We took our son and three grandchildren for an extended weekend visit to New York City, staying in the Lower East Side or LES as it is referred to by cityites. There are direct flights to LaGuardia from Omaha these days and even with three short ones in tow the two-and-one-half-hour flight time is not too bad. No one puked and there was an absence of meltdowns.

We put two of the children in the window seats so that they could soak up the skyline-induced first impression. They buzzed.

The remaking of LaGuardia Airport is near completion and Terminal B leaves an excellent first go to the city that is amazing. When I first flew in and out of LaGuardia in the mid-1950s, the airport was in good shape. In particular, the Marine Terminal with its collection of really cool seal planes was the best. However, over the next several decades it began to crumble. In addition, travel to and from the airport was slow and slowing. Access to parking or even to taxis was bad as well. It was a place to avoid if you could. Conditions have changed. Our two girls and boy could not stop watching the water feature/light show that greeted them just a few moments after we de-planed. The drive to our Airbnb we reserved in the LES was picturesque. The first bridge is the RFK, formerly known as the Triborough Bridge, followed by several minutes on the East River-hugging FDR Drive. Yes, that is a Dalmatian balancing a taxi on its nose.

The LES is a special place for me. It was the first residential stop for my great grandparents, my mother’s family, after immigrating from Sicily. The LES has changed markedly in the last several decades. Little Italy has shrunk and Chinatown has expanded to also include a large and growing Vietnamese population. Bodegas, small shops, food trucks, and nifty restaurants are found on almost every block with apartments and condos on the second floor and higher. Subway stops are everywhere. Our Airbnb was across the street from Seward Park. No Bocce, but ping pong, plus a high-energy crowd, especially on Friday and Saturday night. That’s my granddaughter Maren at the front door of our place.

No visit to the city is complete without pictures of the waterfront, skyline, and the Lady. The skyline has been altered, but it is always impressive regardless of the direction from which you see it. I think it’s coolest from the water, the confluence of the East and Hudson Rivers in this case. And, can you show pictures of NYC without one of the Brooklyn Bridge? No.