*DISCLAIMER: This is Part Three because I’m trying to establish some sort of chronological order. I didn’t write down what I had done after each day, and I’m trying to remember what happened during the week as I go. I was halfway through this post and realised this came later in the week…but happy reading all the same.*
A certain restaurant in the Upper West Side has had many famous diners come through its door, including US president Barack Obama and 2008 Republican presidential hopeful John McCain. But it is most famous for being the exterior of Monk’s Cafe in the NBC series, Seinfeld.
Though Tom’s Restaurant’s (located on Broadway and 112th Street) interior does not resemble in any way the inside of the cafe that put it on the map, it has the atmosphere of being at home. I’m not sure whether it is because of the extremely familiar and friendly wait staff, or if its the little old man sitting behind the cashier counter who reminds you of your grandfather. It might even be the delicious plates of home-cooked food that make it to your table as you catch a whiff of what’s coming out of the kitchen’s doors.
With the walls of Seinfeld memorabilia looking on, I feasted on a Reuben rye sandwich (homemade corned beef, sauerkraut and melted cheese), served up with a bowl of New York clam chowder and a root beer, while W had the pleasure of enjoying a cherry vanilla milkshake and a banana split.
Tom's Restaurant: It is often frequented by students of nearby Columbia University.
The Reuben: The best corned beef I have ever tasted.
Riverside Park: Definitely a park I would gladly take my hypothetical dog for a walk in and/or possibly go for a run in, if I was so inclined. Even in winter when the trees have lost their leaves and the park’s ground is covered with this dry brown foliage that you just have the urge to jump in to hear the crunch under your boots, it’s one of those places you’d find a bench to just sit to hear your own thoughts. It’s a place for reflection.
Tina Fey's character in 30 Rock, Liz Lemon, lives on Riverside Drive, where this park is located.
The Dakota: This is the apartment building the late John Lennon, former Beatle, lived and where he was shot in 1980. It is located on West 72nd Street and Central Park West. Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, still lives there. Across the road in Central Park is the memorial dedicated to Lennon called Strawberry Fields, named after The Beatles song. The memorial was opened on October 9, 1985 by Ono and then New York City mayor Ed Koch. This date would have been Lennon’s 45th birthday.
The next post will be Part Two!
The Globe Trotter Occasionally 