I needed a break after a week of running around. I had just reached out to my students for their preparation of the first day of class, have been volunteering at the Soup Kitchen and running from the Jersey Shore to the Hudson River Valley attending events, walking Boardwalks, attending festivals and County Fairs and visiting small museums that seem to be open only once a month. It has been a long but productive summer working.
After a long day of volunteering at the Soup Kitchen and walking the Avenues of Gramercy Park for my blog, ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’ (I am trying to finish the neighborhood before school starts), I went to our last members night at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden ‘Little Caribbean Last Lap’, a celebration of the Caribbean Community. It was such a beautiful night for the event.
The Cheery Blossom Esplanade on a beautiful August night
It was a beautiful sunny night in Brooklyn and the gardens were showing their summer finest. It was a warm night and perfect for touring the gardens. The Cherry Blossom Esplanade Fountain looked especially pretty with the water plants and red flowers surrounding it.
The fountain in the Cherry Blossom Esplande
The view of the fountain was especially beautiful with all the plants in full bloom.
The fountain always is bloom during the warmer months
I walked along the paths around the gardens, admiring the flowers and flowering shrubs giving us the last glimpse of summer. Members were relaxing on benches and the lawns all over gardens just as the music started up by the Lotus Ponds. What was impressive was the field of Bleeding Hearts that were in bloom while I was walking the path.
The field of bleeding hearts in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
When I got to the Lotus Pools, DJ Danglez was playing all sorts of Caribbean dance hits while people were enjoying cocktails and finger foods at the refreshment stands by the Lotus pools.
The music was starting by the Lotus Pools
The evening just getting started at the Brooklyn Botanic
It has been a long summer since graduation on May 17th. I swear my feet have not touched the ground since I crossed that stage at Radio City Music Hall (was that four months ago?) I swear I have run from one thing to another just trying to catch up with my past. I needed an evening of music and a bit of relaxation.
The DJ booth at the top of the pools
The food booths offered items like fried plantains, jerk chicken wings and the bar, Rum Punch and Lemonade with Mint and Rum. It was a long day and the perfect night for a cocktail. Talk about putting you in a relaxing mood.
The Rum Punch at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Bar
The delicious Rum Punch at the Gardens
After a relaxing drink, I walked around and enjoyed the beauty of the gardens while listening to the music.
The beauty of the Gardens by the Lotus Pools
I sat on the hill above the Lotus Pools and watched the DJ spin the tunes. Since there was not enough seating in the pools area many members had the same idea and we just relaxed on the hill and listened to the energetic music.
The DJ spinning Caribbean dance music that evening
Families having a good time that evening
It was a nice way to spend the end of the traditional summer break as the Borough prepares for the Caribbean Parade in a few days. We just hope for good weather that day. As the evening wore on, traditional dancers and stilt walkers entertained the crowds with live musical performances and dance. That was a nice sneak peek before the parade.
We got a first glimpse of the festivities with dancers and stilt walkers
The dancers performing that night
Video on the dancing:
People started dancing along with the performers that night.
People dancing along the pools with the performers that evening
After the performances, the DJ spinned dance music and people got up to dance near the DJ stage. As it got dark, the lights came on and the last hour was a magical night. It really was an entertaining night and a great introduction of the rich Caribbean culture in Brooklyn.
Back on August 27th, 2025:
I found myself in the same position as last year. Overworked from preparing for classes next week, going away for a few days in Upstate New York to Bovina Center and Ithaca for a picture taking session and my evenings reviewing the students resumes. I needed a break from it all so it was back to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for Caribbean Night.
Members Night on the lawn
Listening to Caribbean Reggae
I took some time to walk around the gardens while it was still light out. The gardens were still in full bloom in late August.
The Lotus Pools in the early evening
The colorful flowers lining the pools
The Sunflowers in full bloom
The flowers bursting color
I was not sure if this was an Iris or Lilly
Walking through the Magnolia Gardens in the Summer
Walking through the Shakespeare Gardens
The flowers in the garden in full bloom
There was so much color in the gardens
The garden in peak bloom
Touring the Japanese Gardens
After the quick tour of the gardens, it was time to relax on the lawn and listen to music.
Listening to the DJ spin
It is nice to just sit on the grass and listen to music and relax! This is what I love about the gardens. You can sit down and watch.
I have been coming to Coney Island since 1970 and I have to say that it is still has a grittiness to it even while other parts of Brooklyn have been under hyper gentrification. There may be lots of building going on around the amusement area but still there is a feeling of edginess to it around each corner and as you leave Surf Avenue to walk the side streets.
Arriving in Coney Island in the morning for the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
I had to leave the house early to take the bus and then the subway to Coney Island. The internet said that the Women’s Contest started at 10:30am and I wanted to get in the viewing area before that. Thank God, the City was quiet and both the bus and subway were right there when I needed them. Talk about timing.
I lucked out for the hot dog eating contest. I thought it was going to be cloudy all day and it ended up being a very sunny and pleasant morning when I got there. The crowds had not been that big when I arrived so I got a good spot near the stage that was perfect for taking pictures. The only problem was the women’s contest did not start until 11:00am. The entertainment was very good and kept the crowd engaged.
The band kept everyone pumped before the contest began:
I got close to the stage and being tall I was still able to get great pictures and view the contest up close. Trust me when I say that people take this contest very seriously and there is a lot of pomp and circumstance to all of this. Last year’s female winner, Miki Sudo, the woman from Japan and the 2021 winner all looked very determined to win this year. These woman had looks on their faces (and I mean all of them as I was close enough to all of them when they announced their names) that they were there to win!
Nathan’s was the place to be on the 4th of July
The MC for Nathan’s, George Shea, has been doing this for a long time and I could tell took this contest just as seriously as the contestants. He was just as engaged with the crowd as he was with the contestants and made sure between the entertainers as well as the contestants had a good time.
The MC for the afternoon George Shea
The MC had started out by saying that Joey Chestnut would not be coming this year because of endorsement he made with an all natural vegetarian hot dog and he did not want a conflict. I read later that you as a contestant must pledge their support to Nathan’s Hot Dogs, which I believe is true. It also opened the contest to a new winner which made the Men’s Division so much more exciting.
After the speeches, announcements and entertainment were over, it was time to eat and they started the Women’s Division first. Most of these women were pretty thin and well-built in their category and most were competitive eaters. Some had won numerous contests that I could never win let alone contemplate ever participating in. What it could do to your health would worry me but that did not take the fun out of the contest.
We started the contest with the National Anthem and these two annoying hot dog mascots who were always in the way of our shots.
Then the Bugaboos came out to perform and work he crowds before the women made their entrance
Then the women came out and their names were announced like prize fighters coming into battle. Some of these women were serious eating champions of things like Mac and cheese and strawberry shortcake. I was impressed as I could never do that.
The women’s Division before the start of the contest
There was a lot of anticipation between the returning champion, Miki Sudo, the Japanese competitor and the 2021 champion. This was serious competition. The top three competitors were going to go at it.
The returning champion thrilled to have won the title again
Reining Champion, Miki Sudo, ate a record 51 hot dogs to keep the Women’s Division title
Winner Miki Sudo giving the crowd a welcoming speech on their support
The women showing great sportsmanship at the end of the contest holding their trophies and the pink belts
Then it was time for the Lemonade Chugging Contest. There was one guy who was the raining champion and he was about 400 pounds. I do not know how anyone could beat him.
The men and women of the Lemonade Chugging contest
Then they were off and running. After it was over one poor guy got so sick they had to delay the men’s competition just to clean up. So they brought back the entertainment and we were delayed by twenty minutes. Once they were cleaned up and reset, they brought out the Men’s competitors like the ladies. Who won what eating contests in the past and the ranks they fell in the world competitions were announced as they entered the stage area.
I have never heard of most of these competitions but these guys won dumpling, mac and cheese, hot peppers and chicken wings like pros. They were also announced like prize fighters and again almost all these guys were in excellent shape.
It was almost a photo finish how it went back and forth in this contest but only one winner prevailed and that was Patrick Bertoletti with 58 hot dogs. The other guys put up the battle but he just steamrolled ahead of the competition.
The winner Patrick Bertoletti holding the flag
The proud winner after the interview holding the ‘Mustard Belt’
After the competition was over, Nathan’s was mobbed with people ready to eat their own hot dogs and I did not feel like dealing with that crowd, so I waited until the crowds died down. I went to walk around the amusement park area and see what was going on there. The place was mobbed with people after the contest and people still arriving to Coney Island by subway.
The crowds on the Midway by Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park
People still walked around with their foam Nathan’s hats on around Coney Island
I waited on lunch and took a tour around the amusement area which was mobbed after the contest. Deno’s had lines I had not seen before and families waited patiently to get on the Wonder Wheel and into the Haunted Mansion.
This was just a small glimpse of the growing lines at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park at 3059 West 12th Street
What amazed me was the amount of tourists versus the locals that I saw and heard in the crowds. It is nice to see the tourists rediscover Coney Island again. Even walking along the Midway with the new Luna Park in the distance, it still has that rough feel about it. I sometimes wish they would do more with Surf Avenue as it really does look unattractive. Nothing like the pictures from 1910 when the amusement area was at its peak in Coney Island innovation.
I then made my way to Luna Park, which was a little quieter than Deno’s. I keep thinking is because Deno’s has more adult rides where Luna Park is more geared to kids and families. The space they have in both parks limits both the types of rides they offer and how far they can expand.
We discovered that when my graduate school paper in Customer Relations from NYU on Luna Park discussed these challenges and those of the ‘Harvest Fest’ Halloween event and the first ‘Frost Fest’ during Christmas time. Our group visited the park to experience what Luna Park had to offer:
After taking a walk through both parks and dodging the crowds, I took a walk on the Boardwalk and headed to the aquarium before lunch. I love the characters on the Boardwalk. People were doing everything from barbecuing and selling food to singing, playing disco and salsa music and dancing to showing off their giant snakes (ugh). Everyone was having such a good time on the 4th of July and it showed.
There is nothing like the Coney Island boardwalk
The beach was busy but not as packed as I thought it would be on the 4th of July. I remember seeing pictures of the beach in the 40’s after WWII and there was no place to move. There are some old movies of what Coney Island was like in the 1940’s and 50’s where you could not move on the beach. Even at the turn of the last century with work rules changing, ocean bathing became a new nation phenomenon even in 1904 (how bathing suits have changed!):
Dancing the “Cake Walk” on the beaches of Coney Island
The Coney Island beach started it all. Sun bathing got its start on this beach
Not as busy as I would have thought but the day had not started yet
I headed over to the New York Aquarium for the afternoon. I wanted to see the seal show and walk around the shark tanks again. The aquarium like the rest of the boardwalk was really busy but this was filled with families escaping the heat of the beach and the boardwalk with airconditioned buildings and nautical displays.
The New York Aquarium at 602 Surf Avenue has gotten much better since Hurricane Sandy. The aquarium has upgraded itself since the flood
The New York Aquarium is one of the reasons why I joined the Wildlife Conservatory again. I love the seal shows and walking around the ‘Spineless’ exhibition and watching the jellyfish move around. This aquarium is so different in feel than the Jenkinson Aquarium on my recent visit to Point Pleasant. Just a different set up and way to approach the animals. The first part of the aquarium you enter is the coral reef displays.
The coral reef exhibition at the aquarium shows what a healthy reef should look like in the ocean
The fish passing by in the reef
I got there as the seal show was starting. The seals in the show were both born at the aquarium so they only know life in captivity. Sometimes I think they do have a bit of a New York attitude.
The Seal Show at the New York Aquarium
The show was mobbed with people watching the seals do all sorts of tricks but I could see very disciplined animals just having fun with the crowd. It also gives them a bigger tank to move around in.
The seals know when to ham it up
The seals that live at the aquarium were born here and are native New Yorkers
The seal and his trainer welcoming the crowd
Good communication
The seals perform like pros and react beautifully with their human trainers. There seems to be a real bond here
I think it is an excellent way for humans to understand other mammals
This is one of the best parts of the aquarium to experience on a nice day. The breezes are fantastic, the seals are so talented and the staff take such good care of not just mammals but the performance area, making it comfortable for everyone. You have to see the show at least once.
The view of the aquarium and beach from the top of the theater
Then it was time to visit the Shark Tank exhibition which is the newest part of the aquarium and the most impressive display of wildlife.
The Shark exhibition
I love walking through the Shark halls as you feel like you are in an underwater adventure. The first time I had experienced this was when I was on Sentosa Island in Singapore at their aquarium and that feeling of exploring the deep by walking through it. You can see the sharks swimming on top of you. I am glad they created the same sort of tanks that you can walk through to experience the deep from the bottom looking up.
Experiencing life under water
The thrill of seeing a shark on top of you at a safe distance is a great experience. There is underwater magic going on here.
The underwater magic of the sea
When I arrived at the main tank, that is when I could see the sharks and stingrays up close along with all the colorful fish.
Seeing one of the baby sharks up close
The sharks interacting with the other fish in the tank
The school of sharks in front of us
I walked around the aquarium looking at the penguins home, the coral reef tanks and the ‘Spineless’ tanks with all the unusual jellyfish swimming around.
The jellyfish are so elegant swimming around
They are the most beautiful creature up close but don’t get near those tentacles in real life.
The penguins were milling around themselves in their home as they waited for their feeding. They standed direct and the group of them looked like they knew what time it was for them.
The Penguin home at the aquarium
What I thought was interesting and caught my attention was the nautical artwork the was displayed all over the grounds. The works created by ‘Washed Ashore’, were made of plastic products found in the ocean. It really does show the consciousness we should show to our bodies of water and what we throw into them.
The Angus the Longhorn Fish sculpture sign
The Angus the Longhorn Fish sculpture
Choppers the Tiger Shark sign
The Choppers the Tiger Shark sculpture
The Nora the Salmon sculpture sign
The Nora the Salmon sculpture
These were some of the many sculptures that were dotted around the aquarium. I thought they brought light to how much plastic there is currently in the ocean. I took one tour around the aquarium and then it was back to Nathan’s for a late lunch. I thought at this point the lines would be slowing down. It was still busy even by 3:00pm.
Surf Avenue in the mid afternoon and things are changing fast here
The lines never stopped at Nathan’s at Surf Avenue. The contest ended at 1:00pm but lines on both sides of the restaurant were out the door and when I got in line there were literally thirty people behind me. They were fully staffed and that line went quickly. I was ordered and eating my lunch within ten minutes. The staff worked really hard that day and they got all the customers through the lines very quickly.
The lines at Nathan’s at 1310 Surf Avenue in Coney Island on the 4th of July seemed endless
I love going to Nathan’s. I have been eating here since my first trip here with my cousins in 1974. I still remember what I ordered then, a slice of pizza and a Coke. Since then it has been a hot dog, a medium fries and a Coke.
My Nathan’s meal when visiting Coney Island
I love the crispness of the garlicky hot dog and the crispness of the fries. The fries here are legendary and I remember them winning awards in the 1970’s.
The best lunch on the 4th of July
No wonder people eat these hot dogs by the dozen
The fries are amazing
Williams Candy next door has been a Coney Island institution for years and their windows are filled with all sorts of candy apples and marshmallow treats on a stick.
The crowds kept coming at Nathan’s
What I like about Williams Candy is the assortment and the smells of cotton candy, popcorn and ice cream when you walk in the door.
I was eyeing the candy coated marshmallows but when I realized that the other marshmallows were dipped in the candy coating and then rolled in the sprinkles, I chose the red, white and blue one.
The Marshmallow on a stick at Williams Candy
I can’t tell you how good this is when you bite into it. Between all the sprinkles packed on top and the crunchy candy coating was sugar heaven.
You can’t miss this sugary treat. What a great patriotic dessert!
I now had to work all this off so I went to tour the boardwalk and decided to walk down to Seagate at the end of it. It was an interesting walk. Everything was going on that afternoon. Families were out barbecuing, disco dancing, line dancing and dancing to salsa music. There was a lot of energy on that Boardwalk.
The Boardwalk was jammed that day
With all the talk on the revival of Coney Island, I passed the old parachute jump and it still looks it is going to need a lot of work in the future.
The parachute jump
The funny thing about Coney Island is that it is an island of contrasts. On one hand there is a lot of building going on in the central part of the island with luxury housing being built around the baseball field (where Steeplechase Park once existed) and then you have some of the most dangerous public housing in the City just two blocks west of that. Then at the very end is Seagate, a gated community that seems to keep to itself on the other side of the fence.
I walked to the end of the Boardwalk and back watching families barbecue, dance and having a good time. By the time I got back to the amusement section of the island both the aquarium and the museum were both closed, Nathan’s was still packed and this section of the Boardwalk got busier as people were leaving the beach and wanting to get dinner.
All that walking was making me hungry again as it was getting closer to dinner time. Both Gargiulo’s Italian Restaurant and Totonno’s Pizzeria were both closed for the day and the rest of the restaurants on the Boardwalk were either packed or everything was deep fried and I did not want that after my meal at Nathan’s for lunch so I decided to head back to Manhattan.
I did not know if there would be fireworks on the beach that evening but with the clouds rolling in and the threat of rain, I did not want to get caught in it. The subways were mobbed and the bulk of the people were illegally walking through the emergency doors. I swear nothing changes. No one was watching what people were doing.
When I got back to Manhattan, I did not want to run around looking for a place for a quick dinner. I remembered that there were a few Chinese restaurants by the Port Authority and I stopped at Awesum Dim Sum at 612 Eighth Avenue for quick dinner before I left for home. The restaurant was surprisingly busy for food you don’t equate with the 4th of July.
I love the selection of Dim Sum at the restaurant and ordered a small dinner for myself before I left the City. I had to have the Bacon Wrapped Fried Shrimp, which I was craving, the Scallion Pancakes and the Cream filled buns for dessert. Everything was cooked to order, fresh and was excellent (see TripAdvisor review).
Dinner that night at Awesum Dim Sum, Bacon Wrapped Fried Shrimp, Scallion Pancakes and the Cream Filled Buns
It was a nice change from barbecue foods and since I already had a hot dog for lunch, I thought this would make a great dinner. It was just enough and made the perfect meal. Then I was on my way home. Their Fried Shrimp with Bacon is excellent. The shrimp mixture has a nice sweetness to with the contrasts of the smokiness of the bacon.
The Fried Shrimp with Bacon
The Scallion Pancakes were crisp and had a nice taste especially with the dipping sauce.
The Scallion Pancakes
The Cream Buns were the perfect way to end the meal. They were crisp and sweet on the outside because of the rice dough and rich and creamy on the inside. I thought it was a nice change and a great way to end the day.
The Cream Filled Buns
It really was a nice 4th of July and I really enjoyed my day in Coney Island. I have to admit that the neighborhood is rough when you leave the beach area but like the rest of the City, you just need to watch were you walk and stick to the Boardwalk area, you should be fine. The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is something everyone should experience once.
I had to plan my trip back to Coney Island like D-Day to see the contest again. I had been on the Island recently for the Mermaid Parade and could not believe how fast the 4th of July weekend arrived.
I was so tired from being in the City the day before trying to finish walking Chelsea, going to one of my fellow volunteers Memorial Services at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen and then a Jazz Night at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. That on top of posting grades for class, I was pooped from all the running around.
I got off to a late start that morning still tired from running around Brooklyn the night before. By the time I caught the bus at 8:00am and got into the City just before 9:00am, I knew I was behind schedule.
I had planned on having breakfast on 23rd Street at a place I liked but there was not enough time. So I stopped at Villa Pizza inside the Port Authority for a breakfast Stromboli.
Villa Pizza inside the Port Authority
The assortment of Breakfast Stromboli
The breakfast items at a pizzeria
For a chain pizzeria inside a bus terminal, breakfast here was not bad. I had always seen the Breakfast Strombolis in the case and wondered what they tasted like.
My breakfast the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Stromboli with a freshly squeezed orange juice
The Bacon, Egg and Cheese Stromboli
The Breakfast Stromboli
The selection of both breakfast and lunch dishes at Villa Pizza inside
After breakfast was finished I took the Q back down to Coney Island. The subway was packed with people heading to the shore. People got off at all the beach spots and when I got into Stilwell Avenue, Nathan’s was already packed with people trying to get to the stage area. I ended up standing outside the press stage with an ‘Exit’ sign blocking my views of the screen (that’s why there is an exit sign in all of my pictures and videos).
Arriving at Nathan’s as the band was performing
Nathan’s has been in this spot since the 1920’s
The band that had entertained last year
The brass band playing before the contest
The band really got the audience fired up and with some local dance groups performing and then the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ performed, it was time for the contest to begin.
First was the Ladies competition
Miki Suto was defending her crown
She won her record 11th belt
After a series of entertainment, the Men’s Eating Contest started. The crowd went wild when they announced Joey Chestnut’s name. The place went wild.
The crowd was ten times what it was when I got there
The excitement built before the contest
The crowd was all for Joey Chestnut
Then the man of the hour got on stage
The excitement building before the contest
The crowd going crazy during the contest
The crowd was going crazy during the competition
The contest that I could from behind the bleachers
The man of the hour Joey Chestnut won the contest with 70.5 hot dogs. Last year’s winner came in second with 53. Both the Men’s and Women’s winners did not come close to their records. It was not like last year but it still was an exciting contest.
The celebration after the contest was over for the 4th of July
After the contest was over and the winners took their pictures, I wondered around Coney Island and explored the Boardwalk and amusement areas.
There is such an energy in Coney Island on the 4th of July
Walking through Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park
Walking through Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park
The famous Wonder Wheel
The Spook A Rama, my first ride on Coney Island as a kid
The Boardwalk on the 4th of July afternoon
Looking down the Boardwalk from the Aquarium
The beach by the Aquarium
I decided to go to the NY Aquarium before lunch. Every restaurant was a line so I figured to come here first.
I made I in time to see the Sea Lion Show
The Sea Lion Show
The second group of sea lions
The end of the sea lion show
After the Sea Lion Show, I toured the Shark Tanks and walked around the exhibition.
The Shark exhibition
The Shark exhibition
The underwater tanks
After a nice walk around the Aquarium, I was getting hungry and decided on a late lunch at Nathan’s. I figured that the lines would be down at this point and when I got there, it was only a ten minute wait to order.
Arriving back at Nathan’s Famous for lunch
My favorite lunch at Nathan’s, a plain hot dog, medium fries and a Coke
The taste has not changed in fifty years
Yum!
Lunch at Nathan’s is always an experience. You have to share the tables outside when it is busy and you never know who you will be sitting next to for lunch. Some woman parked herself at the table and asked if she could eat with me. I guess I looked safe.
After lunch, I took one last tour around the Boardwalk and Surf Avenue and realized I want to put my feet in the water.
Off went the shoes as I walked along the beach
Even though the beach was crowded with families, it was not the crowds that I saw in old pictures when thousands of people would pack the shore on a summer weekend or holiday. Still to walk these iconic beaches on the 4th of July is quite the experience.
The Coney Island beach on July 4th
I made my way back to the subway and walked along Surf Avenue. It is amazing to see the changes to this area in the last 100 years.
Passing Nathan’s again across from the subway
The sign for the hot dog eating contest at Nathan’s
The Mermaid Parade sign from two weeks ago
It really is a fun experience and you have to add the Hot Dog Eating contest to the bucket of things to experience when you are in New York City.
I finally got back to the Jersey shore after months of being away. Beach Haven and the extended Long Beach Island with its miles of beach and interesting cultural sites had taken up much of the holiday season for me. I had explored Cape May and all of its museums and cultural sites as well as its wonderful beaches, but I wanted to finish my bucket list of towns before the school let out at the end of the week and the towns were overrun with families and loads of kids. Then these towns are impossible to enjoy.
I have not been to Point Pleasant in years. The last time I had been to the Jenkinson Boardwalk in the summer, I think I was in high school (with the exception of a pre COVID drive through a few years ago in the Fall). I know I had not stepped foot in the aquarium since it first opened in 1991 and it was a really big deal when it opened. I thought there must be more to Point Pleasant Beach than just its Boardwalk and beach and set out to explore the town. There is so much more to the town to explore and enjoy.
In 2025, I was able to revisit the boardwalk and Downtown just before the Halloween holidays and admire the decorations on both. The downtown is always so nicely decorated and I love the whimsical scarecrows that decorate the downtown. The windows are filled with creative displays that always seem to be begging for Christmas decorations even before Halloween is even over (like most stores everyone wants to rush the holidays).
Downtown Point Pleasant in the Fall of 2025
The Gazebo decorated for Halloween
The bat stares at you
The Scarecrow in the Gazebo
I walked their downtown and saw that their Arts Commission added more scarecrows to the downtown light posts.
The scarecrows from 2025
Another creative scarecrow
There was a lot of creativity in this downtown contest
The scarecrows came in all styles
Barbie display
The Phantom bride
More unusual scarecrows
The Point Beach Arts community gets very creative in Downtown Point Pleasant
I had done my research before I visited the town and discovered a small gem of a museum tucked behind City Hall. Since it was open only one day a week on a Thursday afternoon, I emailed and made a special appointment on a Tuesday morning to see the Point Pleasant Historical Museum. This was my first stop on the journey with my visit to the Point Pleasant Beach.
The Point Pleasant Historical Museum, which is right behind City Hall, is just off the parking lot and is one large room with a library for research. It was an enjoyable little museum with volunteers who have really organized the collection nicely.
The Point Pleasant Historical Society at 416 New Jersey Avenue
I was not sure what to expect from this tiny museum but what I did find was a treasure trove of information and history on this unique shore town. For a small museum, it was packed with interest artifacts and a historical story on the development of this well-known shore community. The museum is one of the town’s best kept secrets that I am sharing with everyone.
The main gallery of the museum
The back room of the museum has early business artifacts and behind that is the historical library.
For a small museum, it had many unusual artifacts from different eras of the town, some of significant tragic historical events such as the Hindenburg disaster in nearby Lakehurst and the Moro Castle cruise ship fire in nearby Asbury Park. Lost to many contemporary historians, these disasters were the Titanic’s of their time and were once part of the scars of the American travel industry.
The life jacket of the Moro Castle cruise ship Fire of 1934.
The collection starts with artifacts from the Lenape Indians who used these beach barriers as fishing villages for the summer months. As these towns started to develop after the Civil War and during the Industrial Age as the unions created a five day work week , new resort hotels and homes were built to cater to the leisure class. Point Pleasant became one of the first planned shore communities.
The planned community of ‘Point Pleasant City’ at the turn of the last century.
The Lenape display of items found in the area
In the library, there is a place to for people to research their families from the area, history of businesses in formed in the town like the Jenkinson Boardwalk and Jersey Mike’s which was founded in the town. There are all sorts of pictures of the town’s past. For a small museum, it was packed with information and the volunteer who I was talking to that morning said he and other volunteer put a lot of care into the museum so well organized. A visit to the Point Pleasant Historical Museum is a nice place to start your trip.
The history of the “Jersey Mike’s” sandwich chain that was founded here
After the museum, it was time to visit the Boardwalk. I had wanted to visit the aquarium and wanted to see if the amusement area had changed over the years. I racked my brain trying to remember the last time I had been here that I had to call my best friend to ask when and if we visited here. She reminded me we had been there a few years before COVID in the off season and that we had eaten at Joey Tomatoes on the Boardwalk. It had been the early fall of 2018.
The Jenkinson Boardwalk is everything you would think about when you mention ‘the Jersey Shore’. The large rides of screaming people, the boardwalk restaurants with pizza and cotton candy and other summer treats, the gift shoppes and of course the beach which had palm trees which I was never sure how they grew there considering our weather.
Even that early in the morning the beach was packed.
I was surprised how busy the boardwalk was by early noon. I sure people were walking the boardwalk in the early morning. I had not seen huge crowds at the hotels since school would not be letting out until that Thursday but that would change by the weekend.
Before I headed on my journey, I stopped at Top That Donuts at 210 Ocean Avenue, a small doughnut shop that I had read about online for a quick snack. I needed a second breakfast and the best part was the doughnuts were freshly fried in front of me.
What I was not prepared for was the throwback to the early 1970’s in the design of the shop. I even asked the guy working there how old the place was and he said relatively new but the owners wanted the shop to look like an old fashioned shore business. I thought they achieved it spot on. The color scheme of burnt orange and lime green and the look of the chairs brought me back to 1972.
With the lime green and burnt orange palate and the bucket chairs, I swore it was 1972 again.
The donuts were amazing. They were hot and crisp and you got to select the toppings. I chose two, the Aunt Betty with caramel sauce and crunches and the Pebbles and Bam Bam, which had a vanilla icing and fruity pebbles cleared on top.
The menu selection was like a Saturday morning cartoon
As soon as the donuts came out of the fryer, the guy put the topping on them while they were still hot. I had to keep retro and ordered the Sunny D to go with the donuts.
The donuts are served hot and the toppings blend right into the donut
The Pebbles and Bam Bam donut
The Aunt Betty
Just biting into the donuts was a real treat. The crispness of the donut was like eating a fried cake and the sweetness of the glazes was a terrific combination of complexities and flavors. It was the perfect second breakfast and satisfied my sweet tooth.
These are a delicious for any meal
I did not realize that parking was free on the side blocks of the town so I parked further down one of the roads so I would not have to pay for parking. This gave me the flexibility to walk around the town and take my time in town. It was easy to find parking because like I said before, school had not yet let out yet for the summer so it was quiet in neighborhood.
I walked back to the boardwalk to see what was going on and the boardwalk was busy with who I assumed were locals. Everyone seemed to know each other.
Before I visited the aquarium, I walked park of the amusement area to see what rides they had. They have all the traditional carnival rides you would expect from an amusement center. Games of Chance were being played and rides that twirled you, threw you and turned you in all directions were available. It was quiet in this area at first but by the time I came out of the aquarium, it got much busier.
The amusement area in the early morning on the Boardwalk
Families were just starting to fill the rides when I arrived
After I had walked the amusement area to see what it had to offer, I went to the aquarium for the afternoon. This was a real treat as I had not stepped foot in it since it opened. The second floor had just been renovated but I had only been here once thirty years ago and did not have much to compare it to since.
The front of the Jenkinson Aquarium at 300 Ocean Avenue
As opposed to the New York Aquarium or the Monterey Aquariums, this one is more open displays with people there to explain things to you and let you interact with the wild life. In a controlled environment, they will let you touch certain marine life.
The Mangrove tanks as you enter the museum
From the start, the Jenkinson Aquarium is one of the most family friendly and welcoming aquariums I have ever been to in my many aquarium visits across the US. Young employees and volunteers explain the wildlife to you and how to interact with them. If you get to the aquarium at certain times, you can see the feedings and cleanings.
The yellow Tara in the mangrove display greet you as you walk in the door
The first two tanks when you enter the aquarium are the Moon Jellyfish and the Yellow Tara Fish
As do the Moon Jellyfish who swim around their tank as well
Each tank on the first floor of the aquarium is like a museum to marine life in which every creature is shown in a form of its natural habitat with scenes from their lives painted in the background.
The sea tanks of the first floor of the aquarium
The same floor for the “Sea of Lights” event
The first open air tank you could visit held the stingrays and hermit crabs.
When I visited the first open air tank, the docent explained to me you don’t see much of this wildlife anymore around us because of pollution and over population. The marine life is shy and will sting you if you get too close. I have no desire to play with the hermit crabs and sting rays. It is just fun to watch them swim around their tanks.
The Stingrays just swim around and do their thing ignoring everyone else
The tanks surrounding the big open air tanks of turtles, starfish and crabs have the larger fish displayed in their own tanks such as sharks, eels and larger fish species who probably fend off one another.
The shark tank
The larger fish tank
The Larger Fish tank
The exotic fish tank containing Clownfish
The middle of the room has a large open tank where you can observe several bewildered turtles, eels and several types of crabs in a simulated natural habitat.
The spotted Man O Rays
The sea turtles can be quite shy when you visit them
The upstairs of the aquarium had recently been renovated and now held the penguin, small mammal and seal tanks. You could see the seals swimming around the tanks from below on the first floor but the second floor is where you can interact and meet with them.
The penguins were so inquisitive as their trainer was cleaning their home.
I have never seen such friendly penguins who looked at us like long lost friends. They just stared as their trainers and handlers cleaned the exhibit around them and gave them their meal. They must be so jaded being around humans that they are just to us hanging around. Many of these mammals were born in captivity so they don’t know different.
There’s more to see and do in the upstairs tanks
Before the seal feeding, I got a chance to see the sloth and small monkey exhibits. What’s sad about this is that people smuggled these poor animals into the country as pets and then they live outside their natural habitats. I often wonder if they could speak what would they say.
The seal feedings were a lot of fun. The seals they have at this aquarium were both disabled and needed to be in a controlled environment. One had a flipper amputated and had a tough time swimming and the other was blind. They both seemed so grateful that people were helping them and were both very aware of human contact.
The harbor seal was a little charmer
She was always looking around, watching everything we were doing
The little harbor seal could not have been friendlier to the crowd and more engaging. She just showed the crowd what she could do and proceeded to swim around, eat and enjoy herself. She was so used to being around humans she acted like one herself.
The blind seal was just as friendly
The larger seal seemed so at home and comfortable around humans she seemed so relaxed during the feeding. You can tell she was well taken care of by the handlers.
She was also very playful
After the feeding was over and most people left, I stayed to say goodbye to the little harbor seal and she gave me such an innocent look. I just wiggled my mustache at her as she stared back at me.
How can you resist that look?
I walked through the upstairs open pools before I headed downstairs and watched the turtles watching us. Both the Spotted Turtles and the Diamondback turtles just popped in and out and stared at us.
The Northern Diamondback Terrapin
The Northern Diamondback turtle was funny. He just bobbed his head around and looked at all of us looking at him. It is so interesting to watch wildlife observe us and form an opinion. It would be an eye opener if they could talk and form an observation on us watching them.
The Diamondback turtles staring at us
The Spotted Turtle
The Spotted Turtle kept looking at us as well
Both turtles must be so used to humans looking at them, I swear that they are forming their own observation of us. If they were born and raised in captivity, they must be used to us as well.
The one thing I can say about the aquarium from what I observed is that the mammals and aquatic like are very well taken care of and the tanks are very clean. The employees here really take good care of the marine life and of the aquarium itself. I found the staff engaging and knowledgeable on their assigned displays. They interacted with the public very engaged and that’s what made this trip here so enjoyable.
When I came back in October for the Halloween holidays, the aquarium was mobbed with people trying to get in for the Halloween special events inside. I did not even bother getting in line but just walked the Boardwalk to see the decorations. “Boo at the Boardwalk” was a big deal and people came out in droves.
Halloween in 2024 in Point Pleasant with “Boo at the Boardwalk”
“Boo at the Boardwalk” Halloween 2024
“Boo at the Boardwalk”
“Boo at the Boardwalk”
“Boo at the Boardwalk”
Trust me, Halloween is a big deal at the Jenkinson Boardwalk. There were all sorts of activities. Considering that it was almost 72 degrees that day, the Boardwalk was mobbed with people that Sunday afternoon.
In 2025, it was a little cooler than last year but there was still a good crowd walking around the Boardwalk. The afternoon activities and the open stores kept everyone active.
‘Boo on the Boardwalk’ in 2025
Decorations on the Boardwalk in 2025
Limited rides and attractions were open that day
There were decorations all around the Boardwalk
These signs were all over the Boardwalk
The declarations on the Boardwalk on Halloween
The Boardwalk was busy Halloween weekend of 2025
Halloween is always fun on the Jenkinson Boardwalk. There was always something going on.
Christmas in 2024 was a different story. Cold, cloudy, rainy and wet with a touch of fog, the Boardwalk was busy for the last day of the Jenkinson Aquarium “Sea of Lights” festival. I was not too sure what it was but I walked this section of the Boardwalk and found it surprisingly busy.
The Point Pleasant Boardwalk in post Christmas gloominess
The Boardwalk was still active on this rainy afternoon with a busy arcade and aquarium
The Boardwalk around the aquarium was decorated for Christmas and the restaurants, stores and games surrounding it were open and busy
The festive snowmen on the Jenkinson Boardwalk
The penguins in Whoville on the Boardwalk in Point Pleasant
These delightful hosts welcome you to the Jenkinson Candy Shop on the Boardwalk awaiting Santa’s orders back to the North Pole
What everyone came to see was the “Sea of Lights” display and the last visit from Santa before he left for the North Pole
The “Sea of Lights” was pretty spectacular at the Jenkinson Aquarium
The “Sea of Lights” display at the aquarium was pretty cool. The lights were really amazing all over the place.
I may not have seen Santa that day (he probably did his plunge) but the lights all over the aquarium were spectacular and just made the whole first floor festive. It was an amazing site to see all this beauty showcasing the wildlife.
After the aquarium, I took a stroll down both ends of the Boardwalk to see how much has changed since my last visit. When I walk down the Jenkinson Boardwalk, I feel like it’s the 1980’s and I am still a senior in high school. It has not changed much from what I can remember.
The Boardwalk was getting crowded in the early afternoon
There were a lot of the same restaurants and stores I had seen in the past. The problem was the prices on the Boardwalk have gotten so outrageously expensive with a slice of pizza and a Coke being almost $10.00. I am not sure how families afford all this.
The restaurants are getting out of reach for the average visitor
Still the Boardwalk gets the crowds. For a Thursday before school ended, the locals and surprisingly foreign tourists were crowding the Boardwalk eating lunch, enjoying games of chance and sunning themselves while waiting for turns on the rides.
The history of the Jenkinson Boardwalk is told on the panels of the Boardwalk
Having checked my dine around club for recommendations, there was a pizzeria and cheesesteak place in downtown Point Pleasant I wanted to try. So I left the Boardwalk in the late afternoon to explore the town. This is when you find the true heart of Point Pleasant.
The crowds started to increase as the local schools let out and more teenagers and their families arrived on the Boardwalk.
Abbott Street is the core of Downtown Point Pleasant. It is more residential closer to the Boardwalk with larger homes and some older motels but a few blocks down away from the hustle and bustle of the Boardwalk is a nice downtown filled with vintage clothing shops and antique stores.
The bandstand in the front section of Arnold Avenue/Greenacres Park gave the downtown that old fashioned feel to it.
Downtown was decorated for the Halloween holidays as well. The Point Beach Arts Council was having a scarecrow competition along Abbott Street and the whole Main Street was decorated for Halloween. The Gazebo had an interesting display of ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night. There was some real creativity here.
The Gazebo Display at Halloween 2024
The Gazebo Display at Halloween 2024
The Gazebo Display Halloween 2024
The Gazebo at Halloween 2024
The Gazebo Display Halloween 2024
Downtown Point Pleasant is only a few blocks long but offers an alternative to walking the busy Boardwalk. Most of the stores that were open were geared to an outside visitor with trendy beach clothing, some upscale home stores and expensive restaurants not targeting beach traffic. There are many interesting stores in downtown Point Pleasant that you will never get bored on a rainy day. There is a lot to see and do in the blocks that make up the business district of this beach community.
In October, Downtown Point Pleasant was decorated for the Fall holidays
I revisited the town a few weeks later to explore Downtown Point Pleasant Beach (I had not realized that the towns of Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach were two communities) and walked through both sides of the downtown to visit the stores and check out the menus at the restaurants. Once you finish at the Boardwalk, there is a lot to see and do here too.
The downtown is not as upscale as its counterparts in Spring Lake, Beach Haven and the quickly gentrifying Asbury Park. The entire look of the downtown is more juxtaposed with a downtown trying to find its identity. You had funky antique shops and gift stores next to upscale restaurants. You could tell it is a downtown that is transitioning to a new customer moving to the community but not quite wanting to alienate its current customers. That’s what gave the downtown its character. There was a real mix of interesting stores.
I stopped for a cool drink and had to get my phone charged after an morning and afternoon in Seaside Heights and Seaside Park and exploring those towns to see what was happening. I stopped in at Berritazza Cafe at 506 Arnold Avenue for an freshly brewed ice tea and to just relax. It would take about 45 minutes to charge my phone.
After I finished recharging both the phone and myself, I explored both sides of the downtown and discovered some interesting stores to visit and gourmet shops plus another park I had not noticed on my last trip.
My first stop was in Bain’s Ace Hardware Store in the old Point Pleasant Hardware Company store. I was attracted by all the beach equipment that you could buy for your day at the beach. The store really had a wonderful selection of everything you needed and more for the home. They even had the stain that I use for my deck at half the price I pay for it in Bergen County. I took note of that.
I then walked around the corner and followed the crowd of people outside of Joe Leone’s Gourmet Shop at 650 Cincinnati Avenue. Talk about a wonderful store. The sights and smells of the food and the gourmet products is what makes this store so popular with the clients.
The inside of Joe Leone’s in their downtown location
The Prepared foods section
The Hot Foods section
The grocery and gift section
I was really impressed the quality of the foods prepared and the way they were merchandised. The food looked so good that I was tempted to eat another lunch here. Their selection of sandwich specials sounded so good and the smells of the hot foods made me hungry.
More street art in Downtown Point Pleasant
I walked down Bay Avenue just off Arnold Avenue, to see what stores were there and a lot of them were closed on a late Friday afternoon. What I did notice was a lot of street art along the street and buildings. I thought that was interesting and gave the downtown a unique look.
This red bird was lining the street on Bay Avenue
This ocean painting was on the wall of the real estate agency
I thought the jellyfish painting was original
The colorful garden on Bay Avenue
I moved down the block and admired the windows at Deena’s at 704 Arnold Avenue and went inside.
The store was very nicely merchandised and it had some interesting items for the home.
I walked down Arnold Avenue and passed the street art again outside of A-1 Bicycles at 726 Arnold Avenue. This was interesting to have this facing you on the street.
The street art in the downtown on one of the side building at A 1 Bicycle at 726 Arnold Avenue
Here and there tucked in between the small antique shops and resort clothing stores are small gift boutiques and home design stores that were changing the face of the shopping district. Even some of the small Italian and Continental restaurants had Manhattan price tags on their menus.
I stopped for ten minutes in Veteran’s Park at the end of the northern part of the shopping district. It was a nice place to relax on a hot day under the cool shade of the trees.
The Point Pleasant Elks Veteran’s Memorial Park at 820 Arnold Avenue in the summer of 2024
I relaxed for a bit before I ate lunch. It was a nice place for a break on a hot day. While the food on the Boardwalk is overpriced, it is cheaper than most items on these menus. Some of the restaurants in the downtown had Manhattan prices to their entrees. I was a little surprised for a popular shore town so far from the beach.
I had checked online for restaurants in the town that were reasonable and that’s how I found GKnows Cheesesteaks at 713 Arnold Avenue in the downtown. The restaurant I found out later was part of a small chain out of Staten Island, NY. This small restaurant specializes in cheesesteaks and does it really well.
GKnows Cheesesteaks at 713 Arnold Avenue on the Main Street of Downtown Point Pleasant (Closed June 2025)
I really liked the restaurant with its clean lines and retro appearance. Since when did burnt orange come back in design? This restaurant like Take that Donuts had a 70’s design and look to it. There’s nothing like stepping back into time.
The inside of Gknows Cheesesteaks
Even the name was retro. Just like Gino’s Burgers of the 1970’s, who used to sell hamburgers and fries and also sold Kentucky Fried Chicken at our branch. That’s what it reminded me of when I heard the name.
The food was excellent. I had the traditional Cheesesteak with Wiz (Cheese Wiz) on a chewy hero roll. The thin steaks were piled into the bun and loaded with the gooey cheese mixture.
It is rare that I come across a cheesesteak this good in this part of the state. Usually I have to go further south to towns that cater to the Philly crowd like the Wildwoods to get one this good outside of Philly.
The Cheesesteak was amazing and so good!
I had also wanted to try their homemade rice balls but I had no more room inside me, so that is for my next trip there. The icy Coke I had with the meal was perfect on a hot day. Its enough of a reason to return to Point Pleasant.
Having seen enough of the Boardwalk, I decided to walk back to the car through the downtown and explore the neighborhoods. The core of the town near the downtown was traditional Jersey shore with it older architecture and Victorian homes.
The neighborhood surrounding Downtown Arnold Avenue neighborhood had that classic Victorian look about it. These houses were so well taken care of and nicely landscaped.
Downtown business windows at Halloween
Downtown windows at Halloween
After lunch was over, I walked the other side of the downtown and came across Opal & Olive, a very nice high end gift shop. I thought this was a little more Bayhead orientated than Point Pleasant but the owner told me that the reception towards the store has been very positive. I could see why as they had so many nice things to buy and such beautiful merchandising and windows.
Not only did the store have some unique items to buy in a very nice setting but he had this friendly fluffy dog that was so welcoming. I swear, the dog just wrapped himself around me when I walked in. Talk about customer service.
The inside of the Opal & Olive
Point Beach Arts was holding a contest for best scarecrow and there was a whole variety to choose from. Arnold Avenue was decorated with more things that went bump in the night.
The Point Pleasant Fire Department display
Point Beach Arts, Point Pleasant’s Arts Council put on this Scarecrow Contest in October of 2024:
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant Arts Scarecrow Contest Downtown Point Pleasant
It was a bit more gloomy downtown when I came back in December. The rains started right after Christmas and would be going on for the next five days. Still you could see the decorations for the holidays here and there between the businesses. Even on a rainy and cloudy afternoon, the spirit of Christmas still shines on Downtown Point Pleasant.
The lights and decorations along Arnold Avenue, Point Pleasant’s Main Street
These beautiful potted plants lined the downtown area
Even the Grinch welcomes you to Downtown Point Pleasant, NJ
When I returned to the shore in 2025, Downtown Point Pleasant and their Boardwalk were much livelier especially with their year-round population then Seaside Park and Heights. I parked in Downtown Point Pleasant, which is such a great downtown.
Downtown Point Pleasant decorated for the holidays
Downtown Point Pleasant is always so nicely decorated for the holidays. I have been here at Halloween and the beginning of the Spring and the town does such a nice job making it festive looking.
The downtown decorations
The decorative pots dotted the downtown
I parked at the edge of downtown and walked to the boardwalk, passing the gazebo. It felt like I was just here looking at the Halloween decorations. The town’s Christmas tree was still up and looked beautiful.
The gazebo downtown decorated for the holidays
I loved the Christmas tree in the gazebo in Downtown Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant always does such a creative job decorating their downtown for the holidays. Even though Christmas was over it puts you in the Christmas spirit.
The Point Pleasant Beach Jenkinson Boardwalk by the aquarium
The Point Pleasant Beach Boardwalk was active as there were people heading to the aquarium to see the lights and tour the displays. The whole side of the Jenkinson Boardwalk was open and the restaurants, shops and arcades had families popping in and out of them as the day got nicer.
The snowmen announced the coming of Winter
These festive penguins greeted me at the restaurant
The Christmas tree in the restaurant across from the aquarium
Even though it was the holidays, I thought the prices at the restaurant were a bit ridiculous for hamburgers and pizza considering what was coming out. I walked around the boardwalk and looked over the amusements that would be opening in four months. I could not believe it would be that short of a period of time.
Santa was there in the restaurant greeting patrons
I walked around the boardwalk and the downtown one last time. I decided to head home for dinner. There were some places I wanted to try in Point Pleasant but I would wait until the weather was warmer and I could enjoy the afternoon with some warm weather.
When the weather was nicer earlier in the week, the downtown must have been pretty spectacular but on this cold and rainy late Saturday, it as not the same. Still the decorations in Downtown Point Pleasant both for Halloween and Christmas were great. They put you into the holiday spirit.
After I finished my tour of downtown, I knew I needed some dessert after that big meal and I decided to walk down to Hoffman’s Ice Cream store before I headed back to the car. What a great decision on a hot afternoon. Now this is classic Jersey Shore. Ice Cream at the beach.
Hoffman’s Ice Cream and Yogurt at 800 Richmond Avenue
The store had originally been one of the first Carvel branch stores in New Jersey in 1955. When they gave up the franchise in 1976, they decided to head in a different direction and create a brand of fresh homemade ice cream under the family name. All the ice creams made for this and their Spring Lake Heights store are made in this store (Hoffman’s website).
This was Jersey Shore at its best. I felt like I had just stepped back to my junior high years again and our family stopped for a treat before heading home. I love ice cream and a trip to Hoffman’s made it even better.
The Cookie Monster and Strawberry Lemonade Sundae
The only problem with Hoffman’s is the flavors to choose. When there are other creative choices other than vanilla and strawberry, I get overwhelmed and want to try them all. I got a small dish of the Cookie Monster and Strawberry Lemonade. Talk about intense and delicious flavors.
The Cookie Monster was a vanilla base loaded with chunks of cookie dough and chocolate chips. The Strawberry Lemonade was mind blowing. It was the type of flavor combination of sweetness and tartness that when you bite into it, you see God. It was that good!
The one thing that I like about Hoffman’s is they are not only fair in their pricing but generous in their scoop sizes. I had a small dish of ice cream and it consisted of four nice sized scoops. Hoffman’s small dish of ice cream is what a medium or large would be in Manhattan and double the price. I have a lot of respect for this. The staff could not have been nicer and more accommodating. It was not that crowded and everyone was so welcoming to the customers.
The inside of Hoffman’s Ice Cream store
After a wonderful dessert and a great way to end the meal, I headed back to the car to head home. Walking around Point Pleasant, I discovered that there is more to the town than just the Boardwalk. There is a whole community to discover and explore once you leave the beach.
When I returned the second time to tour both Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach, both the Vintage Car Museum of New Jersey and the New Jersey Museum of Boating were both open. They both have such strange hours because they are small museums run by volunteers. Still they are both worth the visit. I found them interesting and packed with information.
I got to go to the Vintage Auto Museum of New Jersey on a return trip to Point Pleasant. Both the Vintage Car Museum and the New Jersey Museum of Boating at 1800 Bay Avenue share the same building and are both open on Friday afternoon. So viewing their collections is a little easier.
What I like about the Vintage Car Museum is the selection of cars that they have on display. These are the cars of the early silent films and the beginning of ‘sound pictures’. Most of the cars date from the late 1880’s to show the development of the automobile through its early years. From the early automation of steam engines to gas powered cars, I could see Victorian men and women driving these early cars to the flappers and underworld bosses driving the get away cars of the past. These are cars that you will see in the movies.
The front of the Vintage Automobile Museum of New Jersey in Point Pleasant, NJ at 1800 Bay Avenue Building 13
The front of the gallery of the museum.
The front gallery of the museum
The front gallery of the museum
The cars on display are in pristine condition with accompanying signs so you will have a full description of the make and model of each automobile. There is a small selection of cars so the collection is easy to see in one afternoon.
On the side walls there are secondary collections of driving accessories, pictures of cars and a small collection of toy cars in one of the cases. It is the perfect museum for car buffs or for visitors interested in the history of automobiles. It is perfect for those who love the silent films and early American engineering. These pristine cars are lined like jewels on a carpet that are meant to impress.
The front of the New Jersey Museum of Boating at 1800 Bay Avenue in the Johnson Boatyard in Point Pleasant. This is in the back part of the building that the Vintage Museum is in.
The entrance to the New Jersey Museum of Boating at 1800 Bay Avenue
The sign that welcomes you
I made my way next door to the New Jersey Museum of Boating in the other part of Building 13 and looked at the displays of boats both inside and outside the museum. While I admired all the boats outside the museum and the Johnson family Boat Works Marina and all the pleasure boats, all the nautical displays were in the inside of the museum.
The inside of the museum offers a gift shop and an introduction to the museum’s mission on the history of Boating
One of the first displays describes the famous shark attacks at the Jersey shore in 1916 as summer beach bathing was becoming popular. These were noted in the film ‘Jaws’.
The New Jersey Shark Attacks of 1916
The next display I visited was the World War II display to our veterans and their contributions from the State of New Jersey. There had been many sightings of enemy submarines on the Jersey shore.
On display as well was the ‘Frisky’. The ‘Frisky’ is the first ‘Beaton Built’ sneakbox. It was built in 1941 by David Beaton & Sons which won numerous championships in the 1940’s and 1950’s (museum pamphlet).
The “Sneakbox” sign
The ‘Frisky’ sneakbox
In the back of the museum, there was an exhibition of vintage outdoor motors which powered boats over the years.
The sign for the “Vintage Motor” exhibition
The Vintage Outdoor Motor display
The outdoor motors from times past
For two small museums, there was a lot to see (there is a more lengthy write-up on my blog, VisitingaMuseum.com). The displays were very detailed and I enjoyed my visits.
From its traditional Victorian neighborhoods and well landscaped parks and its eclectic downtown filled with a variety of stores, and the wonder of all the museums, there is a lot more to do in Point Pleasant when you leave the beach to take a stroll in town. Of course you don’t want to miss there Boardwalk with classic rides, beach treats and the excellent aquarium but there is a real heart to this beach community if want to walk a few blocks away. There are many options though on a rainy day to enjoy as well.
You will find that there is a variety of things to do and see here. You just have to walk around the town to enjoy them. I know that I did and will be back to explore it more.
Welcome to Point Pleasant, NJ at the Boardwalk parking lot
The Boardwalk beckons you.
I took one drive around the Boardwalk as it filled for the evening. It was now back to the Garden State Parkway to head home after a wonderful morning and afternoon in Point Pleasant Beach and Point Pleasant, NJ.
I started my walk on the streets of the Lower Flatiron District in between my volunteer time at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen. I had been working in the pantry for both the morning and afternoon shifts and we finished the morning shift an hour early. I decided to walk down to the neighborhood on break and then walk as many blocks as I could that afternoon. I was able to walk from West 19th to West 17th and then walk back to Holy Apostles in time for lunch and then the next shift.
Each block offered its own surprises. A lot of new restaurants have opened in the area, and I have to say the prices were quite high on most of them. I am sure that the rents are getting higher in this very trendy area. There has also been a transition from commercial to residential in these gorgeous Beaux-Arts and Geo-Classical buildings.
These were buildings that were built to last as the headquarters for businesses that have long since passed. Even some before the Great Depression. Their legacy remains as you admire the details and embellishments of the buildings that line the streets here. Urban Renewal in the 1960’s was the fate of this neighborhood that has thankfully been rediscovered by a population that finally realizes that they ‘don’t build them like this anymore.’
Walking down West 19th Street, like most of the neighborhood was a mixture of architectural types with marble features and embellishments. The Siegel-Cooper Department store dominated most of the block from West 19th to West 18th and the beautiful details on the building were most impressive on the sides of the building as is the front of the building on Sixth Avenue.
The Seigel-Cooper Department store facing Sixth Avenue.
The details of the building were just as impressive when you turned the corner on the next two blocks and were able to admire the rest of the building. This can be seen on both sides of the store on West 19th and West 18th Streets.
The old Siegel-Cooper Department store while walking down West 19th Street.
The Siegel-Cooper Department store was a Chicago based store that was founded in 1877 by Henry Siegel, Frank H. Cooper and Isaac Keim. They opened the New York City store in 1896 on the Ladies Mile Shopping District. The store was designed by the architectural firm of DeLemons & Cordes in the Beaux-Arts design. When it opened, it was the largest department store in the world until Macy’s opened in 1902 (Wiki).
The Siegal Cooper insignia on the top and sides of the building.
The window details in the front of the store.
The windows on the front and sides of the buildings are so elegant.
Henry Siegel over-extended himself and sold the company in 1902 to an investor and the store declared bankruptcy in 1915 and closed in 1917. After the store closed, it was used as a military hospital and then as a warehouse. Today after years of being used as a warehouse, it now has several retailers located in the store space (Wiki).
Another building that stood out on West 19th Street was 11 West 19th Street. It was built in 1904 as an office building in the Beaux Arts design. It has since been converted to apartments.
D. Price and Company was once a fancy women’s store at the turn of the last century which ceased business in the 1920’s upon Mr. Price’s death and the store moved out as the shopping district changed by the 1930’s (DaytonianinManhattan.com).
The lion design was very prominent on many of these buildings.
The signage was very prominent on the buildings and I even saw where McCrorey’s had their business.
McCrorey’s was a discount store that had leased part of the Price Building to gain entry to the neighborhood. It closed in the early 1930’s as the neighborhood changed (Wiki).
The I passed 3 West 18th Street which was another charming building.
3 West 18th Street was built as a commercial building back in 1900 and is still in use for that purpose. The outside of the building has a Neo-Classical look about it.
The details of 3 West 18th Street
When I was walking down West 17th Street to Fifth Avenue, I looked up and saw a series of what I thought was dogs staring down on me from above and I saw the characters from 26 West 17th Street. This is the one building on the block that really stood out.
This interesting building was built in 1907 and is still being used for commercial purposes. When you look closer they were not dogs but lions staring back at you.
The details on the outside of 26 West 17th Street
The intricate detail work of the embellishments of 26 West 17th Street. The lions have a very inquisitive look about them.
I then passed the exquisitely designed 33-35 West 17th Street. This office building was constructed in 1907 and is still being used for commercial use today.
I had to race back to the Soup Kitchen for my second shift in the Pantry so I had to wait until two days later when I was in the City to visit the MoMA for an exhibition to finish the neighborhood. Before I headed down to the Flatiron district, I revisited the Upper West Side and covered neighborhoods that I had not been to in four years. Many buildings had been under scaffolding and others I had just missed when walking through the first time.
Then it was back down to West 16th Street and was floored by the detailed by the campus of The Church of Francis Xavier at 36 West 16th Street. The Church is one of the most beautiful I have seen in the City.
The Church of Francis Xavier at 36 West 16th Street
The church was designed by architect Patrick Charles Keely in the Roman Basilica style and the exterior of the church designed in the Neo-baroque style. The church has been in continual use since 1882 and was dedicated by the Archbishop Michael Corrigan that December (Wiki). The high school complex is attached and just down the road from the original church.
The Church of Frances Xavier High School at 30 West 16th Street
The history of the high school dates back to the early 1800’s. What was to become Fordham University opened in 1841 and was placed under the direction of the Jesuits in 1846. It was a member of that community, Fr. John Larkin, S.J., who in 1847 traveled to Lower Manhattan to found Xavier. The Regents of the University of the State of New York chartered Xavier in 1861 Francis Xavier HS website).
In 1886, the military department was established under the direction of the National Guard, beginning a lasting military heritage that continues to thrive today. 1897 saw the class systems reorganized to complete the break between college and high school departments. In 1912, the college was closed, and full emphasis was placed on secondary education. The enrollment was 338 at that time. With the National Defense Act of 1916, the Congress of the United States created a Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) program and authorized the establishment of Junior ROTC units at secondary schools that would offer a course of military training for a minimum of three academic years. In 1935 Xavier’s military program became a JROTC unit (Francis Xavier HS website).
In 1968, Xavier was raised to the status of a military institute, offering four years of military science and training. Graduates were then eligible for two years credit towards Senior ROTC advancement and one honor cadet could be nominated for each of the major service academies. The JROTC program became optional for students in 1971 (Francis Xavier HS website).
When I was walking on the other side of the street from the high school, I noticed this unique urban garden that this homeowner created and I was struck about the choice of plants and the colors and the vibrance of the plantings. It really pepped up the block.
The urban garden in front of 33 West 16th Street was unique and colorful.
When I walked down West 15th Street, it was later in the afternoon and I could see shadows forming in the corners of the buildings. The back of the Francis Xavier Church and School was the Xavier Mission, which was busy with people lining up to receive food packages. The blocks below West 17th Street until you get to West 14th Street are more residential. The church complex pretty much takes up most of the blocks along West 15th and 16th Streets.
The back part of the school and church complex and the residential area of West 15th Street
Weird street art along West 15th Street
I was not sure whether this street artist was commenting on greed, making fun of those who have money or mocking the wealthy but I thought this was interesting.
There was one standout along West 15th and it was the toy store, Kidding Around, which has been a neighborhood staple since 1993. The store was founded in 1989 on Bleeker Street and has been part of the neighborhood for over thirty years. The store’s philosophy has been “We are a local family-owned toy store founded on the idea that good toys inspire creativity and educate while encouraging family interaction and fun!” (Kidding Around website).
This interesting little toy store is stocked from floor to ceiling with interactive and educational toys in a whimsical environment. The displays and the signage just add to the fun. Both kids and adults alike when I was walking around were having a good time.
The Dolls and Board Games section of the store.
The Science and Book section of the store.
I finished my walk of the Lower Flatiron District just as it was getting dark. The sun was still peeking out but the early evening was upon me. This is a neighborhood in transition with a lot of renovation and building going on and there will be more changes in the future as these projects finish. It may not be the ‘fashionable’ shopping district of the early 1800’s but it is holding its own.
These beautiful old buildings are finding life again as condos and apartments bringing a new energy to a neighborhood that is growing to be a ‘university’ community with the New School, NYU and CUNY moving into the area. There is a certain vibe and energy happening here.
Read my blog on Walking the Borders and Avenues of the Lower Flatiron District:
With the warmer months upon us and the coming of the summer, new exhibitions are opening up and is the museums chance to showcase their exhibitions before they open to the public. These after hour events give the members a chance to see these exhibitions when the museum is closed for the evening.
The welcome to the Private Members Night at the MoMA.
I thought the line to the recent Private Members Night at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was long until I saw the line to get into the MoMA. It wrapped around the block to the West 53rd Street entrance. They should have had multiple entrances for this event because so many people were in line. We were lucky in that the line moved really fast and we got in the museum rather quickly.
The crowd dispersed quickly with some people intrigued by the visual display in the lobby outside the main courtyard where the concert would take place that evening.
The visual art display in the lobby of the Museum of Modern Art mesmerizes everyone.
Unlike like The Met, there is not the room in the main hall or the courtyard for all these people. Ron Carter, the famous Jazz musician was playing in the courtyard and they had to hold the line because there were too many people outside. Knowing these events, I got outside for the concert as soon as I made a trip to the bathroom (that was packed too). The courtyard was full of groups talking and waiting in line to get to the bar.
The crowds were huge at this event.
The worst part was that there were only two bars for all these people. One was in the lobby and one was in the courtyard and the lines were easily sixty deep for most of the night. There should have been a second bar both in the courtyard and maybe on the second floor of the museum to handle the flow of people. Still people did not seem to mind.
I was lucky in that I went to the courtyard first after going to the bathroom so I did not have to leave the courtyard so quick. I could see they were holding the line to get outside and the concert would only be from 7:30pm to 8:30pm. Even when I left the courtyard at 8:10pm, the line was still sizable to get outside. The concert was well worth it.
Mr. Carter’s performance was excellent. I could not believe that the first time he had been to the museum was in 1965. The last time he performed here was in 1993. For a guy in his 80’s, he looks in great shape. The concert was really good but since there was not enough seating for everyone it made it a bit in comfortable for the audience. Still I stayed through the first four numbers and enjoyed the music.
Around 8:15pm, I saw all these people peering through the window of the lobby and figured I should go see other things at the museum before it closes. About thirty other people felt the same way and a large group of us left the courtyard to the relief of another thirty who were let in. The concert only had about fifteen minutes left.
Ron Carter’s number last number when I left.
I went to explore the museum and see a few of the exhibitions that I missed the last time I was in the museum. This was the start of the Spring shows. As the concert started to wind down, the rest of the museum became busy.
One of the features of the even was scratch artist Kathie Kollwitz whose work spanned the world wars and show the plight of the working class in Germany during and in between the wars.
The paintings of Kathie Kollwitz.
Times were so rough for these people at that time and conditions not pleasant, the artwork reflected it. It was really depressing and I could see why Hitler rose to power. Her work showed how raw life was like between the wars and how bad their economy was at the time.
The other exhibition I saw was American artist Latoya Ruby Frazier, whose work representing our own working and underclass and of a population in Pennsylvania who time has passed by. The artist’s family was exposed to the problems of the steel industry and the after effects of its collapse.
The Latoya Ruby Frazier exhibition on the Private Members Night
I liked about her show was the honesty of the whole show. She showed her personal relationship with her relationship with her grandmother and her family. She also showcased her community, who had so much influence in her life. The community had been so badly affected by pollution, poverty and discrimination that it left a scar on the tight knit community of Braddock, PA.
The artist’s gallery display of her relationship with her family
When the biggest employer left, the much needed hospital, closed because their headquarters said it was losing money. This with the loss of the automotive industry caused the community to deteriorate. These are the communities that time left behind after WWII. It was really honest work.
The decline of Braddock as industry left the area.
The exhibition was heartbreaking and touching at the same time. She showed how much she cared about her community and many others in the exhibition like Flint, MI and Youngstown, PA and how one change in corporate behavior can effect the entire community.
I was able to visit other parts of the museum as well but all things do come to an end after three hours and it was time to leave. By the end of the evening, I was ready to go. What an interesting and engaging evening it was and what a great job the MoMA did creating this fantastic evening for all of us.
The skyline along Sixth Avenue.
When I left the museum for the evening, the lights of midtown came on. I never get bored on how beautiful the City is at night.
Walking back to the Port Authority at night.
It was another wonderful Member’s Night. This is why you should join the MoMA!
The “Met After Hours” sign inside the museum that evening.
How beautiful and welcoming the Met always looks on Private Members Nights.
After the weekend of my graduation from NYU and the activities of the graduation, I had almost forgotten that the Metropolitan Museum of Art was having one of their ‘Private Members Nights’ the next Monday. Between the last days of classes at both colleges and my graduation, it was nice to have a break and get my mind off everything.
‘Private Members Nights’ are a special night that happens usually on Monday when the museum closes early and a large portion of the museum is open exclusively to just members and a guest. They are a great to spend an evening touring the museum at a slower pace. Only certain parts of the building are open as well as the exhibitions so it gives everyone a chance to see particular exhibitions.
What is nice is that they have a Members Bar and the restaurants open so the members can relax and have dinner or a drink or both. There an also music so it makes it a very festive and social evening. This was a very crowded section of the museum
The Members Bar and Music on the Private Members Night.
Since I had just been in the museum the other week to see the ‘Harlem Renaissance’ exhibition and a couple of the other exhibitions, I decided to see two others I was interested in ‘Weaving Abstraction’ and ‘Sleeping Beauties’, an exhibition on Vintage clothing and the memories and personality left behind by their former owners.
The entrance to the ‘Weaving Abstraction’ exhibition.
In the exhibition for ‘Weaving Abstraction’ the art is a comparison of ancient Pre-Columbian Art and modern artists equivalents. The comparison and the quality of the artwork was intriguing. Sometimes I could not tell what was ancient and what was new.
The description of ‘Weaving Abstraction’
The work took a modern approach to how each artist interpreted the art. What I found interesting with the art and this is without looking at the signs is what was ancient and what was modern.
Some of the current pieces in the collection.
Some of the modern pieces in the collection mixed in with Pre-Columbian art.
Some of the more modern pieces in the exhibition.
The Loincloth was one of my favorite pieces in the exhibition.
The Loincloth was one of the most interesting and colorful pieces in the exhibition.
I was able to relax and have a drink at the bar before I headed up to the ‘Sleeping Beauties’ exhibition. The line was long and moved quickly showing that the exhibition was really popular.
The ‘Sleeping Beauties’ exhibition is a different angle at looking at clothing. Rather than its history, it looks at the personality of its prior owner. The means the smells that the owners left with things like perfume and smoking. Near most of the clothing there were scent beads to better represent the smells.
This detailed evening cape I thought was beautiful.
The description of the Cape made by Gucci.
This beaded jacket I thought was one of the nicest pieces in the collection.
Some unusual displays took center stage at the exhibition.
The collection of vintage clothing on display from different eras.
This dress studded with beads and embellishments was influenced by insects and bugs.
The description of this evening dress by the House of Lanvin.
By the time I had finished viewing the exhibition, it was almost time to leave. The lines had been so long to see “Sleeping Beauties” (this had been extremely popular that evening) that it was almost ten o’clock when I left.
The evenings are when the museum shows its true magic when it is all lit up. Here is the outside of the museum at the end of the evening.
The Met at the end of the evening.
The courtyard outside the museum at night.
The fountain lit for the evening had almost a musical appearance.
The Members entrance as I was leaving for the evening. This is the true beauty of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
It was a relaxing evening of music and great art. Just what I needed after a long semester and my graduation from college.
I finally reached another milestone in my education and in my life. I graduated with honors from New York University with a 3.813 GPA. Quite an accomplishment from someone who last graduated from Cornell University back in 2010. I was a lot of hard work and one big balancing act of time but I walked across the stage of Radio City Music Hall with the energy and enthusiasm of any undergraduate.
You can read my blog on “Grad Alley” a few days before the Graduation Ceremony:
I came a long way from the first meeting I had at the college back in October of 2019. I had visited Georgetown University the summer before and realized that it was not for me. When I got the email from New York University in the Summer of 2019 I thought, let me check this out. It is closer to home and I would be going to school in Manhattan and Greenwich Village to boot. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.
Before the Graduation Ceremony began.
The graduates settling in for the start of Graduation.
As a returning college student (I am not going to lie, this is my fifth time to college and this is the fifth college I have graduated from), I was a little intimidated by my classmates at first. I did not know what a Google Doc or a Google Slide was the first day of class. I did not even bring my computer into the class the first (I knew better from that day on) and was still using my 3G flip phone (which got a lot of chuckles from my classmates). I also was older than everyone by over twenty years but with that comes years of work experience, travel and knowledge of the ever changing Hospitality industry that keeps evolving and will continue to in the future.
Justin before the start of the ceremony.
I got up to speed really quick with a new iPhone 13 Pro (whose picture and video taking ability has transformed this blog) and a new HP computer and watched many Google YouTube videos to keep me up to speed. By the end of the first semester, I was an old pro at all of these functions and for the first time in my life got straight “A”s in my classes. It was a long time in coming that I had to prove this to myself. And at New York University no doubt (NYU).
The theater filling up with students and parents.
It had been a long journey over the last year and a half. Running in and out of New York City for classes in between my job at Bergen Community College. Countless late nights writing papers, researching subject matter and trips to libraries on both campuses to finish projects. This on top of working on Executive Boards for the Fire Department and Men’s Association in town, volunteer work that I do and squeezing in blogging on seven sites. There were times I almost had to pull an ‘all nighter’.
The stage before we started the graduation.
The video of the organist before the ceremony started:
What I found over that year and a half was a whole new way of looking at the Hospitality industry. I had never really thought about Sustainable tourism, Dark tourism, LGBTQ tourism and Diversity in tourism. I had never categorized it in the sense it was different things to different people. My professors had their way of teaching it and I had my own and going forward I used both when creating projects and my own expectations from my students. They gave me a different perspective of looking at the way a place could market itself and I took it one step further and asked of my students how can small towns and musty historical sites be made unique and interesting by marketing them in a different way. Break the mold of what they were doing and present it in a format that they might not have thought of in that light.
The NYU Bagpipers opening the ceremony.
Video of the Bagpipers entering Radio City Music Hall:
What really opened my eyes were the three GFI (Global Field Intensification) courses that I was able to experience. On my first meeting with my faculty advisor, he told me that he was planning a trip to Prague for a week and then insisted that I must come on it. He kept going and going until I finally said “yes”. I knew nothing about Prague or really where it was located. I kept thinking it was in Russia. Two Professors decided to do back to back GFI’s, the first one going to Paris and the second to Prague. Since my brother was getting married in Sicily, it gave me an excuse to go on both. It opened my eyes to a different world that changed me.
Our Dean welcoming the graduates and their parents and guests.
Paris is a more amazing city than I could have imagined. As intense and cultural as New York City but in a totally different way. The countless independent shops, restaurants, cafes and flea markets opened my eyes to a city not overrun by chain stores and each neighborhood had its own cultural identity. Every day it was a new adventure or trying new restaurants or experiencing new foods served in a way that I had not seen in the States. Since it was a Culinary Tourism class, I had to lead a tour of gourmet shops, bakeries, chocolate and candy shops and the gourmet department of a department store. I had never been to Paris before, knew nothing about the city and had not spoken the language since the 1980’s (I had three years of high school French). Somehow I charmed enough shop owners with my broken French to welcome my class in to try their products. It was a huge success (Google “Exploring Paris Block by Block”) for the details on the trip.
The ceremony was about two hours and most of that was calling names of graduates.
Then off to Prague for another wonderful experience exploring the history, food and culturally delights in the city. We visited all the touristy spots you would normally see on the tour but our tour guide, Jana, really had us exploring the city from a different perspective from someone who lived in all these areas. Everyday we experienced something new and in the time that I got to explore the city on my own, I walked the entire city as I would in Manhattan and got to pass all the local shops and restaurants and experience things as a local would living in Prague.
Then it was off to Abu Dhabi and Dubai during their Winter tourism season and that was a true eye opener. It was like going home as I discovered my Arabic roots (though they are about 400 years old and through my mother’s Sicilian heritage). All the men looked like me and that made me feel more at home. Though we had a pretty tight schedule again seeing all the sites that are popular with tourists, I had to stay an extra day because of the flights and got to explore Abu Dhabi on my own.
When the ceremony was over we were all applauded.
Me crossing the stage to finally graduate from Graduate School:
I walked the entire part of my neighborhood around the hotel and discovered the more localized view of the city through the eyes of the Omens, Saudis, Indians and other ethnic groups that made up the majority of the population that make this city run. I walked through their neighborhoods and visited their shops, restaurants, bakeries and stores and saw the city through their eyes. This was the city that I wanted to experience. That and a flat tire coming back from Al Ain left us eating at a local ‘hole in the wall’ restaurant where the site for thirty American students shocked the restaurant owner who could not believe that he had a full restaurant on a quiet Tuesday night. These were the experiences that I got in classes at NYU.
My blogs on “Exploring Abu Dhabi and Dubai Block by Block”:
As we all prepared for the excitement of graduating, I thought back to my first day of class and arriving on the NYU campus right before Labor Day weekend and having no clue what to expect. I have a clearer idea now how the world ticks and how much I had been exposed to in such a short period of time. My Professor who had taken us to Paris was now leading a class over the summer to Barcelona and I really wanted to stay to experience that as well.
The end of the ceremony at 6:00pm.
When all of the students and parents took their seats, the ceremony started on time at 4:00pm. We were greeted by the Radio City Music Hall organ player who made his appearance and then disappeared behind a wall. Then came the NYU Bagpipers who opened the ceremony for us. This was followed by a speech by our Assistant Provost and then by our Dean of our College for the School of Professional Studies.
In the hallway of Radio City Music Hall after graduation.
Then we had to endure the one thing I hate, the student speech. I have sat through countless junior high, high school and now five colleges of students saying things like “life long friendships” and “what we learned from the past will carry us into the future” and ” the people who influence us”. I have heard this same speech over and over again that I could have memorized it and bet on what she was going to talk about. I bet by the time the ceremony was over, everyone was going to part ways and many of my classmates would be traveling back to the countries they originally came from and run their tourism boards. I did not know too many of my classmates who were going to stay in New York City.
Me after graduation was over and Radio City orchestra seating had emptied out.
Then we walked on stage row by row and they called our names over the loud speaker so that family and friends could see us walk on stage. I was so thrilled to hear my name and that a got a nice applause. I was not sure that anyone noticed me as I crossed the stage. This made me feel like a million dollars. I could not believe that I had graduated from such an exclusive college like NYU and with honors. That was quite the achievement for me.
Maricel and I in Radio City Music Hall before the usher kicked us out.
As the rows and rows of classmates made their way to the stage and walked on and off, I looked behind me to see people leaving the theater before the ceremony was over. I thought it was wrong for people to not wait until all the graduates to finish but I will be honest. The second the last classmate crossed the stage, the music started, the confetti and streamers came down and then they wanted us out of there. There was a show that night and they needed to clean up. I wasn’t even out of the orchestra seating before the usher was asking us to leave so they could clean up.
One last shot when the usher turned her back for a second.
Me talking to my friend, Reema, after the ceremony.
We were able to snap some pictures before we left when the usher’s back was turned and then we had to leave. They closed the doors behind us and then the ushers kept everyone off the stairs and everyone had to leave the hallway so there was quite the crowd just outside the door. I bet the show in the evening went off without a hitch.
The end of the ceremony.
While we were outside, Maricel and I took lots of pictures around Radio City Music Hall and then finally had to go across the street because the crowds outside got to be too big as more people had to leave the entrance to the theater and make their way out to the street. It was packed with graduates and their families either taking pictures or trying to cross the street. There was grid lock for about a half hour.
Leaving Radio City Music Hall after graduation.
Outside Radio City Music Hall.
All the graduates and their family and friends had taken over Sixth Avenue and we were all over the place taking pictures. Funny enough with all the time I had been spending in the Times Square/Theater District for my blog on the Streets of Times Square, I got to know all the buildings quite well and we made our way over to 1251 Sixth Avenue to take pictures before heading back over to the hotel.
Me in front of 1251 Sixth Avenue. No one paying that much attention to us. We decided to have some fun with it.
Me as the worldly graduate.
Having some fun by the fountain.
Having some fun at graduation.
Maricel wanted to take more pictures so we went to Times Square with the other tourists but we took one more picture in front of Radio City Music Hall before we left.
My best friend, Maricel and I outside Radio City Music Hall after graduation.
We went to the TKT Booth Stairs where everyone in Times Square was hanging out and complete strangers were wishing me congratulations and well wishing me in my future. That felt really good and I appreciated it.
Me having some fun in Times Square and the ladies below were cheering me on and wishing me well in my graduation from college.
After all the picture taking (trust me there are dozens more shots of me all over Times Square), we headed back to the Marriott Marquis. I had made plans so that we would be having dinner at the Broadway Lounge, their signature restaurant, for graduation night. The views and the food are always amazing. This is where Maricel and I eat when each of us has a very special occasion in our lives.
What a wonderful dinner. The food and the views at the restaurant are just spectacular and the service is always very nice. We had to practically barge our way to a window table when the host gave our first table away. I had to calm a manager down when we took the second table. I had to explain that it was my graduation dinner and my friend wanted to be sure I had a window table. After that, he was fine with it.
While we were ordering we were taking pictures of the restaurant and then each other. Now that graduation was behind me, we could have a little fun and be silly. It was such a great meal.
Me photographing MaricelMaricel photographing me.
Then we had dinner. The Broadway Lounge on the Eighth floor of the Marriott Marquis has always been a favorite place of mine to go for dinner for a special occasion. The views are amazing and the food wonderful.
The view from the Broadway Lounge window.
We had the most amazing Graduation meal once we were seated. We started with their fiery Chicken Tenders which was a pretty generous portion for an appetizer. These lightly breaded chicken breast tenders were rolled in a hot pepper and spicy sauce and served with creamy Italian dressing.
Ryan’s Spicy Chicken: The fiery Chicken Tender with a ranch sauce
I was in the mood for a burger and Marriott does such a nice job with these. Both the regular burger and the Smashburger are excellent, and I decided on the Smashburger while Maricel had the short ribs and mashed potatoes.
The Short Ribs and Mashed Potatoes
The Broadway Smash Hit burger with French Fries
For dessert we shared the ultimate dessert treat, the Strawberry Tower, which is layers of pound cake, fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream and strawberry sauce topped with fresh whipped cream, cheesecake bites, wafer cookies and a giant lollypop which tasted like bubblegum. With a $32.00, it was a little pricy but since it was my graduation night it was the perfect way to end the meal and it was delicious.
The Marquis Strawberry Tower at the Broadway Lounge for my Graduation dessert.
Me getting a photo op with that delicious dessert.
When I got back to the room was the ultimate surprise for me. Maricel decorated the room for my graduation. I was shocked and touched that she got this done in between the time we had arrived to check in and the time I left to get to Radio City for the 3:00pm check in for graduation. I was so touched. No one had done something like this to me before.
Maricel surprised me by decorating the room for my graduation.
The room at the hotel decorated for my graduation.
Me on my graduation night at the hotel in the room decorated for me by my best friend.
Earlier this year I had watched Cliff Richards duetting with a ghostly Olivia Newton-John after her passing for a Christmas video singing “Suddenly” from the movie Xanadu. In part of the video, I watched Olivia Newton-John wheel a cake out for his 75th birthday and totally surprising him in an earlier video. I said to myself “that is something only a real true friend does” and wished someone would do that for me in my lifetime. Maricel did this that night. When a real friend knows what you are going through and has the opportunity to react, it makes all the difference in the world to someone. Tonight, it was me!
With the beautiful views from the room of Times Square and having the ultimate view of where the ball drops directly in front of us, I could not have asked for a more perfect graduation night. I had had different experiences on the nights of my high school, Michigan State University and Culinary Institute of America graduations but this is the one I will always remember. When a friend shows you the ‘top of the world’, you could not ask for more.
The view of Times Square from our room and the famous ‘ball’.
The view of the ‘ball’ from Times Square.
The view of the room at night.
The view of Times Square from our room where the ball drops.
The next morning the Breakfast buffet was absolutely the best way to end the evening. The food was excellent and the selection was wonderful. We were able to eat Club M, the private members room that was nice. It was the perfect breakfast.
The amazing breakfast buffet the next morning.
The amazing breakfast the next morning.
The breakfast buffet was very extensive.
It was an amazing graduation and now on to new experiences to see and new ideas to embark on. It has been quite the journey.
Justin Watrel, Graduate Class of 2024 School of Professional Studies New York University with Honors.
What a true friend does:
Cliff Richards and the late Olivia Newton-John “Suddenly”.
Watch as she rolls out the 75th birthday cake for him for his ’75th Year Concert’. A real friend can only pull this off!
mywalkinmanhattan 