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

Ellis Island

Location: New York, New York, USA
Address: Ellis Island
Date: Jan 2009
Website:  www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm
   Any trip to the Statue of Liberty also includes a boat trip to Ellis Island.  Ellis Island used to be the main point of immigration into America.  There were about 12 million immigrants from the time it opened in 1892 until it closed its doors in 1954.  After it closed it fell into disrepair.  It was eventually restored and re-opened to the public as an Immigration Museum in 1990.  The island is jointly owned by New York and New Jersey and after a 1998 court battle, the majority belongs to New Jersey.  During a typical visit to the island you will most likely have been in both states.  New Jersey even has a bridge that connects the island with the mainland, but it is not open to the general public. 

   To get to Ellis Island or Liberty Island you must go by boat.   You have the choice of deciding which return boat you take. It just depends if you wish to end up in New York or New Jersey after your visit.

  The Registry Room is the most impressive.  It is here that the crowds waited for their chance to enter the country.  There are also many exhibits that explain the building's history and show what the experience would have been like.  It also shows many of the faces that make up the country today.

  Across the water Lady Liberty is visible from the Great Hall.  Like all the hopeful immigrants who passed through this island many years ago, we arrived by boat.  However, the trip from Ellis Island was much easier for us.  The line-up for the boat was nice and short and we didn't even have to show any paperwork in order to be allowed back to Manhattan.

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Map of Our World
Ellis Island

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Post # 34

Statue of Liberty

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

  As we traveled on the subway towards South Ferry station there was an announcement that you needed to be in the first five cars if you wished to exit the train at that stop.  Being tourists, we were not sure how many cars make up a typical New York subway.  Is there ten cars? Is there more than that? How far back in the train were we anyway? At the next stop we ran forward from the car that we were in.  The train stayed at the station so we ran forward some more.  We were not alone as other passengers revealed themselves as tourists and joined the rush.  Eventually there was another announcement along the lines of  "You have moved forward far enough you only need to be in the first five cars".   We assumed this announcement may have been for us so we took a chance and stayed where we were.  South Ferry station is an older station with a platform that can only fit half of the train.  Luckily when the doors opened we had a platform to exit onto.
  We arrived in Battery Park and the lines of people circled through the grounds.   There was one line to get your Statue of Liberty tickets and then you moved on to the next line, where you waited to board a boat that would finally take you to Liberty Island.  Neither of the lines looked very promising.  We waited for some time and then noticed that people were arriving and heading straight to another line to wait for the boats.  We inquired and were told that they had timed tickets which they purchased on the internet.  This seemed like the better idea as it was a rather cold December day and we still had lots of New York to see.  We took one last look out towards Lady Liberty and vowed to return next year.

  Later that night we went online and purchased our timed tickets for two days later.  On New Year's day we returned to try again.  We sat right up in the front car of the train, but this time we were on an R train going to Whitehall Station so it was not required.  Whitehall and South Ferry stations end up being right next to each other so either one will get you close to Battery Park.  New York might be the city that never sleeps, but on New Year's day we think they make an exception.  The lines were considerably shorter and the weather was also considerably colder.  Despite the poorer turnout, our timed tickets still saved us from standing in line in the cold.

  Soon we were on our way sailing towards Liberty Island which is part of the National Park Service.  The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France and it was shipped in pieces to the USA.  It's official title is "Liberty Enlightening the World" and was designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.  It sits on an American pedestal created by Richard Morris Hunt and was dedicated back in 1886.  Once we were on the island we made our way from the dock and had a view of the back of the statue.  This view is limited only to those who visit the island, or someone in New Jersey.

  We made our way around the right side of the statue and we could tell that Lady Liberty is actually stepping forward.  You can see the heel of her right foot off the ground.  From the front or the left sides of the statue she always appears to be standing still.  Finally, we were able to stand beneath her and look up at her face from the front.  The statue itself stands just over 150 feet tall.  If you include the pedestal it is just over 300 feet.  She has seven rays on her crown to symbolize the seven seas and continents.  To go inside the crown or pedestal you must book online well in advance to get special tickets.  The tablet she holds reads July 4th 1776 in roman numerals.  This date is Independence Day when the United States of America declared it was independent from Britain.

  The Statue of Liberty shares Liberty Island with not much else besides some trees and The Crown Cafe.  It was from this cafe that we purchased a spring water bottle which contained many of the facts included in this blog.  Once you have visited Liberty Island you must then board another boat to take you either to Ellis Island or back to Battery Park in Manhattan.  Be sure to check the ferry times and line-ups to minimize your wait times.  Any trip to the Statue of Liberty includes the trip to Ellis Island so that is where we were headed next.

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Map of Our World
Statue of Liberty

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Post # 33

The Roxy NYC

Location: New York, New York, USA
Address: 515 West 18th Street
Date: Sept 2013
Website:  www.yello.com

  Admittedly, when we were walking along the High Line we were just taking some pictures of the curvy building that caught our eye.  The High Line is a public park that was built on an elevated rail line on the west side of Manhattan.  It was only after our trip that we realized we had walked over The Roxy night club.
  The Roxy used to be a roller rink, but in the early 80's it was turned into a dance club.  Many big name performers and DJs have appeared at The Roxy, but the one that appealed to us the most was Yello.  They are the Swiss electronic duo of Deiter Meier and Boris Blank and performed at the club in December 1983.  We both appreciate their music, but one of us has been a huge fan since he discovered them in the mid 80's and ranks them up there as one of his all time favourite bands.  The significance of The Roxy to us is that this is the only place that Yello has performed live.  Ever.
We would like to thank that frosted looking, curvy building for getting our attention so that The Roxy could sneak into the shots.

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Map of Our World
The Roxy NYC

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Post # 20

Hook & Ladder 8 (Ghostbusters)

Location: New York, New York, USA
Address: 14 North Moore Street
Date: Sept 2013

Who ya gonna call?
Well, if you are in Manhattan near North Moore and Varick St. you could save the phone call and just drop by to visit the Ghostbusters.  In reality if you had to call 911 you would probably get a visit from the real residents of this location, the firefighters of Hook and Ladder 8.
In the Ghostbusters movie this was their headquarters.  It was also where they contained all of their captured spooks and spirits.  That is until they were ordered to shut down the containment unit and everything was released through the roof of the building and back out into the streets.  "I believe it's magic."
We visited this location to feel a bit of that movie magic, but we were cautious as we headed back down into the subway at nearby Franklin St. station.

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Map of Our World
Hook & Ladder 8

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Post # 8

55 Central Park West (Ghostbusters)

Location: New York, New York, USA
Address: 55 Central Park West
Date: Sept 2007

If there's something strange in your neighbourhood, then you just might live near 66th and Central Park West in Manhattan.  This is where the apartments of Dana Barrett and Louis Tully (The Gatekeeper and The Keymaster) are located.  Fans of the Ghostbusters movie should be able to recognize the distinctive awning over the front entrance.

There was no sign of any paranormal activity on the rooftop while we were there, but we did notice the church next door which was stepped on by the Stay Puft marshmallow man.  We also noticed that when Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) runs across the street and hops the wall into Central Park he is very close to his next destination.

One block up at 67th is the Tavern on the Green restaurant.  We did enjoy a nice dinner and afterwards we went outside and took a few pictures through the window.  The party inside seemed to pay us no mind.  We wonder if they would have cared if we were being attacked by a demonic gargoyle dog.

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Map of Our World
55 Central Park West , Tavern On The Green

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Post # 6

Tom's Restaurant (Seinfeld)

Location: New York, New York, USA
Address: 2880 Broadway
Date: Dec 2008
Website: www.tomsrestaurant.net

Tom's Restaurant is best known as Monk's Cafe from Seinfeld.  It is just used for exterior shots so don't expect the inside to look like it does on TV.  They are also careful to never film the TOM'S part of the sign that surrounds the building.  We would expect that if the southbound facing side said more than just  RESTAURANT that it would never have become part of the show.   Fortunately it did, and now it is instantly recognizable to Seinfeld fans from around the world.

The restaurant is also the inspiration for Suzanne Vega's popular "Tom's Diner" song.  When in Manhattan pop by for a bite, or just stand across the street and exchange a few Seinfeld-isms with your friends.

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Map of Our World
Tom's Restaurant

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Post # 4