Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York City. Show all posts

Monday, September 2, 2024

A Joyful Drive Around Manhattan, NYC!

A view of lower Manhattan from Brooklyn, New York


Usually, the word "joyful" doesn't usually match well with the phrase "driving around Manhattan in New York City," due to heavy traffic, lack of free parking, and expensive parking garages. However, my husband and I enjoyed a wonderful sightseeing car tour of a part of Manhattan when we returned to Brooklyn, New York after our East Coast Princess Cruise in June. We had spent a few days visiting family and friends in Brooklyn and Long Island, and on this particular day, my dear friend Rosemary wanted to spend the day with us and offered to drive around to show us all the old and new sights we had not seen in quite a while. If you have been a long-time reader of my blog, you will remember I lived in Brooklyn, NY all my life until we moved to Colorado eleven years ago to be closer to our children and grandchildren. The first five years of this blog mainly focused on my life in New York City.




This brand new luxury condominium building called Olympia in Brooklyn faces the East River with sights of lower Manhattan.





We drove over the East River on the famous Brooklyn Bridge.






We're now in Lower Manhattan.

Rosemary and I were happily chatting about many things as we drove along, and all the while, I snapped photos with my cell phone.





Rosemary drove on the West Side Highway where we passed many new high-rise buildings and a new elevated park along the Hudson River at Pier 55 called Little Island (photo in the upper right of the collage above)




We continued driving north on the West Side Highway, passing numerous tall penthouse-type buildings and an exclusive-looking senior living facility. (All photos will enlarge in size for easier viewing of details if clicked on)  We drove a bit further north and then traffic became heavy and slow so Rosemary drove east crosstown.






We passed  one of the entrances to Central Park





Some of the buildings surrounding Central Park and one of the many horse and carriage rides that can be hired for a tour inside the park.





As we continued driving south on 5th Avenue, we passed many familiar buildings: St. Patrick's Cathedral on the upper left, the Apple Store on the right, Tiffany & Company on the lower left, and Cartier on the lower right.





Saks Fifth Ave on one side of 5th Ave and Rockefeller Center on the other side





In the distance, I could see the Empire State Building. What was that figure ganging onto the antenna on top? Could it be King Kong??  No, it turned out to be a large dragon that was promoting a HBO TV show called " House of the Dragon."




We next passed the large New York Public Library main branch on 5th Ane with its iconic lion statues, Patience, and Fortitude, in front.






The triangle-shaped Flatiron Building in the upper left was covered with netting as it is being extensively renovated to turn it into luxury condos. The New School building is on the lower left of the collage.





Next, we drove through the Greenwich Village neighborhood and passed the Washington Square Arch and New York University.
We stopped to buy some delicious gelato cones to eat and stretch our legs a bit.




We returned to the West Side where we passed more new very tall apartment or condominium buildings in Battery Park and the elite Stuyvesant High School building which requires an entrance exam for admission although it is a public school.



We were very close to the new World Trade Center complex at this location. The largest building in the complex is called the Freedom Tower. It is hard to see it all when one is close up!




We drove east towards the Brooklyn Bridge and I could see the Brooklyn East River waterfront.




We drove across the Brooklyn Bridge again...






Once we were back in Brooklyn, we had a view of Lower Manhattan in the distance, and we passed the large ETSY headquarters.





We treated Rosemary to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Brooklyn. I've missed their wonderful fish salad! She took our photo but wouldn't allow us to take hers because she had tears in her eyes knowing that we were leaving the next day to fly home to Colorado. She promised me that she would visit us in Colorado again soon, and asked us to wait until then to take photos. I am holding her to that promise!

I hope you enjoyed riding along with us in Manhattan in this post! I have a lot to catch up on this blog with what has been happening this summer in Colorado and I hope you'll be back again next week!  
Happy September!

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Sunday, June 30, 2024

Back From An East Coast Cuise and Extended Family Visit!


Lower Manhattan and the Freedom Tower


My husband and I have birthdays in early June and we were looking for a way to celebrate it together and visit New York family and friends we have not seen in a few years due to the pandemic. We saw an East Coast Cruise offered by the Princess Cruise line. and decided to go!



The Statue of Liberty


The 10-day cruise itinerary was Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Boston, Massachusetts, Norfork, Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina, then returning to the cruise terminal in Brooklyn, New York.  Every other day would be a "day at sea" with relaxing onboard activities.





Sailing away from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal into New York Bay and then the Atlantic Ocean.




We could see Coney Island in the distance as we sailed under the Verranzano Bridge.





We had a wonderful time! At each port stop we took an excursion and saw Peggy's Cove in Halifax, The Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston as well as some of the city, the historic sites of Jamestown and Yorktown in the Norfork, Virginia area, and then a day in pretty Charleston, South Carolina.

We then spent a wonderful week visiting our extended family and friends in Brooklyn and Long Island.  It was so good to see everyone again!

Obviously, the month of June flew by and we had quite a bit of catching up around our home when we returned to Colorado but I'm now happy to be back on my blog, where I've missed all my readers!

I'm back to blogging about Colorado, but I'll also show some of the wonderful historic places we saw on our cruise in future posts.  I hope everyone has been having an enjoyable summer so far--Happy Month of July!



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Sunday, January 7, 2018

On Our Way To Italy, With a Stop in New York


Happy New Year, again, to all my readers! Our Christmas decorations are all safely packed away, and we're back to a healthier diet and trying to fullfill our resolution to begin to walk or hike a few miles again every day.  Happily, our weather has been sunny and mild, as we escaped the cold front plaguing the east. All we need is more snow, as we are far below normal so far this season

 As I promised in my last blog post, I'd like to show some of the photos and memories I have of a trip my husband and I took to Italy this past summer. It was an "off the beaten track" type of trip, as one half of it was visiting Calabria, in the very south of Italy, in the town where my husband was born, for a celebration of the patron saint of his town. We also visited a few more towns in the south--many places American tourists usually don't visit, unless they have relatives that originated from them, but very worth seeing. The other half of the trip we visited my husband's relatives living in the north, in Genoa and Bologna, and a few other scenic towns.  


 We began our trip to Italy with a stop in our old hometown of Brooklyn, New York.  It is always a thrill for us to return to New York for a visit, as it seems we have made a trip there every year in the past five years that we've lived in Colorado.  I've been blogging for ten years and the first five years was mainly about my life in New York City.  If you click on the word Brooklyn, under my header photo, it will take you to all my posts about my hometown borough. If you click on the words New York City, it will take you back to all the places I visited in New York.  In both categories, you will have to scroll back and back and back, and so on, to see them all, as I blogged quite a bit about the greatest city in the world!



Because we had to change planes in New York, before continuing on to Rome, Italy, we decided to spend a night in Brooklyn with dear friends.  It was a beautiful day in early August, so we took a walk along Brooklyn Bridge Park to enjoy the sights. I blogged quite a bit about this part of Brooklyn, and you can read those multiple posts pages beginning here. if you are interested in this fabulous and scenic part of Brooklyn. 

Brooklyn Bridge Park offers spectacular views of Lower Manhattan...


...as well as the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.


...and contains the very fun, Jane's Carousel, which you can read more about here.


It was fun to visit with our friends and begin our trip to Rome and then take our connecting flight to Lamezia Terme International Airport in Calabria. In my next post, I'll show you the town in which my husband was born, and how it prepared for the very important and festive feast day festival that lasted a full week. It was a dream come true for my husband and me!

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Sunday, September 11, 2016

Reflections on the 15th Anniversary of 9-11-01


It is the fifteenth anniversary of 9-11-01, but it still feels to me like it happened yesterday.


I'm sure most people who were connected in some way to the actual event will never forget it.  Some are connected intimately by the loss of a loved one that day, and we know and have met many in that sad position over the years. Others have had their lives disrupted in other ways that may seem less significant, but nonetheless have been life-altering and traumatic, and the pain for them also never goes away.

An American flag from the World Trade Center site hanging in the 9-11 Memorial Museum

I've written many blog posts about 9-11-01 before this one--click here to read those posts from the latest to the earliest.  From the very well done 9-11-01 Memorial and Museum, to the beautiful and touching Memorial Waterfalls inscribed with all the names of the victims, to the Angels Circle in Staten Island, NY--a very heartfelt memorial to the local residents that perished, and the many other memorials--some homespun, others official throughout the boroughs of New York City. The pillar found that became known as the World Trade Center Cross, to St Paul's Church -the Little Chapel that Stood, that meant so much to the recovery workers in the aftermath, to the FDNY Memorial that is on the wall of the 1010 firehouse that stood across the street from World Trade Center Tower 2, at 124 Liberty Street.  


I've often come in contact with unexpected memorials to 9-11-01 in my travels, and when I moved to Colorado from New York City I was shocked to find that I now lived in the same community that Jason Dahl, the pilot from United Flight 93, that was hijacked by terrorists and most likely aiming to destroy the US Capital, but was brought down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, by the hero passengers. This memorial stands near the neighborhood where the Dahl family lived. A scholarship in Jason Dahl's memory was established to help students achieve their dreams of becoming pilots.  
This evening, I will be attending a candlelight vigil in memory of Jason Dahl at his memorial, and we will also hold in memory all who perished that horrific day.


The repository for the unknown remains of those who perished on the WTC site on 9-11-01 in the 9-11 Memorial Museum.


It has been fifteen years, and the 9-11 Memorial has preserved for all time what was, and what remains, and the new World Trade Center is open and functioning as a testament to rebuilding, and that life goes on. We shall never forget, but as with all mourning, time allows us to move forward and honor those who were lost by living life and cherishing the good.  The city, the nation, and the world came together after 9-11-01 to help, to show solidarity, and to aid in recovery, and it is good to remember those feelings now, in a world where so much discord prevails.   It is up to each and every one of us to make the world a better place.  We all have that responsibility. Hate only leads to more hate. Let us honor the innocent lives that were lost with love.

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Sunday, August 7, 2016

Battery Park, Manhattan


During my visit to New York, my husband and I had a dinner date with friends in another of our favorite restaurants that was located in Battery Park in lower Manhattan. We often spent time in this southern shoreline park when we lived in New York, and I've blogged about it in the past, click here and here if you would to read those posts.

 This area has been known as "The Battery" since the 17th century when the area was the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. At the time an artillery battery was locate there to protect the seaward approach to the town.   The park was created by landfill beginning in 1855, as a landscaped open space in a heavily developed downtown. Skyscrapers now rim the original land surrounding the park.
(All photos in this post will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)


Much of the park consists of an esplanade along the shoreline with views in the distance of the Statue of Liberty. This bench area and garden was called "The Garden of Remembrance." Planted with native grasses and perennial flowers it is dedicated to "those who lost their lives on September eleventh, to the survivors, and to those who come seeking renewed optimism and hope."


 We noticed that The Sphere was in a new location from when we saw it last. It is a large metallic sculpture by Fritz Koenig, as a monument to world peace. It once stood in the middle of the plaza that was between the original World Trade Towers and was salvaged after the disaster.  It is a temporary installation and may be moved to Liberty Park in the future.  We remember when it was surrounded by a fountain and flower boxes when it was in the World Trade Center Plaza and it still gives us chills to look upon it and think back to that fateful day.


Toward the northwestern end of the park stands Castle Clinton, the last remnant of the defensive fort that was built in 1811.  It was named in honor of New York City Mayor DeWitt Clinton in 1915.  It is perhaps best remembered as America's first immigration station, prior to Ellis Island, where more than 8 million people arrived in the US from 1855 to 1890, when it was called Castle Garden. Afterward it was re-purposed with many other functions, including being one of the first aquariums in the United States. Today is is administered by the National Park Service as a National Monument, and is a departure point for visitors to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.


Nearby is a stirring sculpture entitled "The Immigrants."  The inscription on the base of the sculpture reads: "Dedicated to the people of all nations who entered America through Castle Garden in Memory of Samuel Rudin 1896-1975 whose parents arrived in America in 1883."  According to the NYC Parks web site the sculpture's "figures expressive poses emphasize the struggle and toil inherent in the experience of the immigrant or dislocated person."  It's a very dramatic and poignant sculpture to see.


A happy new development we saw in Battery Park was a beautiful and very unique carousel called the Sea Glass Carousel.  


Built with a musical underwater theme the rider sits on an iridescent fish that glides through and aquatic adventure. You can watch a video of it on this New York Times web site. It was quite enchanting!


If you look closely at the bottom of the photo above you can see the East Coast Memorial eagle.This memorial commemorates those soldiers, sailors, marines, coast guardsmen, merchant marines and airmen who met their deaths in the service of the United States in the western waters of the Atlantic Ocean during World War II.


A total of 4,067 lives were lost, and their names, rank and home state are inscribed on nearby eight 19 foot high granite walls.


The New York Korean War Veterans Memorial was of interest to me as my father was a vet of both WWII and Korea.  The memorial, dedicated in 1991, was designed by Welsh born artist Mac Adams and it is notable as one of the first Korean War memorials erected in the United States


This sight of the juxtaposition of old and new in New York City made me smile.  The red brick building in front of the towering black skyscraper which is located at 7 State Street, between Pearl and Water Street is the James Watson House, built in 1793 and extended in 1806. James Watson was the first Speaker of the New York State Assembly and a Federalist member of the New York and United State Senates.  He later became a prosperous importer-exporter. The house was also the residence of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first America Catholic Saint. The home is currently occupied by the rectory of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church and is part of the Seton Shine.


We had time before meeting our friends for dinner so we walked across to see the buildings close up...


...and we went inside the church.  The story behind this church is very interesting. It began through the inspiration of Charlotte Grace O'Brien, who was the daughter of the famous Irish patriot and rebel William Smith O'Brien.  Charlotte's concern for young female Irish  immigrants who were being victimized in America in 1881 led to her establishing of an Irish immigrant mission and then a church serving the people of lower Manhattan.  You can read more of this history on the church web site and the Irish Mission at Watson House on this link.


As we walked back towards the restaurant in Battery Park we saw the "Cool Globes" art exhibit designed to raise awareness about global warming and spark practical solutions.  It will be on display until September, 2016. Unfortunately, we did not have time to examine the twelves globes too closely but I though they made an interesting foreground for the new World Trade Center building.


We finally arrived at Giginos Trattoria at Wagner Park, located at 20 Battery Place.  In summer the restaurant places a large tent outside in the back, so that diners can enjoy dining al fresco and.....


...appreciate this view of the Statue of Liberty!


Since we were dining with friends, I did not take any photographs of our dinner, but if you look at Giginos menu you can see that they have wonderfully authentic Italian food. Everything was delicious!


After dinner we took a stroll along the esplanade as the sun set.


 We saw this pretty view of Jersey City, New Jersey across the river....



...and had a last look at the World Trade Center in the distance.  

We had a wonderful time in New York, and we saw and did many more things on our trip, but I'm going to save them for a future post and return to what I have been doing in Colorado this summer on my next post. When people ask me if I miss New York, I have to admit it will always hold a special place in my heart.  I am happy I lived in the city so many years and experienced much of its attractions, but I am happy to be spending this time of my life in the west and living a different lifestyle, and especially living close to our children and grandchildren. It has been a wonderful summer so far....hope you are also enjoying everything good about this season!




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