How the hell did we end up on Bowery AGAIN?!? The Long Walk, April 2012

Tara shows the Obamas how it’s really done,
New York, April 2012

Monday April 30th – I woke up on the Yankee Ferry with the sun streaming through the windows and, despite my few hours of sleep, I felt pretty spritely. After getting ready, Charlie and I crossed the gangplank and then the road to a little cafe called the Turning Point, where Victoria had told us they had free Wifi. I grabbed a corn muffin with butter, and Charlie had a chocolate muffin with a ‘Charlie’s Chai Shake’ (who could resist ordering a shake named after them?), and we mooned over the view from the giant windows. New York! Woo hoo! 🙂

We briefly got in touch with the world at large, checking addresses of places we wanted to go during the day, before setting off. Our aim was to hit the East Village and then keep walking south, through NoLita, Little Italy, Chinatown and then into the Lower East Side. A big walk! We made a short detour to get some tickets printed at a nearby apartment building that offers concierge services to the Yankee, and then decided to get the NY Waterways ferry over to Manhattan rather than the bus. We raced down to the pier and managed to snag tickets (steep at $9 each!) just before our ferry left; the guy on the ferry looked peeved but at least he waited for us!

We had wanted to take the ferry for the views and the breeze, but as it turned out there was no outdoor seating – d’oh! We enjoyed the view from the smudged windows, though, and still took some joy in our very brief (8-minute) ‘commute’ to the city. After arriving, we transferred to one of the free shuttle buses, which dropped us back in the West Village on 7th Avenue. From there, we tried to beat a path almost directly east, towards the East Village. We passed by the Stonewall Tavern, the firing point for the riots in 1969 which essentially started the gay rights revolution; I made a mental note to come back at a later point for a better look.

On 8th Avenue we made another shoe stop for Charlie, and when he stopped to pull a drink out of his bag he discovered the chocolate-covered bacon that we’d bought in Philadelphia and still hadn’t quite had the guts to actually taste yet. Well, we thought, there’s no time like the present. So, there in the street, we took a bite of our chocolate bacon. Putting it into my mouth, I knew I was probably committing a crime against something, but I did it anyway. I chewed slowly, and I have to admit that I couldn’t decide if I loved it or hated it. It tasted burnt and salty, and then the sweetness of the chocolate hits you and… well, it’s just a wierd combo altogether. It’s not often that I’m short on words, but in this case, I have nothing. What I will say, though, is that one bite was enough for both of us. We chucked what was left of it in the bin, satisfied that we had at least tried it. Bleh. Both of us needed a long slurp of water after that experience!

We continued our walk almost directly eastwards until we reached Astor Place, the ‘entrance’, I suppose, to the East Village from Broadway. The East Village is chronically trendy, in a pierced, tattooed, rockabilly, alt-rock kind of way. We wandered along 8th Street (renamed St Mark’s place in the main heart of the neighbourhood) and peered into numerous tattoo parlours and shops full of t-shirts with witty slogans, but our main destination was St Mark’s Comics, a place I had visited many years before and thought Charlie might like to see. On my last visit there I had made the mistake of wearing my ‘I HEART NERDS’ t-shirt and asking the guy behind the counter where I could find a copy of Jhonen Vasquez’s Squee compendium, making it appear as if a) I actually knew what the hell I was talking about when it came to comics and b) he might actually have a chance of getting into this English chick’s trousers because she hearted nerds. Of course, neither of these things were true and I spent a fair amount of time fending off the small talk of an over-eager (but, I suppose, harmless) boy who bore more than a passing resemblance to the Comic Book Store Guy from The Simpsons. Yikes! Mental note to self: Yes, you love nerds, but not just any nerds. Next time you’re going to a comic book store, leave the t-shirt at home!

Anyway, we paid a visit to the scene of the crime (the guy from the last time was nowhere to be seen), and Charlie once more found a few gems for his collection. We walked a bit further before heading south down 2nd Avenue and into the NoLita (North of Little Italy) district, which is full of very expensive clothes shops, designer boutiques and large storefronts that seem to have very little in them – but what they do have costs a bomb! I made a detour into Desigual , a wicked Spanish clothes designer. Many is the time I have salivated over their brightly-coloured skirts, jackets and dresses but I’ve always walked out of their boutiques empty-handed, and today was no exception. The cost of one of their jackets is about equal to a week’s travel budget for me, so I had to take it easy. Boo hoo! We also stopped in a handful of skate shops but Charlie was equally as appalled by the prices as I was, so despite our little dip into the world of trendy designers, we both left the area empty-handed.

We zig-zagged our way across numerous streets, finding ourselves on Broadway and then on Bowery, and then somewhere else and then Bowery, and then Bowery AGAIN; I felt like I was in the twilight zone! All roads lead to Bowery! There are worse places to be, I suppose, but it was never our destination or our intention to end up there!

Next stop was Little Italy – or what’s left of it. As Chinatown has grown, Little Italy has shrunk, and now all that’s left are a few delicatessens and a handful of restaurants. Last time I decided to eat in Little Italy I ended up paying about $20 for 4 ravioli which had been microwaved; I later went up the road and ate a slice of great pizza for a few bucks. Buyer beware!

Cheeky dragon and cheeky Tara slurp ice cream at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory,
New York, April 2012

I think I’ve said this before, but one of the things that I love about New York is being able to turn a corner and find yourself in a neighbourhood with a completely different vibe. This is particularly true for this area; Mulberry Street still retains a distinctly Italian feel and then you go one miniscule block across onto Mott Street and find yourself in Chinatown, with all the charms that brings – a hustle, a bustle, people nattering in Chinese, little waving Feng Shui cat toys, tacky plastic knick-knacks, and knock-off Rolexes. Water rolls out of the fish markets, so you have to pick up your feet to avoid treading in a puddle of fish juice; roasted ducks hang in the windows; buckets of dried shrimp stand outside grocery stores. I always feel at home in Chinatown, regardless of the relentless noise and activity; I guess that’s what comes from growing up in Hong Kong! As you wander southwards down Mott Street, the street becomes narrower and more lanes sprout from each side. We took a turn on Bayard Street, in search of the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. This place makes their own ice cream in a range of flavours both exotic and everyday, from durian to black sesame and from vanilla to chocolate. Their logo is one of my favourite company logos ever: a cute, fat little dragon slurping a cone of strawberry ice cream. We both had a cone (mine was double chocolate Oreo) and stood outside, watching the eclectic crowds come and go. I sniffed haughtily at the Haagen Dazs down the road as we passed; from what I understand, Haagen Dazs heard that the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory were doing well and got snitty that some of ‘their’ market was being stolen, so they opened a rival shop nearby. I might be mistaken in this belief, but it wouldn’t surprise me, coming from a company that allegedly played dirty with Ben & Jerry’s in the early days and tried to have them closed down! Well, I gave my money to the locals and will continue to do so. Take that, corporate scum!

Continuing down Mott Street, we stopped into Aji Ichiban, a Hong Kong-based chain store that sells exotic snacks. Pickled plums, haw flakes and dried squid abound. Yeep! Crossing Canal Street, Mott eventually turned into a cobbled lane, and we decided to make a turnaround and head for the Lower East Side. And somehow… despite checking the map for street names and the direction we should take… ended up on Bowery! Again. AGAIN!!! Checking the map again, I managed to avoid a nervous breakdown when I discovered that I wasn’t hallucinating; the road we had started on changed its name partway along. Phew!

We ended up on Eldridge Street on the Lower East Side. Traditionally, the whole area was home to the Jewish community in Manhattan, but over the years Chinatown encroached and from what I understand, a lot of the Jewish locals picked up sticks and moved to Brooklyn. There’s still a few Jewish businesses in the area, but even over the time that I’ve been coming to NYC (the last 10 years or so), I can recognise changes in the district. The pickle sellers and bakeries have slowly disappeared and been replaced by Chinese restaurants and the occasional glitzy gallery. We wondered through the old heart of the neighbourhood, though, heading straight up Eldridge and crossing over Delancey. I always get a small, silly thrill out of that; there was a cheesy little movie in the 80s called ‘Crossing Delancey’, which my mother used to love. It was a romantic comedy about an arty, snooty girl whose traditional Jewish grandmother enlists a neighbourhood matchmaker to find her a husband. The matchmaker picks a lowly pickle salesman, which doesn’t please our little snob at all, and from what I remember she treats the poor guy like crap but for some reason he keeps running after her until he wins her over. I never particularly liked the ending, because I don’t think she deserved to get the guy! Still, it was a bit of a classic, painting a picture of a time and a place, and it starred Amy Irving (aka Mrs Steven Spielberg) who was big news at the time, so it’s become a bit of a thing for me to ‘Cross Delancey’. 🙂

From Eldridge Street we turned on to Rivington, which is home to quite a few interesting little shops and cafes. We popped in to Economy Candy , which has been open since 1937; it sells a massive selection of sweets and chocolate from all over the world and from different eras. Gumballs, Pez and Jelly Belly abound, as well as hand-made choccies. Yum! We passed TeaNY, Moby’s tea shop (where I plan to spend a bit of time later), and picked our way around the endless roadworks that seem to continue in the area. We then kept walking until we made it to Ludlow Street, where we took a left and walked until East Houston, where we stopped at… Katz’s!!!

Katz’s Diner, where Sally had her infamously pleasing sandwich with Harry, Lower East Side,
New York, April 2012

Katz’s Delicatessen/Diner is a bastion of the Lower East Side, open since 1888. They’re famous for their pastrami on rye sandwiches, and other traditional Jewish and New Yorker fare like matzah ball soup, Reuben sandwiches, corned beef sandwiches and pickles. I think their continuing fame, though, comes from a more recent source: they were the site of Meg Ryan’s famous ‘faking it’ scene from ‘When Harry Met Sally’… now everybody goes there so that they can say, “I’ll have what she’s having!” The service has really gone downhill since I was last there; I reckon that they think they’re catering for more of a tourist market and thus don’t have to worry about repeat business, which is a shame because they really have great sandwiches. You have to order at the counter before sitting down and the guys were more interested in chatting to each other than actually communicating with the customers. Mine asked me, “You want mustard?” I said, “No thanks.” So then he reached over and slathered mustard all over the bread. Sheesh.

Where Harry Met Sally – a pastrami on rye with pickles and fries at Katz’s Diner, Lower East Side,
New York, April 2012

Anyway, we squeezed onto a table (the place was packed with people from all over the world) and munched our shared pastrami and rye with a side of fries, nibbling on our complementary pickles. I’ve never really been into pickles, but the ones at Katz’s are pretty damn good. We then continued along East Houston, looking for the Yonah Shimmel Knishery. I knew I’d seen it somewhere around there years ago, and lo and behold, my memory was correct! I’m so proud when stuff like that happens! We barrelled right in and ordered a potato knish, which is basically a big fat traditional Jewish pastry stuffed with potato (or whatever filling you’ve chosen!).  They’ve been making knishes here for over a hundred years, and not much about the shop has changed. It’s good, hearty, basic fare, and I’d underestimated how big they are – we each only managed a bite or two before having to give up!

Continuing our marathon day, we got the subway to Times Square and paid a short visit to Bryant Park. It’s one of my mum’s favourite places; I brought her here in 2006 during the wintertime and we had warm apple ciders while watching the ice skaters glide around. It looks very different in the warm weather; the market stalls had gone, as had the ice, and been replaced with a sprawling green covered with New Yorkers enjoying the sunshine and lolling about in chairs. We went around the corner to the New York Public Library, the entrance of which is guarded by two serious-looking lions. I still think of Ghostbusters whenever I see it!

A picture speaks a thousand words,
New York, April 2012

Next, we went to Madame Tussaud’s; a few of my students have been there and raved about it, so I figured we should give it a try. At first the entry fee seemed exorbitant, but having been there now I can honestly say it was worth it – I had a ball! Who would’ve thought that wax mannequins could be so much fun?!? I got snatched by King Kong, cuddled up to Johnny Depp, kissed Patrick Stewart (“Make It So!”), yawned at Kim Kardashian, and flirted with George Clooney. I presented the news, and then got a hug from a guy in a Hannibal Lecter mask before being shoved down a ‘corridor of terror’, where Charlie and I both nearly peed our pants with fright. Repeatedly. It was dark and misty and they paid staff members to jump out in front of you, grab your arms and chase you down the corridor. Common sense tells you that nothing bad is going to happen, but when a creepy stranger is sneaking up behind you and following you for no reason, you can’t help but get the heebie-jeebies! We must have screamed pretty loud, because when we got to the end, the family that had gone in before us were laughing their asses off. Whoops!

Recovering very little of my dignity, I sang with Stevie Wonder and then made a very important phone call on the White House Red Phone before issuing a statement to the press; I hung out with Frank Sinatra, boxed with Muhammad Ali, asked Steven Spielberg how he had managed to make such a big cock-up of Indiana Jones 4, and nearly got eaten by The Hulk. It was AWESOME!!!

Batter Up!
Yankee Stadium, New York, April 2012

We left with some reluctance, but our next adventure of the day was to be even more awesome… we were headed to YANKEE STADIUM in DA BRONX to see the NEW YORK YANKEES play some baseball against the BALTIMORE ORIOLES! Woooooohooooooooo!!! I really need to use more capitals to express our EXCITEMENT!!! 🙂 We hopped a subway at 42nd Street which took us all the way north, off Manhattan and into the Bronx. From the subway station there, we followed the general movement of the crowds to Yankee Stadium itself. We were SO excited. The place was literally buzzing with the hum of excited fans both old and young, and the smell of popcorn and hot dogs filled the air. We found our seats and took our place in the crowds, and waited for the fun to begin.

Boy oh boy. What a night. What a night! I’ve never been much of a fan of spectator sports but I could really see myself getting into baseball. The show was as much in the stands as it was on the field! From the outset, we knew there was no hope for the Orioles. This was Yankee Stadium, filled with Yankee fans who were not afraid to boo and hiss at the away team. Screeching and shouting filled my ears, words of enouragement for the good guys and of dismissal for the bad guys. “YOU SUCK!!!!” screamed one Yankees fan to an Orioles pitcher who kept pitching foul balls. A pre-recorded, swanky, flashy introduction was given from the Yankees, giving us the rundown on all the players, their numbers and their positions; no such consideration was given to the Orioles…! I guess that when they play as the home team, that’s when they get the perks. Let’s hope so, anyway!

We’re at Yankee Stadium! GO THE YANKEES!
The Bronx, New York, April 2012

Before the game could start, we all stood for the Star-Spangled Banner; about halfway through we had to stand again, this time for ‘God Bless America’, sung in honour of American troops. Throughout the game, there were puzzles and quizzes set for audience members, and there were spot prizes. There were singalongs, and dancealongs, my favourite of which was YMCA. Everybody was up and dancing, including the guys who were straightening up the dirt on the pitch between innings; they dropped their little drag-dusters and threw their arms up in the air with the rest of us! There were birthday messages, and a request from one young man to his girlfriend: “Will you go to Prom with me?” Cheesy, but cute. The cameras swung from the game itself to the audience fairly frequently, giving everyone a chance to wave and say hello. It was so much fun!

The food vendors were my favourite part. They came winding their way down through the stands, shouting what they had for sale. I had already bought my $7 popcorn on my way in and was stuffed; I didn’t even have room for a hot dog, dammit! It was great listening to them. “Hey you! Beer? Beer? You drinkin’? Beer?” And the accents…! “Hawt chawclit! Get ya hawt chawclit!” (That’s hot chocolate to you and me!) One guy even got a bit creative: “Hawt chawclit! Yummy yummy in ya tummy!” I loved it!

The teams, for their part, did a lot of gum-chewing and hat-adjusting and spitting and crotch-grabbing; they pitched and they batted and they ran and they put up with all the screaming. In the end, after 9 innings, the score was 1-2 to the Yankees. Of course!

As we left, we did a little jog to warm ourselves up; it was freezing in the stadium and I couldn’t even feel my hands any more! Thanks to the Yankees win, we were treated to the aural delight of Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York New York’ as we ran out of the stadium; people were singing along, including me. As Ol’ Blue Eyes sang, ‘King of the Hill’, I flung out my arms and I thought, “Oh yeah! I’m in New YORK!”

Totally. Kickass. Night.

The New York skyline as seen from Hoboken, New Jersey,
April 2012

We got the subway back to Bryant Park and walked to the Port Authority before catching our bus back to Hoboken. The view over the Hudson to Manhattan was hazier tonight, which warned of possible rain tomorrow, but was still just as beautiful. Our last night on the boat – sob!

Thanks for stopping by,

Tara.

Tags: baseball, food, new york, travel