Midtown Island

Sixth Avenue just might be the most under appreciated street in all of midtown Manhattan. North of 42nd Street, it is simply a street giving access to large office complexes. It has no retail vibe and the restaurants and food courts are few and far between. There are no trendy shops, no street entertainers and colorful characters. There are no art galleries and no cult like coffee shops. To the east is Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center in all it's worldly pomp and circumstance. To the west, the hub-bub and bravado of Time Square and the lights of Broadway, complete with cheesy street entertainers and hustlers of everything from women to counterfeit Prada handbags. On Sixth Avenue, there is none of that.

So, you may ask yourself, why does one go there after business hours?. And, for me, the answer is: Because few others do. It is an oasis in midtown. It is quiet and is not congested. It might be boring to some but, when I lived here and when I visit now, it is a street I enjoy. I am able to collect my thoughts on Sixth Street and escape the madness of the surroundings. My favorite part of it is on the back side of Rock Center, catty corner from Radio City Music hall. There are fountains there that contribute immensely to the peaceful vibe of the environs. I lived very close to this spot when I moved here many years ago. I escaped to this oasis then and I do now even on a brief trip.



I have been terribly busy that last few days and will likely be for the next week or so. I feel badly that I have not kept up on journals. Hopefully, I can do so soon.