We slept like logs, even through the inevitable traffic and siren noise and neighbour's coming home late.
Today off for more sightseeing. We once again messed up the subway by getting the train in the wrong direction - by the time we realised we didn't recognise the stations we were going through we had stopped at Broad Street and the carriage emptied. A kindly cleaner told us we were at the end of he line and in order to get to 14th street/8th Avenue, we needed to return on the A train. What a pair of tourists we are! But I will defend myself once again that their system is very strange, the lines are named by letter and yet you get numbered routes too and 'local' which means slower and then when we alighted at 14th Street, we came out to signs for 16th. Pete asked at the ticket booth and was told yeh, station goes over 2 blocks. Is it just me?!
Anyway, we 'did' the High Line - a disused rail line that the city brains have developed into a linear park from the old meat packing area downtown to 34th Street west Manhatten. We took in Chelsea Market beforehand, having had it recommended by yesterday's tour guide in Times Square. I have to say I was disappointed again as it was all eateries - very fine and interesting food - and only a handful of over priced arts and crafts stalls. Having enjoyed Spitalfields Market and the like, I couldn't help but think this was inferior and lacked the London markets scruffy character. Very much for tourists, but the building was interesting -
probably an old warehouse from the meat trade.
The High Line by contrast was great and inspired. To have a view of New York 'halfway' up it's skyscrapers and close-in was fascinating and the planting spectacular. A line of peace in this busy city.
Afterwards we walked to the Empire State, another feast for Art Deco style eyes and then to the sweet Flat Iron building. Pete braved the heights at 86 stories of the Empire State. Sadly the sun had turned hazy so I didn't get those contrasty photos of this amazing skyline that I had wanted, but it's exciting all the same to see this crammed cityscape from so high up.
On our way home (and we got the right train this time from 23rd Street to Delancy), we stopped at an interesting bar again. Having sat at the bar whilst the sole barman regaled an interested girl with his life story we started to get a little twitchy and thirsty. Eventually he plonked a bar list down in front of us without breaking conversation with his devoted ear,
whereupon we got up in silent unison and left. Shame, the bar seemed nice too. We found an Irish themed one further on with a lovely smiley bar lady so all was not lost. We bought bread and cheese and fruit for supper back at our wobbly digs - still full from a fat Diner lunch on 34th street, the neighbouring table full of NYPD guys. We discussed afterwards why it is that we feel very safe when they are around and guessed it was because of every movie we had ever seen but not Hill Street Blues!
Today off for more sightseeing. We once again messed up the subway by getting the train in the wrong direction - by the time we realised we didn't recognise the stations we were going through we had stopped at Broad Street and the carriage emptied. A kindly cleaner told us we were at the end of he line and in order to get to 14th street/8th Avenue, we needed to return on the A train. What a pair of tourists we are! But I will defend myself once again that their system is very strange, the lines are named by letter and yet you get numbered routes too and 'local' which means slower and then when we alighted at 14th Street, we came out to signs for 16th. Pete asked at the ticket booth and was told yeh, station goes over 2 blocks. Is it just me?!
Anyway, we 'did' the High Line - a disused rail line that the city brains have developed into a linear park from the old meat packing area downtown to 34th Street west Manhatten. We took in Chelsea Market beforehand, having had it recommended by yesterday's tour guide in Times Square. I have to say I was disappointed again as it was all eateries - very fine and interesting food - and only a handful of over priced arts and crafts stalls. Having enjoyed Spitalfields Market and the like, I couldn't help but think this was inferior and lacked the London markets scruffy character. Very much for tourists, but the building was interesting -
probably an old warehouse from the meat trade.
The High Line by contrast was great and inspired. To have a view of New York 'halfway' up it's skyscrapers and close-in was fascinating and the planting spectacular. A line of peace in this busy city.
Afterwards we walked to the Empire State, another feast for Art Deco style eyes and then to the sweet Flat Iron building. Pete braved the heights at 86 stories of the Empire State. Sadly the sun had turned hazy so I didn't get those contrasty photos of this amazing skyline that I had wanted, but it's exciting all the same to see this crammed cityscape from so high up.
On our way home (and we got the right train this time from 23rd Street to Delancy), we stopped at an interesting bar again. Having sat at the bar whilst the sole barman regaled an interested girl with his life story we started to get a little twitchy and thirsty. Eventually he plonked a bar list down in front of us without breaking conversation with his devoted ear,
whereupon we got up in silent unison and left. Shame, the bar seemed nice too. We found an Irish themed one further on with a lovely smiley bar lady so all was not lost. We bought bread and cheese and fruit for supper back at our wobbly digs - still full from a fat Diner lunch on 34th street, the neighbouring table full of NYPD guys. We discussed afterwards why it is that we feel very safe when they are around and guessed it was because of every movie we had ever seen but not Hill Street Blues!
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