Arthur C. Clarke Awards event

I attended the 2016 Arthur C. Clarke Awards event, met the founder of Amazon in person, and I shacked hands with all three awards recipients this years, including Jeff! Jeff uses Amazon to fund Blue Origin (privately-funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services). Arthur C. Clarke was one of the most important and influential figures in 20th century science fiction. Clarke was the first to suggest that geostationary orbits would be ideal for establishing worldwide telecommunication relays, satellite communication relays, later was named the Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union. — at 1776.

Green-Wood cemetery & Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue

I took a long subway ride to visit this National Historic Landmark Green-Wood cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Visiting graveyards have been a part of my traveling curriculum, domestic or international, since they reflect cultural values. The weather was sunny and cool, and the cemetery had staffs doing all kinds of landscaping and maintenance. I ran behind my schedule so stopped a old couple for a ride to get back to the main entrance. — at Green-Wood Cemetery.

Staten Island ferry rides have been my New York visit ritual for many years. I planned to visit Staten Island Museum and walk around this time, yet turned around due to shortage of time. Yet the time saved was well spent at the wonderful South Street Seaport District, a great destination for walking, entertainment and cultural experiences. — at Staten Island Ferry.

I found this gem hidden in the Chinatown: Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue. The restored historic Eldridge Street Synagogue, a 19th-century landmark with stunning architecture that initially opened for Eastern European Jewish immigrants, recently restored. The one-hr tour was very informative and ended my visit at a great note. — at Museum At Eldridge Street and Eldridge Synagogue.

 I found this gem hidden in the Chinatown: Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue. The restored historic Eldridge Street Synagogue, a 19th-century landmark with stunning architecture that initially opened for Eastern European Jewish immigrants, recently restored. The one-hr tour was very informative and ended my visit at a great note. — at Museum At Eldridge Street and Eldridge Synagogue.

Greenwich Village, High Line and Chelsea

I took a 3-hr Greenwich Village, High Line and Chelsea tour and walked via on the tour: Stonewall Inn, Gay Liberation Monument, Jefferson Market Courthouse, Friends Apartment, Washington Square Park, Washington Arch, Cafe Wha?, etc. New York City parks were built over public graveyards and boast a wide variety of bird species throughout the year. We saw a hawk parking on a tree in Washington Square. New York was the national capital before Philadelphia and Washington DC. — at Greenwich Village.

I second half of the walking tour covered New York’s most exciting new park and the history of the Meatpacking District as well as Chelsea and it’s wonderful market. High Line, a 2.3km (1.4 mile) reclaimed railroad track, has become a massive tourist attraction and a boon to real estate developers. High Line has been so successful at transforming west Chelsea that art galleries have been priced out of the neighborhood. — at The High Line.

The comedy I booked ITS TIME TO GO HOME, at Broadway Comedy Club & Cabaret , was disappointing. although the main comedian is a famous comedy writer, he did not delivery the lines well. On the other hand, the Bach Vespers Program at the Lutheran Church had wonderful music as well as short and funny sermon. Vespers is the sunset evening prayer service in the Orthodox, Western and Eastern Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours. There was a light reception of wine and cheese after the 1.5 hr service. — at Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. 

Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare going through the borough of Manhattan in New York City, And the most expensive and best shopping streets in the world. Night lights on Fifth avenue, including the Trump Tower. — at Fifth Avenue. 

 

Brooklyn, New York

I spent the whole day in Brookline from a walking tour of "Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo Tour", the Brooklyn Museum, and then the botanic garden. We walked over the bridge, then Brookline downtown to cover Brooklyn history, culture, architecture, politics and what makes Brooklyn such a great place to live. I photoed with the cutest elf to create "Elfie". I skipped the best ice cream in NYC because it was too cold for me to eat ice cream, and I also skipped the best pizza due to the long line. — in Brooklyn, New York. 

Brooklyn Museum has 560,000 square feet, third largest in NYC in physical size and holds an art collection with roughly 1.5 million works, including impressive Egyptian and inca collections. It took me 2.5 hr to walk via the museum, so I had only 30 min left to run via the botanic garden. I have to go back another time to see the green houses as well as the Green-Wood Cemetery. The Dinner Party is an installation artwork by feminist artist Judy Chicago. Widely regarded as the first epic feminist artwork, it functions as a symbolic history of women in Western civilization. There are 39 elaborate place settings arranged along a triangular table for 39 mythical and historical famous women. at Brooklyn Museum.