A long time ago there was a giant statue of an iguana on the roof of a building in downtown Manhattan. Some people who’ve been in NYC long enough remember him fondly.
The iguana lived on the roof of the now vanished Lone Star Cafe. He stood proudly atop 61 Fifth Avenue, right across the street from where our lab at NYU is today.
I tracked down the giant iguana on-line. I learned that his name is Iggy, that he weighs 2600 pounds, and that he has happily taken up residence on the roof of the animal hospital of the Forth Worth Zoo in Texas.
It’s good to know that Iggy has found a good home, but I still miss him. This old town isn’t the same without him.
People who weren’t around NYC back then may not get this, but sometimes you just want a big old iguana on a nearby rooftop. Just to let you know that everything is going to be ok.
