Di is again showing significant signs of weakness (what???) due to her swollen and bruised foot so Hans is on his own again. At least, until 2pm when we will be doing yet another "Free Tour by Foot". This time "SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown" as we want to learn more about our immediate neighborhood.
Here is Di being useful doing some research on the iPad in the morning.
Hans started off by walking Bowery Street north. This was on a shutter across the road. Wonder what the story is behind it...
Cooper Union consists of (at least) two buildings. The old one, now a library, had this message...
And the new one, where they do performances. The complex is now "The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art".
We read that Brian Eno was doing a talk here last week. We tried to get tickets but with so much else in NYC, there was none left to be had. Very interesting building though.
This is taken from Astor Place. Like the reflection in the opposite building.
Hans was having a break in Union Square where this photo is taken. There was some promotion going on and groups of people in white shirts were singing in various places around the park. Union Square is not a glammed up park and there were beggars, buskers and what looked like quite a few homeless people there.
Although in one section of Union Square, it looked like this. Very European.
Time for a break at Argo Tea in the Flatiron District. It is sort of a Starbucks for tea. Quite nice in fact so Hans took a window table and looked at the world go by while having his cuppa.
Here is the Flatiron building itself. Interesting shape due to Broadway cutting through the grid system the way it does.
After the Flatiron and another park, Madison Square Park, Hans diverted into 5th Avenue north. This is the Gerswin Hotel on East 27 Street. The hanging things are referred to as "teardrops", but Hans thought that they looked more like giant garlic.
Around the corner on the 5th Avenue is this museum. Anything goes in New York.
Of course, just before 34th Street on 5th Avenue is the entrance to the Empire State Building. Another day, for both of us...
SoHo (or South of Houston Street) used to be filled with sweatshops. They got this name as the buildings we made of a lot of metal and in summer the temperature was stifling for the hundreds of workers inside. According to John, the original building code prohibited people from living in these buildings. They were zoned for working only but considering these people were here 12 hours a day 6 days a week it might as well have been "home".
Of course, today it is a very different story. Living in SoHo is very desirable and costly. The artists came here first when the area was a bit deserted about 40 years ago but have now been pushed out by rising property prices and "Wall Street money". Not hard to understand why people want to live here, as many of these old sweatshops have very high ceilings. huge windows, 6 meters or so from floor to ceiling and therefore are very spacious.
Many of the streets look fantastic too.
We liked this very ornamental building. It was from an era when New York architects took a cue from Paris and it was fashionable to make New York buildings looking beautiful.
This is the building where Heath Ledger lived and died. In fact, he died in his loft here, at the top left of this photo.
And this is an old police station. Very grand. Built in a time when the gangs of New York were making life very miserable in this part of town so the government and police wanted to make their presence more obvious.
Now, well, have a guess? Jail cells have been converted to apartments and among its residents is Leonardo DeCaprio.
This woman outside the old cop shop says she does not belong here. Now, does this mean that she is not a "jailbird" or is the place too snazzy for her?
Next is Little Italy and its main drag called Mulberry Street. Little Italy today is tiny and covers only 3 blocks. According to John, Mulberry Street had a very colorful past and he showed us a restaurant where there had been a mafia murder. However, the street felt more like a "resort" as one of the punters on the tour appropriately called it and many restaurants have spruikers outside. Here we are looking south.
And looking north.
On Grand Street, just east of the Mulberry intersection above, is this fantastic Italian coffee and cake and gelato place. John took us here for a short break and opportunity to sample its goods. Ferrara looked and smelled genuine and not too touristy and we decided to come back for a longer visit and linger over coffee, gelato and pastries. Today would have been too rushed.
Next door to Ferrara is a small shop selling Italian souvenirs or sort. The lady in front is not part of their merchandise and claims to have no Italian heritage at all.
Verdict, well cheap of course and OK, but not great. We are spoiled in Sydney for great Asian food.
Haagen Daas ice cream shop in Chinatown had a very long queue of mostly young people outside. It did stretch a whole block and more. We were not sure of the reason. Maybe it is brand new and they had some kind of an opening deal going of free icecream. Certainly everyone we saw outside had a cup with a single scoop of icecream.
After a bit more wandering in our "old" neighborhood, John closes shop by taking the punters to the nearest subway station. A bit pointless for us as we stay just a few blocks away, so we say goodbye to John and tip him. Whilst these are free tours, and everyone can choose to donate what they think is appropriate, or not, we feel $10 each is about right (50% of what we would pay on other walking tours). John finishes off by calling Hans "Sting"! Well, that's a new one.
Back to 44 Henry Street for a break after another day in the hoods.
Dinner is home cooked Polish wurst with mash and green beans (aka Bangers and Mash). Red wine is always good and Di says works well in easing her sore foot. Any excuse!
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