Truth be told, we really lucked out as far as weather is concerned: Friday was warm enough that I didn't even need a coat to wander around; Saturday was fairly mild; and Sunday was a lovely sunny day, though a chilly one; and Monday was one of those beautifully snowy days that allow you to stay out all day in blissful wintery comfort.
But there was one element I was not prepared for - the wind!
But there was one element I was not prepared for - the wind!
Day 2: Sightseeing, Statues and Getting Swept Away
Saturday was our day to go around to our chosen sightseeing destinations. My traveling instincts told me to walk everywhere, stumble upon things along the way and make new discoveries. Under normal circumstances I still believe this is the best way to do it. However, after about two steps outside on Saturday morning, it became very clear that walking was out of the question; 40mile/hour winds were whipping through the city, making walking comfortably completely out of the question.
We bought metro passes for the weekend, so into the subway we went. The New York subway system is fairly easy to navigate, and it will get you anywhere you want to go. I definitely suggest grabbing a system map for quick references. I was traveling with a group of six, so deciding what to see, and when, posed a bit of a problem. We all agreed that Ground Zero was a must, and I was gearing for the Statue of Liberty. From there, the plan was to walk through Chinatown to see locations from a much-loved TV show, Flight of the Conchords, grab lunch in Little Italy and head up to the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. Well, we never made it to the Museum...but it was a great day nevertheless.
At first, I wasn't particularly excited to go to Ground Zero, but I didn't check it out the first time I was in this city, and it should be on your NYC to-do list. After all was said and done, I'm glad I went. The site itself is really just a massive construction site and if you didn't already know what it is you wouldn't think anything else of it - except for this large mural dedicated to the victims and emergency response workers of that day.
We bought metro passes for the weekend, so into the subway we went. The New York subway system is fairly easy to navigate, and it will get you anywhere you want to go. I definitely suggest grabbing a system map for quick references. I was traveling with a group of six, so deciding what to see, and when, posed a bit of a problem. We all agreed that Ground Zero was a must, and I was gearing for the Statue of Liberty. From there, the plan was to walk through Chinatown to see locations from a much-loved TV show, Flight of the Conchords, grab lunch in Little Italy and head up to the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. Well, we never made it to the Museum...but it was a great day nevertheless.
At first, I wasn't particularly excited to go to Ground Zero, but I didn't check it out the first time I was in this city, and it should be on your NYC to-do list. After all was said and done, I'm glad I went. The site itself is really just a massive construction site and if you didn't already know what it is you wouldn't think anything else of it - except for this large mural dedicated to the victims and emergency response workers of that day.
Though not in this picture, there were a couple of guys polishing this thing up the whole time we were there - I got the feeling they didn't really do much else. The size of this was pretty overwhelming, and all of us took a few moments to absorb it. With all of the 9/11 materials that have been published, distributed, produced, etc., it's easy enough to look past something like this. But, I actually found it a completely appropriate piece honouring those individuals who dedicated themselves to helping others that day.
One of my favourite things at this site really had nothing to do with 9/11 - there was a little church that sat just across the street from Ground Zero. I can only imagine the destruction to the area around the twin towers, but somehow this old church remained unscathed. I love finding spots that have a bit of history and substance to them....
This is St. Paul's Chapel:
I love this - I wish I took the time to go through and explore the tombstones, maybe check out the interior and see what else is to be discovered in this courtyard.
Seems like this little church has been through a lot.
After being blown around Ground Zero for a while, my friends were not so keen to go all the way down to Battery Park. I'm usually easy going about things like this - if we're at least seeing something, I'm okay - but I really had my heart set on the big green gal. Again, I suggested walking there (and side note, it's NOT that far a walk from Ground Zero to Battery Park), but my troupe wanted to take the subway. Easier said than done. It took us a while to figure out exactly where to get off and we looped around the station for a while trying to figure out how to get going. South Ferry seems logical, but you actually want to go to Bowling Green. (Take a closer look at the subway map here).
As I knew we would...we eventually made it. Now, I've said numerous times...it was windy. No way in heck was I getting on that ferry to go to the island. Thankfully, you could see the statue well enough from the mainland...
I think I'm still brushing out those knots.
From there, we decided to head out for lunch. Another hard-fought battle against the wind brought us to the edge of Wall Street, just within sight of the infamous Wall Street Bull - quite obviously a symbol of the energy, strength and aggression of the financial industry in Manhattan - and we descended to the subway once again.
This brought us to my favourite part of the day...pasta and Flight of the Conchords. Famished as we were, we decided that lunch was the necessary next stop. We had no plans, so it was a waltz through Little Italy, a few glances at posted menus on the sidewalks and a desperate attempt to follow some sort of budget that brought us to a little restaurant with a $10.99 3-course lunch special. Garlic bread, soup or salad and an entree sounded like a great midday meal to me.
The garlic bread was buttery and so satisfying. I chose the salad - nothing special, but as expected it had a nice light house dressing. All of the entrees were exactly what I was looking for from Little Italy. Huge portions and a frenzy of carbohydrates that would keep us going for the afternoon.
Are you kidding me with this thing? It was a rice ball, covered in marinara sauce with cheese inside and resting on top...I'm a little embarrassed to say, I ate it all! So fried, so cheesy, so ricey, so good! Little did I know, we had more Italian fare and flare coming to us later...
Recharged and refueled we went on our way to our own sightseeing must - the stoop from the HBO show, Flight of the Conchords. We each took our turn in front of the building, striking a pose and playing air guitar whilst humming the show's theme song.
This location is smack dab in the middle of Chinatown. This wasn't an area I originally had in my travel itinerary, but it sure is something to see. If it's possible, Chinatown is even more jam packed than the rest of the city. The street are cramped and, though there weren't tons of people, there were produce carts filling up at least half the sidewalk everywhere you go. There was also the typical roasted duck hanging in the store windows. One thing I feel I missed while in New York, especially considering our tryst through Chinatown, was trying a real, honest-to-goodness Chinese dumpling. But, after that hefty Italian lunch, I don't think I could have taken anymore dough!
This brought us to the end of a very long and windy day. We headed back to the hotel for a catnap before facing Saturday night in Manhattan. Turns out, the night before and the wind of today did us in more than we had anticipated. A nap turned into ordering pizza, which turned into watching Titanic on TV, which turned into card games and cocktails in pajamas. I know, I know...what a waste of a Saturday night in the big city. Truthfully though, this night provided some amazing and conversation we didn't have time for during the day. If you can't enjoy your friends while traveling, trust me, you won't enjoy anything.
Plus...the pizza was unbelievable....as if I didn't pack in enough carbs at lunch.
We ended day 2 with full cameras and full stomachs. Can't ask for much more than that.
