From the popular lake Ingeringsee to the 2417-meter-high Geierhaupt: this week’s opinion from hiking experts Elisabeth Zienitzer and Silvia Sarcletti…
2024-08-02 12:48:28
#highest #peak #Seckauer #Tauern
leisure activities
McSorley’s Old Ale House: New York’s Oldest Saloon Survives Wars, Pandemics, and History
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 2 hours ago, Updated 39 minutes ago
McSorley’s Old Ale House is the oldest saloon in New York. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
Nestled since 1854 in Manhattan, McSorley’s Old Ale House has valiantly weathered wars, September 11 and the Covid-19 pandemic.
It experienced the Civil War, two world conflicts, September 11 and Covid-19: the oldest saloon in New York has been standing for 170 years, serving a few beers and burgers, a piece of history of the megalopolis American. The secret of McSorley’s Old Ale House nestled since 1854 in Manhattan’s East Village? โKill the beer and leave the door openโsummarizes his boss Teresa Maher who succeeded her father Matthew Maher in 1994, manager of this New York institution from 1977 until his death in 2020.
โItโs a very well-known little place.โshe says, drawing her only two taps, a blonde and a brown, the only alcoholic drinks in this American-Irish pub with a black and green facade which opened seven years before the outbreak of the Civil War (1861- 1865) and was only run by three families. โAfter 170 years, a lot of people come to see if weโre still thereโlaughs Teresa Maher, whose motto on the pub’s website is: โWe were here before you were bornโ.
McSorley’s Old Ale House has just celebrated its 170th anniversary with cakes and songs, also celebrating like many New York bars, restaurants and cafes the fact of having held on despite the Covid-19 pandemic from which the city is recovering. In 2020, the municipality imposed draconian health rules forcing establishments to sell takeout or serve on terraces hastily set up on the sidewalks. One in 25 food businesses has disappeared, in particular due to the dizzying rise in commercial lease prices after the pandemic, according to a 2022 report.
Also read: 10 must-see rooftop bars in New York
โNo womenโ
โWe own the walls, which protects us for the momentโhopes Teresa Maher who applies another historic commandment in America to her clients: ยซBe good or be goneยป (โBe nice or leaveโ). Unthinkable today, another old saloon motto boasted until 1970 โgood beer, onions and… no womenโbefore McSorley’s Old Ale House was legally forced to accept both sexes.
The place is rustic and the decor has barely changed since the beginning of the 20th century. The floor is old and covered in sawdust. The food and drinks menu is limited to burgers/fries, hot dogs, a few sandwiches including the famous liver pรขtรฉ, two beers and three sodas. The prices are much lower than any New York estaminet. Which explains why regular consumers, curious people and tourists continue to push open the saloon’s swing doors.
Turkey in 1917
One of his oldest customers is 93-year-old retired firefighter Mike Rousso, whose No. 6 helmet hangs on the bar’s wall. McSorley’s Old Ale House is also proud of its close ties with the New York firefighters, police and military. With its moments of History.
In 1917, before being deployed to Europe during World War I, men of the 69th New York Infantry left with turkey prepared by their families in the restaurant’s kitchens. And the pub is only three kilometers from the site of the World Trade Center, whose two twin towers were destroyed by planes rushed by the jihadist group Al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.
โItโs crazy here for the September 11 commemorationโ, confides one of the regulars, Phil Lavigne, a retired police officer. And the next generation is already assured: Sebastian Maher, 19 years old, โlook at what (his) mother does and of course want to lead one dayโ McSorley’s Old Ale House.
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2024-02-25 10:05:33
#born #heart #Manhattan #oldest #saloon #York #celebrates #170th #anniversary
Discover New York: The Ultimate Guide for Travelers – Figaro Voyage Newsletter
Ready to leave, the weekly newsletter from Figaro Voyage. Le Figaro
Ready to leave, the weekly newsletter from Figaro Voyage.
Dear travelers,
What a success ! Long weaned, French travelers returned en masse to New York. Has she changed? Yes a bit. For good or for bad ? Both. Unsurprisingly, prices have inflated. But the magic still happens. New neighborhoods are emerging, trendy addresses are multiplying and Manhattan has even inaugurated its first public beach. The stars in children’s eyes are no mistake: the magic of New York still works.
Letโs goย !
ALL OUR INSPIRATIONS
Here’s how to visit New York in 5 days
Little Island, on Hudson River. Eric Martin
Our tailor-made journey to (re)discover blockbusters and not neglect the side steps. New York is not just Manhattan!
READ THE ARTICLE
Or sleep ? These hotels caught our eye
Room with a view. Press photo
The New York hotel industry has never been so exciting: the city is a true laboratory of innovative concepts. Decor, value for money, rooms, service… Our favorites Figaro
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The best things to do as a family
The American Museum of Natural History where the film Night at the Museum (2006) was filmed. Press photo
Shows, visits… Our program for an unforgettable stay with children.
READ THE ARTICLE
CONTENT DESIGNED AND OFFERED BY FIGARO VOYAGE SELECTION
Stay in the United States | 7 days | New York differently
As you explore its different neighborhoods, discover the ethnic mosaic and the diverse influences of this never-sleeping city. KevinJeon
Visit a New York off the beaten track with Travel Housesfrom โฌ2,695.
INFO AND RESERVATIONS
Manhattan confidential: our latest addresses
In a jazz club. Eric Martin
Resilient and bustling, Manhattan continues its dizzying surge, turning heads and landmarks.
READ THE ARTICLE
Beaches, glamping… These new experiences to try in NYC
Glamping ร Governorโs Island.
Eric Martin
Shows not to be missed (and where to see them)
The legendary Madison Square Garden, to attend a sporting event (basketball, ice hockey, etc.) or a concert. asiastock – stock.adobe.com
From Broadway to Madison Square Garden, from MetLife Stadium to Carnegie Hall, our program and our advice.
READ THE ARTICLE
What has changed in the Big Apple
One Vanderbilt, opened during the pandemic, has become one of NYC’s tourist attractions. Eric Martin
2024-01-12 09:50:00
#Dream #return #York
Renfe vs. SNCF: Reopened Train Lines Between France and Spain – Comfort, Price, and Hours
VIDEO – The Spanish railway company has just reopened two lines between France and Spain after its divorce from the SNCF. Comfort, price, hours… What is this new offer worth?
The war between SNCF and Renfe in Spain seems to be coming to an end. The French Company had initiated the hostilities by breaking the contract for joint operation of the trains crossing the Mediterranean border, to go it alone and launch its Ouigo on the Spanish lines. It has thus opened Paris-Barcelona with TGV Duplexes with more than 500 seats, for a journey of a thousand kilometers in 6h29. As for Renfe, after a long interruption, it reopened its Lyon-Barcelona line, and inaugurated, last weekend, its Marseille-Madrid. An 8-hour journey via Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Nรฎmes – Pont-du-Gard, Montpellier Saint-Roch, Bรฉziers, Narbonne, Perpignan, Figueras, Girona, Barcelona, โโZaragoza, Guadalajara and Tarragona.
This summer, the AVE service (the name of the TGV in Spain) Marseille-Barcelona-Madrid is restored from Saturday to Monday, and in the opposite direction, from Madrid, from Friday to Sunday. It will become daily in October. This train, which uses old single-deck Alstom trains dating from the 1990s, has 357 seats. Those of the first, very comfortable, have a seat with a width of 60 cm, a length between the backrest and the edge of 45 cm and 39 cm of space for the knees. They don’t really tilt backwards, but the seat can slide forwards.
If the first class seats are always of good quality, those of the second feel the experience. They kept a slightly dated yellow fabric and don’t bow. They have a width of 50 cm, a seat of 47 cm and a knee space of 32 cm. We are nevertheless rather comfortable there. In both classes, one socket per seat is available, as well as Wi-Fi which however does not always work well.
Read alsoPrice, comfort, timetables… What you need to know about the Marseille-Madrid line launched by Renfe on July 28
Where to buy tickets?
Competition obliges, neither the counters in French stations, nor the SNCF Connect application sell Renfe tickets. You will have to go through online agencies like Trainline, or use the site renfe.com relative ergonomics (like SNCF Connect) and translated succinctly into French.
However, the fee schedule is a bit complicated. Clearly, the major railway companies continue to recruit engineers from the Grandes Ecoles who have a knack for inventing tariff gas plants. It is not certain that the passenger finds his way around easily. To simplify, let’s say that with Renfe, the user has two purchase options: Bรกsico or Elige.
Attention ! These are not travel classes but rather fare attributes. With the Bรกsico fares, the traveler will systematically be seated in what in France would be called second class. With Elige and the Comfort option, he will access the first. Without this option, it will be the second. Once on board the train, let’s not pay attention to the signs that still display the old “Turistica” and “Preferente” classes. The technical services obviously did not have time to remove them.
Read alsoIn Spain, the SNCF offers a Ouigo with first class and bar
What about discounts?
The second class of Spanish AVEs, formerly called โTuristaโ. The seats remain identical, only the SNCF logo has disappeared. JOEL SAGET / AFP
Spanish discount cards can still be used on the Barcelona-Lyon and Madrid-Marseille lines, unlike the SNCF which refuses the Liberty card on its international journeys. Note, however, that the Renfe senior card, called Tarjeta Dorada, which costs only โฌ6 and offers 25% reduction on weekdays and 40% on weekends, is not on sale in France. To acquire it, you must go to a counter in Spain with an identity document. Think about it on your next trip, for your future Iberian getaways. Finally, Premium class, with meals included, is not offered on these international routes, but only within Spain.
Read alsoTrain: SNCF, Thalys, Trenitalia… Who has the best business class? Our big comparison
On the price side, Renfe does better than SNCF
In terms of fares, past the euphoria of the launch offer with tickets at โฌ9, in September it will take at least โฌ59 in second Bรกsico, โฌ64 in Elige Second, and โฌ74 in Elige Premiรจre to connect Marseille to Madrid. To which can be added multiple options with the Bรกsico – such as the choice of the seat at 8 โฌ and the possibility of exchange or cancellation for 12 โฌ. With Elige, the penalty for changing the date is set at 20% of the ticket price, and 30% in the event of cancellation. On the pleasure side, the bar offers, at very reasonable prices, 100% Spanish products: tortillas, raw ham, but also croque-monsieur!
Read alsoTrain too expensive: “France is one of the worst students in Europe”, according to Greenpeace
On Montpellier-Barcelona, โโthe most interesting Spanish trains
As regards the service of the Nรฎmes-Barcelona corridor, the central section of the route, no major change should be noted compared to the time of the collaboration between Renfe and SNCF. With one nuance: each company has its own ticket office and its own fare rules. Gone are the days when you could switch from one train to another! From now on, and particularly for this segment, it is a question of choosing the right company.
If we were able, for a time, to rejoice in the great offer of four daily trains, we quickly become disillusioned. Two of these trains run at impractical times. To Barcelona, โโthat of the SNCF goes to Montpellier at 10:17 a.m., and that of the Renfe at 9:30 a.m. For the shortest journeys such as Montpellier-Girona or Perpignan-Barcelona, โโRenfe’s fares are always more attractive. The SNCF, which wants at all costs to sell end-to-end Paris-Barcelona tickets, practices stratospheric prices on these short sections. Thus, the 40-minute journey between Perpignan and Girona is sold for at least โฌ50 by the SNCF, against half as much at Renfe.
#Renfe #SNCF #tested #Spanish #TGV #MarseilleMadrid
New Yorkers Marvel at the Spectacular ‘Manhattanhenge’ Phenomenon
By Le Figaro with AFP, for Le Figaro
Published on 05/31/2023 at 08:49, Updated on 05/31/2023 at 12:53
The “Manhattanhenge” is the astronomical phenomenon during which the sun places perfectly between the skyscrapers of New York. ED JONES/AFP
New Yorkers were able to admire, last night, the sun perfectly placed between the buildings of the city that never sleeps. A phenomenon that will happen again on July 12.
A life-size Instagrammable show took place in New York last night. Hundreds of city residents and tourists came out to admire, mobile phones at arm’s length, the stealthy appearance of the setting sun perfectly placed between the rows of skyscrapers that crisscross the island of Manhattan. At 8:12 p.m., as expected, the star, forming an orange ball in the still blue sky of New York, rose in the distance before disappearing, at the end of the east-west axis drawn by the streets of Manhattan, like the 42nd which crosses Times Square.
ยซIt is a magnificent event. And it’s a totally New York momentโenthuses Jeanette Wolfson, science teacher on Long Island, the island that extends east of New York, who came to take photos to show them to her students the next day. And remind them that, contrary to the visual impression, “it’s not the sun that sets, it’s the earth that turns and turns from light to darksmiles the 47-year-old teacher.
The phenomenon attracts many photographers armed with telephoto lenses, as well as tourists and New Yorkers, who do not hesitate to stop on the roadway, very briefly affecting the ubiquitous traffic of SUVs, yellow taxis and bicycle delivery men who make up the landscape. city โโof the Big Apple. Camera around his neck, Patrick Batchelder, a 59-year-old photographer, assures us that what matters are “peopleยป. ยซThe photo itself is not so important. It’s about being in the middle of the crowd, and enjoying seeing something unique in New Yorkโ, explains this regular.
Read alsoWhat will surprise you on your next trip to New York
The phenomenon occurs four times a year
The event occurs four times a year, for two days, approximately three to four weeks before and after the summer and winter solstices. It bears the name “Manhattanhenge”, an allusion to Stonehenge, this great megalithic monument in the south of England, crossed in the center by the sun during the summer and winter solstices.
In New York, according to the checkerboard plan of the island of Manhattan drawn in 1811, the city is cut out like a grid between 14th and 155th streets. On its website, the New York Museum of Natural History recommends taking advantage of the โManhattanhengeโ at 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd or 57th streets, to admire the moment when โthe city frames the sunsetโ, as summarized by its astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson. Those who missed it on Tuesday evening will be able to try their luck again on July 12.
2023-05-31 07:00:00
#sun #sets #skyscrapers #York #Manhattanhenge
Iconic Discount Designer Store, Century 21, Reopens to Euphoria in New York City
By Le Figaro with AFP, for Le Figaro
Published on 05/17/2023 at 10:13, Updated on 05/17/2023 at 13:16
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After three years of closure, the temple of brand name clothing at low prices is reopening its doors, to the delight of customers around the world.
He survived September 11 and the Covid-19 pandemic. Century 21, New York’s iconic department store for discount designer clothes, reopened on Tuesday (May 16) to euphoria. Under the red balloons and the applause of the Gindi family, owner of this historic New York symbol of mass distribution, the first customers gave cries of joy, after three years of closure due to the health crisis.
ยซIt means a lot to the people of New York. At the time of September 11 (2001), the store closed and when it reopened everyone was so happy! So seeing it again after the Covid is like a rebirth for New York and I’m happy to go shopping againenthused Gale Kaplan, 63, from Brooklyn, the huge borough on the other side of the East River.
For women, men and children, you can find all the clothes and accessories at Century 21, a company set up in 1961 and whose first store was born in Brooklyn. And you can find all the brands there like Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Guess, Levi’s, Kate Spade, Helmut Lang… but at the end of their stock and at unbeatable reduced prices. Very good news for the thousands of French vacationers who have been there for years.
Read alsoWhat will surprise you on your next trip to New York
โIt was an anchor point for our touristsโ
Some customers came very, early, as early as 6 a.m., to witness the reopening of this iconic store. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP
Melody White, 62, who arrived at 6 a.m. from Queens, was “very, very upset when they closed. Because it’s the best store, you can find the best products, beautiful clothes. You can find anything there“. Gale Kaplan was even โhappier queuing for the opening of Century 21 than doing it for the Sistine Chapelin Rome. “That’s how happy I am!ยป.
The mayor of New York, Eric Adams, who has made the economic and tourist rebound of the megalopolis the heart of his policy despite giving the hug to the Gindi family in this store that looks like a giant clothing fair. “When they had to close, it broke their hearts. They only thought of one thing: how to come back, how to reopen, how to serve people? It was an anchor point for our tourists, they came here, lined up to shop and admire the good products we had everywhereโLaunched the city councilor.
For Mr. Gindi, the reopening of Century 21 โbrings the spirit of New York to life like no other company can. ‘Cause we’re part of the fabric of the cityยป, one of the first economic and commercial poles of the planet.
Century 21 Flagship Downtown, 22 Cortlandt Street, New York, NY 10007.
2023-05-17 07:00:00
#York #iconic #Century #store #reopens