A Small Bite Of The Big Apple

Liberty Island

Sitting in that small triangular-shaped park in Greenwich Village flanked by sidewalk cafes, the movie crew worked on their umpteenth take. The central characters, a couple, began their walk in animated conversation past a packed bagel deli where we had bought our lunch. We sat on a well-worn park bench in the sunshine enjoying a deliciously over-stuffed bagel watching the goings on.

The movie crew managed the hordes of curious onlookers politely - something we were bemused by.  After all we were in New York City, a place of the fast moving and fast talking.  Folks who don’t suffer fools gladly.  Admittedly there were times on the subway earlier in the day when we had felt scrutinizing eyes upon us briefly no doubt giving us a New York once-over.  Another myth dispelled though, during our stay we had found everyone to be good humoured and friendly.  

Even the Wall Street  protesters, a small group of whom passed the park waving their hand-painted slogans, some of which were very cleverly written, yelled good humouredly "don’t just sit there, join us, we can’t do this without you".  And then they were gone.  The movie crew resumed their positions for yet another take.

Good humoured cops on Wall Street

The bagel consumed, we continued our walk through lower Manhattan which had started at Trinity Church on the corner of Wall and Broadway that morning. The subway had taken us to the meeting point in no time. We were early so had ventured down Wall Street to the New York Stock Exchange, now heavily protected by New York’s finest. In nearby Zuccotti Park, the Wall Street protesters were causing a stir. One of their number had climbed a metal structure and was threatening some further action. Below a hostage negotiating team, paramedics and dozens of policemen watched and waited.  Mobile TV crews filmed the proceedings and we found ourselves joining the gawping onlookers.

The Sphere, Battery Park

Our walking tour had begun with a walk to Battery Park and Castle Clinton.  We passed a badly damaged bronze sculpture in the park that had survived the attacks on the twin towers. "The Sphere" had formerly stood between the World Trade towers.  It was recovered from the rubble and temporarily relocated to Battery Park.

Manhattan from Liberty Island

The rising Freedom Tower stands like a beacon beyond the sculpture and its hard to imagine that One World Trade Centre is only half way to its final elevation of 1776 feet, the symbolic height that will match the date of the Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776.

The Lady with the Lamp

Walking out to the edge of Manhattan, Ellis and Liberty Islands sparkled in the bright morning sunlight.  We learned how Lady Liberty arrived from France but had remained in packing cases for quite some time until Joseph Pulitzer asked New Yorkers to donate what their could for her raising - the prize - each contributor's name published on the front page of the Daily News.  It worked - the Statue was finally erected 125 years ago and celebrated with the first ticker tape parade.

Young Arrivals
Ellis Island Photograph

Walking through Chinatown, SoHo and Little Italy set the scene for the following day’s visit to Ellis Island and the poignant stories of those in search of a better life in America.

As we ventured north to Midtown, we took in the various architectural styles of the “cathedrals to capitalism”.  How ironic that F.W. Woolworth who had made his fortune on five and dime stores, paid cash for his magnificent new building.  Grand Central Station, yet another iconic building almost lost but for the efforts of Jacqueline Kennedy.  The restored interior is eye popping.

"Top of the Rock"

"Top of the Rock"

Not to mention a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, a fast elevator ride to the top of Rockefeller Centre, a peek inside the Chrysler Building, a few quiet moments in St. Patrick's Cathedral, the buzz of a Broadway show and Times Square, a romantic Italian dinner, a subway ride to Central Park to wander through Strawberry Fields and gawk at John Lennon’s Dakota home ..... 

Despite our barking feet we had run out of time. It had been just one small bite of the big apple.

New York, New York, wow!