Day 76 - Travelling Manhattan by Subway

---

Another huge day in the city of New York.

This morning we took the train W110th Street to the Cathedral Parkway. We first stopped by at the Children's Sculpture Garden where animals of freedom have been sculptured by child artists ranging from kindergarden through to high school. Each year since 1985, 12 sculptures are chosen through a Public competition and placed around the ring of freedom.

Next to the garden (between W110th and 113th streets) is the home of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Built in 1892, it claims to be one of the two largest Cathedrals in the world (the other one being in Liverpool). Designed as a Basilica, it was built in Gothic style and there are many stained glass windows throughout the Cathedral.

There are numerous paid tours you can take with a tour guide but we just had a walk around by ourselves. Behind the main chapel area there are many more smaller chapels that are all unique in their design.

After looking at the Cathedral we had a spare hour or so before needing to get to the lower east side for our food tour so we walked a couple of blocks to the north entrance of Central Park. Walking into the park we were quickly surrounded by a large body of water - the Harlem Meer Which is 11 acres in size (Nothing in Central Park is small).

From there we walked around to the Conservatory garden - the only formal garden found in Central Park. The quiet, calm atmosphere of the Garden, free from runners and bicyclists, makes it an ideal spot for weddings and relaxing afternoon walks. It is still hard to comprehend the size of this park - once you are inside the gates of the park you feel a million miles away from the city.

Next we were back on the train and headed to the lower east side for our 1pm food tour. We met our guide Derrick outside a shop on East Houston Street - Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery where we sampled a mushroom knish There was only seven people on this food tour so it was very relaxed and we got to sample some great local foods including:

Prosperity Dumpling - specialising in steamed dumplings $1.25 for a pack of four - cooked fresh before your eyes.

Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery - great cupcakes $1.75 (half the price of Magnolia Bakery cupcakes)

The Pickle Guys - a large range of pickled vegetables sold fresh from barrels.

Russ and Daughter - a deli selling a large variety fresh fish products, chocolates and deli items.

Katz's Deli - famous from the movie "when Harry met Sally" and has ridiculous long waiting lines outside and around the corner.

Punjabi grocery and deli - a tiny store selling vegetarian Indian food at very cheap prices.

Laboratorio del gelato - selling over 200 flavours of gelato.

Economy Candy - all sorts of candy many from days gone by.

The lower east side has evolved over the years from being the place where immigrants came and settled with very little money in their pockets to becoming an undesirable place in the 70's and 80's where drug addicts lived on the streets and crime was rife to today where it is one of Manhattans very fashionable places to live - trendy and home to a large majority of the younger generation who are willing to pay rents of around $2,500 for a one bedroom small apartment.

Derrick is a wealth on information about many areas of New York City - his tours are very interesting and always go much longer than the 2 hour timeslot.

Derrick also pointed out an old Jewish Temple that used to be a place where homeless people once lived - even though it doesn't look anything from the outside it is now a much sought after event venue even used by stars like Lady Gaga.

Next we were back on the subway heading to the financial district - a few quick photos of the New York Stock Exchange (we've been there before) - visit to the Trinity Church in Wall Street and then a visit to the National Museum of the American Indian - free admission to this Smithsonian museum -next to the bowling green.

Today the weather has been fine and cold - in lower Manhattan near the Hudson River it was freezing. The wind was blowing straight through us. We walked to Battery Park from Wall Street only to find it is being remodelled so it was a quick walk around then out of the cold and back to the subway.

The subways provide a nice place to warm up on these cold days - down underground you have no idea of what the weather is like above ground...it's a city all off its own with many tunnnels that often go quite a long way.

We took the subway to City Hall where we had a short walk to the Woolworth Building. This building is on Broadway and is one of the United States oldest skyscrapers - completed in 1913. Woolworth building is 60 storeys high and has over 5000 windows. The foyer of the building is supposedly very beautiful but unfortunately it is closed to tourists.

Back on the train we headed for our hostel stopping at Victoria's Secret on the corner West 34th and 6th. This is the biggest Victoria Secret in the world - 3 levels of shopping. So many fragrances it was impossible to choose one which I may regret later but it was just all too hard at the end of a big day.

Dinner at the hostel - mushroom soup and bagels went down well on this cold evening.

---

Photos

At 110th street subway

Children's Sculpture Garden

St John

Amazing sculptures adorn the church

Stained glass on the ceiling

Inside The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine

Stained glass in St Johns

one of the many side chapels

Stone work in the Cathedral

The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine

Harlem Meer - Central Park

Charles A Dana discovery centre on the Harlem Meer

Conservatory Garden

Conservatory Garden - Central Park

A family owned business for generations

Fresh fish at Russ and Daughters Deli

Russ and Daughters Deli

Indian eatery - cheap and good

Great find in the Lower East Side

Katz's Deli

Inside Katz's deli