New York City Day 3: Culture and Silliness

I woke up much later than I wanted to today but I figure I needed to rest in (after all, the past couple of days my bunkmates loved to rise and shine around 6:30am!). It was a beautiful day so Rachael and I decided to head out to Coney Island on the N Train (which had some astounding views of the residential areas of Brooklyn).

Although Coney Island is nothing like it was in its heyday, many people still... love... the... place. When we arrived to a somewhat sad and completely dead scene. The rides were there but the stands were shut closed. Again it was probably another case of arriving too early. I thought this city never sleeps? We got on Deno's Wonder Wheel and had a grand ol' time overlooking Coney Island and the boardwalk. Rachael and I walked around and discussed our feeling of sadness. It was almost a psychic thing. The amusement parks have been around since the 1870s, yet there was hardly anything to show from it. In a way it reminds me a bit of Fair Park when the State Fair is not in season, except completely neglected.

(Photo 1: Dino's Wonder Wheel / Photo 2&3: I pose, she poses, clowns pose)


(Photos 1 & 2: Sideshow Freaks / Photo 3: Nathan's Dogs)

We got our fortune read by 'Grandma' who was eerily insightful. My fortune read as follows:

Some one has just mailed a letter to you.
That letter will keep you from being blue.

Have you been lonesome lately? I see your days of lonesomeness ending. The future holds a happy reunion with a loved one. And no wonder you are loved. You have a very considerate and generous nature and are interested in all who are about you. You are a brilliant conversationalist. You will soon be offered an opportunity to travel. Refuse it. Your best interest lies in staying at home. I see a great financial change in your status in the near future.

Thanks Granny!

Before leaving Rachael and I tried some of the world famous Nathans Dogs (some fresh cut fries and hot hots).

We then hopped on the subway and headed to Ground Zero, the World Trade Center site. Talk about incredible eeriness. The first thing we hear coming out of the subway is a man giving a somewhat tour describing the settings of the morning of the attack. Although there was not much to see, there was a huge chuck of missing skyline that took up at least a quarter mile. It seems like ever time you come out of a subway you have no idea which way your destination is but such a huge chunk of nothingness was hard to miss.

We got back to the hostel and ate at the Cranberry Deli next door and headed to the MOMA for their free Target Free Friday Night Admission - amazing photography exhibits, music multi-media, architecture. Ben met up with me and we both marvelled at the room with measured heights of all the visitors. We decided to pick up Rachael and head to McSorely's, a very old bar from the 1830s. Although it was packed me managed to get a few brews and Ben showed me Abe Lincoln's chair, Houdini's cufflinks, and the eerie wishbones covered in dust.

Ben wanted to show us a few different places that night so we started off at a basement bar in the East Village, then to Brooklyn to a dive called The Subway which had $2 PBRs and skeeball in the back (rad!). We talked for hours about the paranormal, quantum physics, and caught up on the past (old friends he left behind in Dallas, how life is different in New York City). Little did we know but time slipped past us faster than we could anticipate and it was 5am! Oops.

We drunkenly navigated our way through the subways to our separate destinations and I had the very strange experience of walking through Time Square when it was almost completely deserted. I would definitely be sleeping in the next morning... (photo of Ben getting stuck in the Subway doors, tisk tisk!

• Ben's Photo Album from this day
  

Videos:
Top of the Wonder Wheel at Coney Island


Skeeball at the Subway Bar in Brooklyn


Ben talks about Poached Eggs for a LONG time.