Monday, October 18, 2010

Architecture, the Armory and Eats!



On Saturday, after Bristlebots, we took a walk around the city, starting at Union Square (which was far more congested due to the farmer's market, than the artists!), pausing for hot apple cider in the park, and meandering north east to end at Grand Central Terminal.

Come along on our walk and enjoy the city where Kevin and I grew up, and where Mikro spends lots of his time learning.

Along the way, we noticed the Armory at 26th Street, and were invited in for a tour by a very nice young National Guardsman. This is a neighborhood I've passed through, but not really spent any time in. I never knew the building was an armory, much less that it is the home of the Fighting Irish, the 69th Infantry Regiment, which has a long history and leads off NYC's St. Patrick's Day Parade every year. Inside, we were amazed by the architecture, and learned a lot about the building, and the 69th's regimental history. The Gaelic on the 69th's crest, flanked by Irish Wolfhounds, translates to: "Gentle when stroked, fierce when provoked."

You can take a virtual tour here.

The building has also been used for professional basketball games, art shows, and other purposes, and was the site of a historic 1913 art show that introduced Modern Art (and Native American art!) to America.





After leaving the Armory, we stumbled over a restaurant that serves Gluten Free italian food! Mozzarelli's rocks! They had a GFCF pizza with veggies and soy cheese which Mikro could eat! This is the first time since he was diagnosed with food allergies that Mikro was able to go into a restaurant and order something off the menu to eat! (Usually, Kev and I order, and we bring with us something that Mikro can eat.) So I can't begin to tell you how happy this made me:



After stuffing ourselves with amazing food (the GF artichoke pizza was DE-licious!), we continued our wanderings, keeping an eye out for interesting architectural details. Most of these shots were taken along Lexington Avenue.

For awhile, we had a bit of a bird theme going...



These last two are from the Chrysler Building, of course:



More to see...
Aquatic life at the Chanin Building:





Grand Central Terminal and its famous ceiling full of constellations:



We even watched a wedding party take photos in GCT...

A bit of halloween:

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