OUR VACATION IN NEW YORK - DAY TWO - MONDAY

On the second day of our vacation we decided that we would go see the Empire State building then walk across to Chelsea and visit some of the art galleries that specialize in contemporary art. At least that was the plan. We left the apartment early to go to Exchange Place but instead of going to the World Trade Center we went to 33rd Street station. We figured that Penn Station would be a lot closer to where we wanted to go on Monday. Getting to 33rd Street was a little tricky, we had to go to west to Grove Street station then catch the train to took us to 33rd Street. Altogether, it took about 25 minutes to get to 33rd Street.

When we walked out of the 33rd street station we were a little disoriented so we stood just outside the door looking at our map. Two New Yorkers came over to us and asked if they could help us. They gave us directions to get to the Empire State building. This happened over and over during the following days. There were many New Yorkers who were very friendly and helpful. This was untypical of the stereotype that New Yorkers and rude and indifferent. From 33rd Street we walked east to see the empire State building. As you walk towards the Empire state building you can see it looms large in the skyline. I started taking pictures of the Empire State building from several blocks away.

After looking at the Empire State building we walked to Chelsea around 10th Street and East 29th. to visit some of the art galleries in Chelsea. Unfortunately, we did not count on that fact that most of the galleries in Chelsea would be closed on Columbus day or maybe they were closed because it was Monday. At any rate, we tried half a dozen galleries and they were all closed. On top of that, we did not particularly like the area that we were in so we decided to leave. we walked east to seventh avenue then south to 14th street. the area became much nicer and we enjoyed walking along looking in the shops. we stopped in a bakery and bought a palmier which was delicious.

Flowers outside a flower shop in Chelsea

A really cool looking chair that I saw looking through the window of a design studio in Chelsea that was closed.

This amazing building across from Union Square is called the Decker Building. it is notorious for being the building where Andy Warhol was shot.

Our goal was to make our way to Union Square. There is a farmer's market that is held every Monday at Union Square. as we walked along 14th street there were a lot of interesting things to see. We stopped in a shop were my wife bought some interesting costume jewelery. Eventually we made our way to Union Square. It was a large and varied market. There was every kind of fruit and vegetable that you could think of. I discovered some varieties of apples that I had never heard of. We bought some apples and other items then decided it was time for lunch.

My wife wanted to go to Momofuku, a high end trendy Japanese restaurant in the East Village on 1st Avenue  between East 10th and East 11th streets. By the time that we arrived at Momofuku we were had walked our feet off so we were more than happy to sit down for a while. the place was bustling with people but we were seated almost immediately. A server brought us water and menus as soon as we seated and returned in a short while to take our order. For such a busy restaurant the service was amazing. We ordered their famous pork buns. I ordered Cold Spiced noodles and my wife ordered a ricotta and tomato salad. The pork buns quickly. We had one pork each. It was wonderful! the pork was rich and flavorful and the bun was soft and chewy. It was one of the most original pork buns that I have ever had. The cold noodles that I had were also interesting. The contrast between the spicy noodles and the sweetness of the candied walnuts combined with the spinach made for an unbeatable combination. I thoroughly enjoyed the noodles. My wife loved the ricotta and tomato salad. The cheese was very flavorful and the tomatoes were heirloom tomatoes which added a unique flavor to the salad. All in all, our lunch at Momofuku was a memorable experience.

After our wonderful lunch we were full and content. We decided that we would take the subway all the way to the Bowling Green station where we would take the ferry across to Staten Island. It wasn't that long a ride from the East village to the bottom of Manhattan to catch the ferry. It wasn't that long a wait before the ferry was at the dock and ready to be boarded. Once on board we worked our way to the upper deck and positioned ourselves so that we would have a good view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We were not disappointed, we were right in position when the ferry chugged passed the Statue of Liberty. I took a lot of pictures just to make sure at least one of them worked out. I think I got at least one good picture.

When we arrived at Staten Island we thought that we might visit some of the sites on the island such as the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. As it turned out, it was enough for us to see the Statue of Liberty and the views of Manhattan. We waited for the next ferry and returned to Manhattan.

After we left the station we walked towards Wall Street. We walked directly into a street festival. I imagine that it was for Columbus Day. I guess any excuse is a good excuse for a party! It was interesting, there were all kinds of vendors of jewelery and clothing and all varieties of foods to tempt any pallet. We continued up the street and came face to face with the protesters in Zucotti Park. We took in the situation, took a few pictures then left. There was a frisson of tension in the air that we really did not want to be part of.

It was back to the World Trade Center station, a quick ride to Jersey City and we were back at the apartment for the evening. We had dinner by ourselves and spent a quite evening along. Out second day in New York was as interesting as the first if somewhat tiring.We literally walked from one side of Manhattan to the other. but look at what we saw!