What I Did On My Summer Vacation

New York City: Center of the Universe

Recently the Three Movie Buffs were reunited when I visited New York City.  It had been over a year since we had all gotten together.  With children and our significant others in tow we made the rounds in Manhattan.  We saw Rockefeller Center, The Ed Sullivan Theatre where David Letterman's show is taped (We even got to hear The Dave Mathews Band perform on the theatre's roof), we went to The Statue Of Liberty, we got to watch those morning shows being shot live.  I even got to shake hands with the weatherman from The CBS Early Show.

Everywhere I looked I recognized places where movies were shot.  I saw the church where Arthur stands up Susan in Arthur.  Also from Arthur I saw the spot where Linda almost gets caught for shoplifting in front of Bergdorfs.   We shopped at FAO Schwartz which was where some of Home Alone 2 was shot.  Of course I went to Macy's where Miracle On 34th St was made so many years ago.  Every where you go in Manhattan you see places that you recognize from movies.  It must be the most filmed city in the world.

Now where in New York do you think Three Movie Buffs would have dinner?  We ate at  the Planet Hollywood in Times Square of course. Its location is a bit odd in that you have to go up a few flights to get there.  You can't just walk off the street, like you can for The Hard Rock Cafe.

In the elevator foyer, they have plaques on the wall with movie star's hand prints; like Mel Gibson's.  Jack Nicholson has the same size hand as I do.  Once you reach the matre de you find yourself looking at the bikini Ursula Andress wore in Dr. No.  (Man, is she hot in that movie).  Then you walk in to see an entire car hanging vertically.  It is a car Sylvester Stallone drove in Cobra.  Over your left shoulder is an alligator prop used in an old Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movie.  The place has lots of those movie museum stuff.

Around the perimeter of the dining area is a fashion show of movie costumes.  There is Al Pacino's suit from Scarface.  Next to that is Sharon Stone's dress and Robert DeNiro's suit from Casino.  The star with the largest fashion representation is Marilyn Monroe.  Her outfits from Gentleman Prefer Blondes, Niagara, and one from one of her more obscure films, Don't Bother To Knock, are all in a row.  I looked for the famous dress from Seven Year Itch but couldn't find it.  My guess is that it is at Planet Hollywood in Los Angeles.

The food was average restaurant fair.  I was expecting cute names like a Kevin Bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich with a side order of Stephen Fryes.  No, just regular names.  I enjoyed a nice chicken fajita.  Others at our table had salads, hamburgers, pasta and a veggie pizza with goat cheese.  All in all the food was fairly good.  Cheap, however the place is not.  It was over $100.00 for 6 adults and 2 kids.  Okay its not outrageously expensive, but that tab was half of a monthly car payment.

It was a nice time after such a busy day of sight seeing.  If you like movies, and you wouldn't be at this site if you didn't, I recommend it as a great spot to stop at the next time you are in New York.  It is the closest you may ever come to such classic Hollywood memorabilia.