MANHATTAN!!!

After parking next to the Julliard School of Fine Arts, we crossed the street and this is the first thing we saw.  Beautiful and serene. We have been sheltered and are now becoming cultured and educated to the finer way of life.  This is part of Lincoln Square.  As we walked a little farther we came upon the opera house.  WOW

 This is the Metropolitan Opera in Lincoln Square.  There were tons of chairs set out so people can sit outside in the cool of the night and watch the performance on the huge screen.  We passed this later that night and it was filled!!

This beautiful fountain is in the same plaza.  As you are facing the chairs, you turn around and there is the fountain.

I do NOT know what happened to Angle Moroni cuz in our picture he is there but this is the Manhattan Temple!!  The tall building to the left also belongs to the church.  This is across the street and about a half a block from Lincoln Square.

Our personal guides were the Molano's,  They did all the driving and scheduling.  We arrived ahead of our temple appointment so we stopped for a delightful little brunch that was next to the temple.  Sidewalk cafes are everywhere and the service and food is usually wonderful.

This is a view of 5th Avenue with CNN in the center.  We loved all the busyness and lots of vendors with their colorful carts selling everything from hot dogs to hats to scarves etc. 

Fun vendors with lots of "stuff" and food!

Another shot of 5th Avenue with their bike trails.

Entrance to Central Park on the South end.  This is the Maine Monument to remember 266 seamen who perished in the American battleship Maine by fate in 1898.  
Too many other things to see and have to move on!

Enough walking, we finally got a ride of our lives in a cab.  While in the cab we drove by the Washington Square Arch. SOO MUCH HISTORY!!  We found out that the lines indicating lanes on a road are optional WOW, WOW, WOW!!!

This is the NEW replacement of the twin tower.  It wasn't open or completed yet but it was beautiful and looks down on the Twin Pools.

The Twin Pools are much more impressive in person than in pictures  Very impressive!

The museum starts out as a single floor building but progresses down below the ground six stories.  Each level had an abundance of memorabilia.  This was a enlarged photo.

This is what is left of the the only huge antenna on top of one of the towers.

Another view of the fire truck.  

This was one of the long ladder fire trucks.  

This diagram show what level we were on.  One can see the cement walls with huge bolts.  Compare the person standing on the right.  We did make it all the way to the bottom where the footing were still in the ground. 

It was all very interesting and we have a lot more pictures but toward the end it got a little depressing to think of so many lives that were lost here.  

After leaving, we met up with Kimberly's brother and his "partner" at a wonderful Mexican restaurant, Rosa Mexicana.  It was across the street from Lincoln Center.   We were all starving and the food was INCREDIBLE.

Kendall (on the right) is Kimberly's brother and is on the staff at the Julliard School of Fine Arts.  He teaches and composes.  Louis has something to do with "Lion King".  This is a million dollar apartment that was GIVEN to Kendall by a crazy wealthy older lady that really likes him.  Liked him enough that she also gave him another one that he uses as a studio to compose his music in.  The monkeys match the chandelier over the bed.  Very unique.

This is a  secret private garden in the complex where Kendall lives that is gorgeous!  There is a fountain and decorative benches.  It was so quiet and peaceful.

The garden was between two apartment complexes where only the occupants could get to it.