Monday, May 1, 1944
[New York City Trip]
The hat makers were hard at work across the way when we awoke about 9:00. A pretty day again.
Down to 36th Street to eat at Childs where I finished yesterday’s diary. Then on down 34th to the shopping district. In Saks 34th St. but it was small so then over to Macys & it is big enough to suit even me. Shopped each floor & rode the escalator between floors. The top was the best – Victorian, Early American & in between furniture for sale & oh the prices!
$229 for a set of 6 dining chairs – Victorian style. $50 for a wash stand muchj like mine. $98 for cupboards. $225 for Pembroke table. And the accessories ran the same – and some of the things they used. In the crapery & bedspreads some of the beds were brass. The amount of merchandise in that store is unbelievable. Macy’s cafeteria was crowded so we wnt to a Woolworth’s where we had the lousiest mean of the trip.
On up to our room to leave packages – Wally climbed the 74 steps up, 74 steps down while I waited – down!
Shopped a little as we went up Fifth Ave. – walked to 50th St. & Rockefeller Center. Wished we had a camer to take a picture in the plaza. Hyacinths & tulips blooming along the edges of the fountains where they were skating last fall there are now trees growing – in boxes of dirt & they were pulling out boxes of ivy & setting up tables for the summer. At one side is an English Grill and on the other a French Restaurant. We wandered through the RCA building – quite modern & on out to 6th Ave & Radio City Music Hall.
The whole decoration of the theatre is modern. No traditional anywhere. We went down to the lounges just to see them. They seemed to go on and on & here the motif is diamonds – In the carpet, the shape of the mirrored pillars, the light reflectors everything except the furniture which was definitely soft.
Then on up to the auditorium. We sat about 1/3 of the way down a little on the side. The seats – rose velour & soft & plenty of foot room. During the symphony orchestra – playing “The Storms” with lightning effects in the background – we discovered the ceiling – also modern in a sort of tiers radiating from the stage to back. I counted 3 balconies.
The ballet was pretty with 30 girls & the ballerina but I’m spoiled from Thursday night when we saw Ballet at the Met.
Then some mimics were quite good – and then a Vienesse number with a soloist & then the Rockettes in “Carribean”. They really are precision!
The movie “Cover Girl” in technicolor was good. – Pretty girls galore!
Tried to encourage Wally in seeing about seeing a raddio program as we came out but he didn’t encourage so we went to an automat for dinner & very good. Then walked over to the Elevated 3rd at 42nd & took it downtown to the end of the line & the South Ferry for Staten Island & wrote this up to date as we waited. On the ferry we can see the lights of Manhattan fading. By the time we docked you couldn’t tell where they were.
Walked off Ferry, mailed card to Kathy & walked on to another ferry. And it was crowded with colored soldiers. When we docked they all tokk the subway uptown so we took a Broadway bus. All the modes of transportation converge here at the Battery. Off at 38th & Broadway & home we walked. Wally is getting the soreness in his legs that I’ve had & mine has disappeared completely. Should be in fine shape to garden when I get home.
And so to bed at 10:30.