Central Manhattan, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Of all the places in all the world to choose to live for someone of almost unlimited means, here is where John Lennon chose to live his life in both fame and obscurity. "The Dakota" is a cooperative apartment building constructed in the 1880's and was reputedly named that because at the time, it was so far west and north from the bulk of the city population it might as well have been in the Dakotas.

Central Park is immediately across the street from the Dakota.

And even in the rain, the kids and parents are playing baseball in the traditional springtime ritual of American youth. There are many well-manicured ballfields within the park.

The 850-acre park is maintained to a very high standard, especially considering the number of people that call it their backyard on a daily basis, not to mention adding in the numbers of tourists, too.

On the east side of the park, the world renown Metropolitan Museum of Art welcomes visitors from both near and far. I was intrigued by their fee structure - some visitors are free, some are full fare, some in between - in my case, as a non-resident senior, I paid $17 for a visit. The line was long but moved quickly and efficiently and I was inside without undue delay.



Turning any corner and I was face-to-face with some of the finest art assembled anywhere in the world.



A perfect place to spend a few hours on this rainy day.