NYC- Day Two

What a perfect day to explore NYC!  The weather was spectacular.  It's hard to believe it's November.  We left our hotel around 8:20 and walked to the train station four blocks away.  And then our ignorance of all things NY made for an interesting hour to follow.

I asked the ticket guy manning the booth at the 7 train how we get to Junction Blvd.  My niece, Misty, had told us someone would meet us there; she had invited us over for breakfast. Easy enough.  In theory.  The ticket guy, with a heavy accent that rendered his instructions relatively impossible to understand, told us that we basically couldn't get there from here.  Okay, that's not exactly true but we would have to take this train that-a-way to the next stop, cross the platform, get on the next train in the opposite direction a few more stops to our destination.  Feeling very unsure that I had understood correctly, I asked a nice lady passenger on the platform how we get to Junction Blvd.  

"Go to the first stop, get off this train, cross the platform and go the other way on that train until you get there."  Okay, so far everyone seemed to agree.  Why should I be concerned that the map said we are heading out of Queens.  My niece lives in Queens, but what do I know?  So we did as we were told and got off at the next station.  It seemed all wrong to me but, again, what do I know?  In truth, I freely admit to total ignorance when it comes to trains in NYC.  We got off in due course at a place that was definitely NOT Junction Blvd.  

I decided to check with the nice policeman handing out flyers. Get on the next train, go BACK three stops, get off at the fourth stop, he told us.  A quick call to Misty confirmed that we had been going the wrong way, after we were going the right way and the policeman, while sending us in the right direction, had told us the wrong number of stops before we were to exit the train.  Eventually we got to the ellusive Function Blvd where Josh, Misty's husband, was waiting to walk with us the eight or so blocks to my niece Margaret's place.  By then we had worked up an appetite for the amazing breakfast waiting for us.

My nephew Jon and his family were there also and it was a fun time for us.  And much to our delight, Misty agreed to be our tour guide for the day.  Thanks to her we saw much more of NYC than we would have if left on our own.  We would probably still be lost in the subway system.  

Public transport will be a major memory for me whenever I think of this trip.  The homeless, schizophrenic man who rode quite a distance with us did his own brand of Kung Fu Fighting with himself and his running conversation to no one there was unnerving.  He kept his two big garbage bags well-guarded and it was a relief when he finally got off the train.  I wondered if he might live there, wandering on and off at will, kind of like the subway haunt in the movie Ghost.  I think it a distinct possibility.  I mused about his story, whatever it may be.  At one time, he was someone's baby boy.  What happened to bring him to this?

The musicians scattered at random along the subterranean walkways impressed me with their skill.

Open guitar cases asked for donations and one older gentleman caught my eye.  He pointed imperiously to his case and I obediently produced a five dollar bill.

Misty took us to Ground Zero first.  Seeing the new freedom tower and trying to imagine the horror that took place there a little over a decade ago - well, it was impossible to imagine.  We talked about where we were when it happened.  Everyone remembers where they were at certain traumatic moments.  I remember, as a child, where I was when our family got the word that J.F.K. was shot.  And I will always remember where I was on 9-11.  Our family was on Nevin's Lake in the upper peninsula of Michigan, fishing from a pontoon boat. We were frozen in front of the TV for hours after we came back to the house, shocked and gripped with uncertainty as to what the future held.

St. Paul's chapel across from the Trade Center location held even more fascination for me.  George Washington had attended there along with many other notable men who had helped to shape the country in its infancy.  The Harbinger, a novel by Jonathan Cahn tells of Bible prophecies that could be interpreted as foretelling the tragedy of the towers including details of a certain sycamore tree in the corner of the churchyard that fell victim to the terrorists on 9-11 as well.  An interesting read whether you agree with its theories or not.

Next we walked quite a distance to catch the Staten Island Ferry.  We meandered through parks, along the water, across busy highways and past sculptures shaped like musical instruments.  The blue sky and perfect temperatures made the walk a pleasure in itself. People walking dogs, people on bicycles, people doing nothing; everyone was making the most of the unusual gift of a perfect day in November. From the ferry we were able to catch a good view of Lady Liberty and spectacular scenes of the city itself.  We could see Jersey across the water and Staten Island as well.  It was good.

Then it was time for China Town and Little Italy.  Merchants hawking their wares and delicious smells tempting us to try all manner of delicacies.  We yielded to temptation and enjoyed tickling our taste buds before following Misty back to the subway.  We got off at 111th and walked the five blocks to our hotel.  Amazingly we found it with only one wrong turn involved.

After ordering Chinese food in and taking a certain eight-year-old to the pool we all felt the day had been a huge success.  Largely thanks to Misty and her guidance.  And tomorrow we're on our own.  I hope we learned as much today as we think we did about how to get from point A to point B.

While I''m country born and bred, I have to admit the energy one feels pulsing through this city makes it easy to see why so many people choose this life.  My nieces and nephew who live here all agree it's where they want to be.  They feel the same connection to a place teeming with a multicultural diversity that I feel when I see the horse-drawn carriages and rolling hills in my own community.   And I'm starting to understand it.  This city has the potential to draw you in and make you a part of itself.