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A Sunday Trip to New York City
I had an opportunity to spend some time as Leann on Sunday. So finding myself in Rockland County NY, of course, I thought about going into the Big Apple. I have wanted to visit the city for quite some time as it would allow me to do a few things that I had not yet done. In the process, I did experience something that I have never have and, frankly, I would not have thought it would happen in New York. (You will have to read to find out what it was.)
Two of the things I have wanted to do in the city (there are many more) are to attend church at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and to visit one of the major museums. So the next thing to decide was what to wear. The weather turned colder than it had been and quite windy. I had hoped to go with something that wouldn’t need boots as I wasn’t sure I could last the entire day in them but with the wind and the temperature in the mid-to-upper 20’s F, I took it as a challenge to survive. So I chose a black turtleneck and a black and white skirt as seen below (taken after I returned.)
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My travel to the city had me driving to Secaucus and taking the train to Penn Station. Everything went well getting to the station and waiting for the train. People were polite and I had the door held open for me once or twice :). This would be the first time I will have ridden on a train. I have been on planes but trains have more movement of people and people facing each other while seated. So it was a bit of a different situation. I got on the train and the train was full. I wasn’t planning on that on a Sunday morning but at that time, all I could do was act like a lady and take a seat. The ride to Penn was fine and while in the station (which is below Madison Square Garden for those that don’t know), I realized that the crowd on the train had a lot to do with the fact that the NY Rangers were playing hockey that afternoon. So, I had been on the train with a bunch of hockey fans. Gladly, they were not as rowdy as they would likely be at the end of the game!
I did chicken out on one thing. I needed to relieve myself but when I found the women’s room, the line was way out the door. I didn’t feel comfortable waiting in line with that many women for so long. So off I went to find the Cathedral and attend Mass. I should have stopped at one of the MacDonalds along the way to use the restroom but I didn’t want to be late for Mass. All of the padding and shaping garments made this difficult but, to end this part of the story, all turned out well after Mass.
Along the way, I stopped at Rockefeller Center as it is just down the street from the Church. Below is a photo someone took of me there. The lighting was not great and the flash didn’t fire but, at least you know I was there.
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Mass at the Cathedral was interesting. Obviously it is quite a large church and a very beautiful one at that. One amazing thing was the way the tourist just sort of disappeared as we approached the beginning of Mass. Mass was very nice and the organ music was very good. One nice thing about going to church at this time was the fact that I needed to rest my feet. I had walked from 34th St to 52nd St and my feet were tired. Part of the problem is that my boots are probably a little bit narrow for me. So my feet appreciated the rest.
Just down the street is MoMA. I have been to museums en femme before and they have always been pretty empty. I was taken aback by the lines (6 by 10 deep) just waiting to pay their admissions! Oh well, I came this far and even though there are lots of people that could read me, there is also a huge crowd to get lost in! I hadn’t eaten so I went to their restaurant to grab something quick. It was full so I chose to eat at the bar which meant that I was interacting with the bartender/waitress quite a bit. After spending 2-3 times more that I wanted for lunch, I was off to the museum displays. I am not an art expert and much of it is lost on me. They had Picasso, Warhol, Matisse and other well know artists on display. One interesting piece was a photo piece called “Cross-Dressing Ballet” by George Maciunas which was made in 1966. The series of photos shows a man in a dress and heels (in which he looks good) peeling off the dress and then the black lingerie and stockings. So there I was, crossdressed looking a piece of art about crossdressing. (This isn’t the first time for me though as I went en femme to a play about crossdressing.) No one pointed at the pictures and then me. So I guess I passed the test.
Three quarters of the way through my museum trip, my feet were killing me. Luckily, in my large purse, I had carried a pair of flats. So for the remainder of the afternoon, I went around in much less pain. Just before the MoMA closed, I put the boots on and attempted to get a picture of me there. Well I do show it below but the person really had a shaky hand.
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I wasn’t going to be able to walk back to Penn so I found a subway station and took the D train downtown. I had not been on a subway en femme before so this was a new experience. I consider the subway new territory as it is much more fluid than even a train and that people might no be on their better behavior. After a couple of stops, I found myself walking the block over to Penn Station. As I was crossing 7th Avenue, walking towards me was MY DAUGHTER’S college roommate of four years! Yikes, she was only about 8 feet away! Luckily, she was talking on her cell phone (not the best thing to do crossing a busy NYC street!) While she may have glanced at me, she didn’t flinch and, luckily, neither did I. Who would have thought that in a city of 8 million people that I would have run into someone I knew.
I got on the train and made it back to the car, sore feet and all. Along the way, I stopped at Target to purchase a new coat that was on clearance sale. After that, I stopped at the supermarket to restock the kitchen.
Overall, it was a good trip to the city. If I am going to go in boots, I need a pair that fits me better. It was fun to be Leann of the day and it was particularly fun to be so out and about. There was no lack of people who could read me if they wanted to. I don’t know for sure if I was but if I was, they dealt with it pretty well. If this account helps someone get past their front door, I will be even happier.
