Arrived in JFK at 8pm after a comfortable flight and took an expensive taxi to our Airbnb studio, where we met with our host in the Lower East Side, which despite of hype, remains an extremely scruffy area. Like London, areas become gentrified slowly and although we are on the edge of East Village where there is a more positive vibe, our street remains grotty. The apartment is above a 24/7 deli and has a 30degree slope to the floor, ancient plumbing and some very dodgy wiring but it's clean, comfortable and air conditioned; welcome in this sticky heat. And NY constant noise seeps in - the city that never sleeps. We are very aware of the police presence since the bomb on Saturday night, and that Chelsea street is still cordoned off.
We were awake at 5am, Monday morning - 10 our time and raring to go. Heavy rain but still high temps. After the obligatory American breakfast, we trudged to the subway, having been advised to walk further than we later realised we needed to, and bought our weekly ticket. Hot sticky platforms, and wonderfully cool trains. The subway is a rattley old system, but charming too with its mosaic station names. Not a patch on our system somehow though - New Yorkers seem to walk to the line they want rather than change on route. We discovered why this was as their inter- connections are pretty non-existent. We certainly got our weekly money's worth ($30) in one day as we worked out the system slowly - not a great idea to get the downtown train when you want the uptown! Because of the rain, we intended to stay under cover, so chose this as a shopping day, but ended up sight seeing Grand Central Station, and the Chrysler building lobby - both amazing feats of architectural design and beautiful.
Lunch in Bloomingdales, a store I remember as being utterly wonderful when I came at the age of 25, but is now, like all big department stores, just a series of indie shops, no atmosphere of feeling of the merchandise being so different and so American. I was disappointed with this and Times Square, which according to a tour guide we spoke with is now a huge area and not just the square (called Duffy Square now) it once was. The huge, bright, flashing Bladerunner style ads are still dominant and were particularly colourful on this dull day, but they don't have quite the same impact as when they were confined to a smaller area and took your breath away.
We ended up in a bar on the edge of Little Italy. It felt like late in the day for us but was in fact only 3.30pm. We couldn't believe this buzzing bar and restaurant at this hour on a Monday; it was full,of people eating and drinking cocktails in singles, pairs and groups. Obviously popular but how do they have the leisure time?
Returned wearily to our strange abode and rested until dinner . Pete had found a restaurant nearby at the back of a prawn shop on Essex street. Turned out to be a very dark atmospheric place called 'Beauty and Essex' at the back of a PAWN shop, which is weird enough!
Great day, my knees knackered.
We were awake at 5am, Monday morning - 10 our time and raring to go. Heavy rain but still high temps. After the obligatory American breakfast, we trudged to the subway, having been advised to walk further than we later realised we needed to, and bought our weekly ticket. Hot sticky platforms, and wonderfully cool trains. The subway is a rattley old system, but charming too with its mosaic station names. Not a patch on our system somehow though - New Yorkers seem to walk to the line they want rather than change on route. We discovered why this was as their inter- connections are pretty non-existent. We certainly got our weekly money's worth ($30) in one day as we worked out the system slowly - not a great idea to get the downtown train when you want the uptown! Because of the rain, we intended to stay under cover, so chose this as a shopping day, but ended up sight seeing Grand Central Station, and the Chrysler building lobby - both amazing feats of architectural design and beautiful.
Lunch in Bloomingdales, a store I remember as being utterly wonderful when I came at the age of 25, but is now, like all big department stores, just a series of indie shops, no atmosphere of feeling of the merchandise being so different and so American. I was disappointed with this and Times Square, which according to a tour guide we spoke with is now a huge area and not just the square (called Duffy Square now) it once was. The huge, bright, flashing Bladerunner style ads are still dominant and were particularly colourful on this dull day, but they don't have quite the same impact as when they were confined to a smaller area and took your breath away.
We ended up in a bar on the edge of Little Italy. It felt like late in the day for us but was in fact only 3.30pm. We couldn't believe this buzzing bar and restaurant at this hour on a Monday; it was full,of people eating and drinking cocktails in singles, pairs and groups. Obviously popular but how do they have the leisure time?
Returned wearily to our strange abode and rested until dinner . Pete had found a restaurant nearby at the back of a prawn shop on Essex street. Turned out to be a very dark atmospheric place called 'Beauty and Essex' at the back of a PAWN shop, which is weird enough!
Great day, my knees knackered.
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