of these lights.

And all of these cars! Look at them all! I would hate to drive in this city.

These workers were really burning the midnight oil. Or the nine o’clock oil. It depends on which clock you’re using…

Isn’t it a pretty building all lit up, though? It reminds me of something from Iron Man.

I soon left Times Square behind to begin my walk towards the Port Authority Bus Terminal. My feet are telling me that we’ve had enough for one day.

And we get to come back again tomorrow, so why not head back to New Jersey for a little rest tonight?

Whenever we came to NYC for my old job, my boss would get a Junior’s Cheesecake to bring home to his family. Now I know where they are!

And it’s the most famous restaurant, apparently.

I love watching Guy Fieri from the Food Network, and he has a new restaurant near Times Square. If it wasn’t so derned expensive, I think that it would be really fun to try a place like this!

Or one of Bobby Flay’s restaurants, since I like him even more…

It’s about ten o’clock at night, and it’s time to catch a bus back to my hotel on the other side of the Hudson River.

The Port Authority Bus Terminal is a zoo at any time, but it’s even trickier when the information booths are closed down. Luckily, I’ve done this a few times now and can guestimate which terminal is mine.

Hasbrouck Heights is where I’m bound, so it’s looks like I’m in the right spot!

See you tomorrow for Day Two of all this fun action.

I love you, New York City!