chuckography

NYC ...Soaring over the East River!

 So, you've seen the view from the top of the Empire State building.

Or been on the 70th floor at "Top Of The Rock."

Guess you've seen it all from above in New York City.

Hey, not so fast. There's the RIAT.

That's the Roosevelt Island Aerial Tram.

It wil whisk you up, up and away over and above the famed East River.

I think of trams like this at ski resorts but it's June in The City and we tourists are all about getting lots of views.

The Tramway Plaza is at East 60th and the foot of the Queensborough Bridge.

Lots of small children in the "car" when I soared up on cables.

We all were heading past the Queensborough which, I noticed, has two layers of auto traffic.

Hey, when you build a bridge, get the most out of it that you can.

When I walked the Brooklyn Bridge, I was surprised to see it had a wooden pedestrian deck.

Actually, I had seen the green gecko in the GEICO television insurance ads, walking along, talking while dodging bikers and walkers.

It was a quiet day on the East River.

Saw a tour boat come under the bridge while we looked down as we sailed overhead.

Bet the tourists craned their necks and took pictures of us. I would have.

Didn't realize until later that the glass all around us was great for viewing but also reflected back and I had to be careful which photo I selected to visually share the adventure.

You can get to Roosevelt Island by bus and, I suppose, by subway. But why would you?

Walked around, stopped at the Visitors Center and a nice New Yorker told us where to get a cup of coffee and a sandwich.

Both were good and the place was not crowded at all.

The ride back was also delightful.

Here's a link to a video a person put together to share the sights he or she saw. Did a lot of additional shooting as "cut-ins" showing different points of view. Very well done.

Be sure to make a note to take the tram during your next visit to NYC. It's a nice offbeat trip.

Another "different" experience is around the corner from the Ed Sullivan Theater where I saw the Late Show with David Letterman.

"Rupert G." was behind the counter at his  Hello Deli that Dave likes to have pop up on his show.

He was kind enough to pose for this picture so I felt obligated to buy something.

He is bagging the dark blue t-shirt I bought. It's like the one displayed on the wall.

I did not realize until now his name is Rupert Jee.

(Click on the photos for more details.)

Thanks for tagging along today.

Well, J-E-E is pronounced Gee.

Labels: East 60th, East River, Empire State Building, GEICO gecko, Hello Deli, Queensborough Bridge, RIAT, Roosevelt Island Aerial Tram, Rupert Jee, Top of the Rock Observation decks, Tramway Plaza

posted by chuckography @ 2:39 PM