New York City is a great place to visit. Normally I pack light and this time was lighter than usual. I took only two bags, one was my camera bag and the other my laptop case which also had just enough room for two days of clothes for the three-day trip. In order to travel this light I was forced to make some compromises. There were three:

Take only the shoes on my feet

Only business attire – no casual clothes for the evenings

Wear clothes for first day’s meetings on the plane

These compromises allowed me to take my camera gear while avoiding checked baggage.

I didn’t have as much extra time as I originally anticipated because I decided to see The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theater on Tuesday evening. My seat, which was in the front row but also the extreme stage left, was considered “obstructed view.” While there was a small portion of the stage that I could not see, I could see directly into the orchestra pit. It was very entertaining to watch the various musicians read books, magazines, newspapers, and work on Sudoku puzzles in between their work like anyone else would get a snack during a TV commercial break.

Below are a few images from my trip. Image five is a photo of the architectural model for the World Trade Center complex. The two square holes pictured in the center of the model are the location of the former towers. When complete, these will be recessed pools of reflection. Image six is a photo from 7 World Trade looking down into the construction of Freedom Tower.