New York: November 2007

A warm welcome from 'The Big Apple' where we are absolutely delighted to have recruited New York's finest online travel journalist to bring us news about Ray's adventures here - Nick Elandimer (above) joins the team and links up with Ray as he re-discovers some of the incredible things this 24 hour city has to offer.

Whenever we are looking for a new journalist to join the team, we are inundated with applications and inevitably, some people were disappointed. Amongst the people we turned down were Jay Walker, who was hit by a car dodging traffic on his way to our office, and Ella Vator, who got stuck in a lift in her apartment block. We also had to say no to Ivor Pickup, whose vehicle got clamped nearby and I.V. Leaguer who we felt was a little too intellectual. Last but not least, we will be without M. T. Trashcan, as we thought his previous work was garbage and Seymour Bush, who decided to take up a job as janitor of the womens toilets at The Whitehouse.

When I met Ray at JFK International Airport, he told me what he had been up to in London just before his departure. "When I arrived from Marrakech, there was really only a couple of days for me to get my stuff ready for my departure to New York" said Ray. "I quickly reviewed the contents of my bag and switched a few items of clothing for the trip to America and checked all my travel arrangements were in place" he added. "This left me with just enough time to take part in the October Plenty festival and meet one of my clients before shooting off again" recalled Ray.

Above: There is one person who is always pleased to see Ray if he makes a visit to London - his mum!

The October Plenty festival is something that Ray's sister-in-law Kitty, who is an actress, has been involved in for some time. "It takes place every year, starting at the Globe Theatre on the South Bank, where the Shakesperian actors put on a short performance for members of the public who have gathered" explained Ray. "After the play is over, the actors form a procession and invite everyone in the crowd to follow them as they walk to nearby Southwark market, where there will be more entertainment for everyone" he told me.

Above: The Globe Theatre in London - "Its easy to take this place for granted" said Ray, "but it really is amazing to have such a fantastic replica of Shakespeare's original theatre in the heart of the capital"

Below: The whole Martin family gets involved in the October Plenty festival. Ray's enterprising nephew Daniel (below), baked a basket full of cakes to sell to people who had come along for the day - "He was very determined to sell everything he had made, and the cakes were all gone by about four o' clock" said Ray

Once you are inside the Globe, you are magically transported back in time to Shakesperian England. "The people who built this place have done a marvellous job" said Ray, as he described the theatre to me. "All of the original materials and designs have been used to make a faithful recreation of the original and it is very easy to imagine what it would have been like to have been alive in The Bard's era to watch one of his plays" added Ray.

Above: Inside the Globe Theatre. Although it was pretty cold and wet, the actors more than made up for it with a hearty performance for the sizeable crowd of people gathered

Above: Ray's sister-in-law Kitty gives her all as she addresses the audience

Below: If you would like to watch a short video clip of Kitty and the rest of the Players on stage, then CLICK HERE

Ray described to me what happened once the short performance in the theatre was over. "The actors form a group outside and start the march to Southwark market and invite the audience to join them" he told me. "Some of the actors play musical instruments which adds to the carnival atmosphere of the whole thing - it's a lot of fun" said Ray.

Above: "Cor blimey guv'nor - is this the set of Eastenders?" asks Ray, as he arrives at Southwark market

Below: The procession to the market is a lot of fun - if you would like to watch a short video clip, then CLICK HERE

Above: Ray meets the latest addition to the Daily Explorer team - the new gardening correspondent!

Below: Ray is deep in thought about his pending trip to the United States as he watches the actors perform at the festival....

When the day comes to an end, the tradition is that the actors all gather together and pull apart the 'giant harvest man' that has been cleverly constructed from every type of vegetable that you can think of. "It's really clever the way they make this huge figure entirely from things you can eat" said Ray. "There is bedlam as everyone in the audience gets excited about being lobbed a parsnip or a carrot to take home" laughed Ray.

Above: The October Plenty festival traditionally ends with the dismantling of the giant figure made entirely from things you can eat!

Below: Ray's nephew Daniel (left) and the family Au Pair, Nienke (right). Ray was also in London for Halloween, which in recent years has been celebrated much more in the American way. "It frightened me seeing someone looking so terrifying, with white skin, a sinister grin and sharp teeth" said Ray, "and Daniel looked pretty scary as well" joked our traveller!

Some of our Daily Explorer readers may remember that before he started travelling two years ago, Ray was heavily involved in the commercial world, coaching and mentoring people who own and run businesses. "Just before arriving in London, I spoke on the phone with Adrian Hollister, a client I had been working with and we arranged to meet up" said Ray. "He lives near Reading so we decided to have lunch first and then do some work afterwards" recalled Ray.

As well as running a business, Adrian is fanatical about photography. "I discovered when we met that Adrian loves using the camera" Ray told me. "He has invested a lot of time and effort at perfecting his art and has taken some amazing landscape photographs. His website, at Hollister Images, is well worth a visit" added Ray.

Above: An example of Adrian's photography - this picture of Ray shot in October 2005

Above: The Institute of Directors Hub in Reading - the perfect meeting place for Ray and....

Below: ..... his client, Adrian. "Is that Nick Elandimer at The Daily Explorer? I'll make sure you get a photograph from me of our meeting today, otherwise none of your readers will believe that Ray still does some work from time to time!"

Having got the low-down on his recent experiences in London, I was interested to hear more about what Ray was planning to do in New York. "I am here for a couple of reasons" he told me. "Firstly, I am exploring the possibility of working with a colleague to deliver a corporate training programme in 2008" explained Ray. "So I will be meeting him in New Jersey in a couple of days and observing how the programme works. But first, I am going to enjoy spending time in this wonderful city and catch up with one or two friends" said our excited traveller.

Above: The Statue of Liberty in the distance, marking the gateway to one of the finest and most exciting cities in the world. "In the old days, this would have been the first thing that immigrants arriving on steam ships would have seen" said Ray

Below: Budget travellers have a hard time in New York as everything is so expensive - "Even the hostels cost about fifty pounds a night, and they are pretty grim, but at least they have free wireless networks" said our appreciative traveller as he showed me this photograph of the place on the Upper West Side (Manhattan) where he was staying for the first 2-3 nights

On his first day in the Big Apple, Ray decided to make the most of the fine weather and tour the city on foot. "I have been to New York many times now and know Manhattan pretty well. But it was at least three years since I was last here so I felt I needed to re-acquaint myself with some areas" he told me. "Even though it's familiar, it still excites me so much being here as to me, it feels like being on a gigantic movie set!" added Ray.

Above: "It's just so American" says Ray, as he walks past the studio on Broadway where the David Letterman show is recorded and the headquarters of Herschy's Chocolate

Above New York is a true, 24 hour city and nowhere typifies this more than Time Square. Ray managed to take this picture during the day as he headed downtown....

Below: ..... and this one much later as he headed back to his hostel later that evening

Besides its tall buildings, New York is also famous for its retail scene. "If you want to know what's hot and what's not, then the Big Apple is a great place to check out the latest innovations" said Ray. "There is something to suit every budget here and everything stays open into the small hours, with many places operating round the clock" he told me. "And with the dollar exchange rate as it is, its the perfect time to be shopping there" added our budget conscious traveller.

Above: Only in America would you find the kind of niche marketing that this New York delicatessen is attempting. If any Daily Explorer readers can think of other possible 'target groups', then email your ideas to me at thedailyexplorer@gmail.com

Below: "Maybe I'm getting older, but this does not seem such a good idea for branding to me" says Ray as he stands outside one of the hippest places in town

Many of the shops in New York are owned and run by immigrants with both the Indian and Chinese communities well established in different parts of the city. "I was flicking through some clips on You Tube recently and came across the clip below, which is hilarious" said Ray, "and will give you some idea of what it can be like if you go shopping here - you must take a look!" laughed Ray.

To watch the video clip below, CLICK HERE

Whilst exploring the main shopping areas, Ray came across a store selling sporting goods, and noticed that there was a lot of people gathered inside the store. "I stuck my head inside the door and saw that someone was being interviewed" recalled Ray. "As I got further inside, I realised it was Lance Armstrong, and that he was talking about running in the New York Marathon the coming weekend. I got very excited about listening to his talk as he such an inspiration, and watching him complete the marathon in Central Park that Sunday" added Ray.

Above: Lance Armstrong on the cover of a magazine and Paragon Sporting Goods where he had agreed to a short interview so he could talk about running in the New York marathon

Below: Everyone in the audience loved listening to him as he shared his experiences of competing as a cyclist, even though he has since 'retired' - "There were loads of questions for Lance about the time he was targetting in the race" said Ray. "Although he was not specific in his answers, he made it clear that he did not intend to compete with the orthodox marathon runners - luckily for them!" added our traveller

New York has, arguably, one of the most famous landmarks of perhaps any city in the entire world - the Empire State Building. "I caught a glimpse of it as I walked down Sixth Avenue, on the corner of West 34th Street" said Ray. "As I have been up to the top a couple of times before, I thought I would wait until my colleague Simon arrived from the UK and take him up there one evening" he told me.

Above: The Empire State Building (left) still dominates the New York skyline and is instantly recognisable as the building featured in numerous films over the years. Of the over 200 movies in which this landmark is featured, none is more famous than King Kong (1933) in which the monster sought refuge on the building’s tower (right). And let’s not forget Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake of King Kong staring Naomi Watts, and Jack Black. Among it’s many accomplishments, this remake won 3 oscars for visual effects and sound

When I asked Ray what it was like to be back in the Big Apple after three years, he told me it was like being on a huge movie set, so it was perhaps ironic that he happened to catch a glimpse of a star being filmed as he walked down Sixth Avenue. "As I was walking downtown to Ground Zero to take a look at the site, I caught a glimpse of a film crew working around someone looking like Stephen Baldwin" recalled Ray. "On closer inspection, I discovered it was actually Stephen Baldwin!" he laughed, as he discreetly took a snapshot of the crew at work.

Above: Stephen Baldwin (second from the left) working with his crew - "The last film I saw him in was The Usual Suspects and he was excellent" added our star struck traveller

To say that New York has suffered a tragedy on a level unprecedented anywhere in the world would be an understatement. On September 11th 2001, when nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their lives in the collapse of the World Trade Centre, the world watched in horror, live on television as events unfolded. "I remember the day very clearly" said Ray. "I was in an offsite business meeting outside London with my colleagues at First Place when someone went out for a short break. They came running back in hardly able to talk as they had just seen an aeroplane fly into one of the twin towers on a live TV news report" recalled Ray. "Panic ensued as Heathrow Airport was immediately closed and all aeroplanes flying over the US were grounded immediately".

Above: Who could ever forget September 11th 2001?

Above: The remains of the Twin Towers - September 13th 2001

Below: An aerial shot of Manhattan (taken from a satellite) showing the crash site burning away

Six years later and the site is being re-born. "I guess I was fortunate to have visited New York several times in the nineties and managed to take the ride to the top of the Twin Towers on a couple of occasions - the view from up there was absolutely specatacular" recalled Ray. "Construction work is well underway and it won't be too long before a new tower will once again dominate the skyline in lower Manhattan" he told me. "The sheer size of the site is mind numbing - it is hard to believe the scale of this attrocity" reflected our thoughtful traveller.

Above: Ground Zero immediately after the attacks on September 11th 2001

Below: Today; the construction site at Ground Zero - "The size of the site, indicating the huge scale of the carnage, is mind numbing" said Ray

Meeting with friends on his travels is a regular feature for Ray and New York was a great opportunity to catch up with a couple of people. "My friend Laura, from London, was also visiting the city at the same time as me and we both have a mutual English friend called Angie living in the city. Angie really likes jazz so we spent a wonderful evening listening to a band performing at the Planetarium inside the American Museum of Natural History" Ray told me.

Above: The Planetarium at The American Museum of Natural History

Below: Ray's friend Angie Riley - "It was great to see her again after my last visit in 2004, before The Daily Explorer was around! She works very hard and is dedicated to her work, which involves advising people in business about their branding and marketing" said Ray

New York has a thriving restaurant scene, with something in the region of 8,000 in Manhattan alone! "There are so many choices, it is quite overwhelming" said Ray. "When I come here, I especially like going to the old fashioned delicatessens, where you can sit at a long bar on a round stool drinking endless cups of hot coffee whilst feasting on a Pastrami sandwich on rye bread with mustard and pickles" said our mouth watering traveller.

Above: Saturday night in the Big Apple and Ray dines out with New York resident Angie (left) and his friend from London, Laura (right) - "We chose one of Laura's favourite restaurants, a Malaysian place called Nyomya - delicious!" said Ray

Although he has been to New York several times, Ray has never been outside of Manhattan, just one of five districts that make up the city. "Hearing about the forthcoming marathon route, which passes through each of the city's five boroughs, made me more curious about some of these areas so Angie and I decided to take a trip up to the Bronx, to a quiet preservation area called Wave Hill" Ray told me.

Above: The five boroughs of New York; 1. Manhattan  2. Brooklyn  3. Queens  4. The Bronx and  5. Staten Island

Below: Unlike Manhattan, parts of The Bronx are very leafy and quiet, especially the preservation area at Wave Hill

Wave Hill is a favourite location for weddings. "Angie had been to one a couple of weeks before, which is how she knew about it" recalled Ray. It's quiet location and the beautiful grounds make it very popular for these kinds of events, and there are gardens and walking trails within the grounds as well, not to mention some beautiful views over the Hudson river" observed our traveller.

Above: The views from Wave Hill are fantastic, including this one of the George Washington bridge in the distance

Below; Ray's friend Angie appreciating the gardens - the leaves have started to change colour as the Fall approaches

Returning to the hustle and bustle of central Manhattan, Ray and Angie headed for Columbus Circle for a look around the recently constructed Time Warner centre. "When I was last here, this was a huge building site so I was interested to find out what it was like" said Ray. "It was also a bit ironic that I had been hearing a lot about Christopher Columbus in Spain just before arriving here" added our global traveller.

Above: The new Time Warner Centre at Columbus Circle is a complex of retail stores, apartments and offices.....

Below: .... and this is how Columbus Circle looked in the early 1900's

Above: Ray and Angie take a closer look at the monument to Christopher Columbus, which gives the 'Circle' it's name

Below: Inside the centre - "They really do things big in America" says Ray, as he takes delivery of his new US mobile phone

Above: Inside the Time Warner centre are a multitude of shops, businesses and eateries - "Whole Foods is an organic grocery store and restaurant in the basement that serves the most amazing breakfast" said Ray

Below: The view of Columbus Circle from inside the Time Warner Centre - "I love the way the architect has created this magnificent vista ovr Central Park" said Ray. "It has to be one of the best free views in New York City" he added. The trees mark the spot where the runners in the New York Marathon complete their 26.2 mile journey the following day

In preparation for the marathon, security in the city had been increased dramatically. "It's a real shame that we live in a world where major events like this are considered possible targets for terrorist activity" said Ray. "There were a huge number of police around and access to a lot of areas around the park had been denied" added our traveller. "It didn't stop a lot of people from coming to see the spectacle though, and Angie and I even passed Sting and Trudie Styler on the sidewalk as we walked towards the finish line" Ray told me.

Above: Sting and Trudie Styler. They were in too much of a hurry to pose for a special photo for The Daily Explorer, so they sent us this one instead

Below: An example of the massive Police presence around the centre of the city on marathon day

Huge crowds turned out to watch the New York marathon. "We made our way towards Central Park to find a spot as close to the finish line as we could get" said Ray. "We found a place about 400 metres away and waited patiently for the athletes to arrive. We could tell that they were approaching because the news helicopters were hovering above the park, filming the runners in the final mile or so" said our observant traveller.

Above: Spectators wait with excitement for the athletes to enter Central Park and complete the last 400 metres of the marathon

Below: Angie takes up her position and watches the helicopters above as she waits for two of her friends who are running in the event

Above: Here they come - will Paula Radcliffe from Great Britain be in the lead?......

Below: Yeaaahhh! "Here comes our Paula!" shouts Ray and Angie

Above: Paula Radcliffe as she crosses the finish line and wins the Women's marathon in a time of 2 hours, 23 minutes and 9 seconds - "It was one second faster than her 2004 win" Ray told me, "but outside her world record time, which is understandable as she had taken ten months off to have a baby! She is very inspiring"

Below: Ray captured this marvellous shot of Martin Lel from Kenya (in red and blue) winning the mens race in a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes and 4 seconds, completing an impressive double of the 2007 London and New York marathons

Below: Lance Armstrong (left) looks a bit tired as he finishes the marathon in 2 hours, 46 minutes and 43 seconds - "I was so impressed" said Ray. "This is a very quick time for a non-competitive marathon runner and over 13 minutes faster than his 2006 time" he told me. Meanwhile, Paula Radcliffe and Martin Lel (right) receive acknowledgement for their outstanding performances

In one of our recent issues, Maybe it's Because I'm a Londoner, we asked Ray about his plans for 2008 related to work and travel and he mentioned that he was interested in building a global portfolio of clients. "One of my colleagues in England invited me to come to New York to observe the delivery of a training programme for executives, thinking that it might be something I could get involved with next year" explained Ray. "Operating from a base in New Jersey, I spent three days with him and another chap called Jim Peal, watching them work with a group of 12 managers" he told me.

Above: Ray's colleague, Simon Lovegrove, checks in at the Renaissance Hotel in Rutherford, New Jersey - "I have known Simon for about twenty five years" said Ray, "and we have worked on many things together in that time" he told me

Below: Back in 'business' mode for a couple of days - Ray looks a bit anxious over breakfast (left) as he reads that the London Stock Market has fallen again, then realises that it's OK (right) as he doesn't own any shares!

I asked Ray how it felt to be working again after nearly two years of travelling. "It is a bit unusual and feels a little strange putting on the clothes" he told me. "And at this event, I am an observer so do not have any direct responsibility for the outcome" he added. "The training programme has been very well designed and I can see that the delegates get a lot of practical tools and methods that will help improve their life at work, so it feels great to be involved in something that makes a difference to people" added Ray.

Above: Ray observes as Simon (centre) and Jim (standing, rear) facilitate the group to learn about and become masters at working in partnerships and alliances with other people - "They were both excellent guides" observed Ray "and I am really pleased to have a chance to work with them next year"

Below: "The delegates really loved the course and left with lots of tools and methods for improving their life at work" observed Ray

After two days observing the training programme, there was time before Simon's departure back to England to do a little shopping and sightseeing in New York with him. "When Simon told me that he had never been to central Manhattan, I couldn't believe it" said Ray. "This was my opportunity to put my travel experience to good use and I quickly created a short, whirlwind tour of the city for our last evening together" recalled Ray.

Simon's brief encounter with the Big Apple was to include a look at 42nd Street, Times Square and Broadway, a ride on the New York Subway, shopping at Macy's and the Apple Store, a stroll along Fifth Avenue and a trip to the observation deck at the top of the Empire State building. "It's a lot to cram into three hours but well worth it" said Ray.

Above: All over! Ray thanks Jim and Simon for providing him with a perfect demonstration of how to work with a group and gets ready to take Simon on a whirlwind tour of New York City

Below: Simon's whirlwind tour of the Big Apple included the Empire State building (left) and a visit to Macy's Department Store (right) which is the world's largest retail space with over one million square feet

When Ray and Simon arrived at the Empire State Building, they stopped for a few minutes to get some background information about its history, before ascending to the observation deck at the top. "We discovered that the name of the 102-story Art Deco skyscraper is derived from the nickname for the state of NewYork. It stood as the world's tallest building for more than forty years, from its completion in 1931 until the constructionoftheWorld Trade Centre North Tower topped out on December 23, 1970" said our well informed traveller.

The Empire State Building has been named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The building and its street floor interior are designated landmarks of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and confirmed by the New York City Board of Estimate. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. The building is owned by Harold Helmsley's companyandmanagedbyitsmanagement/leasing division Helmsley-Spear.

Above: Many of our readers will recognise the iconic photograph (left) of these workmen sitting on a girder high above the city during construction of the building. The picture on the right shows the relative height when compared with other tall structures around the world

Some of the facts about The Empire State Building are quite staggering. "It was the first tall building to need two riser shafts, due to the enormous floor areas of the tower stories" explained Ray. "Seven miles of elevator shaft houses 73 elevators, allowing travel of up to 80 stories in a minute. The exterior of the building alone boasts 200,000 cubic feet of Indiana limestone and granite, 10 million bricks and 730 tones of both aluminum and stainless steel" added Ray.

The onset of the Great Depression during construction halved the anticipated building cost to a mere $24,718,000. When completed, the Empire State Building’s address at 350 Fifth Avenue was far from New York’s dense business district. Two years after it opened for rentals in 1931, the building’s location and the nation’s poor economic state was evident in the building’s three-quarters or 56 floors of vacant space.

Editors Note: If anyone is interested in building a model of this famous building, there is an excellent one available at the Fiddlers Green web site.

0

Above: The view at night over the New York skyline. The building’s spire acts as a lightning rod for the entire city. It is struck in excess of 100 times per year - "Some 3.8 million people visit the Empire State Building’s observation deck annually, making it the most frequently visited and most recognizable skyscraper in the world" said Ray. "Contrary to popular legend, pennies tossed off the building’s observation deck will never reach the street below, much less cause danger to any pedestrians. Numerous setbacks on the building’s tower quite naturally collect objects dropped from the top due to the wind effectonthestructure.Thewindpushesobjects against the face of the building, a phenomena that also accounts for the apparent "upward travel" of rain when storms are observed from the upper floors" he explained

Editors Note: It's a pleasure to have Nick Elandimer join our team and we hope you have enjoyed his first report from New York. Please send me your feedback as we are very keen to know what it is that our readers really like to see and hear. You can email comments to me at thedailyexplorer@gmail.com. In our next issue, Nick travels to California to meet Ray as he attends a two day film making school and catches up with a number of friends living in and around San Francisco.

MOZZIE BYTE

Above: Ray departs New York, with its amazing skyline visible in the distance, from Newark Airport. In our next issue, online in a few days, Nick Elandimer will be reporting from San Francisco

Post A Comment