Day 27: Rockefeller Centre

TODAY HAS BEEN ONE OF MY MOST FAVE DAYS YET!
Woke up late, bc I was chatting to the gang until 3am. Oops. It was so worth it, though.

I was out the door by 11:30 (the bus was due 5 mins later), so I sprinted over the ice to get to the bottom. I can't believe I made it-- but I did. I deserve a freaking medal, though. I ran down without a bloody bra on bc I was in a rush (but found one stashed in my purse lol), THAT WAS SOME OLYMPIC TALENT, RIGHT THERE. Phew! Char had left an hour or so earlier to meet up with Shannon who's also visiting NYC rn. Check out her vlogs to see what their day was like.

I really enjoyed being able to walk around alone and be able to navigate the city without a map. I felt v cool. V New Yorkian.

I made a quick stop to a Starbucks to try and get a hold of Char, see if she wanted to meet up for a tour. I tried a hot salted caramel------ best drink ever, I've gotta say. I will be lining up for another tomorrow, hehehe. Saw some more sad stuff around the city.

By 1:30 I had found the Rockefeller District------ it. Is. Stunning. It's a city in its own. The staff were so friendly and helpful, I really appreciated that. Plus they squeezed me into the soonest tour bc I was alone and Australian. Yay. However one woman was refusing that I was Australian, saying I didn't have an accent or the vibe. Idk I'm sorry I'm not giving uneducated, bogan vibes, madam. Also the tour guide never checked my ticket, he felt so bad that he gave me 2 broken headsets, and I ended up using the oldest pair they could find, from the early 90s lol.

He started off the Rockefeller Centre tour by saying, "If you're here for NBC, you're at the wrong tour." Oops. That was me. But I had no idea where else to go, besides Top of the Rock, but I'm not interested in that, so I decided to follow him still, "This tour is exploring the art decor and architectural influence of the magnificent Rockerfeller Centre." Craaaaaaaaaaaaap. I wasn't here for boring architectural tours noooooo.

But guys!!

It ended up being my fave tour from this whole trip. 

It showed all the secret tunnels underneath the city that span under all of Rockerfeller's kingdom, and the funny stories on how each building was made. Junior, Rockerfeller's son, was some strict northern Baptist who, in the 1930s, was strongly against progression and sinful acts from the 20s (ma dudes doesn't this sound familiar????????). He basically bought out the entire Midtown so there were no brothels or pubs, but on either side of his centre, the owners of a brothel (on one side), and a pub (on the other), refused to sell their businesses for anything less than the equivalent of modern day $3 billion. Junior was like, "Uhhhh no ty, this entire centre is worth that much", so now he has to deal with his beautiful, pure palace, surrounded by what he hates. Lol.

Another fascinating story was Atlas and St Pat's Cathedral. They're really close together, and Junior didn't like either monument because:

1. Some artist set a pagan god at the front of his precious baby
2. Catholics, man. Gross.

The entire centre has beautiful Greek marbling for the walls, and Italian marbling for the floors, with various neoclassical statues symbolically situated around the town. Junior avoided controversy by either blaming it on the artist, or making intriguing theories like this: from the front, Atlas looks like his typical character, but if you stand exactly between the pillars in his building, behind Atlas and in front of the Cathedral, then the statue actually forms to look like Jesus on the cross. I stood where this was suggested and I literally teared up, it was so beautiful and breathtaking to see. I don't think my camera captured the true beauty. Who knows if this story was true? I like to think it was.

I learnt so many historical info on these buildings that looks so dull and modern on the outside; but on the inside are the most fascinating sites I've seen, I was awestruck. 

The tour lasted 1.5hrs. Rockefeller made the centre so you would never have to leave; it had post offices, truck lanes, a subway, restaurants, the ice rink next to the underground floor, the radio/tv entertainmentt, a local religious centre... it was phenomenal.

Other facts: Rockerfeller was sold to Mitsubishi in the 70s but an heir of Rockefeller actually repurchased it during the 80s, but unfortunately lots of artwork had been dismantled. Interestingly, famous Japanese artist, Isamu Noguchi's stainless steel presentation remained. It was unique bc it was his first and only piece completely made out of steel, but it was so hard to sculpt that he never did it again.

I could rant about how great Rockefeller is all day, but I won't. Just know, I hope someday, I will live close by, and will get to visit it everyday. It's so beautiful and thoughtful.

Pictures from the day:

DEAD BUT ON THE BUS

Heaps of police cars swarmed the bus .02 seconds later

Snazzy

There's a liiiiiiiiiiight

fave

What used to be a pub (they still serve alcohol so I guess Junior is turning in his grave now)

Setting up for Jimmy Fallon

If Jesus had massive quads sure

Oil on canvas

Ignore the guy who dared to move in my panorama

Optical illusion

Residential represent

happy chihuahua

Only architectural feature made by a woman

The goddess of "radiation" apparently........... spreading radiowaves to the angels, stopping poverty (my tour guide told a bunch of bs I tell ya)

The "this isn't communist propaganda we swear" feature

Videos:

They're naked so it appears "timeless". They all represent Rockefeller features, like the Rockettes (did you know that they put the tallest girls in the middle of their lines and arch the line so it appears that they're all the same height?? They have to change the skirt lengths too)

You see he shifts legs and his eyes always follow you....... very talented

After this tour, I strolled down to 3rd Av and 44th St for a mani pedi. It started out great but turned into a nightmare. I did this cool green tea treatment thing (faaaaAAAAAve) for the pedicure, and that was fine and dandy, but in the transition to the mani, the lady I had said, "so can you pay or what now?". I was like yeah wtf couldnt I at the start and not have it in the middle of the service?? Anyways I pay and she reminds me 3 times that tip is 15-25%, and Im like lol no I am a poor student who will give u any change I have in my wallet, but she wouldn't do my hands until she got her tip?????? It was cash only, and so I give her all I have and she made me go out to an ATM (with my pedi still drying) in -4º weather, to draw out more cash. I ended up giving her a freaking $10 tip. Their minimum wages were displayed on the walls, and omFGGGG THEY MAKE MORE THAN I DID IN AUSTRALIA. SO WHY DID THEY GET A TIP. HOW. HOWWWW. I hate America's tipping system. They also false advertised but I won't get into that. It was horrible. I wouldn't be complaining too much, but here's the end result. You'll understand. I really loved the experience until the manicure part, ugh. Never again.

IT'S TURNING GREEN

I am seaweed wrap

V chill at this moment

GreeN GOOP

Pretty tho right???? It was meant to match my shirt I got at the Black Friday sales :/

Then I had to return to Midtown (I was far, far east side) to the bus terminal. Once I made it to Times Square I felt safe. Before then, I was in a residential area with no street lights. Ahhh. But tourists were around, it was bright, phew. I popped into a Maccas then walked a bit quick to the buses. I almost missed the bus bc I couldn't read the signs :( That wasn't good. But I jumped onto the bus just before the doors closed and heard a "Calypso!!", and turn to see Char! We made it onto the same bus!

We walked back together and had dinner. I told the family how my mani/pedi went. The horror.

She sins and adds nutella.....

Had apple pie yum yum

Besides the mani incident; I LOOOOVED TODAY! 

I really do love walking around alone, and this isn't meant to offend Char, even at home I like to go on shopping trips alone and what not. Direct myself only. It's comfortable for me.

If anybody has a spare $5 billion, (or know any Rockefeller heirs that they can pimp me out to), I would really love fro you to buy the Rockefeller Centre and give it to me as my kingdom. The princess I am needs it. However more books stores and libraries would be installed.

Wishing you all well,

From Calypso.