Manhattan . . .
brings a different image to mind for everyone. Me, I think of crowded streets, smells (some good and some not so good), horns honking, hot subways, tall buildings (and small), ESB, Lady Liberty, WTC and ground zero, crazy taxi drivers, and street performers.
It also brings to mind good food with good friends, a few beers in the local pub, walking almost everywhere, sensory overload, culture shock, and street vendors selling everything from hot dogs to designer handbags.
I managed it to make to most of the places on my “to do” list. Our hotel was in midtown Manhattan…just two blocks from Times Square, more restaurants and bars in two blocks than the whole of Columbus, GA, and Broadway.
Day One, September 10: We arrived around 11:00; plenty of time to get to the room and see some of the sights. Our first stop would be the TKTS booth to get theatre tickets. We assumed it was ten blocks from our hotel (we were informed that the Times Square booth was a long wait and more expensive…) so we walked…and walked…and walked.
We walked thru the garment district, the flower district, the flatiron district, Union Square, Greenwich Village, NoHo, Soho, and into the financial district. There were protestors at Ground Zero and blisters on my feet. 30 blocks and we were at least 10 blocks from our destination.
We spent some time at Ground Zero. I was in the middle of a protest that I knew nothing about before my arrival. But it was exciting. I wanted to be a part of it. I did not want to walk another step (and not just because my feet were sore). I wanted to sit down and talk to the people and feel what they were feeling, be part of something bigger than myself. The pulse of the crowd was palpable, as was their passion. They brought their voices together for the greater good, expressing their ideas in a peaceful and respectful manner…this is, after all, a place of memorial. My companions were ready to move on…
When we finally found the TKTS booth, it was closed. We were deflated, tired, and hungry.
It’s about 2:30 and we got an outdoor table at Red, a Mexican restaurant on Fulton Street. The food was ok. We could have got the same thing for half the price at Taco Bell, but it was a beautiful day and my feet were finally at rest. The streets were filled with people: a young bride and her groom walking to their reception; a young Jewish girl dressed for her Bat Mitzvah, her father, brother, and photographer trailing behind her, Elvis singing his greatest hits in gold lame shorts.
After lunch, we headed over to the pier 17 to take a look around. We bought tickets for the ferry. We were going to say hello to Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. The ferry would be leaving in about 45 minutes so we took some photos of the Brooklyn Bridge and checked out some of the local entertainment.
At the appropriate time, we headed over to the ferry loading area. Our timing on this day continued to work against us as the harbor was being closed by the Coast Guard for the arrival of Bushy and his entourage. We had had enough. We got a refund and headed for the subway. 20 minutes later I was back in my hotel room, ready to take a nap before dinner.
After resting for a couple of hours, we decided to eat at an Irish Pub just off of Times Square. The food was stick to your ribs good. After a beer we headed back to the hotel to prepare for work the next day.
Lunch: Red
Dinner: Irish pub
Shopping: 7 t-shirts for $15…
Entertainment: Elvis, street performers of all types, the local citizenry
We spent some time at Ground Zero. I was in the middle of a protest that I knew nothing about before my arrival. But it was exciting. I wanted to be a part of it. I did not want to walk another step (and not just because my feet were sore). I wanted to sit down and talk to the people and feel what they were feeling, be part of something bigger than myself. The pulse of the crowd was palpable, as was their passion. They brought their voices together for the greater good, expressing their ideas in a peaceful and respectful manner…this is, after all, a place of memorial. My companions were ready to move on…
When we finally found the TKTS booth, it was closed. We were deflated, tired, and hungry.
It’s about 2:30 and we got an outdoor table at Red, a Mexican restaurant on Fulton Street. The food was ok. We could have got the same thing for half the price at Taco Bell, but it was a beautiful day and my feet were finally at rest. The streets were filled with people: a young bride and her groom walking to their reception; a young Jewish girl dressed for her Bat Mitzvah, her father, brother, and photographer trailing behind her, Elvis singing his greatest hits in gold lame shorts.
After lunch, we headed over to the pier 17 to take a look around. We bought tickets for the ferry. We were going to say hello to Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. The ferry would be leaving in about 45 minutes so we took some photos of the Brooklyn Bridge and checked out some of the local entertainment.
At the appropriate time, we headed over to the ferry loading area. Our timing on this day continued to work against us as the harbor was being closed by the Coast Guard for the arrival of Bushy and his entourage. We had had enough. We got a refund and headed for the subway. 20 minutes later I was back in my hotel room, ready to take a nap before dinner.
After resting for a couple of hours, we decided to eat at an Irish Pub just off of Times Square. The food was stick to your ribs good. After a beer we headed back to the hotel to prepare for work the next day.
Lunch: Red
Dinner: Irish pub
Shopping: 7 t-shirts for $15…
Entertainment: Elvis, street performers of all types, the local citizenry
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