That depleted castle on a random Hudson island always piqued my imagination, and it took me nearly too long to get my camera out to get the picture.
We made it Grand Central and hoofed it to our hotel in Hell's Kitchen, about four avenues west and eight blocks north (the avenues are the long stretches), and it felt like home. We were weighed down and sweaty, and dodging tourists, and it felt like we'd just got back from a week stay in California.
There were a whole new slew of lateral forces acting on my knee, forces that I never get living in California. Juking and side-stepping and walking round slow walkers is different. I ride my bike almost ten miles a day, which tires out my bolted and rebuilt knee, and five minutes of dodging tourists was totally new and novel, and a new kind of achy-ness was discovered.
We were too early to check in to the hotel, but we were able to drop off our gear. We took off for Lansdowne Road, our West-side Manhattan bar. We know the owner (we communicate over Facebook), and were regulars when they opened, and were occasional mainstays, if such a thing exists. It was so comfortable and quiet and nice, and we chatted with the bar-keep while the owner had a meeting, and then chatted with the owner for a while.
We told him how it felt for us, that even though we'd been gone for three and a half years it only felt like ten days, and the only real change, besides a few noticeable establishments having changed, was that Broadway now had a major bike lane added, and there were city bike stands all over Manhattan; these were rental stands that allowed you to rent a bike mostly anywhere, lock it up near your destination, and grab a different bike later on in the day.
After we checked into the hotel, we walked. Walky McWalkerson and his walking wife were we. We walked pretty much everyday for hundreds of blocks, for miles and miles, and did things that we never had time for while living in Brooklyn.
The following pictures showcase some of the walking we did, and I'll post separately for things like the American Museum of Natural History and maybe the Library. I haven't thought that far ahead...
This first picture I like since it's of one of the buildings along Central Park West, as seen from the Park, through the trees:
This was a hazy and humid day at Washington Park, where we sat and relaxed for almost an hour:
A quite street Greenwich Village:
The Freedom Tower, almost done, from south(?) of Chelsea Pier along the Hudson River Walkway:
Looking Uptown along 8th Ave from the Highline. I'd have to look up the cross streets to be fully accurate, but probably between 25th and 35th:
From the Highline. I'd absolutely recommend anyone visiting New York to walk at least a portion of the Highline, a reclaimed elevated train that's been changed into a park:
Also from the Highline, a psychedelic painting of the famous Victory Kiss on VE Day:
It was rainy day when we made it out to Bed-Stuy, walking around like a couple of crazy white folks. It was nice, though, to see the trees bigger and bushier, to see how much that improved the neighborhood. It was a small change, and, coupled with a few erstwhile empty storefronts now full of businesses, the neighborhood had a new feel. It wasn't too different, but it was there. I'm pretty sure I even saw a call center business staffed with a few white people. Malcolm X Blvd as an occupational destination? Fantastic!
Here's Corrie macking on one of our 'hood's otter pop-deals, as we walked up Ralph Ave to the J and Z trains. It was drizzling and warm:
Umm...
The American Museum of Natural History; the New York Public Library; and maybe the World Trade Center site...those are probably the next three City-themed posts...
We did meet with a few old pals...maybe I'll do a post about them as well...
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