New York City Day 4: Wondering the Village

Invoked in a conversation last night was the idea that if we were to visit Edgar Allen Poe's Cottage up in Harlem this morning, Ben would be glad to make us an egg sandwich. Figuring that Rachael and I got in around 5:30am, the chances that we'd actually make it out there were slim. We woke up entirely too late to head up to Harlem but decided it could be fun to visit the Oscar Wilde bookstore on Gay Street in the East Village (a substitute literary reference!). Poor Rachael lugged around a huge suitcase through two subway transfers, up and down steps, and when we arrived in the neighborhood where the bookstore was we searched for a good 30 minutes and could not find it. Rachael hailed a taxi to the airport. We said our goodbyes and now I was officially on my own in the city for the next few days.

I finally found the Naked Cowboy!

Since I was there I decided I was going to find Gay Street if it'd take all day. After all, it was on the map and very close. When you've visited a big city you may have discovered that you cannot depend on the sun's position in the sky to figure out which direction you are going due to the shade of massive buildings. It's almost always the case that on your very last day of your visit you have completely conquered your sense of direction, when you need it the least. I found Gay Street at the corner of Christopher. Unfortunately the book store was no longer there, so I decided to walk north-west past LGBT shops, buying interesting postcards for my friends, until I reached the High Line.

The High Line is a preservation project that converted an old freight rail line into a garden / walk path (mix of industrial steel structure with nature). I have read about it in several blogs and was curious to see its transformation. I decided to walk it for a bit, taking a brief break in the shade and watched people walking by and overlooked the Hudson. Very classy.

By this point in the trip, I had to resort to comfort over curiosity and since my hangover was growing increasingly evident, some decadent underground air-conditioned shopping couldn't hurt, so I went down to the Chelsea Market for a bit. I ventured through some grocery stores and delis, including a nice little Italian Deli with a huge selection of olive oils and balsamic vinegars. I bought a bottle for Mike and continued on, sampling fruits and smoothies and being in awe at the beautiful displays of cakes, cupcakes, and cookies, which fueled by hunger for something to eat.


(Obama cookies! From Eleni's)

I hopped the nearest subway and head to the East Village for some curry, which I've been craving since I've been here. A little book I bought (which has helped / hindered my navigation through the city) recommended I stop at 'curry row'. I stepped into this place called Taj and since it was only 4pm, there was not a soul there so I had great service and the food was out quick. The curry was delicious and spicy, just as I'd hoped. I continued walking and came across a free outdoor festival with locals selling their custom designed clothing, jewelry, and even a wonderful little band playing in the streets. I popped into Fabulous Fanny's sunglasses and quickly popped out after seeing the price tags. One thing I love about the East Village is the smorgasbord of ethnic eateries. Within one block I walked past a Ukranian cafe, Polish bakery, a few Italian places, curry row, and Ethiopian cuisine. I love it!

I returned to the hostel to take a much needed nap and woke up after the sun went down. The day was not over yet, so I headed out to the Staten Island Ferry to relax on a free boat ride and $3 beers. What a pleasant day...