59th and 5th

By the time I get out of work in the evening, it's already pretty dark outside.
But that doesn't mean I enjoy my walk to the subway any less.
So last night I took some pictures as I walked...
The city is pretty at night, right?
I enjoyed walking along 5th Avenue, checking out all the fancy apartment buildings.
And eventually, I wound up at 59th and 5th.
I like this statue (though I don't know anything about it)!
But what I really like about this corner is the Plaza Hotel.
It's right across the street from the GM building- it's where the CBS Early Show is filmed.
Right next to the underground Apple Store.
Just down the street is the REALLY sparkly snowflake hanging over 5th Avenue.
But I can't stay away from the Plaza.
It's just too beautiful.
Don't you think?
But eventually I made it to the subway...
And it was time to go home.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend- thank you for stopping by!

The Plaza Hotel

Whenever I find myself on the corner of 5th Avenue and 59th Street, I always stop to admire the Plaza Hotel. Maybe I love the building because it hasn't changed since it was built in 1907.
(Alright, I admit it... that's one of my pictures sepia-ed within an inch of it's life.)

But my love of the Plaza has nothing to do with it's history, architecture, or provenience.
I love the Plaza because of Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin.*
Have you seen the movie Big Business? It is one of my favorite movies of all time, and if you haven't seen it, please pick it up the next time you're at Blockbuster. (Or just buy it on amazon.com- you'll thank me later!)

The movie follows two sets of twins (Bette and Lily each play two characters), and the whole thing takes place in NYC... where they stay at the Plaza Hotel. For the first three years I lived here, I never set foot inside the hotel, because I was afraid it would ruin the allure. But a few months ago, SFS and I checked out the lobby. They've undergone some major reconstruction, so it didn't look anything like the movie. Fortunately the steps to the entrance were still covered in red carpet- just like the movie. As I walked up them, I felt like I'd been there before... it was eerie. I guess that's what happens when you've seen a movie too many times!

But if you're doubting the brilliance of this movie, here are a couple clips from YouTube. In the first clip, "country" Sadie and Rose enter their suite at the Plaza for the first time.


And this scene is from the end of the movie... it's pretty self-explanatory!


So there you have it... the real reason I love the Plaza. *Did you think I was going to say Home Alone II?