Day 5- NY and Knitting Factories

The Brooklyn Bridge (A engineering wonder of the world apparently)



New London Fire at the Knitting Factory



Eating falafels in the parkJeanna, Dani, me)

Today I got to sleep in! Hooray! More then 5 hours sleep is so great! Then Jeanna and I drove to Hoboken (I like to call it Hobnobbin’) and took the PATH train ($1.50) into the city. We got off at the World Trade Centre Station which was under the World Trade Centre complex so now it looks like you are standing in the middle of a giant disused swimming pool. It wasn’t as eerie/moving as you think. However, on a temporary wall in the station big ‘signs’ were being put up. They were actually children’s drawings as tributes to their parents, the police and firefighters who lost their lives. A bit sad, had to leave before I welled up. It’s those types of stories that get me. Outside the station there is information about 9/11 and a timeline of that day. Apparently they are not going to put a park here as I thought. They are building a new tower called the “Freedom Tower’ which is aimed to be the tallest building in the world (1,776 feet tower plus 276 foot spire). Jeanna thinks they should paint a big target on it and I agree. I think it is disrespectful to those who lost their lives. A park would be more appropriate and rare in the financial district which would serve to remind people how fragile life is.

We walked along Wall Street and I saw the NY stock exchange (and a lot of security). We walked past the fish markets to the Brooklyn Bridge and walked to the middle. It is a very pretty bridge and the pedestrian foot way is on the upper level while the cars are on the bottom. Great views. We then met Jeanna's friend Dani, walked around 'TrIbeca' and went to the Knitting Factory (a club) to watch 'New London Fire' (Jeanna's friends). They were good! I told them if they ever tour Australia that I would show them around Melbourne. There is no smoking in clubs in NY and you can go in if you are under 21 because if you want to drink you show your ID at the door and get a stamp. Great Idea!

After, we walked through East Village, Greenwich Village to West Village. We bought falafels from a hole in the wall (voted best cheap eats) where a falafel pocket plus veg and dip is $2.oo and ate them at Washington Square Park while listening to live Jazz music by locals (these guys play every Tues night here and other nights of the week elsewhere.). That was really fun! In the park, rats were running across the path every so often and galloping in the grass, people were playing chess and park lamps were decorated with giant lampshades of different colours! Neat! Alive! We then took the PATH home.

The PATH station was still sweltering, it feels like it is raining in NY because leaking air conditioning condensation and when people take out their garbage here they literally take it out and set it on the street in garbage bags. So there is garbage all over the place! It is smelly too, a breath of fresh air is hard to find. But it has a strange appeal to it all! And I like it! Goodnight!

Quotes:

-New York...when civilization falls apart, remember, we were way ahead of you.
-David Letterman

-No matter how many times I visit this great city I'm always struck by the same thing: a yellow taxi cab. - Scott Adams

-People say New Yorkers can't get along. Not true. I saw two New Yorkers, complete strangers, sharing a cab. One guy took the tires and the radio; the other guy took the engine -David Letterman