Out and About in New York

Day 2 – 31^st August 2011

Revived by lots of sleep, I made my way to the Birch House Café for breakfast – scrambled ‘cage free’ eggs on a toasted bagel and a large mug of coffee.  Thus fortified I set off for the Empire State Building where the early start proved to be a good move.  Crowds were already building by the time I left and the queuing system was evidently set up for vast numbers.  Here I experienced the first airport security style check of the day but it seems strange that all the places that were charging the public money for being there were significantly faster than most airports and lightning in comparison to US Immigration.  Here was also the first hard sell of the day, where for only $8 extra I got both the audio tour and the panoramic souvenir map.  The ascent to the 88^th floor cost $22 but for several dollars more it was possible to go higher.  I declined the chance.  Even the lower platform was well worth it for the fantastic views made better by the superb weather.

Back at ground level it seemed ideal conditions to walk the whole way down to Battery Park at the southern end of Manhattan which, much to my surprise, was accomplished relatively easily.  As the streets southwards were clocked off it seemed to become almost quiet and even traffic levels dropped.  The anticipated nightmare of negotiating junctions failed to materialise as the ‘walk time’ at the lights seemed very generous.  In addition, many of the streets were one way so it was easy to see if anything was coming and cross even if the lights were on red.  This seemed to be the form for New Yorkers, who seemed almost British in their disregard for red lights.  Many seated areas existed and Washington Square provided enough seats for a whole army of weary walkers.  It was about here that my new found confidence in the road numbering system evaporated as I’d passed First Street and was nowhere near the Ground Zero site that I was aiming for.  Proper street names appeared but fortunately my hotel issue map was up to the task and the site of the WTC and it’s burgeoning replacement soon hove into view.  Access to Ground Zero was prohibited due to the work going on but a view was possible from the impressive World Financial Centre.  From here I followed the wide and well vegetated promenade the rest of the way down to Battery Park.  There seemed to be plenty of people out and about; loads of very fit looking joggers, lots of cyclists and an inordinate number of young mothers with children in buggies.  The reason soon became clear as a special play area appeared but the place served as a popular meeting place for the mothers, and given the beautiful weather they were out in force.

A little further and I joined the many others queuing for the ferry trips to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  In fact, there were so many that I feared the airport experience but all passed without major delay and I soon joined a heaving boatload; numbers that cannot have been too dissimilar to the original immigrant ships processed at Ellis Island.  I opted to stay aboard at the Statue island as I had plenty of photos but the museum at Ellis Island was impressive and could have been worth a much longer visit.  Isn’t it always the way?  The main reception hall was vast and doubtless worked very well in its function of impressing prospective migrants.  Back at Battery Park I wandered towards the Smithsonian, the museum of the American Indian and a final security search for the day.  Another place worthy of a longer visit. 

A brief stop to buy a metro card at a subway station where a helpful man relieved me of $16.90 and explained what good value they were.  I later discovered that the card only had ten cents on it so he was a con man.  A very good one too, as I was third in line for my ticket and only ten yards from the policeman who directed me there!  There must have been some sleight of hand involved as well because the lady in front of me was passed through the barrier.  Doubtless she would discover the lack of credit on her card another day!

Somewhat foot-weary by now I wandered up and down Wall Street and even visited a few shops!  Not something I willingly do at home.  Eventually, I found the correct subway station and made my way back to the hotel.  Plans to visit a cinema were shelved as tiredness took over and I settled for charging up everything that needed charging, making a semi-successful Skype call home and writing this up with the help of a beer in the Birch House. 

Arrived in New York

Day 2 – 30^th August 2011

Very early local time but I’ve had a lot of sleep in a bed that seems incredibly comfortable after two nights on the sleeping mat at Will’s.  Despite my late onset nerves, I got here without disaster and everything worked as it should with the exception of US immigration where the queue lasted two hours!  They might well have been getting back up to speed after the ‘hurricane’; there were certainly lots of inundated fields as we came in to land, but such a long wait after a seven hour flight seems cruel.  I briefly contemplated a taxi but was put off by the price and then met the line waiting for the Express bus; even longer than the immigration queue! Just as I was resigned to my fate an enormous black man came up and asked if I was headed downtown and offered to take me for $20 if we could find some more passengers.  In moments we had four passengers and I was duly delivered to the door of the Latham Hotel.  Bonus!  He clearly made a good living from his enterprise and was even set up to accept credit cards.

The hotel has clearly seen better days but is superbly located with the Empire State building round the corner, but the staff are helpful and the room is clean.  The electrical sockets all seem a little hit and miss but I can set up my various chargers with the help of a few props.  Major let down was my phone which has worked throughout Europe and even Morocco but not here.  The remedy was a $5 phone card which gives me more talk-time than I’m likely to use in a year; the first (and probably the only) thing that’s cheap here.  By contrast, 24 hours access to wi-fi costs $9.

With the five hour time differential the night was young even though my body was ready for bed so I set off for an orientation walk to get used to the street numbering system.  It is as easy as I’ve been led to believe.  Streets running east to west are numbered from the south so my hotel is on 28^th Street which is somewhere to the south of the ‘middle’.  North-South roads are numbered from the east with Sixth Avenue being the mid-point.  So, my hotel at East 15, 28^th Street is the 15^th building from Sixth Avenue along 28^th Street.  Easy!!  Anyway, the short walk turned into quite a long one as I went past the Empire State and headed all the way to the river to the west and then back to the hotel.  I was surprised by the number of trees along many of the streets, lots of Plane trees like London but others that I couldn’t recognise. 

 There was an old railway line that had been converted into an urban walkway which seemed to attract lots of people. 

I also came across a unique (to me) parking system where the cars are all stacked up on a hydraulic lift system.   I asked the operator what happens if someone whose car is at the top wants it back and he confirmed that all the cars underneath have to be lowered and put to one side, the required car is released and then the other cars all have to be put back.  Labour intensive but a good use of limited space.

Finally got back and had a meal at a street-side restaurant; it was still pretty warm.  Too expensive and much more than I could eat, but overall a long and successful day.

Rose today at six o’clock – Chris will find this hard to believe but I had been abed for 9 hours.  I’ve just enjoyed a New York breakfast at the Birch House, a little café around the block from the hotel.  It’s attached to the public library.  I had my first New York beer there last night - an organic pale ale that might easily have been brewed in the UK so there is beer in the US if you look for it.  I suspect it might be less readily available as I head inland!  Lots of customers already and I’m not the only one on a laptop.  Two large coffees (I’ll be peeing all day!!) and scrambled eggs in a bagel and I’m ready for what the day brings.

OK, its not the USA but it could be.  I'm simply testing out the technology, being new to blogging and such advanced forms of communication.  After years of thinking about it, months of planning it, weeks of gathering bits and pieces, I finally collected all the paperwork and documents into one place then started to sort out clothing.  Its difficult to see how everything I think I might need will fit into one rucksack.   Then there's the problem of getting all the photographic and electronic stuff into my day bag.  This made me so nervous a little sit-down was needed and I went and did some strimming instead.  Departure is 8 am on Saturday so it will have to work itself out by then.  Meanwhile there's Chelsea's first home defeat of the season to look forward to before the flight on Monday.