Friday morning and we joined the Wall Street warriors on the water taxi to the east side of Lower Manhattan. It was a crisp fall day and quite lovely in the sunshine—but in the canyons of Wall Street, jackets were essential.
Trinity Church
Ground Zero was showing signs of progress. Quite a change from the past few years when it seemed that there was no progress at all.
Ground Zero...
St Paul's Chapel
The proposed site of the Islamic Center
The water taxi docks by the South Street Seaport, once the sight of the busiest seaport in America.
From there, it was a short walk to Wall Street (where Gordon noticed a dog dump right near the Wall Street sign…how appropriate!) We walked the length of Wall Street. Interesting—there were more tourists than suited financiers. The Asians were taking photos of each other in the “George Washington pose” at Federal Hall. And the streets around the NY Stock Exchange were packed with camera toting tourists.
The New York Stock Exchange
Note- how did Wall Street get its name? After the Dutch purchased “New Amsterdam” from the Native Americans, a wall was erected that formed the northern boundary of the new colony. The first “walls” along the street were basic plank fences, but as time passed and tensions with the mother country grew, a stronger, taller wall was built in order to defend the colony against both the British and the American Indians tribes that still dominated the area. The British removed the wall around the turn of the 18th century.
We stopped at Trinity Church, home of the oldest congregation in America, established in 1697 under charter by King William III.
Note- how did Wall Street get its name? After the Dutch purchased “New Amsterdam” from the Native Americans, a wall was erected that formed the northern boundary of the new colony. The first “walls” along the street were basic plank fences, but as time passed and tensions with the mother country grew, a stronger, taller wall was built in order to defend the colony against both the British and the American Indians tribes that still dominated the area. The British removed the wall around the turn of the 18th century.
We stopped at Trinity Church, home of the oldest congregation in America, established in 1697 under charter by King William III.
Jean and Gordon got a kick out of the plaque on the floor: “On this spot stood Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her gracious visit 9 July 1976 His Royal Highness The Prince Phillip stood nearby”.
Ground Zero was showing signs of progress. Quite a change from the past few years when it seemed that there was no progress at all.
Building was beginning on a World Trade Center Memorial (expected to open in 2011, at the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks) The memorial, dubbed 'Reflecting Absence', will have cascading waterfalls with illuminated reflecting pools at the exact site of the former towers. The names of the 2979 people who died during the attacks that day will be inscribed around the edge of the waterfalls.
We stopped at St Paul’s Chapel.
The rear of the chapel faces Church Street, opposite the east side of the World Trade Center site. After 9/11, St. Paul's Chapel served as a place of rest and refuge for recovery workers at the WTC site.
With all of the heated discussions, rallys and political sound bites about the proposed Ground Zero Mosque and Muslim Community Center, we had to see the actual site. It is an active mosque today..
We found the site guarded by a single New York City cop who was happy to give us his two cents about the center, it’s questionable funding and just about everything else (including his belief that all wars are caused by women and religion). He lived through 9/11 and was involved in the cleanup.
John and I grabbed the water taxi (with Chloe in tow) back to Jersey City while Jean and Gordon continued their exploration of Manhattan. When they got home, we hustled them off to dinner with our old neighbor from Charlestown, Jim. He left Charlestown several years ago and moved to Jersey City. With an invitation for drinks at his condo before dinner, we walked in and our jaws dropped.
John and I grabbed the water taxi (with Chloe in tow) back to Jersey City while Jean and Gordon continued their exploration of Manhattan. When they got home, we hustled them off to dinner with our old neighbor from Charlestown, Jim. He left Charlestown several years ago and moved to Jersey City. With an invitation for drinks at his condo before dinner, we walked in and our jaws dropped.
The View to die for!
The views of Manhattan were spectacular. The city was sparkling with lights and from every window you could see another piece of NYC. We were ‘gobsmacked’.
Madame Claude's Thursday night
We drove a few blocks away for dinner at one of Jim’s favorite spots—a little French inspired restaurant called Madame Claude’s. On Thursday nights, the owners and his friends play music –French gypsy music. The restaurant was small and absolutely charming. The menu- gorgeous! La Marocaine – a crepe with spicy lamb sausage, mushroom and crème fraiche, Couscous Madame Claude- stewed chicken and lamb sausage in Moroccan spices served with vegetables and couscous. There was duck confit, braised lamb shanks…and crepes with baked pear and chocolate sauce. All this and BYOB!
And to make a wonderful evening even better, as we told Jim of our challenging trip—4 people in our crippled motorhome. he casually offered his condo to us for the weekend—he was off to Vermont on Friday. We literally jumped at the offer—what an amazing way to end our trip with the Brits!
We drove a few blocks away for dinner at one of Jim’s favorite spots—a little French inspired restaurant called Madame Claude’s. On Thursday nights, the owners and his friends play music –French gypsy music. The restaurant was small and absolutely charming. The menu- gorgeous! La Marocaine – a crepe with spicy lamb sausage, mushroom and crème fraiche, Couscous Madame Claude- stewed chicken and lamb sausage in Moroccan spices served with vegetables and couscous. There was duck confit, braised lamb shanks…and crepes with baked pear and chocolate sauce. All this and BYOB!
And to make a wonderful evening even better, as we told Jim of our challenging trip—4 people in our crippled motorhome. he casually offered his condo to us for the weekend—he was off to Vermont on Friday. We literally jumped at the offer—what an amazing way to end our trip with the Brits!
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