NYC

We spent 4 days in NYC and it was unforgettable. The second day was dedicated to taking the ferry to Staten Island and visiting Downtown Manhattan. The day began with a nice ferry ride to Staten Island which gave us the chance to see the Statue of Liberty. I would recommend this ride as it offers not only the view to the Statue, but also the morning skyline of lower Manhattan.

After another Starbucks coffee, we went around the Financial District with the distinctive buildings of Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the well guarded NY Stock Exchange. I must say I am fascinated by Manhattan’s streets and buildings! You can get surprised at every corner.

Wall Street

NY Stock Exchange

Next stop was Ground Zero and the construction site of the new Freedom Tower (to be completed in 2014-2015). There has been a lot written and said about this place. I think a moment of silence is appropriate here...

Passing through the City Hall Park and by the HQ of NYPD, we entered Chinatown where we had lunch.

We continued north to Little Italy, NoHo and East Village. All these areas had common residential architecture with the famous fire staircases on the outside. Someday I will give it a try!

Time for a break - we went to a very famous chocolate shop - Mark Brenner Chocolate Bar on 845. This is a stop you should check when you need energy to continue strolling on the streets of NYC.

stylish way to serve coffee

Here are some images from the day in lower Manhattan. I will let them speak for themselves.

Graffiti

Streets of Manhattan



Quote from a famous Michael Jackson song - guess which one!



Before the trip I read somewhere in a magazine about shoe tossing (or 'shoefiti'). It originates from the US. There are a lot of explanations for this - to notify that this is an area where drugs are used or sold; to commemorate a murder of a gang member. Read more about the shoefiti, it is intersting urban and suburban cultural activity.

Shoefiti



A father buys his son an ice-cream after school

We did a lot that afternoon but mostly walking in East Village and Chelsea. In the evening we went to Comedy Cellar, a great place for live stand-up comedy shows. I highly recommend you go for a show when you have time. The first one starts at 7.30pm. 

Picks of the day – Max Brenner Chocolate Bar and Comedy Cellar!

Coming up, day 3 and 4 in NYC, Philadelphia and DC.