HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HEIDI

MY SOULMATE OF MORE THAN A THIRD OF A CENTURY

Heidi Johnson-Wright entered this world on September 11, 1964.

I’m posting this the next day for two reasons – I was on the road yesterday and my Sunday posts get the highest readership.

I could write so many things, but this online birthday card will focus on my love of travel and how I never would have made it to New York, Los Angeles or Chicago – let alone vast parts of South and Central America, Mexico, Turkey, France, Italy, Morocco, the U.K. or Egypt without her encouragement.

We were born hillbillies, or at least I was. A station wagon trip through the Smoky Mountains was as exotic as jet setting to Paris in my family.

Heidi set the tone with our honeymoon – the Wrights took Manhattan.

Yes, we stayed in a bland and gigantic chain hotel in Midtown and went to Cats (we love felines, but the Broadway play was pretty darn safe and tourist-friendly).

We returned another time to the Drake, a legend – also in Midtown – as a residence of many an old-time performer and the Swissotel where Donahue put his guests up back in the day. It was torn down for a super tall tower for billionaires.

We found out about Affinia Gardens, a residential hotel with a full, albeit shabby, kitchen and amazing wheelchair access. The room was on the ground floor, so no relying on an elevator for full access to our suite. We lived like to residents of the Central Park area.

Our shabbiest visit was to the famed Chelsea Hotel. We were checked in by legendary manager Stanley Bard and bedded down in a careworn room among the art and artists.

A friend told us about the most-loved (but not most expensive or famous) hotel in all of Manhattan. The late, great Wyndham. Not to be confused with the chain of the same name.

For decades, a husband-and-wife team ran the Wyndham more like an apartment building. Countless A-list celebrities lived there year-round or for months. We spotted a few, as we rode an elevator so old it had an elevator operator. The location was footsteps from the Plaza, but with prices we could afford and no pretension.

We stayed in Chelsea a few more times, near the developing High Line. And we slept at a gilded Midtown palace once – getting a free upgrade because the lower priced sister property near Grammercy had a ramp so steep to the lobby that entering the proper was a disaster waiting to happen.

Another time, we stayed way downtown at a chain property – at a deep discount – and watched crews rebuilding the ground zero site.

Along the way, we visited every museum, road the subway via the fraction of accessible stops, dined from dirty water hot dogs to Michelin starred impossible to get tables to funky Vietnamese fried fish Bahn Mi style sandwiches from a parking garage.

We were going to celebrate Heidi’s 57th in New York for a week.  Booked it in June when it looked like COVID would be under control. But the traveling Wrights will have to wait another year to fly safely.

Happy Birthday, Heidi, my love.

 

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

   IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

Chelsea is home to art galleries and a vibrant gay scene. 

Meandering 30ft above is the green-fringed, art-strewn High Line.

– Lonely Planet

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

   IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

It’s hard to believe that the 1½-mile-long High Line – a shining example of brilliant urban renewal – was once a dingy freight line that anchored a rather unsavory district of slaughterhouses. 

Today, this eye-catching attraction is one of New York's best-loved green spaces, drawing visitors who come to stroll, sit and picnic 30ft above the city – while enjoying fabulous views of Manhattan's ever-changing urban landscape.

It loops around Hudson Yards and ends at 34th St.

– Lonely Planet

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

   IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

For many immigrant generations this low-rent landing place was the corner of Manhattan where their American adventure began. 

Today, the Lower East Side and East Village buzz with an unthreatening bohemian energy, offering some of the city's finest bars and indie boutiques – it's an open-air playground for those willing to tolerate (or attracted to) the area's vestigial grime.

– Lonely Planet

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

   IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

The High Line's attractions are numerous, and include stunning vistas of the Hudson River, public art installations commissioned especially for the park, wide lounge chairs for soaking up some sun, willowy stretches of native-inspired landscaping (including a mini sumac forest), food and drink vendors, and a thoroughly unique perspective on the neighborhood streets below – especially at various overlooks, where bleacher-like seating faces huge panes of glass that frame the traffic, buildings and pedestrians below as living works of art.

– Lonely Planet

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

   IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

Designed by William Van Alen and completed in 1930, the 77-floor Chrysler Building is the pinup for New York's purest art deco architecture, guarded by stylized eagles of chromium nickel and topped by a beautiful seven-tiered spire reminiscent of the rising sun.

The building was constructed as the headquarters for Walter P Chrysler and his automobile empire; unable to compete on the production line with bigger rivals Ford and General Motors, Chrysler trumped them on the skyline, and with one of Gotham's most beautiful lobbies.

– Lonely Planet

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

  IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

If the skyscraper is the showy image of high-rise New York.

Then the gritty fire escape must be the urban image of low-rise Manhattan.

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

  IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

New York: Architecture and skyscraper capital on the nation.

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

  IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

One of the world’s most renowned green spaces, Central Park comprises 843 acres of rolling meadows, boulder-studded outcroppings, elm-lined walkways, manicured European-style gardens, a lake and a reservoir — not to mention an outdoor theater.

– Lonely Planet

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

  IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

As the first historic twin-towered building in New York City, the San Remo commands a lofty presence thanks to its distinctive silhouette.

The 27-floor luxury apartment building — designed by acclaimed architect Emery Roth, and located between West 74th Street and West 75th Street — features two towers that jet into the sky, offering an ideal vantage point for captivating views of Central Park.

-Untapped Cities

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

  IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

Epicenter of the arts. 

Architectural darling. 

Dining and shopping capital. 

Trendsetter. 

New York City wears many crowns, and spreads an irresistible feast for all.

– Lonely Planet

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

 IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

Gleaming with architectural icons, peppered with purveyors of fine food and drink, and host to a booming population, Manhattan's southern tip is no longer strictly business. 

The Financial District houses some big-hitting New York sights.

– Lonely Planet

THE LIGHT OF NEW YORK

 IMAGES OF MANHATTAN

Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.

It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. 

It is considered one of the most expensive streets in the world.

HAPPY 28TH ANNIVERSARY, SWEETIE

JUNE 11, 1988, TWO NE OHIO KIDS TIE THE KNOT

It's been an epic journey:

First house

Law School graduation

First professional jobs

Promotions

Resignations

Home remodeling and refinancing

A book co-authored and published before we were 30

The passing of both our father's, near age 80

A miracle move to Miami, the Magic City

Elections won

Elections lost

1920s house upgrade to modern wheelchair access

Trips all over Spain

Visits to Florence, Italy

Annual pilgrimages to NYC

Spiritual journeys to the heart of Monument Valley

Audiences with celebrities, murderers and Kings

Flights to Colombia on a whim

Too many surgeries and rehabs to count

Turning gray haired

Caring for a herd of donkey in central Ohio

Presenting at top-flight universities

Endless battles to protect and enhance the civil rights of people with disabilities

Awards

Car thefts

Last second dashes through torrential rain to claim the last half price seats of a Broadway show

Nightly visits from ghosts South of Granada

John's dog Brutus

Puchy, the angel dog

Honey Bear, the Princess of Siam, our Siamese rescue cat baby

ROMPING THROUGH WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE MANHATTAN -- part 5

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE MANHATTAN We watched a play from our wheelchair-accessible seats at the John Golden Theater, then taxied it to the Beekman, where an express elevator provided easy wheelchair access to the Top of the Tower. We were weary from packing so much into one day, but the Beekman’s ethereal charms set the stage for the most atmospheric of all our New York moments. Vodka martinis in hand and a stunning starlit view of the metropolis before us, we knew we had taken Manhattan. Author Steve Wright has published more than 2,500 travel stories. His spouse, an ADA expert, has used a wheelchair for four decades.

ROMPING THROUGH WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE MANHATTAN -- part 4

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE MANHATTAN The world’s most famous skyscraper, on Fifth Avenue between W. 33rd and 34th streets, is 102 stories tall, plus a 16-story mooring mast. Tours of the Empire are wheelchair accessible. Elevators reach the breathtaking open-air observation deck, which has lowered telescopes and lowered viewing areas to serve wheelchair users. We decided it was time to head back for the hotel, but that we’d trek home via Sixth Avenue, so we would see the Midtown deco landmark -- Rockefeller Center. The expansive complex covers West 48th to 51st Streets between Fifth and Sixth avenues and includes Radio City Music Hall. Cutting down W. 50th Street, we admired buildings adorned in art deco medallions. Back at the Benjamin, a classic 1927 skyscraper, we noted the small lobby is easy for wheelchair users to negotiate and the doormen are quick to do their duties. Twenty of its 209 rooms are wheelchair-accessible one-bedroom suites, which have barrier-free bathrooms to serve disabled guests. The suites are huge by Manhattan standards and have baths equipped with grab bars, bath benches and shower wands for accessibility.

ROMPING THROUGH WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE MANHATTAN -- part 3

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE MANHATTAN We were drawn to the granddaddy of all deco skyscrapers. The observation deck closed nearly two decades ago and the building is not set up for tourists like the taller Empire State Building, but the Chrysler is our favorite by far. In daylight, its stainless steel-clad spire dazzles in the morning sun. At night, the Chrysler’s illuminated upper windows make it the most sumptuous siren of all the Manhattan skyline. The 77-story masterpiece at Lexington Avenue and E. 42nd Street also is replete with deco-styled automotive imagery. Nearby at 220 E. 42nd St., the Daily News Building is another deco treasure of the same era. Almost next door to the Chrysler, the structure tells its own story in a large frieze over its entrance. As soon as we saw the long lines at the Empire, we were glad we had CityPass tickets in hand. Not only does the pass booklet offer admission to top attractions, it also allows its holders to skip past long ticket-buying lines.

ROMPING THROUGH WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE MANHATTAN -- part 2

WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE MANHATTAN We loosely mapped out an art deco lover’s tour covering dozens of city blocks. First up was the General Electric Building, at Lexington Avenue and E. 51st Street, which is across the street from our hotel -- the Benjamin. The lavishly-decorated 51-story art deco tower is highlighted with stylized lightning bolts. From the same spot, the view to the south shows off the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Waldorf Towers -- an entire block of art deco covering E. 49th to 50th streets between Lexington and Park avenues. The twin structures are noteworthy outside and the luxurious deco interiors are worth a visit inside. We eaded over to the Beekman Tower at the corner of E. 49th Avenue and 1st Street. We admired its classic art deco friezes and made a note to return at night to check out the deco bar on the top floor. We headed south, finding ample curbcuts at the cross streets. Looking west in the morning sun, we gasped every time the steely, shiny crown of the Chrysler Building revealed itself through the canyon of buildings.

ROMPING THROUGH WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE MANHATTAN -- part 1

ROMPING THROUGH WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE MANHATTAN

By Steve Wright and Heidi Johnson-Wright

NEW YORK -- Millions of Manhattan city lights twinkled to the left of us while the East River and its magnificent bridges beckoned to the right. We were 23 stories above the city, sipping martinis, listening to live jazz standards on the piano and soaking up the sights at the Top of the Tower lounge. From our lofty perch amid art deco splendor in the peak of the Beekman Tower, we’d reached that magical time when traveler’s exhaustion gives way to a kind of devil-may-care euphoria that justifies every dollar spent on toney restaurants, skyrocketing hotel rates and rising air fares. The Beekman, a deco-drenched gem and a landmark in the city since its 1928 opening, earns our triple-A rating: scoring high marks in architecture, atmosphere and access for people with disabilities. We did our best to combine our love of design and need for accessibility with our third must -- an endless quest for a sense of place, that intangible thing we call atmosphere.