Commuting by Amtrak

Off to NYC. So much city, I have to go there every week, apparently. You would think that would be fun, but the way the day works, by the time I get there and get done what I have to get done, all I feel is the pressure to be back home. A month or so ago I made an effort to see an old friend and had a great time, but since then I’ve reverted to the old “down and back” mentality. Of course part of that is that it’s no longer warm and pleasant to wander through Gotham, which makes all the difference.

Realized the last time I was down that the renovations at 270 Broadway, a once-nasty state office tower, were complete and that, to my dismay but not surprise, Ellen’s Stardust Café had not returned to its former space. The City Hall area isn’t exactly overloaded with restaurants, and Ellen’s was open from very early till fairly late. It was always a good place to meet up with other people before a meeting, and it was a big place that didn’t much care if you lingered over your coffee and toasted bagel. Breakfast came quick, but supper was slow because it was mostly for people who had nowhere else to be (other than us public servants grabbing a bite before an evening meeting). The bathrooms required a journey out into the main building and down several long, desolate hallways. Best of all, because Ellen herself had been a Miss Subway back in the ’40s or ’50s, the walls were lined with old Miss Subway placards from an old MTA campaign promoting the subway system (guess I’ll need to go deeper into Google to find something on this campaign . . . all I come up with right now are an interview with Marv Albert’s attorney, a song that may have been sung by Cher, and some blogger who misses working at a Subway sandwich shop. Draw your own conclusions). There’s another Ellen’s somewhere up in midtown, but it’s a flashy, touristy place. This was tired old New York, and while I didn’t love it, I do miss it.