Take the S shuttle train from 42 Street-Times Square station heading to Grand Central
Get off at 42 Street-Grand Central
Take the 4 Train from 42 Street - Grand Central station heading Downtown/to Crown Heights
Pass 14 Street - Union Square
Get off at Brooklyn Bridge - City Hall
Exit near intersection of Park Row and Center St
Arrive at Brooklyn Bridge - City Hall, Manhattan
Sounded simple enough….so with the above instructions printed in 9pt Arial font and folded in a nice small discreet square in my pocket…I was on my way. The usual drop happened and I was the only one at the bus stop. Slowly a few more people arrived and I had such a chuckle….at one stage there was myself and 4 others…and for one reason or another they all started tapping on their iPhone’s or Blackberries… I felt like I needed to take off my shoe and call Agent 99!
Slowly I see a look of panic on the girl next to me as she fiercely checks her watch every minute. Sorry love, it hasn’t leapt back or forward in time. Yes the bus is late…and yes we have now hit 25minutes late. Good thing I plan this trips early to allow for such events! My thoughts floated….so am I now late for the 8.40am bus, or early for the 9.30 bus?
Given our tardiness a look around me says 13 people. Hmm wonder how many people we can hold and how many will go without today. The bus finally arrives and there are elbows out, shoulders front and a mad rush and panic to get in the line…not me…nope I show the American’s about orderly and un-panicked line up. (I was a line up monitor at school for a bit...still in the blood I guess, you never lose those skills!)
So onto the bus, assuming my normal window seat in the hope to work out when just to whip out my camera for a photo opportunity of the Manhattan Skyline. The bus was pretty full, and we continued along picking people up. I have tried really hard to understand the system of the #77 and what exactly express means. We seem to go to most stops… A disgruntled gentleman gets up groughly and sticks his briefcase in the overhead compartment. (Not quite like a plane…it has string and little spots to hold things in.) and he approaches the driver with vigor of an angry man. All I can hear are mumbled yet heated discussion. I hear “54”, “surely no more” “fit” and “standing” the man waves his arms enough for a few people to look up from their iPad's, iPod's, Berries, Newspapers etc. and then I hear… “well I’ll show you” now this becomes the gray area. The bus stops…not sure if it was at a bus stop or not... and the tall man gets out and points to what looks like I sign on the door. Well bus driver by now is obviously not amused so he does what any angry bus driver does….he closes the door and drives off. Not without a final thump, yelling from the man and what I can only assume was a shoe being thrown at the bus. At least the man’s briefcase made it to Manhattan!!
Once at the PABT I sneakily check my instructions and head to the way of the W 42nd St and 8th Ave for my first play using the subway system. Now anyone who knows me well knows I don’t do well with numbers or math’s… so looking at the subway map was like looking at an algebraic linear mathematical equation. I shook the thoughts of my dad telling me “math’s is not an opinion” dad what does that mean anyway??? And thought I can do this, I don’t need to ask the lady I have my instructions just buy the ticket and off you go!
Hmm okay so in the land of the USA you need touch screens and coupons and lot’s of NEXT, NEXT, NEXT, REVIEW, NEXT buttons as you could imagine. Lo and behold big fat ERROR message. Ho hum I approach the lady in the box with tail between my legs to ask what I have done wrong. The dialogue went something like this:
“Ohhh you’re not from here….”
“uhhh no” I politely respond.
“Well sugar, no wonder you don’t know”.
Hmmm well okay lady in the box are you going to quit smiling at me and tell me… no let’s hold this smiling staring completion a bit longer. She leans in close and so naturally I lean in thinking she is about to tell me the MTA’s best kept secret…
“Sugar…it's your zip!”
As you would expect I think oh god please don’t tell me my fly is undone….
“For your zip sugar, you need to press 5 x 9’s”
Oh Shit… can I use my fingers to work out 5 by 9??”
“So that’s 9, 9, (pause) 9, 9 (pause) 9” as she holds each of her plump black fingers up at me.
“Great, thanks so much for you help ma’am” as she proceeded to wink at me. Hmmm yes our little secret. Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone I need to press 5x9’s for my post code.
So after that little tête-à-tête I bounce on down to the oh wait crap after all that I have to take another sneaky look at my piece of paper. God knows how, but I managed to get on my trains and follow my instructions to a tea and almost a seasoned expert. Speaking of which, I must be doing something right, as I was asked directions no less than three times in that day. Twice on the street and once in the Subway.
So I head out to the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge. The day was as beautiful as the sights. A nice 29.C blue skies and just the perfect amount of breeze.
So with a stagger in my step, and a quick tap of my pocket in acknowledgement of the instructions I walked the beautiful walk that is the Brooklyn Bridge. Taking in the sights of Brooklyn while the magic of the Manhattan Skyline dipped behind me. They have a dedicated walking lane and a dedicated bike lane. The bikes zipped on past both directions, but the walk had a good mix of tourists, commuters, dog walkers, baby walkers, a mega hot nanny (despite his manicured eye brows and little wiggle of his bum) and I guess just the norm.
I took some panorama’s but sadly forgot to download the software onto this lappy so that will have to be added in the future.
I headed down the stairs towards DUMBO (American’s and their acronyms…Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and they have a great big map and signs. I am pleased to say that I did have a glance at the map, but I was the only person in a circle of about 11 WITHOUT my Frommers or Lonely Planet. Okay so they were in my bag, but I knew my way enough not to have to look, sneakily or not!
On the walk to the Piers and the views are two famous land marks which appear in all guide books, blogs and basically everywhere. One is Grimaldi’s Pizza. World Renowned (but they do not do slices only whole pizzas) and Brooklyn Ice Cream factory. As I was walking down, memories of my San Francisco visit popped into my head (Went to Fisherman’s Wharf in SF and there were NO SEALS!! A rarity!!) and I walked past Grimaldi’s and there was no line. Was it opened? Well one man went in so I guess it is. Hmpf so much for the long lines and renting of chairs I had read about. So onto the harbor and piers.
They are building a series of beautiful parks along the old piers. Playgrounds and common area that was just immaculate. New but still immaculate.
I feel like something or someone is looking over my shoulder so I face back and yup reminders everywhere…
So photos taken it’s now time for the Ice Cream place to open and me to sample this world famous taste. Hmmm decisions were hard but I narrowed it down to Chocolate Chocolate Chunk, Peaches and Cream or Butter Pecan. Okay well chocolate is chocolate so let’s try Peaches and Cream or Butter Pecan…hmm it’s warm outside, bit peckish...let’s go Butter Pecan...the nuts will keep me going.
Okay, not what this little lady expected. First bite…hmmm. No that can’t be. Let’s try a second. Hmmm really…ooh this is strange...crunch crunch…hmmm okay glad I got the small. Really...no it can’t be…hmm one last try. Wait all gone!
The only way to imagine this ice-cream was to imagine putting a pecan nut in your mouth and butter menthol and eat together! It was seriously like butter menthol minus the menthol. Weird. Next time I think I might just settle on the Vanilla with Chocolate Chunks or Chocolate Chocolate Chunks! Oh well, I’m all about trying something new!!
After milling around the piers, reading my book, writing in my journal and just mooching its back towards DUMBO.
What the….the looks like Grimaldi’s is the place to be….haha, they do have signs renting chairs for $3! Only in America!!
Check the sign board...minus book! I walked right into downtown Brooklyn, no idea where!! I did get lost I admit. Didn’t see any of the streets that I had in my head from the map and on getting back and looking on Google Maps I covered But oh well. Amazingly big synthetic turn park where kids playing soccer, baseball and mothers group chat while the kids run feral! I came across some funky little galleries and quirky shops and then headed back towards the Public Library. Inside no photographs but it was a real cozy (albeit strange smelling) library. I had a wonder, and then landed in the suburb of Brooklyn Heights…Bingo. I walked up and down the Fruit Streets Pineapple, Orange and Cranberry and it was magical! Little cafes under buildings, it was like seeing the streets of Sesame Street/the Cosby Show! All that walking didn’t even get me flustered when I realized I walked in one big giant circle the wrong way, and could have gone right down near the pier and ended up along the Promenade for more spectacular views! After more skyline gazing, it was a walk to find food. I could most certainly live there…the streets just gorgeous, tree lines and so cute! I found a wonderful little place called Tutt Café….Brooklyn’s answer to Jerusalem Restaurant back home and boy did I enjoy that! Iced Mint Lemon Tea, Felafels, Babaganoush, Tabbouleh Salad and Pita all for $9.50! Bargain!! And oooh so Ippsy Glippsy!
Next to me was the most gorgeous woman I think I have ever seen. She was model material big time! Maybe even was… she was black, had a shaved head, these big long eyelashes and was sitting with the world’s ugliest man! I have never seen a man so ugly with someone so beautiful. I was in awe!! Not sure where they were from…the accents could have been Portuguese or something but wow he sure was uuuggggllllyyyyy!
The journey back was super easy; I found a subway that would take me to 42nd Street no problems. While on the Subway I realized I’d be going past Wall street and WTC. Thought I had enough in me to take a peak so jumped off train and headed down wall street to look for the Bronze Bull and whatever else I might see. (hmmm hopefully some fine men in suits!) talk a wonder up and down the street … twice…no Bronze Bull. Oh well off to WTC. A lot of construction is under way the photo below shows the gap, and the one underneath the professional version of what’s behind the gap!
So from what I can see there isn’t a ground zero site any more per se…They have moved preview site to another location just a street away so will have a look-see at that next visit down that way.
Having a wee wonder around here starting to take its toll on my feet and hips (fancy that I haven’t done any excercise before this for so long everything started to hurt!) fortunately the feet have been pretty darn good though so I won’t complain.
I head to an info booth ahh there is the Bronze Bull. What the?? He is located in a park nearby! Bugger that! It’s home time!
Jumping down a subway near WTC I had to ask for directions this time. Great news the A train would take me all the way to the PABT…wouldn’t even need to change lines, just walk up the escalators to the Bus and home sweet home and rest my tootsies…no wait…they are in my bathroom!!
The bus home took a detour….ah so that is the express form the morning! Fortunately I was still close enough to a pick up point. Well I could walk to the hotel... it would be like walking from Hindley Street to the end of Rundle Mall….maybe even to Frome. But in the absence of footpaths here (no wonder so many Americans are tubby!) on the phone to my 8 child admirer Joe and around he comes to pick me up!
Another successful trip to NYC, and topped off with a nice spa the day after to aide my feet!
Next trip is on Wednesday where I meet a contact that I got from one of the parents of school. She has invited me to a networking/drinks thing being held at an Aussie Joint called the Sunburnt Calf. Have read about the chain in a few mag’s so looking forward to it. Should be great to have my first alcoholic beverage in over two weeks, and meet some people!
Until then
Lots of Love Bee
Xx
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