Alesia and I had a fun and busy Memorial Day weekend in New York City joining our son Joseph for his birthday. We spent most of our time in Manhattan where he lives. Here are my favorite photographs captured during our sightseeing adventures.
Freedom Tower- We walked by this beautiful skyscraper a few times while walking from our hotel to Joseph’s apartment. This site of course is where the World Trade Center’s twin towers stood until the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001. The building is officially called One World Trade Center.
I took this picture of the Statue of Liberty after an errant train stop coming back to our hotel. I’m glad for the miscue because it is always a treat to see this iconic American symbol of freedom and liberty.
When our kids were much younger on a New Year’s NYC visit we took the ferry and got to see Lady Liberty up close and personal. In 2019, our last visit here before this trip, we took Joseph on a fun boat tour in the waters around this area.
Ellis Island is where my Grandpa Frank, age 17 in 1920, came to the United States from Spain! See my research about his very interesting life here.
Alesia and Joseph on Columbus Circle in front of the large steel globe that I just learned has a connection with former President Donald Trump. Click here to learn the story.
The gleaming globe and the shiny building behind is the Trump International Hotel and Tower.
CENTRAL PARK
This was a first for me, walking the famous public park. The weather all weekend was perfect! Temperatures were in the low-to-mid 70s and there was noticeably low humidity compared to the Charleston area. Here are some of my impressions of the 840-acre Central Park.
Robert Burns (1759-1796) is a highly-regarded poet from Scotland. He did not live a long life but his writing has lives on forever.
This is the Women's Rights Pioneer Monument featuring, from left, Sojourner Truth (there’s a dorm at SC State named for her), Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
I liked this guy’s art! especially his play on Al Pacino’s Tony Montana role in “Scarface.”
In Central Park I had my eye out for (real living) birds but didn’t see or hear too much in that respect. In order below are a European Starling (immature maybe), an American Robin with a worm or some other small critter in its bill, and Rock Pigeons aka Rock Doves.
After Central Park we made our way to Times Square. On the way we stopped at Roxy Delicatessen on 7th Avenue for an excellent lunch.
TIMES SQUARE
The closer we got to Times Square the more crowded things became!
It was Fleet Week in New York. We didn’t make it to any of the ship visit opportunities but did see many sailors on the streets.
I was curious about this statue in Times Square. He kind of looks like a thug, maybe something out of the "Gangs of New York" movie. Actually, upon a little research, this is a Catholic priest named Francis P. Duffy. He is America's most highly decorated military cleric for his bravery in World War I. Read more here!
We visited the huge Macy’s store at Times Square. It has 10 or 12 floors including one devoted just to men’s shoes.
WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK
Joseph lives near this busy place in Greenwich Village by the campus of New York University. One description calls the park “a parade ground…a gathering spot for avante-garde artists…a battleground for chess enthusiasts..and a playground for children and canines.” We visited Washington Park a few times, during the day and at night, and we saw the accuracy of that depiction.
Some call him the bicycle guy, others call him the bike busker. He is amazing! When I went up and put $2 in his bucket, he rang the small bell on his bike and it startled me! How does he do this for hours on end? Read this local article from September 2022 for more.
Important Italian leader Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) is immortalized in this Washington Square statue, which has stood here since 1888. More here.
Quite the happening place...at all hours.
LED ZEPPELIN ALBUM COVER BUILDINGS
Rock fans may recognize this image! Think Led Zeppelin’s 1975 double album masterpiece “Physical Graffiti.” Located on St. Mark’s Place in the West Village these two structures became an iconic album cover for an iconic band.
I asked Joseph if we could go there and he lead the way!
What a treat to see this in person with family! We didn’t get tea at Physical GraffiTea, just peeked inside.
CHINATOWN
This is always a colorful and interesting neighborhood to walk through or around in when you have the chance!
This article gives "19 Charming Things to do in Chinatown, Manhattan." What, the writer couldn't come up with a 20th to round out the listicle piece? Taking pictures should be in that article if it isn't.
TENEMENT MUSEUM
103 Orchard St., Lower East Side
I had seen this on a map while planning our trip. It is in the area where we were staying and where our son lives so we decided to check it out.
Here we gained insight into how new immigrants lived in New York City’s tenement buildings. Our tour guide didn’t want her picture taken so that’s why I altered this photo.
Our guide talked about a European family from what would later become Germany and how the family lived on this block in the mid-1800s.
We were able to look at U.S. Census records and on another floor of the house (below) was a Chinese family’s small sewing business. These emigrants from Asia lived here in the mid-20th century.
This doll at the Tenement Museum has nice period detail.
I purchased the South American rock or jeweled (I should have noted the specifics when the man told me- they were only $5 each) owl and cat at a small arts and crafts pop up near where Joseph resides. It was going on next to the beautiful old church featured next.
BEAUTIFUL CATHOLIC CHURCH
This plaque notes the historic significance of the church. We were able to go inside and even met the pastor who, dressed in regular clothing, stopped in to check on something.
Beautiful Christian artistry throughout St. Anthony’s!
It was an honor and treat to stumble across such a fine sanctuary!
BURIAL GROUNDS
Also of historical significance were a church graveyard and a Jewish cemetery we came across in our Lower Manhattan travels. St. Paul's Chapel is located in the shadows of the Freedom Tower.
This bell is not old, in fact, it was given to the church in 2002 by St. Paul's sister chapel in England. The gift was to commemorate the horrific 9/11 terror attack the year before. The bell is rung annually during a Sept. 11 ceremony here and on anniversaries of other terror attacks around the world. More here.
We were not able to enter this next cemetery but did see the sign that explains its importance as, according to this article, "The First Cemetery of Shearith Israel is in southern Manhattan, above the first neighborhoods of New York City; it is the oldest Jewish cemetery in North America."
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
New York City is a great place for photography, it goes without saying. Here is a collection of random photos I took here and there!
This unique statue was crafted from an iconic 1932 photograph that became known as "Lunch atop a Skyscraper.”
Another take on the steelworkers image was seen at Washington Square Park (below) in an art fair.
This is a popular tourism and dining area along the East River (Pier 15 and Pier 16), not far from our Residence Inn hotel on Pearl Street.
We stopped at Cobble Fish in the South Street Seaport area, had a drink, and checked out the food menu but moved on when told several items were not available. The place did have a nice vibe and views.
One afternoon we sat at a table here by the Tin Building dining and shopping complex and enjoyed a rest and some more spectacular views.
Lots of group activities take place in this East River area, especially early in the morning. I saw yoga and stretching, dog training, and as you see some boxing too.
Joseph and I got in some pickleball on a court in front of a Duane Reade store near our hotel.
We came across a park with handball courts and plenty of players!
Roxy Hotel- Located on 6th Avenue in Tribeca
The impressive curved bar at the Roxy!
ARCHITECTURE
Manhattan Bridge across the East River from Brooklyn
The Titanic Memorial, 60 feet tall, at Pearl and Fulton streets was from 1913-1967 a lighthouse on the East River. It was built on top of the nearby Seaman’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey. Today it marks the entrance of the South Street Seaport Museum.
This is the massive 40-story David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, formerly called the Manhattan Municipal Building, was built from 1909-1914.
The 25-foot “Civic Fame” statue tops the Manhattan Municipal Building.
The Brooklyn Bridge is in the forefront here and the Manhattan Bridge is seen in the background.
You see fire escapes like these attached to many old New York buildings. They first began to be erected for residential safety in the 1860s.
Another cool old building is Alwyn Court at 180 West 58th St. It was completed in 1909.
Like caviar? Then this Petrossian restaurant may be for you! I can only imagine how expensive everything is on the menu!
These modern buildings were passed on our walk to Central Park.
Below is an odd-looking building on Leonard Street. It has a nickname: the Jenga Building.
The origins of urban electricity are reflected in this sign off Pearl Street.
BIRTHDAY BOY!
We had a fun birthday dinner with Joseph at Knickerbocker Bar & Grill, an excellent restaurant near the New York University campus.
Here are some other places where we ate. For an obligatory New York diner experience, we had to go no farther than Pearl Street Diner located right across from our hotel. Alesia and I arrived at the hotel mid-morning and had a big breakfast there. Pearl Street Diner dates to the early 1960s.
Our first night with Joseph we had a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant, Trattoria Pizzeria. Alesia made the reservation not realizing that we dined here back in 2019. But that was OK because the food was excellent.
We were in “ Flavortown” at Keste Pizza e Vino on Fulton Avenue. Guy Fieri did an episode here of “Diners,
Drive-Ins and Dives.” We liked the pies too!
Drive-Ins and Dives.” We liked the pies too!
WHERE WE STAYED
We had a great room ("505" just like the Arctic Monkey's song I really like!). The Marriott Residence Inn is combined with a Courtyard Marriott- must be confusing at times to the staff!
Sweet upgrade Alesia received as a valued longtime Marriott customer! The view below is from the terrace that our room included.
FLIGHT HOME
Along with the sweet hotel room upgrade, we also received an upgrade to first/business class for the Delta flight home to Charleston.
At JFK Airport we were the first ones on the plane. That was a first for me!
Alesia let me have the window seat. Here are several iPhone 12 pictures I took including some of a Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) container vessel on the Cooper River approaching one of Charleston’s ports.
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