Statue Of Liberty (Splash)

Location: New York, New York, USA
Address: Liberty Island
Date: Jan 2009
Website:  www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm

In the movie Splash, Daryl Hannah plays a mermaid who goes by the name of Madison.  Tom Hanks is Allen Bauer who was saved by a mermaid after falling out of a boat when he was a boy.  Years later Allen has another boating accident and is saved once again.  The mermaid finds his wallet and decides to travel to New York in order to locate him. 

When a mermaid is on land she has legs like a human, but when she enters the water her tail returns so she can swim away.  Madison arrives in New York on Liberty Island.  She climbs over the railing like the one in the first picture above and walks past a sign like the one in the bottom left corner of the second picture.  As she walks across the grass with the skyline of Manhattan in the background she causes quite a commotion.

  It seems that even though mermaids have legs when on land, they do not instantly become clothed.  As a result Madison appears naked on the island.  The movie Splash was actually the first Disney film geared towards adults under the name Touchstone Films.

  Madison is quickly ushered inside through the doors on the front right of Lady Liberty and away from the crowds.  She is then escorted by police boat from the island wearing an extra long "I Love New York" t-shirt.  This is one way to possibly get a free souvenir that we were unwilling to try.

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Map of Our World
Statue of Liberty (Splash)

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Post # 120

Neptune Diner

Location: Queens, New York, USA
Address: 31-05 Astoria Boulevard
Date: Jan 2009
Website:  www.menupages.com

  One of our favourite places to eat in Queens, New York is the Neptune Diner.  We have always been treated very well by the hostess who greets you when you enter the restaurant.  The restaurant itself is nestled under the elevated Astoria Blvd. subway station and along with regular diner fare it specializes in Greek cuisine.  It is open 24 hours a day so it is always there when you need it.

  If you stay on Astoria Blvd. heading east past the diner, you will find yourself headed towards the Robert F Kennedy Bridge or more commonly known as the Triborough Bridge.  It was called the Triborough because it connects the three boroughs of Queens, The Bronx and Manhattan.

  On the opposite side of Astoria Blvd. stands a statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus that was placed there in 1941.  The Neptune Diner, despite serving Greek food is also Italian based.  It is named after the Roman god Neptune who is the Italian version of Poseidon (God of the Sea).

  After enjoying our meal at Neptune we say our goodbyes and it is just a short run from the front door and up the stairs to catch a subway into Manhattan for more New York City adventures.  We know the diner will be waiting for us no matter how late we return.

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Map of Our World
Neptune Diner

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Post # 69

The Naked Cowboy

Location: Manhattan, New York, USA
Address: 7th Ave. & W 46th St.
Date: Dec 2008
Website:  www.nakedcowboy.com

  One person who can usually be found in Times Square every single day is The Naked Cowboy.  Fortunately, The Naked Cowboy is about as naked as that Elmo over there is sober.  The answer is "Not quite".  If you do happen to see a totally naked cowboy in Times Square, that is not the one we are talking about and it might be time to head in the other direction.  The real Naked Cowboy wears a white hat, white boots, white briefs and a guitar.  He has been appearing there for about 15 years now, even on cold winter days.  He also tends to attract quite a crowd when he does arrive.  According to his website he can be found in Times Square daily around lunchtime.  That is if he doesn't have any promotional engagements.  He has recorded several music albums and is in fairly high demand for public appearances.  If you live in New York City you can have him appear at your event for $1000.00 per hour.  Otherwise you can find him for free somewhere in the crowds at Times Square. 

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Map of Our World
The Naked Cowboy

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Post # 66

The Big Piano

Location: Manhattan, New York, USA
Address: 767 5th Avenue
Date: Nov 2014
Website:  www.bigpiano.com

  One of the things that the FAO Schwarz toy store in Manhattan is most famous for is that it was used as a filming location for the movie Big.  Almost everyone remembers Tom Hanks dancing on a giant piano along with the owner of MacMillan Toys (Robert Loggia).  First they play a rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's Heart & Soul and then finish off with Chopsticks. Both songs were executed beautifully due to some fancy footwork.
  When we last visited FAO Schwarz the Big Pianos were located upstairs on the second floor.  There were lots of children taking a turn walking or jumping along the keys of the piano that was on display.   We didn't hear anything that even resembled a familiar tune.  The notes were all there, but the order and timing was all off.

  The Big Piano was created by Remo Saraceni in 1982 and is designed to be played with your feet by walking up and down the keys. Many people visit the FAO Schwarz store in Manhattan for a chance to play on the piano just like they did in the movie Big.  You can play on a similar piano and even purchase one to continue the fun at home, but the real piano used in the movie has been donated to Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum.
  Sadly, the FAO Schwarz store in New York has now closed its 5th Avenue location.  If you wish to visit the exact spot where Tom Hanks played piano with his feet then you will have to find a way into the building once the new tenants arrive.  The actual spot is not up on the second floor at all. In the movie you see Tom Hanks come down the escalator that is always surrounded by stuffed animals and has a distinctive striped pattern to the glass wall behind it.

  He turns right and then walks until he realizes he has stepped onto the piano.  He walks up and down the keys and does a body slide before remembering his piano lessons. He is only 12 years old after all. Once they finish playing he walks away with a very impressed Mr. MacMillan and they go right past the clock tower.  Some of you should recall the FAO Schwarz clock face which sang "Welcome to our World of Toys".

  Basically enter from the 5th Avenue doors and walk straight up the middle of the store until you are in line with the bottom of the escalators.  This is the spot.  This is where a classic movie moment happened in one of the greatest toy stores in the world and makes us all feel like kids again.

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Map of Our World
The Big Piano

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Post # 64

FAO Schwarz (New York)

Location: Manhattan, New York, USA
Address: 767 5th Avenue
Date: Nov 2014
Website:  www.fao.com

  Since 1986 FAO Schwarz has been a must visit destination on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York.  Sadly, it will be closing it's doors today (July 15, 2015) and will start to look for a new Manhattan location to call home.  The FAO Schwarz toy company was founded in 1862.  The FAO stands for Frederick August Otto who started the business with his brothers Schwarz.  Toy lovers from all over have flocked to this store where a visit is often just as much fun as the toys you take home.

  We have visited the toy store on numerous New York City vacations.  The store is known for it's high end toys such as near life sized stuffed animals.  Animals like the nine-hundred dollar, 95 inch tall giraffe below.

 

  For simpler tastes, or for those with ceiling and wallet restrictions, you may prefer to choose from one of the more reasonably sized dogs sitting next to the escalator.

The displays in the main entrance area just beside the escalators are always changing with different themes.  Everything from Hello Kitty to Star Wars or Anastasia to Tamagotchi.  It is also in this front area where Tom Hanks played on a giant walking piano in the movie Big.  If you wish to buy one of those, just head up stairs to the second floor.  

  There used to be a clock face that would greet visitors and every so often it would start to sing "Welcome to our World of Toys".  This would bring a smile to the faces of children both young and old.  It was all part of the FAO Schwarz magic.

  The store is filled with all types of toys.  It has everything from dolls and board games to model cars and video games.  There is a candy section downstairs called FAO Schweetz.  The store also caters to the collector with special edition dolls like the Wizard of Oz dolls below.

   In front of FAO Schwarz you will see the glass walls of the Apple Store where patrons descend into the depths of the earth to get all of their iWants and iNeeds.  Just past that was always an excited soldier greeter, more than happy to pose for numerous photos.  With the store closing on 5th Avenue, let's hope they can find another location soon.  It would be a shame if after over 150 years in business one of the world's greatest toy stores became nothing more than a website.

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Map of Our World
FAO Schwarz

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Post # 63

Clamp Center

Location: New York, New York, USA
Address: 101 Park Ave.
Date: Nov 2014
Website:  www.101park.com

  Gremlins 2 takes place primarily inside one skyscraper.  In the movie it is Clamp Center, but in reality it is 101 Park Avenue in New York City.  The main tenant is Clamp Enterprises and they are involved in all sorts of scientific testing.  Mix Gizmo the mogwai with a little water and then some eating after midnight and eventually the building is crawling with gremlins.  Unlike the original Gremlins, the sequel is out of control.  It seems that any idea is fair game and nothing ends up on the cutting room floor.  As a result we end up with a new batch of gremlins. These include a spider gremlin, a flying gremlin, an electric gremlin, a vegetable gremlin and even one that sounds like Felix from The Odd Couple.
 

  In one scene you can see Billy (Zach Galligan) and Kate (Phoebe Cates) crossing the street and Grand Central Station is visible behind them.  This is because the real building is just south of Grand Central.  Also visible in the movie is the big 101 over the main entrance.  The CEO of Clamp Enterprises decides to hang a huge curtain over this entrance and trick the gremlins into thinking it is night time.  Once all of the gremlins have congregated in the lobby then the curtain will be dropped and they will meet their demise.  If you are unfamiliar with the rules pertaining to mogwai and gremlins please watch the original Gremlins movie.
  If you are in New York and visiting Grand Central Station then you are just a short walk from where all the mayhem of Gremlins 2 took place.  Now let's join Tony Randall and the gremlins in a rousing chorus of the classic Frank Sinatra tune "New York, New York".

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Map of Our World
Clamp Center

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Post # 55

Late Show with David Letterman

Location: New York City, New York, USA
Address: 1697 Broadway Ave.
Date: May 2003
Website: www.cbs.com

  David Letterman has been a part of late night television since 1982.  Originally his show was on NBC, but years later it moved to CBS.  His NBC show was called Late Night with David Letterman and now it is called Late Show with David Letterman.  The Late Show is filmed inside the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway in New York City.  This is the same theatre where The Beatles performed in 1964 making their American television debut.  Like most late night shows, with the exception of Saturday Night Live, it is filmed in the afternoon.
  We had already successfully called and secured tickets for the week we would be in New York.  We arrived around 3 PM and picked up the tickets.  We then had some time before we needed to return and line up again to get inside.  We took this time to check out the neighbourhood.
    The south side of the theatre on W 53rd Street was starting to be closed off to traffic.  This was because one of Letterman's guests was filming a segment.  Jesse James (Monster Garage) had converted a hot dog cart into a drag racer and they were going to race it down the street.  Also on W 53rd Street is the Hello Deli.  The Hello Deli is owned by Rupert Jee and longtime fans of the show should recognize him.  Through the years he has appeared on the show many times.  Usually a camera comes into the deli and Dave talks to Rupert from the studio.  Another memorable segment was where Rupert went around the city wearing an earpiece and did and said whatever Dave told him to.  In the photo below he is the one in shorts standing just outside the deli door.

  We returned to the theatre and lined up to go inside.  We ended up being about 6 rows back just in front of Paul Shaffer and the band.  Paul Shaffer has been the bandleader throughout Letterman's late night run and is Dave's official side-kick.  One fun thing about being at the taping is that we get to hear the band's entire performance while those watching at home are viewing commercials. Before the show Dave came out and chatted with the audience until it was show time.
  The episode we watched consisted of Mark Wahlberg promoting his new movie The Italian Job, Jesse James racing his hot dog cart dragster down 53rd street, and a musical group called The Sounds.  Every night Dave does a Top Ten list and on this night it was the Top Ten Good Things About Having the Same Name as a Celebrity.  The show located people whose real names are the same as famous celebrities and had them come up on stage to read the list.  Number one was read by a man named David Letterman. "When people meet me, they say Wow, you look much better in person."

David Letterman has become the longest running late night talk show host in television history.  It will be about 33 years since his original show took to the air.  He will host the Late Show for the last time on May 20, 2015.  Thanks Dave!

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Map of Our World
Late Show with David Letterman
Hello Deli

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Post # 50

Top 5 Characters in Times Square

1. Batman
2. Elmo
3. Minions
4. Toy Story
5. Hello Kitty 

Times Square in Manhattan is known for having thousands of tourists swarming around 24 hours a day, and for having lights and advertising wherever you look.  It is also a place to find people dressed up as popular movie or TV characters.  You may even encounter people dressed as "What the hell is that supposed to be ?".  They can all be found in Times Square hoping to pose for photos and earn a buck or two.  This list includes our favourite characters.

1 ) Batman
Not dressed like Adam West Batman, (We would pay to have our photo with him) but more likely the Christian Bale Batman or Michael Keaton Batman.  Or is that Val Kilmer or George Clooney?
Anyway, it just depends on how long they have had the suit and when they decided to start wearing it in public.  If you are going to invest in a costume, Batman is a safe bet.  Although you will have a fair bit of competition.  We were also surprised not to see any Dynamic Duos.  Sorry Robin.
2)  Elmo
Everyone's favourite giggling Sesame Street monster can also be found in abundance. We once were on the New York subway when an Elmo got on at 49th street after a hard day's work.  He soon revealed himself to be one very sweaty man.
3) Minions
Minions from Despicable Me are taking over the streets.  With a Minion movie and Despicable Me 3 on the way, they are not going to disappear anytime soon.  You can spot their little yellow heads through the crowds.  When choosing a costume, minion is best left to the shorter people.  Nobody wants to take photos with a 6 foot 4 minion.  If you taller people insist on dressing as minions, may we suggest you dress as the purple guy with the crazy hair.
4) Toy Story
The popularity of Toy Story characters has yet to fade.  Maybe it has faded a bit, but Toy Story made the list mainly because Woody & Buzz never seem to be too far from each other.  This also makes them the only duo on our list.  Again, sorry Robin. 
5) Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty has worked her way from the pencil cases of Japan and into the hearts of the world.  Now she is waiting to become part of your New York vacation memories.

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Map of Our World
Times Square

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Post # 48

Statue of Liberty (In The Movies)

Location: New York, New York, USA
Address: Liberty Island
Date: Jan 2009
Website:  www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm

  The Statue of Liberty has been seen in numerous movies.  Nothing does a better job of letting you know that you are on American soil than a few shots of Lady Liberty standing watch over New York.  Most movies don't actually make the trip to Liberty Island and instead use special effects.  Here are a few of the movies we have seen that feature the statue, courtesy of some movie magic.

National Lampoon's European Vacation
  When we first started thinking about movies that featured the Statue of Liberty, we recalled a movie in which a plane crashes into her torch and causes it to swing in her hand.  We figured it out.  As the Griswold family returns from Europe, Clark (Chevy Chase) accidentally enters the cockpit instead of the washroom.  He then bumps into the pilot and causes the plane to dive.  Oops!

Planet of the Apes
  George Taylor finally escapes those "damn, dirty apes".  He sees the Statue of Liberty sticking out of the sand on a beach.  It is then that he realizes he is still on planet earth.

 Spaceballs 
  Mega Maid is a vacuuming spaceship that bears a striking resemblance to the Statue of Liberty.  This resemblance is further emphasized by a Planet of the Apes parody.  When she crashes into a beach the whole thing is witnessed by a couple of apes on horseback.  "There goes the planet."

Ghostbusters II
  If you visit the Statue of Liberty and wish to go inside the pedestal or up into the crown, you must book your tickets well in advance.  Ray, Egon, Peter and Winston manage to not only make a last minute trip up to the crown, but do so in the middle of the night.  Using some of their slime they bring the statue to life and she wades across the Hudson River and into the streets of Manhattan.

Superman IV
  Superman IV isn't the best Superman movie (actually it's the fourth best), but it does feature the Statue of Liberty.  The villain, Nuclear Man, takes the statue and flies her through the streets of Manhattan and then hurls her towards the ground.  Superman swoops in and saves the day and she is safely returned to her pedestal.  For his efforts, Superman gets to leave Liberty Island courtesy of the business end of a boot.

Judge Dredd
  I am the law!  Sylvester Stalone (Judge Dredd) spends a little time hanging from a hole in the side of the statue's head.  In this futuristic tale the Statue of Liberty has been moved to the middle of a Mega City and hides a secret laboratory.

X-Men
  The X-Men have a battle that starts in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.  Magneto is going to create radiation in the statue's torch which will mutate all the world leaders meeting on nearby Ellis Island.  Besides making a mess of the museum in the pedestal, the X-Men damage the statue's head and Wolverine's claws leave a few permanent scratches.

Men in Black II
  In the Men in Black movies, a neuralyser is a stick which produces a bright light and can wipe the memory of anyone who looks at it. After defeating the evil Serleena in an explosive fashion, Agent K ( Tommy Lee Jones) uses the Statue of Liberty as a giant neuralyser to wipe the memory of all of New York.  We don't recall if we have seen this movie.

The Statue of Liberty has also seen her share of movie disasters.  She has been hit by tsunamis in both Deep Impact and The Day After Tomorrow, and an alien attack in Independence Day.  Despite all the abuse she has seen in the movies, the Statue of Liberty has been standing since 1886.  Thank goodness it was all just special effects.

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Map of Our World
Statue of Liberty (In The Movies)

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Post # 38