Wednesday, walking and more walking . . . in NYC

This is my hotel-The Jane (it's on Jane St.)

Today, Wednesday, I walked my little area of Manhattan.  I walked up and down, and across and back, eventually making my way through Greenwich village, SoHo, Chelsea, TriBeCa, Chinatown, and Midtown.  I walked past the Brooklyn Bridge, but decided not to walk across.  I walked to the Freedom Tower, then turned back and made my meandering way back to my hotel because my feet and leg hurt (I have sciatica).

So many flowers and trees were in bloom walking around!  Beautiful!

Tulip trees are everywhere and in bloom!

I definitely noticed the Dutch influence in many of the buildings, style or roofline, etc.  Some of them would have looked right at home in Amsterdam.

Chinatown

Street performers near City Hall

The Freedom Tower

When your parking lot just isn't quite large enough!

My view across the river by the hotel.

I tried to nap, but housekeeping woke me up after a 15 minute nap (late housekeeping on the sixth floor, I guess).

As for food, I found a cafe--High Street on Hudson--and had an everything bagel (what a great bagel!) and a pot of tea.  Not horribly expensive by New York standards (though everything here is expensive by Minnesota standards!).  For lunch, I just stopped at a stand for a hot dog and bottle of diet coke--very New York.

Anneliese texted me when she was done with class around 5:30 and met me at my hotel room since I had some things for her (Easter goodies!).  We talked, then walked a couple of miles to Friday's for dinner since I had a gift card.  Then we took the train to Battery Park to see the lights.  We could see the Statue of Liberty and New Jersey.  The we saw the sphere.  It was corporate art work in front of the World Trade Center.  On 9/11 the towers crashed near it, damaging it but not destroying it.  It is now displayed in it's damaged state as a remembrance in Battery Park.  It was sobering.  Right next to the park is some sort of building with a series of spheres outside about how people can save the earth. Each sphere is an Earth with the continents all in relief.  Then the art begins.  They are beautiful and creative.

New Jersey

The World Trade Center Sphere

We were bundled up at night

selfie!

by the Mariner's Museum?

Anneliese and I walked along the Esplanade until we were too cold (near the Freedom Tower), then caught the subway back near the Jane and walked to the hotel.  We talked until 1:30 in the morning, then I sent Anneliese home in a taxi because I didn't want her walking to and taking the subway (this is a quiet neighborhood with low lighting and the subway can be dangerous late at night).

Part of a series of subway art--they are so cute and everywhere!

The front desk of the hotel

Lobby of the hotel

My keys--very heavy; my weapon in case of a mugging!

Then to bed.  Whew!

Traveling alone, Spring break 2016, New York City

I am traveling this spring break to visit Anneliese in New York.  For those that don't know, she attends New York University (NYU).  It is located in Greenwich Village.  This may sound weird, but this is the first time that I've ever traveled alone.  I've been to Europe many times and even as far as Australia, but I've always traveled with friends, family, or colleagues.  Now I find myself at the airport with no one to comment to about the woman over by the window that sounds likes she's going to cough up a lung (yuk, a really phlegmy cough I even heard through my headphones) and no one to say watch my stuff while I go fill my water bottle.  It's weird; at 49 years old, I've never traveled overnight by myself.  I'm an extrovert which may have something to do with it.  I enjoy having someone to share experiences with.  As a wife and mom of three, I rarely find myself alone and that's usually mostly OK.  I'm a talker and enjoy talking with others, including my husband and children.  Mostly my children--we talk a lot which I think has caused us to be very close.  I hear about their lives and thoughts and feelings and I share my day, my thoughts and values, and illustrate things using stories from my life.  

To continue, the plan was to go to the airport, take off at 4:30, arrive at 8, get to the hotel, then meet Anneliese to go out to hear live Celtic music.  Well, due to unusually heavy air traffic, the flight was delayed to depart at 5:25.  this meant that we landed at 9.  A little late, but we could possibly salvage the night.  Well, as we landed, I received a text with directions for my previously scheduled shuttle to Manhattan (JFK is about an hour outside the city).   I was impressed and excited about everything being so organized.  I called the number at the welcome center phone and was told the shuttle would be there in 20 minutes.  I was texted a link to a map to watch the progress of the shuttle.  30 minutes later it arrived.  The slowest man in the world walked me out to the shuttle--evidently at terminal 4, they have to park in the lot,  they can't just pick up curbside because it's the biggest terminal.  Then when I was settled, the driver realized that he was supposed to pick up another traveler inside the same terminal, so he went back in to find him.  then we drove to two other terminals to pick up people.  When there were 5 passengers, we finally got on our way.  It was now almost 11:00. I have to say that driving into Manhattan at night was beautiful.  Seeing the lights of those iconic buildings was almost magical.  I arrived at my hotel (after every other passenger was dropped off) at 12:00.  (big sigh).  I was texting with Anneliese the entire time from getting on the shuttle.  By that time, it was too late to go hear the band--they wrap up around midnight and Anneliese was at the radio station--she has a 1:00 show--she is the DJ.

truly the world's smallest room!

So, I am sitting on my bed in truly the world's smallest hotel room--50 square feet is what the book says--typing this and listening to my daughter's radio show.  She's playing Celtic music.  :)

Soon, I will sleep and then tomorrow I will wander the Village.  Then I will take on public transit when I'm a little more comfortable with my surroundings.