trip report day 4

day 4 - Monday

Well I’m stuggling now as I didn’t write my notes as I’d planned because I was so tired at nights. Oops. *slaps wrist*

Liberty %26amp; Ellis Island

It was an early rise today as I had booked the Statue of Liberty %26amp; Ellis Island.

I got the subway – I was getting the hang of it all now! Even early in the morning it was roasting waiting for the trains. I’m not used to this heat being from Scotland and all that!

I picked up my tickets having booked them in advance to save time. However the line was actually longer and slower to pick up pre-booked tickets than it was to buy them!! I caught the 2nd ferry out as the queue was pretty long already and I missed the first one.

There were so many families wearing their holiday gear it made me giggle a little… all neon clothes, baseball caps and bum bags/fannypacks(?) with teenagers complaining that they wanted to go places on their own and little ones complaining that they were waiting for ages! Heehee. I was just happy looking around %26amp; reading more of my guidebook in the sunshine.

There was a lot of security involved but it didn’t take as long as the empire state. I stood outside on the ferry and took loads of photos as the views of lady liberty and Manhattan were amazing. I got of at liberty island and stood in line to go inside. Although you can’t go up top since 9-11 you can go as far as the pedestal and they have a little exhibition inside about how lady liberty was inspired, made and transported. It was pretty interesting. There was also a cast of her foot – what big toes!! She really is enormous. Imagine how daunting and impressive she must have appeared to all of the immigrants when they came to NY. She would have towered over NY then. There was a little bit inside which showed all the different ways that lady liberty had been depicted in advertising, films, tv etc…. The view of the skyline from liberty island was really something. I stood beside a sign, which told you what all the skyscrapers were, and it still had the 2 towers on it. I can’t even begin to imagine how they looked above everything else. I struggled to take pictures of myself %26amp; lady liberty but after a few attempts I managed to get us both in! I probably looked a little daft but no one offered to take it for me even after I took some for a couple. Hmph.

Ellis Island

I caught the ferry to ellis island and got off there too. I had read a lot of conflicting reports about this but decided to go anyway. The building itself is pretty impressive and I liked some of the exhibits %26amp; telephones about how it was for the immigrants coming through there %26amp; the doctors examining them. I don’t have any relatives in US or any links so I didn’t have anyone to look up! There is so much in the museum that you could stay there all day – I only got a taster and kind of felt that I didn’t really know where to start or what to see! I’m glad I went though. I decided that I’d read a novel about someone who emigrated to USA and came in through ellis island. Anyone got any suggestions?

Lower Manhattan

I got the ferry back to Manhatten and it was sooo much busier by then! I sat in Battery Park for a while watching the street artists and the children (%26amp; adults) playing in the fountains. I saw the sphere from the WTC…it was pretty strange to think about where it once stood and what it stands for now. Then I wandered out of Battery Park to the James Watson House – this looks so strange amongst it’s shiny skyscraper friends. I wandered up State st to Custom House %26amp; the museum of the American Indian. I didn’t go in as I just didn’t have time on this trip. I passed Bowling green %26amp; the bull again and then saw the Standard oil building with it’s Greek temple top (American financial history museum) funded with John D Rockefeller’s $ apparently…

I liked how the names in Lower Manhattan linked with it’s history (beaver St – pelts were traded, broad st – canal, Pearl st – where Canarsie Indians once dug for pearls/clams…)

I went to Coenties Alley – cobbles in NY?!!! Very bizarre. Lots of people were eating lunch out in the street tables and it was quite a nice atmosphere here.

I walked up Wall St to the green topped number 40 now owned by Donald trump, but was once battling for the tallest building in Manhattan until the Chrysler’s surprise spire beat it to the prize. I kept wandering up to the larger than life George Washington outside the Doric Federal Hall where he took his presidential oath. Across the st I saw the 4 story Morgan Guaranty Trust building and then the Stock Exchange %26amp; it’s giant flag!!

I then wandered up to The Bank of New York which unfortunately was covered in scaffolding. I did a tour in here on another day but I’ll tell you about it now since we are “here”

I went in and through security who couldn’t understand why I was doing a tour on my own…The tour was ok. A long wait in the museum section with the history of money and some interactive quizzes about economy etc. The vault, however and the gold were amazing! I felt like I was in a film set - Oceans 11 or something heehee… You get a pen with shredded money inside at the end of the tour.

Then I went to Trinity Church. Trinity Church looked strange standing in the daylight after walking out of the dark little street….The bronze tree root was really pretty and inspiring.

I then wandered to the WTC site…. I didn’t really know what to do here. I never saw the towers and the empty space was very strange. I paid my respects and left relatively quickly as it felt wrong to linger any longer where people had lost their loved ones. I went to St Paul’s chapel and got more of an idea of the aftermath of 9/11. the tributes brought tears to my eyes.

I headed to South Street Seaport – a little twee but nice all the same! I went to the TKS booth to try to get a Rent ticket but since there weren’t many shows open on a Monday it was sold out. I bought an Alter Boyz ticket instead - $35

I checked my phone and apparently a doctor had blown up his apartment to stop his ex-wife getting it in the divorce settlement…. My family had heard about the explosion and were a little worried about me – oops! I let them know I was ok and gave my boyfriend a quick phone. I wandered back up to Century 21 and had a quick look but didn’t really find anything. Then I decided that I should go back to my room to freshen up for my off-broadway show.

Alter Boyz was fantastic. I could really see all the boy band members and could imagine the tunes on the raidio! I laughed out loud at the jokes and clapped away with the songs. I would definitely recommend it.

Another subway ride back to the Brandon and I collapsed into bed again! Another fantastic day in NY! I would love to live here!!

trip report day 4

I fully understand your not writing up any notes at the end of your days ... I was exhausted just reading all you packed into Day 4! Amazing. Glad you had a great trip!

trip report day 4

You asked about a book - at the end of Angela%26#39;s Ashes they are coming to America, but I think I remember that they sneak in rather than actually going through Ellis Island? - anyway, the book is Tis and although I didn%26#39;t read it I liked Frank McCourt%26#39;s writing style and it might be what you are looking for. I%26#39;m sure there are tons others out there.

Another book that has some of the story set on Ellis Island is ';Tatiana and Alexander'; by Paullina Simons. It is about a Russian girl who is pregnant and escapes a war torn Leningrad for NY. It is the follow on to ';The Bronze Horseman';, but you don%26#39;t need to read that one - a huge chunk of this book summarises ';The Bronze Horseman';.

I am loving your reports - they are fun to read. I feel like I am with you and seeing what you are seeing. Going to find the rest of them now :-)

I am so glad you enjoyed your time in New York and in America. NYC is such a wonderful city!

If you are interested in immigrant life in New York, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum recommends several books in their online store. https://www.tenement.org/store/ I hope to visit there next month, as I find the part of American history fascinating.

A good book which I just recently finished is ';Streets: A Memoir of the Lower East Side'; by Bella Spewack. It is a fascinating memoir of Bella%26#39;s childhood on the lower east side. She came to America when she was 2 or 3 years old. The book focuses on her first 25 years, and she, with her husband, went on to become a successful playright (Kiss Me Kate) and screenwriter (My Favorite Wife).

I also recommend ';How The Other Half Lives'; which is a study of immigrant life in lower manhattan at the end of the 19th century. It is written by Jacob Riis, a social reformer of the day.

Come back soon!!

Also the multi-part documentary ';New York'; by Ric burns is great if available in Scotland.

Random comments on your trip report (which is excellent!):

If I recall correctly, in %26#39;Tis by McCourt, they actually pass through Ellis Island (skipping it) because they actually go to Albany in upstate New York to immigrate.

Forgive me if somebody already mentioned this, but you should absolutely feel comfortable asking someone to take your picture for you. There was a whole thread on this earlier in the year, and the general consensus among tourists and locals alike was that you should just ask, an most people are accomodating. Just use common sense.

I like your previous comment about the NYC Public Library...and it%26#39;s relation to ';The Day After Tomorrow';...if you go up to the upper floor, you%26#39;ll see that it was represented pretty fairly in the movie...there are some vast spaces.

You, lady from Scotland, taught me something about NYC...I didn%26#39;t know that Pearl Street was named for that reason! Thanks!

What does ';a little twee'; mean? You use it to describe South Street Seaport, so I%26#39;m guessing it means ';a little touristy';...but please enlighten us.

Funny you mention the doctor blowing up his house. I was on a bus headed downtown on Fifth when I got a text message from one of the local TV stations that there was ';an explosion and building collapse on the Upper East Side'; so of course I had to get off the bus and check it out, and wound up late for work.

Glad to hear you used the subway extensively. It%26#39;s extremely reliable (on most lines) and such a time and money-saver!

Hi - thanks for your comments.

I%26#39;m not sure why I didn%26#39;t ask people to take photos of me.. I think it was because everyone was so engrossed in what they were doing.

Twee - means overly quaint

I loved NYC so so soooo much I just can%26#39;t wait to come back