Wandering Tour of Lower Manhattan

By Hydro | Permalink | 5 comments | April 30th, 2005 | Trackback

After a late start, I finally dragged myself out to see a small portion of NYC. I’d formulated a rough plan of what I wanted to get to, and how to get there, and bought an all day Metro pass ($7) before jumping on the #1 subway heading downtown.

Battery Park
First stop was Battery Park, the tail end of Manhattan. Where to go after getting off the shuttle wasn’t exactly clear as there is a lot of construction going on down there. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, but it was too misty. I could barely make out the tops of the the nearby office buildings in the financial district, let alone spot a green lady on a small island out in the bay. I did take a picture though - she’s out there, honest.

The strange thing I saw was a bunch of Africa guys standing around with large briefcases and large garbage bags. It looked like they were headed somewhere but they were just standing around. I had no idea what they were doing until I wandered along behind a large tour group. The guys all popped open the briefcases and bags and started selling watches, handbags, sunglasses, etc. It was kind of funny to see all these briefcases so near the financial area on a Saturday - nothing to do with big business, but everything to do with commerce.

Wall Street was only a short walk away. Again, lots of construction but plenty of folks out there taking photos. Saw two huge gyms on opposite corners so the biz folks can stay healthy while working 90 hours a week. There is a large bull on an island in the middle of nearby Broadway (I think?). It was funny to watch all the tourists do nasty things to the bull’s rear end. Seems no matter how old you are, or what nationality, it’s a great laugh to touch a bull’s bollocks and take a photo. Back to finance, the New York Stock Exchange ponders the questions of just how many American flags do you need on the front of a building, but it also has a much more modest entrance around the side.

Followed my feet down to the WTC site. Having not seen it before so close I was surprised at how small the affected area was considering the size of those two buildings. Even though it is basically a big hole in the ground to look at, there were lots of people around the perimeter and in the viewing area. There might not be much to look at, but I guess that’s a big part of what makes it such an emotionally charged area.

Caught a subway a stop or two uptown to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked partway across it before the rain convinced me to turn around and come back. Picked up a hot dog from a street vendor since I hadn’t eaten yet. It was tasty, but nothing special.

Where is Little Italy?
Another subway to Little Italy, looking for some authentic NY-style pizza. However, it looks as though Chinatown is beginning to encroach on Little Italy. There are plenty of Asian stores surrounding the Italian area, which has been reduced to a half block either side of Mulberry St. It did not appear to be a vibrant Italian neighbourhood serving an Italian community like Chicago’s Little Italy. Eventually settled for a couple slices from Pomodoro (home of the Vodka Pizza - apparently) and a beer. Mostly it was just to get out of the rain.

From there I walked up Bowery Street to Slainte, an Irish pub (shock) for a Guinness and to see Chelsea clinch the English Premier League title with a win over Bolton Wanderers.

Wandered further up Bowery to Greenwich Village and it was starting to turn dark out. Picked up some bagels for a snack for later. At Union Square I caught another subway to Grand Central Terminal, which is looking as much like a shopping mall as a place where people catch trains. Michael Jordan even has a steak house here. Don’t forget to look up at the ceiling if you go. It’s pretty cool.

Heading Home
Stopped off for one more beer at Annie Moore’s and then one last subway (#7) back to Times Square to check email and write up this post. The plan for tomorrow is to get up early and visit Central Park (if the weather is decent) and the Guggenheim Museum. However, I just got an email from Tickles so I might be meeting up with her for brunch as well.

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