Overtourism, it's not just for Venice anymore

[MARC Rider]

Went up to New York the other day. Mainly to get out of the house after the cold weather, but this wasn't another try at flânerie. My goal was to check out the Christmas decorations and get a good pastrami sandwich. I also hiked the High Line, and went to the Strand Book Store. A little over 6 miles of walking, all on foot, except that I rode the subway back from Union Square, as I was starting to get tired. What I found was ... crowds!! I mean, it was like pre-pandemic times, maybe even more. Of course, it's still the holiday season and people probably weren't able to get out much during the nasty weather we had last week. I would say that 7th and 8th Avenues between Penn Station and Times Square, plus 5th Ave between 42nd and 59th Sts were unpleasantly (to my taste) crowded. I had my mask on the whole walk up those streets, plus the detour I took through Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas Tree. The real surprise was the High Line. It was really pretty crowded, despite the chilly weather. The cross streets weren't really too crowded, but I did see some long lines to get into some restaurants. (They must have been serving something really special at Ichiran Ramen on 49th St. The line went all the way down the block to 7th Ave. I don't know whether New York is going to be the next Venice or Barcelona with the overtourism, but the next time, I'm planning to avoid midtown.

I rode the Acela both ways, and the Amtrak part was delightful. Both trains (2152 northbound and 2167 return) were on time. They seem to have cut the travel time a bit, the rides were 2:15 between Baltimore and New York. It wasn't too long ago that the Acelas were taking almost 2 and a half hours for this trip. It might have helped that some stops were skipped; 2152 doesn't stop in Trenton, and 2167 is nonstop between New York and Philadelphia. I did notice the 150 mph (well, more like 148 on my GPS app) running through central New Jersey, and there was a good bit of 135 mph running in northeastern Maryland, but maybe the Acela has always run that fast through that route. We were on time even though 2152 stopped dead in the tracks in Northeast Philadelphia and needed to be rebooted. I took first class both ways, using an upgrade coupon for the northbound and points for the southbound. The fares are pretty stiff, but it is holiday season. The first class section was only about half full on the way up, not surprising for a train that leaves Washington at 6 AM, but it was close to full when we left New York for the ride home.

While I was waiting at Baltimore, I noticed that the MARC train frequency has been significantly upgraded, with 15-minute headways 6:15, 6:30, 6:45, 7:00, 7:15. It didn't look like there were crowds rushing for the trains when they were announced, but there must be some revival of commuter traffic.



Breakfast on the Acela was "stuffed French Toast." Stuffed with baked apple slices. The little bowl on the left is maple syrup, and I think it might have been real maple syrup.


Dawn over the mouth of the Susquehanna River and upper Chesapeake Bay at Perryville.

Upon arrival at Penn Station, I went to the Metropolitan Lounge, got another cup of coffee and a cup of fruit salad to complement my on-train breakfast. Then I went down and check out the progress on the Moynihan Food Court. Looks like Pastrami Queen is going to be opening a location there, so travelers won't have to scurry around the city looking for Jewish deli.

I then went underground to check on the progress of the construction on the LIRR concourse.



They're making progress. Looking forward to the return of the stores and eateries. It should be noted that the entire block east of Madison Square Garden is a construction zone, presumably they're really starting to work on the new Penn Station.

Up the new escalator that dumps you out on 7th Ave. and 33rd. St. I went up to 34th, thinking I might check out the original Macy's, but it was only 9:30, and the store doesn't open until 10. So I went up Broadway to 42nd St., then over 42nd St. to Bryant Park and checked out the Winter Market and ice rink.


It was nice, but I think the one we have in Baltimore is a little more cheesy Germanic than this more sophisticated version. But they did have a stand that sold raclette. Plus the usual hot cocoa,, etc.

Back on 42nd St., I stopped by a branch of my bank to deposit a check and then went to check out Grand Central Terminal. Right outside, I saw this:



I'm not sure what was going on. I did hear the priest and members of the procession say what seemed to be the "Hail Mary" prayer (in English) repeatedly.

Into Grand Central, it was sure a lot busier than it was the last time I was there, which was in April 2021.





Now that's my kind of train station, one that has "Tracks 100 to 117."

-stay tuned.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

You aren't the first person noticing the crowds in NYC over the holidays - even last week I was seeing comments about it, especially around Rockefeller Center, etc.

I realized that we now have two Christkindlmarkt's in Chicago now - one in the loop and one up in Lakeview!

 

[MARC Rider]

Down in the Grand Central food court, it looks like most everything has reopened, including the oyster bar, so a trip this June for some fresh Holland Herring might be a possibility.


Looks like we'll be accessing the new LIRR service to Grand Central from the food court. And I like seeing "tracks 201-304." By now I realized that there aren't really hundreds of tracks at the station, they're indicating the track levels. The long Island concourse will be having 2 track levels in addition to the current 2 levels of Metro North tracks. You can see this displayed very well at an exhibit at the MTA transit Museum annex upstairs.


That's some pretty impressive construction, and it's 140 feet below street level.

Out of the station, back to 5th Avenue. Let's check out the Christmas decorations.



Sak's 5th Av., with the now uncommon downtown store holiday display windows. All sorts of lights and kinetic displays.

Cartier, and one of their offerings for sale in the display window. No price, of course. If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it.


I walked up to 59th St., up by the Plaza Hotel where I read they had the world's largest Hanukkah menorah. Alas, Hanukkah ended Monday evening, and they had wasted no time in taking it down. At least there were still some nice holiday lights still up. Notice the scaffolding at the Plaza Hotel in the background. It seems that the whole city is under reconstruction. Scaffolding all over the place. At least, unlike Washington, they manage to set it up without closing the sidewalks, but, unfortunately a lot of the architecture is hidden.



Finally, the iconic Rockefeller Center ice rink and Christmas tree. And by 5th Avenue, one can see what's left of the British Empire. And it's in New York, USA, of all places.

I had to push through crowds to get the view of the ice rink, and now I was ready for lunch, so I headed over to 7th Avenue, and down to 38th St. to Ben's Deli, complete with brusque NY-stye waiters. I was seated immediately, but soon after, a crowd and line developed. I had my usual pastrami on rye (very good) with the complementary pickles (one half sour, one "well done") all washed down with Dr. Browns Cel-Ray. I had visited here last February, and the price for the pastrami sandwich is still $15.99, but I think they dealt with the inflation over the past year by putting a little less meat on it. It was still a good bit, enough to trigger my TMJ when I opened my mouth to take a bite. The only discordant note on the experience was that the waiter seemed to have forgotten about me, even long after I finished my food, which seems weird, given they had a line out the door, and one might think they would have wanted an empty table. In any event, the manager gave me my check, and I paid and was back on the street at about 1 PM, ready for my afternoon adventures...

-stay tuned

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I’m guessing the procession was maybe Ukrainians praying for Ukraine. Just a guess based on the people.

Trackwork south of Newark, DE ended not long ago which might account for you faster trip.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

That sure is some impressive tunneling there!

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Beautiful picture of the river and bay in early morning.

I agree that more people are traveling again, but New York City has always been crowded, so not sure it’s the best example of the change.

For example, more than 50 years ago, I was with a friend window shopping there, and an old man had fallen on the crowded sidewalk. Nobody helped him—they just walked over him—not even around him. My friend and I tried to reach him but were pushed back ourselves.

(On the bus home, my friend was crying because we couldn’t reach him to help him up. I didn’t cry—but I vowed that I would never go back there or spend my tourist money there—a promise I’ve kept for 50 years, with one exception—the AU gathering.)

And I think the surroundings make a difference in whether a city feels crowded. I loved Grand Central Station when we were there at the Gathering—it felt very peaceful and calm—perhaps the architecture itself has something to do with that.

 

[Northwestern]

Great photos, MARC Rider! Just curious, did you use a smart phone camera or a "real camera"? With regard to the maple syrup on the Acela, it would be interesting to know if it was real maple syrup. I think VIA trains may serve real Canadian maple syrup, but I'm not sure.

 

[joelkfla]

Great photos, MARC Rider! Just curious, did you use a smart phone camera or a "real camera"? With regard to the maple syrup on the Acela, it would be interesting to know if it was real maple syrup. I think VIA trains may serve real Canadian maple syrup, but I'm not sure.

I think it's very unlikely that Amtrak is serving genuine maple syrup. It certainly wasn't at Flex breakfast on the Silvers.

VIA did on the Canadian back in 2018.

 

[MARC Rider]

Great photos, MARC Rider! Just curious, did you use a smart phone camera or a "real camera"? With regard to the maple syrup on the Acela, it would be interesting to know if it was real maple syrup. I think VIA trains may serve real Canadian maple syrup, but I'm not sure.

I used both kinds of cameras. My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S21 that takes 3000 x 4000 72 dpi images. My camera is a Panasonic Lumix DMC GX85 that takes 3232 x 2160 180 dpi images. I had the camera in my backpack while riding the train and didn't take it out until I was in Grand Central Station. I put it in my coat pocket while I was eating lunch, and when it wasn't readily available, I just took out my phone and took pictures.

I think it's very unlikely that Amtrak is serving genuine maple syrup. It certainly wasn't at Flex breakfast on the Silvers.

VIA did on the Canadian back in 2018.

Yeah, I looked at my (somewhat blurry, out of focus) photo of the menu cars, and it's described as simply "syrup." One would think if it was 100% maple syrup, they'd make a point to say it. But it was pretty good syrup with a distinct maple flavor, far better quality than a lot of the pancake syrup served in most restaurants. In fact, I've only ever gotten real 100% maple syrup in restaurants at a few places in Vermont during the 1990s.

 

[MARC Rider]

After stopping at a CVS at 34th and 8th Ave to get a pair of sunglasses (my old pair broke) and some pain relief patches for my arthritic neck, I headed west towards Hudson Yards. The plan was to access the High Line entrance on 34th St. west of 11th Avenue so that I could see the "new" extension, get a good view of the yards and the river. This required running the gauntlet of the taxpayer funded Megabus terminal (aka the sidewalk) and the crowds of people lined up to board for Washington and Boston, as well of the crowds of people who just got off the bus and were looking for their luggage.



Here's the competition for the Northeast Regional and Acela. It might be cheaper, but I think I'd prefer being able to wait at the Moynihan Train Hall, or even the old Penn Station, for that matter. It must really be fun when it rains or snows.

I found that the High Line entrance on 34th St. is still closed. The sign says that they're "rehabilitating" the walkway and plantings, and that they plan to reopen in the summer of 2023. Whatever. I'll believe it when I see it. So I had to run the Megabus gauntlet again and head down 11th Av. to 30th St., where I was able to climb up to the path, which is a rehabbed former elevated freight railway, and now well-known linear park.



On the way, I passed by "Vessel," a controversial sculpture thing, a fancy "visitor attraction" that has been indefinitely closed due to the fact that it attracted suicides.


...And here is the northern terminus of the current High Line Park, with the LIRR Hudson Yards off to the right.


Fairly busy for a crowded winter day.

I climbed down from the trail at 16th St. and walked east to Union Square. The farmers' market was still operating, but the Christmas market must have been installed by the same guys who put up the world's largest Hanukkah menorah up at 59th St., as the market was closed and workmen were busy disassembling the booths. I found Broadway though the jumble of construction and headed the two blocks to the Strand.

Again, another busy place, it was crowded enough that it was a bit hard to get into some of the aisles, which are pretty narrow to begin with. The shelves are so high that the books on the upper ones are not accessible, except by ladder, which I wasn't comfortable doing. Alas, some of the authors I was looking for were shelved in the upper shelves, and the places was crowded enough that I didn't want to bother a salesclerk to help me browse for stuff they may or may not have had in stock. I did find a boo on bureaucracy by David Graeber that looked interesting and bought that.

By the time I left, it was well after 3 PM, and my train home was at 5. I was tired enough after 6+ miles of walking that I decided to take the subway back to Penn Station, or at least somewhere nearby. I rode the N train from Union Square to Herald Square. My senior metrocard worked fine. It expires next year (end of December 2023), I'm not sure how I'll go about replacing it. I also need to find my online account and change my credit card number for the automatic replenishment, as I was using the old BOA credit card that is no more.

On the street at Herlad Square, I walked down the block to the 32nd St. Entrance to Penn Station, obscured by the scaffolding for all the construction work going on. Down the hatch to check out the old Penn Station.



Here's the corridor under 32nd St. in the NJT section. I passed through here about the same time of day on September 2020, and it was deserted. It's sort of nice to see the crowds back.


Penn Station has its own Christmas tree, but no Hanukkah menorah. And this is the city with the largest Jewish population in the world, even larger than Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.

Rather than go back down to the LIRR level to access Moynihan, I went up to the street and crossed 8th Ave. Once inside, I went up the escalator to the Metroplitan Lounge where I used my AGR car rather than my ticket to gain access. The lounge attendant didn't ask me what train I was taking, but he did enter my AGR number into his phone, so I guess they were able to check to see whether I had a ticket. After being let loose in the lounge, I got a cold drink and sat out on the balcony to wait for my train.


There's a cattle line of passengers waiting to board.

Finally, they call our train, and we assemble by the escalators. We're escorted downstairs in a classic "kindergarten line," which seems to be how they decided to ensure preboarding. This isn't as obnoxious as it seems, and we are allowed use the escalators before the rest of the passengers, who are all lined up. We find our train down on the platform, and into car 1 I go.

As I mentioned, the car is pretty full, but I have a single seat waiting for me. I've noticed over the past few years that there seem to be more people riding through New York than there used to be. We don't have to wait too long before the train starts up and we're on our way.

This time of year, there's still a bit of light at 5 (or rather 5:15) as we emerge into New Jersey, but it soon turns dark, so the scenery for the ride home is mostly various displays of city lights and not much else.



Dinner is the stuffed chicken breast with pasta. It was OK, but not the best Acela meal I've had. But between the nice pour of Woodford Reserve bourbon and a Bailey's and coffee, I didn't mind too much. All was served and consumed by the time we got to Philadelphia, so I had over an hour to let my body process the stuff to ensure my BAC was within legal driving limits.

The rest of the ride through the dark was uneventful, and we arrived in Baltimore on time.



On the way out, I passed by the Christmas tree at Baltimore's Penn Station. Not quite as elaborate as the one in New York, but notice that little old Baltimore, even if it's not the largest Jewish city in the world, does have a Hanukkah menorah displayed.

Paid for my parking, found my car, out of the garage, on to the expressway, and after a short drive, I was home. My last Amtrak trip for 2022. My first one of 2023 will be on Jan. 8 to attend the TRB meeting in Washington.

I wish everyone on AU a Happy New Year and hope your Amtrak riding in the coming year is full of success and enjoyment.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

A happy new year to you, too! Thank you for the wonderful and detailed trip reports you’ve taken the time and effort to provide for us.

 

[BlackDiamond]

Thanks for your trip report interesting as always.

The procession you saw near Grand Central may have been for Our Lady of Guadalupe. Where you there on Dec. 12 which is the day that apparition is celebrated? The apparition in the 16th century is considered a key factor in the conversion of Central America to Christianity.

The High Line is cool. I walked it back in 2010 when I was in New York for a Transit Museum nostalgia trip with the R1/9 fleet. I remember riding back on the 8th Ave IND on an R32 train my one and only experience on them.

 

[Bob Dylan]

As usual a nice trip and report, thanks for sharing!( I think most old timers on AU know that NYC is my favorite Big US City).

I'm envious that you're so close to all the great places in the Northeast, but don't miss the Winters!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Thanks for your trip report interesting as always.

The procession you saw near Grand Central may have been for Our Lady of Guadalupe. Where you there on Dec. 12 which is the day that apparition is celebrated? The apparition in the 16th century is considered a key factor in the conversion of Central America to Christianity.

The High Line is cool. I walked it back in 2010 when I was in New York for a Transit Museum nostalgia trip with the R1/9 fleet. I remember riding back on the 8th Ave IND on an R32 train my one and only experience on them.

He was there well after Dec 12th, which is why I didn't bring up Our Lady of Guadalupe. Plus the people in the procession did not look Hispanic. That's why I thought it might be a Ukrainian church praying for Ukraine.

 

[Bob Dylan]

He was there well after Dec 12th, which is why I didn't bring up Our Lady of Guadalupe. Plus the people in the procession did not look Hispanic. That's why I thought it might be a Ukrainian church praying for Ukraine.

Definitely not Mexican, so Our Lady of Guadalupe isn't involved as you said.

The people's dress makes me think Eastern European, so Ukraine is a good guess IMO!

 

[Chellerz]

Beautiful picture of the river and bay in early morning.

I agree that more people are traveling again, but New York City has always been crowded, so not sure it’s the best example of the change.

For example, more than 50 years ago, I was with a friend window shopping there, and an old man had fallen on the crowded sidewalk. Nobody helped him—they just walked over him—not even around him. My friend and I tried to reach him but were pushed back ourselves.

(On the bus home, my friend was crying because we couldn’t reach him to help him up. I didn’t cry—but I vowed that I would never go back there or spend my tourist money there—a promise I’ve kept for 50 years, with one exception—the AU gathering.)

And I think the surroundings make a difference in whether a city feels crowded. I loved Grand Central Station when we were there at the Gathering—it felt very peaceful and calm—perhaps the architecture itself has something to do with that.

It's too bad that you would let that negative experience with a handful of people 50 years ago prevent you from getting to know one of the great cities of the world. I don't know what happened 50 years ago but I can't imagine such a thing happening today, nor have I ever seen something like that happen in all my years living here.

NYC was an empty shell of itself for the last 2 holiday seasons and I'm thrilled that the crowds are back! Now I can go back to my New Yorker habit of avoiding the crowds.

 

[Old MM]

Great TR as always, thanks for sharing, and love your photography too!

 

[Willbridge]

Great TR as always, thanks for sharing, and love your photography too!

Yes, I enjoyed your text and the pix. I noted that you used a Panasonic Lumix DMC. I have been using a different model in the DMC series since 2010 and am very satisfied with it. The Zeiss lens is an asset that is overlooked by a lot of people. That unremarked quality and being able to carry it in a coat pocket are handy features when transportation scenes are in iffy areas. (My avatar photo was shot with that camera.)

 

[Septa9739]

The procession picture is of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR’s). The image is Our Lady of Guadalupe. I believe they have a practice of walking through the city every so often praying the Rosary for the needs of the city and engaging with people on the street, usually the homeless.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The procession picture is of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR’s). The image is Our Lady of Guadalupe. I believe they have a practice of walking through the city every so often praying the Rosary for the needs of the city and engaging with people on the street, usually the homeless.

Thanks for the Info! The Friars don't look like Mexicans, so why the Our Lady of Guadalupe Banner?

 

[Septa9739]

I believe Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of their congregation. I know at least one of the founders was of great devotion to Our Lady under that particular title. The congregation definitely isn’t Mexican. They started off of 3rd Ave. in the South Bronx and most of their friaries are in NY or NJ. Only relatively recently have they founded houses in South America. It’s also important to remember that Pope Pius XII declared Our Lady of Guadalupe “Patroness of the Americas,” so it really isn’t all that strange for modern non-Hispanic Catholic institutions in the US to have some considerable devotion to La Guadalupana. E.g. Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, NE is the English-speaking seminary of a particular community, despite having few Hispanic seminarians.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I believe Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of their congregation. I know at least one of the founders was of great devotion to Our Lady under that particular title. The congregation definitely isn’t Mexican. They started off of 3rd Ave. in the South Bronx and most of their friaries are in NY or NJ. Only relatively recently have they founded houses in South America. It’s also important to remember that Pope Pius XII declared Our Lady of Guadalupe “Patroness of the Americas,” so it really isn’t all that strange for modern non-Hispanic Catholic institutions in the US to have some considerable devotion to La Guadalupana. E.g. Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, NE is the English-speaking seminary of a particular community, despite having few Hispanic seminarians.

Thanks for the Info!