The Upper West Side (including Morningside Heights) covers a large area in upper Manhattan bounded by 59th Street in the South, 125th Street in the North, the Hudson River on the West, and Central Park and Morningside Park on the East. The area encompasses four distinct Manhattan neighborhoods -- the Upper West Side, Morningside Heights, Bloomingdale, and Manhattan Valley -- and includes one of its finest parks, Riverside Park, which runs along the river all the way from 59th Street to 125th Street.
Often called the city's quintessential neighborhood, the area includes delightful residential streets, the twin-towered facades of the old apartment hotels on Central Park West and Riverside Drive, two of the city's best-known markets (Zabar's and Fairway) , one of its major museums (the American Museum of Natural History), an ivy league university (Columbia University), and the gothic Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The area is an architectural historians delight with many of its buildings (especially in Morningside Heights) built before the Second World War and quite a few built before the First World War, though the area is changing with the construction of large condominium buildings south of 110th Street. The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, running from 62nd Street to 66th Street, contains the Metropolitan Opera; the New York State Theater, home of the New York City Opera and Ballet; Avery Fisher Hall, the home of the New York Philharmonic; the Juilliard School; and the New York Public Library's Library for the Performing Arts, among other institutions.
From west to east, the Upper West Side is oriented along Riverside Drive, West End Avenue (11th Avenue), Amsterdam Avenue (10th Avenue), Columbus Avenue (9th Avenue), and Central Park West (8th Avenue). (All the avenues except Broadway change from numbers to names north of 59th St.) The 66-block stretch of Broadway forms the backbone of the Upper West Side and lies diagonally across the avenues; it begins at its juncture with Central Park West at Columbus Circle (59th Street), crosses Columbus Avenue at Lincoln Square (65th Street), crosses Amsterdam Ave. at Verdi Square (72nd Street), and then merges with West End at Straus Square (aka Bloomingdale Square, at 107th Street).
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Seattle is at the top of my list of US destinations
More >> Posted by 74.66.68.45
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Kind of expensive, but worth it
More >> Posted by 67.193.161.35
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If you're into Thai food, then look up the hole in the wall places like Wok In... very good.
More >> Posted by 67.193.161.35
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Never been but I've heard it's nice
More >> Posted by 67.193.161.35
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Never been but I've heard it's nice
More >> Posted by 67.193.161.35
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[[Image:[[[[Image:Image]]:Example.jpg]]]]
More >> Posted by 85.198.21.90
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Iceland....what a fantastic place. As soon as you land you feel as if you stepped onto another planet. The terrain is volcanic. My understanding is they used certain parts of Iceland near the town of Grindavik to practice with the Lunar Rover. In any event, Iceland is a must-do for world travelers.
Getting there. The times I flew into Iceland it was always into the airport at Keflavik. This airport was formerly shared with a US military base but has been on its own for the last few years as the agreement with the US military for use of that facility was severed by the US. It used to be that only Icelandair flew into Keflavik and this may still be the case but it's been a couple of years since I was there so it may have changed. I doubt it though.
Must to-do's in Iceland:
Thingvillir - Ancient meeting site for Iceland's version of Parliament. Awesome views.
Gullfloss - Spectacular waterfall that you can walk right up to.
Geysir - Just what it says. A bunch of geysers that you can walk right up to. Awesome.
Blue Lagoon - Beautiful spa 20 min from the airport
Continental Divide - Where the North American and European plates meet.
Oh....did I mention you can do this all in one day! It would be a long day but we did it. Drove from the Northern Lights Inn (near the Blue Lagoon) to Thingvillir, then to Geysir, then Gullfloss. On the way back passed by the Continental Divide, had dinner at the Northern Lights Inn, then relaxed in the Blue Lagoon.
We had a rental car but be forewarned, the roads to these places are oftentimes NOT PAVED. Be careful. All of those sites are free with the exception of the Blue Lagoon which if I recall correctly, was 60 Kroner....or about $10.
I've only stayed at the Northern Lights Inn and I love it but there are a couple of drawbacks. It is across the street from a geo-thermal plant so there is the smell of sulfur in the air when outside. This is actually a plus for me as it adds to the aura. It is outside of town (closest town is Grindavik...about 10 min away) so you have to drive to get to places. Pluses are that....it is out of town. It is walking distance from the Blue Lagoon. Kristian (not sure if that is the way she spells it), the owner, is awesome and will go wayyyyyyy out of her way to help you. Breakfast is included. On some rates dinner is included. Ask her about it.
Ok, time for dinner...More on Iceland later.
More >> Posted by TallTowerMan
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Well, this is my first post here but I'll give it a go and see how things work out.
Okinawa is a fairly small Island in the Ryuku chain of islands. It is a province of Japan. It is well known for it's unique culture (distinct from the mainland), tropical climate, diving, and US military presence.
The island is accessible through Naha International airport which is serviced by all major Japanese carriers via Osaka (my preferred airport), Tokyo, and other major mainland Japan airports. As of April 2008, there was free WiFi at Naha International.
The airport is new, multistory, and with many shops common in Japanese airports these days. There is a large parking structure right at the airport and getting in and out of Naha is very easy. The rates to park are very reasonable. I have never parked long-term so not sure exactly how the overnight rates compare.
Naha is a typical medium-sized Japanese city with lots to do...and lots of traffic. They are building an express way to the airport that connects the existing express way that goes from Naha to the north of the island...but until that is completed, be prepared for traffic just getting out of the airport. It could be worse as the streets were laid out by the US Army Corp of Engineers so they are fairly wide by Japanese standards.
Well, time to make dinner but I will leave you with one last note....Okinawa has a world-class Aquarium with at least 3 whale sharks on display. Cannot be missed.
Cheers,
TTM
More >> Posted by TallTowerMan
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