Day 44 - NYC Day Two

Our last day to explore NYC.   We caught the 6:22 again even though we were planning on taking the 6:48.  We were up and out.  No traffic, EZ parking lot, and faster as we knew just where to go and how to do it.  NYC train catching pros now.  We even found a seat with a plug to keep the Iphones juiced.

We walked from Grand Central to the Empire State Building.   Today was a major walking day.

We didn't go to the top as we did Rockefeller Plaza yesterday.

Our next stop was Madison Square Garden.  Martha's dad was a boxer for a while, and actually had a bout here.  What didn't he do?  In this corner....  Johnny Nastronero.

This line of people out front of the Garden are not lining up to get tickets to see YMCA perform or something like that......

They are actually in line waiting their turn to get a cab.   Amazing.

Then we walked past Macy's on our way to catch our on and off bus.  No parade today.

We passed Chase Fifth Avenue.  Reminded me of my Son-In-Law Gerry hard at work for Chase in  La Jolla, California

So many cool buildings and nearly every one has a story to it.

We have been on Broadway several times since our arrival.  The reviews are not yet in.

Keeping the windows clean.  This guy is truly hanging out at Starbucks.

Up near the top of this building, these guys must be out of their mind.  I am told that they make $30 an hour to wash windows.   No, there isn't enough money in the world for me to do that job.

We exited the on and off bus and walked to Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial.  I was surprised how far from it the bus let us off.  Walking our feet off today.   The Memorial is really something.   We were told that each stream of water represents one of the people killed that day.  

Their names engraved around the top, and some had a flower placed by the name.  Touching.

Then we WALKED to Battery Park and caught the Ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

We didn't exit at the Statue, we have seen her before.  We stayed on the ferry to Ellis Island.  Seniors rode for a reduce fare, $14 each,  the regular fare is $19.  The ferrys shuttled every 20 minutes and carried 500 people per load. That's 1,500 people an hour.   Twelve hours a day,  seven days a week.  Do the math.  They were packed with people waiting for the next one every  time.

Look at that sky!  Again 80 degrees and a person could not have asked for a more perfect day, again.  Just maybe we could have had a bit more transportation and a little less foot work.  I missed the carriage ride.

We got off at Ellis Island as did Martha's Grandparents, John and Sarah Nastronero, in 1907 after a lengthy boat trip from Italy.   I was beginning to feel like I walked here from Italy.

We had a nice lunch at shaded picnic tables on the island.  I usually get a 10am coffee and missed that today.  We walked past several Starbucks but didn't want to take the time to stop.  "Was I crabby, Dear?"

We checked out the exhibits on the island, very interesting.   There were a lot of pictures and I just don't know how they survived.   So much poverty and filth.  The buildings, the streets, the bathrooms.   And the food handling!!!!   Dead chickens hung unfeathered on nails in the front of buildings for purchase.  No health department or Foster Farms in those days anywhere.  

There is a wall with the names of the immigrants listed.  Martha found John and Sarah's names.

Then we returned to Manhattan.  The entire island originally sold for $26.  

Then we WALKED to Greenwich Village.  3pm now I finally got my Starbucks.  I would have traded it for ten minutes hanging my feet in a hot tub.  Washington Square is about four blocks from where the Nastronero Family originally settled upon arrival in America, a flat on Macdougal Street.  The square is really beautiful and lots of people were hanging out there.  It looked like buying a pizza and sitting on the lawn to share it was a standard date for the area.  Lots of college 'kids' there doing just that.  There were also chess boards and players surrounding it.  Some engrossed in the game, some had one person at their table awaiting a challenger.  Our Grandson, Jack, won first place this past summer at his school's chess tournament.  He is seven, and won the entire tournament of over 50 kids up to ten years old.  I wish he were there to play one of these guys, they would have been surprised.

Martha took the opportunity to sit and check out just where Macdougal Street was located.   It was very nostalgic to be in the place where Martha's dad played as a boy over 80 years ago. 

MacDougal ran out of the side of the park.

A narrow, now one way, street.  It had some trees and lots of shops at the street level with apartments and flats in the upper stories.

104 Macdougal St.

John and Sarah Nastronero settled here and raised Martha's dad until he was 9 years old.   Then they moved to Farmingdale on Long Island.   The place we visited a two days ago.

Right above the store on the second level were the four windows.  That was two different flats, two windows each.  The Nastronero's lived on the left half.

Martha touched the decorative trim around the door which led up to the flats.  How many times had little Johnny Nastronero run his hands over that very same trim?

Then we WALKED to the subway station and took it to Grand Central with only one transfer at 42nd Avenue.  The transfer caused us to walk underground about a mile from track to track.   I couldn't help but think of the movie 'The Time Machine' as the underground passages go on forever, up stairs, across, then back down.  Then repeat.  In this underground city the only thing missing was the Warlock population.

From Grand Central we walked again about six big blocks to the United Nations Building pictured here in the background.  

It was actually disappointing to me as the building itself looked so out of date and the flag poles were all without a flag.  It was 5pm now so maybe they take them in, I don't know.  I found it to be very unimpressive when compared to all of the fantastic buildings surrounding it.

Walking back to Grand Central we passed 'The Daily Planet'.   Where Clark Kent, the mild mannered reporter, worked.  I looked for a telephone booth or alley but none were to be found.   Then I listened for a single bound and a woosh of air, but not a sound.  I looked up in the sky and saw only a bird and a plane.   Oh well, times have changed.

We had planned to end our day with a visit to the Met.  It would have added an hour to the day and I just couldn't do another step.  Martha was doing better than me.  My feet ached, my heels ached, on up to my knees.  I was not looking forward to the two hour train ride home.  When we reached Grand Central we had ten minutes to walk walk walk to the correct track and catch, luckily, the express.

The sun set on the way, we got back to the trailer a little after 8pm.  Another full day.  I really liked our two days of New York City.  Especially the carriage ride through Central Park.  I was soooo glad to make it back to the trailer.  Tomorrow we will just hang out at the trailer and run a few errands.  A kick back day.  Thursday we move the trailer to Pennsylvania, Amish Country.  Quite a contrast from our stay here and a welcome one too.  

Couldn't get that beer opened soon enough when we got to the trailer.   There is no pool or spa at this park so I may soak my feet in a bucket tomorrow..... If I can find a few more Heineken to occupy my hands.   Thanks for coming to NYC with us.