First of all, HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my American friends. I can't think of anything that makes me happier than being thankful. I'm thankful for you who stop by to read and comment.
May your cup runneth over with Joy, Love and Laughter.
(image from our Brooklyn Bridge day in NYC, last post)
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The very next day (October 8), after blustery, misty weather on the Brooklyn Bridge, we awakened to glorious sunshine. This was the day earmarked for our walk to Columbia University from Robin's apartment at 72nd and Riverside Streets...to 116th Street. On a beautiful day, you can walk forever!
It's called the Upper West Side.
We didn't walk along the river but you get the gist.
And we took our good ol' lazy time.
You know me and architecture!
See what I mean about a glorious day?
As we say, it's all in the details.
(I always try to get the forest and the trees...one or the other of which I sometimes miss.)
The brownstones. The brownstones. It wasn't hard to spot them.
But it was the water towers I feasted on that morning walk.
Did I hear there is talk now to start covering them?
PLEASE SAY THIS IS NOT SO!
The low-down on NYC's 10-15,000 wooden water towers is here.
Do you like to people watch? You've come to the right place.
No matter where you go, there you are...in friendly NYC!
How friendly is that! See what I mean?
And suddenly we were outside the gates of Columbia University from 1754.
It's NY's oldest institution of higher education, and the nation's 5th oldest.
On Amsterdam Avenue...of all places!
And why there, you ask?
Because my mom got her Master's there in 1939, that's why!
I wanted to see what she saw.
Almost immediately, after passing through the gates, you see Low Memorial Library.
It's the administrative center of the university, built in 1895.
Inside was where I got directions to the university archives, to find my mom.
That was my goal for the day: Find Mom's name in print!
And that would be directly across the campus in the Butler Library, from 1934.
You get a great point of view on it from the steps of the Low Memorial Library.
And there...EUREKA! I found it, finally, with the help of this nice lady.
It took some doing. I even called sister Ruth at Michigan State. HELP.
Barbara Nelson Bennett
Barbara Nelson Bennett
She graduated in 1939 with a Masters in Music Education from the Teacher's College.
She had graduated from Smith College in 1937 with a History degree.
She was always a woman ahead of her time.
As we walked around campus that morning, I had tears in my eyes, thinking of her.
(center image is from Astrid)
1939 seems like forever ago but I 'spect some of this was there for Mom to see.
The Scholar's Lion statue was presented to the school in 2004 by alumus and sculptor Greg Wyatt.
I bet Mom would have loved it...since the school's mascot is Roaree the Lion.
I bet Mom would have loved it...since the school's mascot is Roaree the Lion.
And did she ever step foot in this St. Paul's Chapel, dedicated in 1907?
So many questions I'd love to ask her now that I've been there!
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On that note, we walked down Amsterdam Ave. from Columbia University to the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine from 1892..and first found a café across the street where we ate lunch.
After lunch, we first stopped at the Peace Fountain next to the cathedral.
The sculptor is the same Greg Wyatt who made the Scholar's Lion above, at Columbia!
The sculptor is the same Greg Wyatt who made the Scholar's Lion above, at Columbia!
The sunken plaza of the fountain was its own outdoor cathedral, basking in the sun.
We could have stayed there for hours...but we had miles to go....
The entrance to the cathedral reminded me of the grand cathedrals of Europe.
Right there in NYC!
No wonder Robin knew we'd want to see it!
And as if to plant a seal of approval on the day thus far,
this wife-n-wife wedding party greeted us as we left the cathedral...
...and made our way to the High Line (to be continued).
