Pastrami run to the New York World's Fair

[MARC Rider]

I decided to make a day run up to the Big Apple mainly to use one of my upgrade coupons that are going to expire next week. As it turned out, I was only able to use one of them, but I'm going to use the other one on my Boston trip next week (up for the resumed annual ski trip to Maine), so I'll only be flushing one unused on down the toilet this year.

I had to go up on Monday, which happened to be Washington's Birthday. That wasn't my first choice, because some stuff was closed, the train schedules are reduced, and lots of people out and about, but the weather was perfect for February: Sunny and temperatures in the 50s. And the rest of the week is going to be rainy and "wintry mix" here in the Northeast. I also decided to do this on the spur of the moment and made my rezzies the day before the trip. Talk about sticker shock. Ouch. On the other hand, it's not like I have to save money for my retirement anymore, and you can't take it with you anyway. Also, I think I scored close to a thousand AGR TQP for the trip, which puts me on the way to getting Select Plus for 2023.

When I fired up the App, it seemed that the first train of the day left Baltimore at 7 AM. This was odd, as even under the reduced covid schedules, they have trains at 5:30 and maybe 6:30 ish, too. I wonder whether the app just omits trains when they get completely sold out. The first Acela wasn't until 9:30 or so, and I wanted to arrive well before lunch time. They seem to be running trains between New York and Washington hourly, but they alternate between a Northeast Regional and an Acela. In any event, I took the 7 AM Northeast Regional. Business class was sold out, and I had to buy a high-bucket "flexible" coach fare for $176. (!) Like I said, "ouch." It was also indicated that the train was "90% full," though the ride didn't seem that bad. My trip home was on the 5 PM Acela, a "value" ticket at $252. I then immediately used my coupon to upgrade to First class, and then changed from the bulkhead seat with no recline that the computer assigned me to one of a pair of since seats facing a table. The first class fare for this trip was $400, so the upgrade coupon was worth $150 to me.

With that, I was up early and off to the station. The parking garage didn't seem too full, I got a nice spot near the stairs, but when I got into the station, it was as crowded as I've seen it in a long time. The train came in on time, and I headed to the first car, up front and, despite the "90% full" business, had no trouble getting a pair of seats to myself. Furthermore, even after Wilmington and Philadelphia, depite a bunch of people boarding, I didn't have a seatmate the whole trip.

First, off to the cafe car for breakfast.


And egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwich, coffee, and, glory be, the fresh cut fruit is back on the cafe menu. The cafe attendant also took the sandwich out of the wrapper and toasted or microwaved it so that it wasn't a messy cheese bomb with most of the cheese sticking to the wrapping.

Here's a couple of shots of the Penn Coach Yard just outside 30th St. Station. A couple of the new Acelas and some PVs were parked there.




Also, notice the freight train running on the High Line. Despite the fact that the High Line was originally built to allow PRR freight trains to bypass 30th St. Station, it has since been completely disconnected from the Northeast Corridor and is now run by CSX to provide rail access to the Port of Philadelphia and the old B&O line.

The train rolled up to New York with no delays, stopping at Aberdeen, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, Metropark, Newark, and New York. We were pretty full even if I didn't have to share my seat, and had a full 8-car consist. I walked to the rear of the train and went up the escalator in Moynihan. It seems like it was a little busier than it was last time I was there, and the food court is now open, though most of the actual eateries aren't yet in operation.

My goal for this trip: to ride the number 7 subway train for the views of Sunnyside Yards and check out the site of the 1939 and 1964 World's Fair, featured in the movie "Men in Black." Also, Pastrami.

To be continued.

 

[MARC Rider]

So the plan was to ride up from Moynihan on the 8th Ave. Subway (A/C/E) to Times Square, and then transfer to the 7. But, lo and behold, the 8th Ave. Station was closed up tight. They had no signs explaining what was happening, but they had several MTA employees telling everyone to go over to the 7th Ave. train (1/2/3), ride up to Times Square, and transfer back to the 8th Ave line. Which is what I did, though it unfortunately required walking through the construction site otherwise known as the Long Island Railroad concourse. According to the pictures they're showing, it will look really nice when it's done, I hope that happens while I'm still alive.

Anyway, here's the 7 train at Times Square.



And off we went. After Hunterspoint Ave., the train emerges from the tunnels and runs as an elevated all the way out to Flushing. You get quite a nice tour of Queens.

Here's some LIRR facilities.



Here's a view from the Queensboro Plaza stop. In any other American city, this would be a major downtown district, but here in New York, it's just another local outlying neighborhood.



Here are a couple of views of Sunnyside Yards.








Finally, after a 40 minute ride, we arrived at the Mets-Willets Point station. Most of the obvious entrances and exits are only used when there's a game at Citi Field, so it was a little confusing figuring out the maze to get out. Then there was a large boardwalk crossing of the subway yard and the LIRR Port Washington Branch before you got into the park.

Here's the subway yard.



Here's a view back toward beautiful downtown Flushing, showing a 7 train approaching Mets-Willet's Point.




Stay tuned. More to come.

 

[Dakota 400]

You write very interesting reports and your pictures are very good. Thank you for your efforts.

 

[MARC Rider]

I actually attended the World's Fair in 1964. We drove up for the day from Philadelphia. I don't remember much of the drive, except for the traffic jams on the New Jersey Turnpike and Bornx-Whitestone Bridge, and the fact that our car had no air conditioning, and it was a hot summer day. I remember seeing Michealangelo's Pieta at the Vatican Pavilion, the Futurama at the GM pavilion, a ride across the fairgrounds on a gondola, and enjoyed a Belgian Waffle, which was a new thing in the US in 1964. Then I came down with something on the way home. (Heck, I was probably coming down with it all day, and probably unknowingly passed it on to other fair goers.

Almost all of that's gone now, there are a few remnants in what is now a large city park.



This is the "Unisphere" a stainless tell globe that was the symbol of the fair.



This is The "Rocket Thrower," another iconic sculpture from the fair, although today we might not appreciate the symbolism of someone throwing a rocket into the flight path of planes taking off from nearby LaGuardia Airport. The airplane noise is one of the downsides of walking around the park.



What remains of the New York State Pavilion (it looks like they may be restoring it). As featured in the 1997 film "Men in Balck."

Jay: So these are real flying saucers, and the World's Fair was a cover-up for their landing?
Kay: Why else hold it in Queens?

By this time, I was getting hungry and ready for lunch. If I had paid studied Google maps a bit more, I would have discovered that downtown Flushing, only a stop away on the subway, was New York's second Chinatown, with a wide variety of Chinese regional and Asian cuisine. But I didn't know, and I was hot on getting a pastrami sandwich, so I sat down on a bench to plot my trip back to Manhattan.

I had thought of using the LIRR, as the ride is much faster than the subway. However, the MTA app seemed to suggest that there was no service. This was confusing, so I downloaded the pdf timetable, and, indeed, that suggested that there was no service on the Port Washington Line on Saturdays, and this being Washington's Birthday, the trains were running Saturday service. The only problem with this was that I distinctly remembered seeing departures for Port Washington posted on the departure board at Moynihan that morning. The actual LIRR station at Mets-Willet's Point looked like a ghost town, and the only signs posted were those admonishing people to wear masks and practice social distancing. It was pretty easy to practice social distancing at that deserted station. In the end, I went back to the Subway, as I knew that was running. The train back to Manhattan was more crowded than the train out. Pretty much everybody was wearing masks. I also noticed that there was a lot of people riding to and from stations within Queens. Just like most of the riders on Amtrak long-distance trains don't travel the long distances, most of the New York subway riders aren't necessarily riding into Manhattan.

I got off the train at Times Square and headed down 7th Avenue to my destination, Ben's Deli. This is the fourth New York deli in New York I've sampled (previously, the 2nd Ave. Deli, Liebman's Deli in Riverdale the Bronx, and Katz's in the Lower East Side). Ben's has six locations, including one in Boca Raton, Florida. It's certified kosher, but under the rabbis of the Conservative movement of Judaism, which is not as strict as the orthodox. However, the differences don't affect the nature or quality of the food being served. Given that I belong to a synagogue that's affiliated with Conservative Judaism, I appreciated being able to drop some money supporting a business that supports my brand of religion. The food was pretty good, too.



It's located on 38th St., just west of 7th Avenue. Founded in 1972, it has a nice classic deli vibe.



And here's the sandwich. All the pickles and cole slaw you want. The pastrami was good, but not the best I've head; on the other hand, the sandwich cost $15.50, as opposed to the $20+ pastrami sandwiches being sold in the other places. I have to say the best deal is still Loeb's in Washington, DC, where the straight pastrami sandwich is still right around $10. But, as I said, this was still pretty good.

Now it was time to walk it off. I did that by taking a hike from 38th and 7th avenue to 12th and Broadway to check out the Strand Book Store, one of my regular Manhattan stops.



On the way, I must have passed 3 or 4 streetside Covid testing sites, but this one in the bus was the most unusual. I also passed by a few cannabis stores, but refrained from making any purchases, as I would have been breaking the law about halfway through the Hudson River Tunnel.



Finally, near my destination as I passed by Union Square, which had a big crowded farmer's market open. The Strand was also pretty crowded, as least compared to my last visit. I found a couple of books, and then off on my way back to Penn Station and my Acela ride home.

To be continued.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Interesting report thanks for posting.

Years ago on a visit to my company's 7th Avenue office we stopped at Ben's Deli. I remember you could get a hamburger but not a cheeseburger because they kept kosher. I settled for the Pastrami which was very good.

 

[PVD]

For a number of years I worked out of 34th st, and then 35th for a few years, so went up there every few weeks. Now I drive up to the Bayside location, which actually charges less. Pastrami Queen is another favorite, reminiscent of the Pastrami King on Queens Blvd.

 

[Dakota 400]

I remember seeing Michealangelo's Pieta at the Vatican Pavilion, the Futurama at the GM pavilion

I remember seeing those, too. Most striking was how the Pieta was presented. Many years later, when I saw the Pieta at St. Peter's, behind a plexiglass shield, the sculpture seemed less impressive.

 

[joelkfla]

I remember seeing those, too. Most striking was how the Pieta was presented. Many years later, when I saw the Pieta at St. Peter's, behind a plexiglass shield, the sculpture seemed less impressive.

No love for Walt Disney's pavilions? Pepsi's "It's a small World", Ford's "Magic Skyway", GE's "Progressland", and the State of Illinois' "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln". The latter 3 were Disney's first examples of full-motion animatronics. Updated versions of all 4 still operate in WDW or Disneyland.

I especially loved GE's "Progressland", now "Carousel of Progress". The stage stands still, and the audience rotates around it to different scenes, along with the entire building. I remember standing in line at a pavilion across the way, when my father exclaimed, "That building just moved!" Of course, we all saw it move, but we told my father he was crazy just to needle him.

And then there was IBM's "People Wall", wherein the audience was seated in a huge grandstand which rose up into a giant Selectric Typewriter "typeball" for a multi-media presentation about IT. While waiting in line, we were serenaded by a folk group singing, "Oh, we are marching to the People Wall", to the tune of Marching to Pretoria.

 

[Dakota 400]

No love for Walt Disney's pavilions? Pepsi's "It's a small World", Ford's "Magic Skyway", GE's "Progressland", and the State of Illinois' "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln". The latter 3 were Disney's first examples of full-motion animatronics. Updated versions of all 4 still operate in WDW or Disneyland.

I especially loved GE's "Progressland", now "Carousel of Progress". The stage stands still, and the audience rotates around it to different scenes, along with the entire building. I remember standing in line at a pavilion across the way, when my father exclaimed, "That building just moved!" Of course, we all saw it move, but we told my father he was crazy just to needle him.

And then there was IBM's "People Wall", wherein the audience was seated in a huge grandstand which rose up into a giant Selectric Typewriter "typeball" for a multi-media presentation about IT. While waiting in line, we were serenaded by a folk group singing, "Oh, we are marching to the People Wall", to the tune of Marching to Pretoria.

You are remembering more than I am! Some of the exhibits that you mention just barely strike a cord in my memory. The Fair was so huge. My family only attended it one day. Riding the subway to get there was a "biggie" for me, I do remember. For a young person, lots of sensory overload!

 

[PVD]

My Pieta story. Since it was never shipped to another country, incredible precautions were taken. It was sent over on the Italian liner Cristoforo Columbo, sister ship to the Andrea Doria, and as a precaution against the ship sinking, a special shipping container was devised, that would protect it and stay afloat. Exact duplicates were fabricated to test the containers. All were destroyed except one, which was gifted to Bishop McEntagert of the (host) Brooklyn Diocese, and to this day it resides in Douglaston at the Immaculate Conception Center. Bishop McEntagert was also given the "personal title" of Archbishop,

 

[flitcraft]

I remember going to the '64 Worlds Fair from central Pennsylvania myself. My dad had been given tickets by someone he worked with, and it was a surprise to us kids, who were awakened in the middle of the night to get dressed and go. I remember getting to the World's Fair about when it opened, and staying till it was well and truly dark. I had a small allowance to spend and spent it all on gumball-type machines filled with foreign coins.

Many years later I went to the New Orleans World's Fair and then not long after that, having moved back to Seattle, to the Vancouver World's Fair. But by then, the whole idea of World's Fairs seemed anachronistic, so for me, the '64 World's Fair is what I think of when I think of World's Fairs. I think they may still be holding them--they definitely had one In Shanghai some time back when I was there--but the idea of a window onto an exciting future is one that seems of a different age.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I have been to 3 World Fairs in my life, the '64 New York Fair, the '68 Hemisphere in San Antonio and the '86 Expo in Vancouver for which the Sky Train,BC Place and Canada Place were built.( and of course have visited the Seattle Site of the '62 Fair with the Monorail and the Space Needle being the Major sites that are still heavily visited)

Good memories all !

 

[JeanA]

My family attended the '64 fair - I was 2-1/2 yrs old and still have some very vivid memories of that trip. All those photos above are my backyard . Thanks for the trip report!

 

[MARC Rider]

Pastrami Queen is another favorite, reminiscent of the Pastrami King on Queens Blvd.

Hmmm, well, there's another one to visit and sample.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I really enjoy your reports on your travel adventures. Keep them up.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

The 1964 New York Worlds Fair was our school “field trip” from rural small-town New Jersey that year. I remember “It’s a Small World After All,” but not much else, since I was keeping my eyes on the school group in terror lest they disappear and I was stuck in New York with no idea of how to get home.

My mother (who had always been a chaperone on even the most boring of school trips) very graciously gave way to the many other mothers who had never bothered before but all of a sudden wanted to be chaperones for the New York trip.

But she made up for it several years later, when she and I went on a trip to Montreal and Expo 67, which we both enjoyed very much.

 

[jis]

Interestingly my family and I were in the US in 1965-66, and were able to visit New York and the Worlds Fair.

I remember the Blue and White subway trains that got us to the Flushing Meadows World's Fair station from Times Square. They were World's Fair Specials that ran on what we know today as the 7 route. Times Square was a short walk from the hotel where we were staying. The building is now known as the Herald Towers. Back then it was the famous Sheraton Atlantic Hotel at Herald Square originally built as the Hotel McAlpin. MIT had some kind of deal with Sheraton, so we got to stay at Sheraton Hotels a lot during that one year in the US.

I just remember being extremely awed by the various pavilions at the Fair, though have very little memory of the details of any of the exhibits.

This is the trip on which we took rickety NH and PRR trains that were on the verge of falling apart on the tracks as they cluttered along. We could not believe how bad a state they were in. But gotta remember it was 1965 when they were headed downhill faster than they traveled from Boston to New York, in a manner of speaking.

 

[PVD]

Went more than a few times since I live just a couple of miles away. For the memories, The Port Authority Heliport still stands as a catering venue, Terrace on the Park, The Hall of Science and "rocket park" has been totally updated and is a very good science museum for all ages. Much of the Disney designed exhibits live on in modernized form at their theme parks. The US Steel Unisphere lives on beautifully, the fountains restored, on in the summer, particularly around US Open time. The Singer Bowl served as the first part of the creation of the USTA National Tennis Center, which has been rebuilt and expanded considerably over the years. The 39 Fair NYC Building (a building with it's own history) still stands, as a modern "Queens Museum" and the scale model "Panorama of NYC" is a major exhibit ("helicopter" ride gone, ramp/walkway now). NY State Pavilion is undergoing some renovation of its towers, the theater was renovated into "Queens Theatre" which has a wide range of programming and is quite active, the main part is in bad shape, with its signature terrazzo map of NY badly damaged. It has been a concert venue, tv/movie set (the Wiz, McCloud/Men in Black) and in 72-74 a roller rink (my first job!) It is a very heavily used park in the nice weather... Sailboats, fishing and an annual "Dragon Boat Race" on one of the lakes, a modern ice rink swimming pool and a nearby rec center, pitch and putt golf public use of courts at the tennis center except during US Open, baseball/softball, soccer, picnic/barbeque and lots more....

 

[PVD]

Interestingly my family and I were in the US in 1965-66, and were able to visit New York and the Worlds Fair.

I remember the Blue and White subway trains that got us to the Flushing Meadows World's Fair station from Times Square. They were World's Fair Specials that ran on what we know today as the 7 route. Times Square was just a few blocks from the hotel where we were staying. It is not there anymore. It was a Sheraton property.

I just remember being extremely awed by the various pavilions at the Fair, though have very little memory of the details of any of the exhibits.

This is the trip on which we took rickety NH and PRR trains that were on the verge of falling apart on the tracks as they cluttered along. We could not believe how bad a state they were in. But gotta remember it was 1965 when they were headed downhill faster than they traveled from Boston to New York, in a manner of speaking.

That turquoise blue/white stayed after the fair until 1977 when the TA tried out various "anti graffiti" paint schemes until they were repainted as classic IRT redbirds during rebuilding. They also received AC in the 5car sets. It was always funny to see an 11 car train with one car in the middle with no AC. On hot days they were empty even if the train was packed in all the other cars.

 

[Bob Dylan]

That turquoise blue/white stayed after the fair until 1977 when the TA tried out various "anti graffiti" paint schemes until they were repainted as classic IRT redbirds during rebuilding. They also received AC in the 5car sets. It was always funny to see an 11 car train with one car in the middle with no AC. On hot days they were empty even if the train was packed in all the other cars.

How I remember those Hot Humid Days on the Subway before AC!!!

 

[joelkfla]

I remember the Blue and White subway trains that got us to the Flushing Meadows World's Fair station from Times Square.

That was a beautiful livery. And the TA advertised them as having "picture windows" to view all the sites.

NY State Pavilion ... has been a concert venue, tv/movie set (the Wiz, McCloud/Men in Black)

Not only was it in the movie, but a very convincing reproduction of the 2 towers stands outside the Men in Black ride at Universal Studios Orlando theme park. Not quite as tall as the originals, but impressive nevertheless and I can't help but smile every time I see them.

Much more realistic than the defunct Kong-frontation's version of the Roosevelt Island Tramway rambling through NYC streets between buildings.

 

[PVD]

The previous IRT cars had drop sash windows...

 

[Dakota 400]

My Pieta story. Since it was never shipped to another country, incredible precautions were taken. It was sent over on the Italian liner Cristoforo Columbo, sister ship to the Andrea Doria, and as a precaution against the ship sinking, a special shipping container was devised, that would protect it and stay afloat. Exact duplicates were fabricated to test the containers. All were destroyed except one, which was gifted to Bishop McEntagert of the (host) Brooklyn Diocese, and to this day it resides in Douglaston at the Immaculate Conception Center. Bishop McEntagert was also given the "personal title" of Archbishop,

I recall reading about how the Pieta was packed just in case the Christoforo Columbo met the same fate as her sister ship. Did not know that one of the test containers still remains. An interesting artifact; thank you for sharing that information.

 

[PVD]

Not the test container, the test Pieta......

 

[Brian Battuello]

Great report, thanks!