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.

New York City, Day 2: and I will walk 500 miles..

Today I was well rested and Rachael and I decided we were going to spend this day separately. I started off walking to Grand Central Station to admire it's beauty and architecture and to catch the subway to the East Village. Unfortunately for me as an early riser there was nothing open except a few cafes, but that was ok for me. The beautiful stores were barred up and the weather was dreary but there was not a soul on the streets - a very rare sight I would assume. I decided to sit at a little cafe and watch the neighborhood come to life, before heading to the Staten Island Ferry.

(Scenes of the East Village in the morning)

The Ferry was a wonderful experience. I saw the lady of the harbor in all her glory (and behind many heads of tourists) and even got chilly from the cold Atlantic breeze. It was fun to people watch as well... an array of multi-ethnic families all behaving differently. Parents and children, lovers, friends. I sometimes wonder if NYC realizes how lucky it is to have such diversity.


I stopped off in Greenwich Village, walking past the NYU campus and stopping in The Strand (a supposed 18 miles of books, five stories tall). I kept to the first floor, browsing the section about New York City history. I went away with a book on the history of the Subway Transit and a book about the Yankee Stadium for my father. On my way to Union Square to head back to Uptown, I barely missed getting poured on again. Beat ya this time weather!

(Mini cupcakes from Baked by Melissa!)

I tried my first meal from a street vendor - a falafal salad (which was much more unhealthy than it sounds...). I then strolled up to Central Park. It is breathtakingly beautiful this time of year... a gorgeous vast park with hills, trees, with a cityscape backdrop like distant mountains. I began to understand the draw of this city a bit more. People put up with their tiny overpriced apartments because with a slide of your metro card you're minutes away from parks, beaches, entertainment, and any sort of food you're in the mood for. This day in Central Park there were numerous baseball games, Frisbee tournaments, lovers napping in the shade almost completely hidden from all the others.

I went back to get ready for a concert my friend Ben, who's been living in the city for almost a year, invited me to. The Donnas, Pat Benatar, and Blondie would play at Brighton Park for free! I took the Q train to Coney Island and the park was completely packed with people young and old, people sporting full out 80s attire, and families picnicking. The Donnas played only a short set, making sure to get their hit in. Pat Benetar blew us away... she still had that gruff voice of hers. So awesome! We listened to Blondie but after standing for hours, Ben and I decided to head out before the crowd dispersed. It was so surreal waiting at the station watching the lights of the Coney Island amusement park as Blondie echoed through the trees.

We decided we were not ready to end the night and went to Planet Rose, a karaoke place in the Village. The place was tiny and thin and packed with people. In the back were Zebra print couches and leopard print carpet. I had promised that I would sing Pat Benatar if Ben did as well, so we signed up and to our amusement an amazing singer wearing Ben's same hat had signed up for his SAME song earlier. Awkward! Ben got up there and just over-performed and people were much more entertained. I was in my 'own little world' when singing my song, high-kicking and cracking people up. Can you guess the song I chose? LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD (the song that seems to follow me around on my vacations). Everyone was happy and carefree, the bartender even bought me a shot of Old Crow, which I can now say is only decent IN mixed drinks, not as a shot, yuck.
Ben and I separated ways on the subway. Fun times...

VIDEOS:
Ben and I singing on the way back to the subway after Karaoke

and just for the hell of it...