Day Two

The NYC experience is more than the shopping and the eating and the museums. It is also a way of life much different from that in Tennessee. 

I woke up before the rest of the family this morning, as is usual. We always stay in an apartment in the East Village. The streets are lined with apartment building of 6-10 stories. The avenues contain the bulk of the businesses. There are few really tall buildings. 

As I ventured out at around 7 this morning, the streets were already filled with people. Some were off to corporate jobs in midtown. Some were retired, just out for a stroll. Others worked in the Village and were out doing their jobs. I walked down to the local newsstand and bought a newspaper. I then went down and got a cup of coffee. Somehow the experience seemed profound. 

One of the facts of life in the city is that apartments are small. The upshot of this is that folks tend to congregate in public places. Parks, restaurants, pubs and bars offer a place for people to hang out. 

There are few big name stores. Most places are locally owned. You don't go to a supermarket, you go to a butcher and a baker and a produce stand to get what you need for the day. You live a very public life. You get to know those who live around you. 

We had breakfast today at Jonas Shimel, which had been around since the lower east side was a Jewish neighborhood. 

We then ran into some public transportation issues before finally making it up to the new St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was unfortunately mostly under construction. Still beautiful though. 

We next took the subway up to Lincoln Center to get some ballet tickets. We took some time to sit in the sun in the oddly angled grass terrace. 

Next stop, lunch up by the Joffrey dorms on the Upper West Side. Cafe on Broadway for chopped salads and sandwiches. Then over to Central Park for a nice walk. 

We walked through to the east side of the park and caught a bus down to 34th street for some shopping. I opted for a venti iced chai and some quiet time in Herald Square. 

Jill and Moira returned with some shopping, so we decided to head back to home base to drop them off. 

The original plan was to go to the halal cart at 53rd and 6th. We instead decided to try a different cart at 31st and Broadway. It was also highly rated on Yelp. There was no line, which was good. The food was good as well, just not as good as the original. 

We then walked through Koreatown and caught a bus for 42nd street, as we wanted to walk through Grand Central Station. It was as stunning as ever in its 100th anniversary year. 

We then walked down to catch the bus through Tudor City, one of our favorite spots in town. We caught the M15 back to St. Marks Place to catch the crazy vibe that it always has at night. Jill and Moira had some yogurt at Pinkberry. 

I held off for some Hametaschem from Moesha's. 

Then a walk back through the village at night.