We wanted to go to New York City but Walt didn't think he wanted to drive. I wonder why?
Black Bear Campground where we are staying is about 60 miles from Times Square and one of the amenities they offer is a bus tour into the city.
That sounded perfect to us. A nice comfortable bus and a tour guide named Kauffman. A born and bred New Yorker of German ancestry that is a fierce patriot with no patience for U.S. Citizens that know less of our history than people from Canada and Europe do. There were 16 couples.......all over 65 except for one and all from the U.S. We were instructed to "Follow the blue hat." He was a wealth of information and kept us on a closely scheduled time table.
In the 1800's and early 1900's immigrants coming into New York City usually lived in buildings like this called tenements usually with others from their same home country. This is the last of those buildings and as soon as the last residents move out or die off it will be torn down.
Our bus driver was amazing. He was an artist in getting where he wanted in a smooth and efficient way. The traffic hardly ever looked like this.
It looked like this.
First stop. Broadway & 52nd Street for a little stroll around Times Square and the Theater District.
Overwhelming to say the least. So amazed to be at a place I see often on TV and trying to imagine a million people jammed into this area to watch the ball drop on New Years Eve.
This is people watching paradise.
Aaah, the lights of Broadway.
There are more than 40 theaters in the Theater District and most of the shows are musicals.
Before the day was over there was a definite crick in my neck from looking up. Love the contrast with the historical and the modern.
This is the Hotel Paramount that was completed in 1928. So pretty but notice those window air conditioners. When so many of the buildings in the east were built there was no air conditioning so window air conditioners are put in. They have ruined many beautiful photo ops. Comfort over beauty.
There are wooden water towers all over New York. It roused my curiosity. Were they relics from the past that hadn't been removed? No, many of them are new. Most buildings in the city taller than six stories need some sort of water tower and pumping system to provide water pressure to tenants.
Still marveling at the crowds and tall buildings.
On to see Trinity Church.
This is he third and current Trinity Church. The first was destroyed in the Great New York City Fire of 1776. The second was torn down after being weakened by severe snows during the winter of 1838–39.
The third and current Trinity Church began construction in 1839 and was finished in 1846. Trinity Church was once the tallest structure in New York City. As skyscrapers became more common and ever more ambitious, however, the once-towering church now finds itself in the shadow of buildings and towers twice its size.
On September 11, 2001 people took refuge inside the church from the massive debris cloud as the first World Trade Center collapsed. Trinity Church was largely undamaged.
The cemetery outside the church is very interesting as the graves are extremely old and there are several famous people buried here (including Alexander Hamilton, Robert Fulton and Albert Gallatin). Alexander Hamilton is probably the most famous as he was George Washington’s first Secretary of the Treasury and was killed in a famous duel with ex-Vice President Aaron Burr.
The interior of Trinity Church is beautiful, with its dark wood, sparkling stained glass windows, and high, arched ceilings.
The stained glass is some of the oldest in the United States.
This impressive church is regal inside and out.
The church stands at the head of Wall Street.
On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, took his oath of office as the first President of the United States. The building behind the Washington statue is where Federal Hall stood but is not Federal Hall. It was demolished in 1812.
Wall Street was named because an actual wall stood there. There are still spots in the street that show where the posts were.
The New York Stock Exchange Building is at 11 Wall Street. It is the world's largest stock exchange.
This Burger King at 106 Liberty Street served as the New York Police Department Headquarters for a time after 9-11.
We stopped for a slice of pizza at Steve's for lunch.
As we finished our pizza a truck from Firehouse 10 pulled out. As the firehouse located at Ground Zero they were the first to respond on 9-11 and lost 6 men.
The Memorial Wall, dedicated to the 343 members of the NYC Fire Department, as well as volunteer firefighter Glenn J. Winuk, a partner at Holland & Knight who died on that tragic day, is located at FDNY Engine 10 Ladder 10, directly across from the World Trade Center site. The Memorial Wall was donated by the law firm of Holland & Knight.
We are only about a third way through our tour and I am hit in turn by joy at the sights and the sadness of 9-11. More to come.
For those of you curious about my lack of posting recently it is due to cramming in so many places to visit and weak cell and internet services where we are staying. I am very far behind but will continue to play catch up.