I am filled with gratitude to the world. I now believe in small miracles – and my luck.
Remember the Sunday Art Deco tour I couldn’t get in since it was reservation-only and it was filled 2 weeks ago? I asked to put me on a waiting list, already long at that point, and left my home phone number for contact, almost without hope.
Saturday came and went: no phone call. So in the evening I decided on plan B: I'll visit only two more sites, New Amsterdam and Victory theaters on Broadway; tours available at 11:00 and 12:00, so I could enjoy some languishing in bed to feel like Sunday morning.
8:40 am the phone rang into my dreams and Glen from Art Deco Society offered a spot on the tour; he will even hold the group of 25 people for 20 min so I can join them - was it incredibly kind of him or what?
I was out the door, biting a banana, in 15. Normally it would take me 45 min to get to Midtown from my Brooklyn home, but it is Sunday and MTA is unpredictable on weekends. As it was, my express train suddenly went local after Canal, without announcement, and than there was “power problem ahead”, so I’ve arrived to 45th and Broadway 7 min after extended time. No one holding familiar OHNY brochure was in sight, only bewildered-looking tourists with their money belts and maps.
I sighed, turned and started to cross the street. And saw a group of people coming towards me, led by a guy waving binder titled Ely Jacques Kahn above his head!
I couldn’t believe it. I never win the lottery (except one time in H.S. when my prize was an art album). If I’m in your car there is 90% chance the cop will choose you among similarly speeding motorists to write a ticket. When I’m in the post office line the clerk will put a sign” closed for lunch” when my turn comes. You get the picture.
The tour was super fantastic and it lasted way over 2 advertised hours, hurray!
We visited more than a dozen beautiful Kahn buildings (and some of the lobbies), their architectural features explained in simple terms, by erudite and passionate guide, Frederick Cookinham; I learned a lot of New York history along the way, and even joined 2 other sightseers and Fred for lunch afterwards.
And here I discovered something else: Mr. Cookinham is a huge Ayn Rand fan; so huge he created a whole separate tour series, “Ayn Rand’s New York”, and he always has subscribers for it (in this pinky-red city!), despite Time Out NY advertising it as tour through fascist diva' sites. (huh?!)
Having read Fountainhead for the first time a couple of months ago, I fell in love with Rand. These tours are taylor-made for me, I just casually stumbled upon unbelievable treasure!
Has Fortune turned her wheel?
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