Scenes from New York City

I realized I had shared descriptions and pictures of certain well known places in New York, but hadn’t shown you what may be the essence of the city. Standing on any corner you can experience New York—street vendors, traffic noise, flashing neon signs (I guess today they are mostly computerized digital images), and a jagged skyline of skyscrapers, church spires, and midrise tenements.

It is a city of sculpture and elaborate design making a walk along city streets almost like a museum tour. It’s a noisy place with so much traffic and so many people crowded into the space between the rows of buildings. The smell is a rich mixture of an aroma that can only occur in a large city—the blending of exhaust fumes, street food, and the mass of humanity. Then there are the people, thousands and thousands of people from the far corners of the globe. You may hear 10 different languages spoken as you wait to cross a street. Colorful people in a colorful city.

Here are a few shots taken as we made our way along the city street. I didn’t add captions; they are just street scenes that will hopefully give you a little flavor of the Big Apple.

So, I end this posting with the same sentiment as yesterday—this is an awesome and awe-inspiring city worthy of many more visits.

Midtown New York, Part II

Rockefeller Plaza

Our next stop was Rockefeller Center. Of all the places we were, this was my favorite with its park-like setting and beautiful flowers. The ice skating rink was being used as a restaurant on this warm, muggy day in September.

Rockefeller Plaza

From here we headed north up 5th Ave. passing Sacs, Cartier’s, Trump Tower, and a host of other famous and not so famous shops and hotels. Along the way we took a quick look inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral. What a beautiful place. It was amazing to see so many tourists milling around taking photos while mass was in progress. It would be pretty distracting to me as a worshiper, but I guess they are used to it since St. Patrick’s is open all day every day for tourists. There were guards posted to confine the tourists to the periphery of the sanctuary.

Cartier's

Trump Tower

Sacs 5th Ave.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

At the southeastern corner of Central Park stands the regal Plaza Hotel. The outside is being renovated. I tried to take pictures with as little scaffolding as possible. It was flat out gorgeous inside.

Central Park Mall area

We just skirted the edge of Central Park staying close to 5th Ave as we made our way up to E 81st St where we were meeting Gene’s nephew for lunch. We really didn’t see much of this huge expanse of green in the middle of Manhattan. We were just too tired by that time to spend much time wandering around. We met Scott and Para for a quick late lunch and then jumped on the subway for the short ride to Grand Central Station and our north bound train to Poughkeepsie.

Central Park

Food can be found anywhere in Central Park

It was a very full day of sightseeing. Although we saw lots of stuff there is so much more to see of this great city.

Residences across from Central Park

I started out this adventure to the Big Apple by being overwhelmed at rush hour in Grand Central Station. I leave the city with the same impression. I am overwhelmed by the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions of one of the largest cities in the world. It is truly an awesome and awe inspiring place worthy of many more visits.

Top of the Rock (GE Building)

Midtown New York

Grand Central Station Main Concourse

Saturday, after a day of rest on Friday, we went back to New York City. This was a real “big city” experience. We got up and hit the road early for the 35 minute drive to Poughkeepsie Station to catch the 6:30 AM train to Grand Central Station. This trip was a little less expensive because it was not a “peak” time train and parking was free. It was not an express train so it was nearly a 2 hour ride.

Doorway to tracks

Bryant Park

Grand Central Station is a marvel in and of itself. It is a huge place and takes some getting used to, especially during rush hour. But Saturday we were just tourists like so many others there with camera in hand exploring the passageways, admiring the chandeliers and ceiling in the main concourse, and hunting for the bathroom. We were also in need of a cup of coffee so we took a short break in the food court. One can satisfy any food craving here with foods ranging from pretzels, bagels, and muffins to full course meals in a number of ethnic flavors. Not only are there fast foods, but there is also a full scale bakery and the famous Oyster Bar Restaurant. For the number of eating places there is at least an equal number of shops offering everything from a newspaper to cashmere sweaters. This is a “train” station, after all, and it is the hub for 2 different types of trains—the subway and the Metro North commuter train. There are 117 tracks to accommodate these trains. To get to the city we rode the Metro North Hudson line, then would come up from the tunnel, cross to the other side of the station, and go back underground to get the subway to our ultimate destination.

In Time Square

New York Public Library

After seeing the sights in Grand Central we decided to see the rest of the neighborhood so we walked instead of taking the subway. Our first stop was the Public Library. It was too early for it to be open so we were unable to see the magnificent Reading Room. On our way to Time Square we passed Bryant Park, an oasis of green in this desert of concrete and steel. In the Time Square area we saw Radio City Music Hall and the historic Embassy Theater which was opened in 1925 by MGM to cater to high society. It is now an Information Center and undergoing renovation. We stepped inside the Toys-R-Us just to take a picture of the Ferris Wheel. We couldn’t leave Time Square without seeing the old New York Times Building and imagine the ball dropping to usher in each New Year.

St Mary's Church

As we turned back east, we stepped into St. Mary’s Church. I love seeing the elaborate alters and stained glass that are so prominent, especially in Catholic Churches.

Old New York Times building

That’s all for this posting. Stay tuned for the rest of the story tomorrow.

Ellis Island

After thoroughly exploring the Statue of Liberty, we grabbed a bite of lunch from the cafe there which had a great selection of fast food and was surprisingly good. Then we got on the next ferry bound for Ellis Island. It was a quick 10 minute ride. Although there are several buildings on the island, the only one open was the main processing building.

View of registry room from second level

The Immigration Service opened Ellis Island for business January 1, 1892 and during the next 25-30 years some 12 million people passed through here on their way to a new homeland. Some days 5,000 people may have walked through the front door. April 17, 1907 saw almost 12,000 folks disembark. Remarkable!! After 1924 immigration laws changed and a different agency took over the immigration process, greatly reducing the number of souls passing this way. In 1954 Ellis Island closed all together and in 1965 it became part of the National Park Service system. Today, thousands of folks walk through the front door each day, not searching for a new homeland, but exploring the great land they call home or searching for ancestors who passed this way.

Dorm Room

Luggage Line

Train schedules displayed at Ellis Island

Not all immigrates passed through Ellis Island. Anyone in first and second class who did not appear ill were sent through customs and right into New York. If you were unfortunate enough not to look in good health, to Ellis Island you went along with all passengers in steerage and third class for “further inspection”. In the Registry Room hopeful immigrants stood in long lines to be processed. Inspectors would walk along the lines and make chalk marks on clothing to alert doctors or other inspectors of possible ailments. At the end of the line, immigrants were sent on to New York or to other rooms for further inspection. Most exited the process and made their way within a few hours to New York. I cannot imagine how frightful, humiliating, and frustrating this process must have seemed. We would not tolerate it today. It would fall into the category of discriminatory and probably inhumane. But for those millions of people, this was America, the land of the free, the land of opportunity and nothing done to them here could begin to compare with the suffering associated with their old homeland.

Registry Room

Sinks in the Dorm room

We opted for the audio tour and listened to the narrative explaining each site on the tour. The Park Service recommends 3.5 hours for this tour. It would definitely take that much time. We finally left on the 4:30 ferry almost too exhausted to stand without seeing everything there was to see. It was sobering and sorrowful to finally understand the process so many endured to enter the United States. As I stood in line waiting for the ferry to take me back to Manhattan, I looked around at the hundreds waiting in line with me. Some were definitely old enough to have come here as an infant or small child. Perhaps they had come for another reason—to remember the past.

Wall of names

Enjoy the photos. They are not very good because so many were taken inside without proper lighting, but hopefully you will get the idea. The building has been restored to its 1918 French Renaissance-style glory.

Manhatten Skyline

Statue of Liberty

Thursday was our day to tour the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Our internet research of these National Park Units really paid off in terms of being able to plan our day. We were able to purchase tickets online saving us from having to stand in the very long line at the ticket office. The earliest ticket for both islands on that day was 10:30 AM. Earlier tours were already sold out. We were very glad to have that piece of information in advance and 10:30 worked out well. We didn’t have to get up with the chickens and we had plenty of time to have breakfast, visit with Scott, walk the 10 or so blocks to the subway, ride downtown, and find Battery Park. Since we had prepaid tickets, all we had to do was pick up a boarding pass. We did encounter a line through security (airport style), but it moved quickly. We had to go through security again to enter the pedestal.

Also located at Battery Park is Castle Clinton. Before we got on the ferry we wandered around a bit. Sitting on the southern tip of Manhattan, this round sandstone structure was originally built to ward of the British in 1812. Now, as a National Park unit it is the gateway to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Around the periphery, street vendors of all descriptions are out selling their wares. This is where we saw the snake handler. Now that I am safe in my Montana some 70 miles away, I wish I had touched those snakes.

Back side of Castle Clinton

The ferry was typical of tours like this—three decks packed full with everybody wanting to be on top. I found myself a nice spot by the rail on the second deck and, as luck would have it, was on the correct side of the boat to have a full view of the statue during the entire ride. More good luck—the sun was to my back.

The Statue resides on Liberty Island (originally Bedloe’s Island) and was a gift from the people of France in 1886 to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. She was restored to her former glory for her 100th birthday in 1986. Over time this statue has come to symbolize freedom and democracy.

The Statue was not the work of just one man or even one nation. The sculptor Bartholdi was the designer, but several others helped to create a structure that would withstand the rigors of wind and time. Even Eiffel, of the famed Eiffel Tower, was asked to throw in his expertise. France was creating the Statue, but it needed a pedestal to rest upon. That became the responsibility of the American people. All types of fund-raising methods were employed to get the money needed for this ambitious project. Today Lady Liberty stands atop a 10-story high granite pedestal which sits atop the star-shaped Fort Wood (used in the War of 1812).

Actual size model of the face

The original torch

It was inspiring to see this landmark from a boat deck and imagine how so many people have felt as they came in search of a new homeland. It is impossible for me to relate those feelings—the sense of awe at the mere size of the Statue, the pride in my country, the blessings of living in “the land of the free”. Perhaps the pictures can speak to your heart as the Statue spoke to mine.

The Manhatten Skyline

New York City

Inside Poughkeepsie Station

Poughkeepsie Station

All of the images, smells, sounds, and emotions of our short visit to the big city are whirling around in my head. There is so much to see and do in a city of this magnitude that it is impossible to even come close to capturing its flavor in a month, much less in a few short days. I’ll try to relate, the best I can, our experiences of Wednesday and Thursday. It may take multiple installments.

Waiting for our train

Our primary purpose for coming to New York City was to visit with family. Gene has two nephews who live on Manhattan--one in Greenwich Village and the other on the Upper East Side. We were spending the night with Scott and Para and the whole gang was meeting for dinner. Our main sightseeing objectives were Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Anything else would be icing on the cake. That was the plan. This is how it played out.

Because I did not want to leave little deaf Peanut for more than one night alone, we planned to go into the city late in the afternoon on Wednesday. We learned from our scouting on Tuesday that late in the afternoon would be our best hope of finding a parking space at the Poughkeepsie Station, so our decision to leave late in the day worked out great. We got to the station about 5 minutes before the arriving train so the garage was still full when we got there, but the very nice attendant allowed us to pull in and wait for someone to leave. Once parked, we only had about 30 minutes to wait for our train. I spent that time taking pictures of the Poughkeepsie Station. It is small, but beautiful in an old sort of way.

A snake handler in Battery Park

Memorial at Battery Park

Poughkeepsie is about 70 miles from New York City so we had an hour and a half ride to Grand Central Station. Poughkeepsie is at the northern end and Grand Central at the southern end for the East of Hudson Metro North train. I was a small child the last time I rode a train (well, except for the Durango-Silverton cog railroad and I don’t think that counts). We got on like we knew what we were doing and made ourselves comfortable. I got to sit by the window. As it turned out we had chosen seats that were facing the opposite direction we would be traveling. It wasn’t unpleasant, though, and I was content to watch the passing scenery. I nearly jumped out of my skin, however, the first time a northbound train passed. I had no warning whatsoever and it seemed like it was only an inch from my nose. I never did get accustomed to another train approaching suddenly just inches from my seat.

Sculpture damaged on 9/11

Arriving at Grand Central Station was a rush. A rush emotionally and psychologically of, not only being in “The City”, but also at the hub of the city. A rush literally as thousands of people darted in every direction trying to make train connections in the afternoon “rush” hour. Gene’s nephew, Tom, met us at the old clock in the main concourse. From the internet we know basically where our subway was located, (plus there is an information desk for the uninitiated) but it was very helpful and reassuring to have someone there to hold our hands. We rushed off to our subway all the while receiving a lesson on the dos and don’ts, ins and outs, and rules of subway riding. We had a wonderful evening catching up on all the news and family gossip. Having not seen any family since April, it was a real treat just to be together.

Metro North

Bright and early Thursday morning Scott walked us back to the subway and sent us on our way to Battery Park to catch the ferry to Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty. We came out of the subway right at Battery Park; now that was easy. In the park was a memorial to those who died on 9/11. The damaged sculpture at the head of the memorial had been between the twin towers. We were also just in time for a skydiving program which was part of the 9/11 anniversary activities. We were waiting for our ferry to leave so we had a prime viewing spot. The skydivers carrying American flags landed on the New Jersey riverfront. That was pretty special.

Up next—Statue of Liberty.