Tuesday 10th September - New York City
We left Liberty State Park and entered New York via the Holland Tunnel, driving along West Street, past what used to be the World Trade Centre. One year on from the events of that dreadful day, there is nothing to see except a massive hole in the ground, six stories deep. In reality, it looks like any other colossal building site, where construction is ready to begin any day. No wreckage of the 110 storey twin towers, or the WTC complex remains. It has all been taken away, examined, cut up and sold on. Considering that I sat glued to the television on that fateful day in 2001, disbelieving of what I saw as I watched those terrible events unfold, to find nothing there now is astonishing. You can’t help but be moved just being there, as you would in a cemetery, or at a memorial to those who died as a result of terrorism.
On this, the day before the first anniversary of 9-11, New York City was in a reflective mood and everywhere you looked preparations were being made for the following day’s services of remembrance. Part of me felt guilty for enjoying being there but, then again, my excitement at visiting this wonderful city overcame the sadness I felt remembering 9-11. This was maybe my only chance to ever see New York and I was going to enjoy it! Besides, the sense of optimism and the positive attitude that you felt everywhere, transcended the gloom or memory.
On this, the day before the first anniversary of 9-11, New York City was in a reflective mood and everywhere you looked preparations were being made for the following day’s services of remembrance. Part of me felt guilty for enjoying being there but, then again, my excitement at visiting this wonderful city overcame the sadness I felt remembering 9-11. This was maybe my only chance to ever see New York and I was going to enjoy it! Besides, the sense of optimism and the positive attitude that you felt everywhere, transcended the gloom or memory.
The Financial District and Battery Park
Lionel took us on a trip around the Financial District, driving down streets whose names are legend: Wall St; Pine; Barclay; Vesey; Pearl. All around towers soar to the skies and you can’t help but be impressed by the sight of these huge buildings. Suddenly you understand why there are so many of these Skyscrapers: this is not a large area on the ground. All of these streets are just short little streets, not wide, expansive boulevards. The overall effect is of a very cramped part of town. This tip of Manhattan is much taller than it is wide.
We were dropped off at Battery Park to have a look at the sights and take in some of the sounds. On the street side of Battery Park, stalls sell trinkets and as you walk into the Park itself, gangs of Orientals jump out at you, offering massages at their on-street chairs. As much as you try to refuse you find your shoulders being kneaded and cries of “Nice massage, only $2!” follow you into the park.
It is inside the park that the true reality of 9-11 hits you and you need to take a moment to regroup. It is here that a temporary memorial to those events has been erected. The remains of Fritz Koenig's "The Sphere," which used to stand in front of the twin towers, is here. This bronze globe, some 15ft across, bears the scars from that day as it was gashed and battered by the falling debris, when the towers collapsed.
Just a few feet away are people selling gaudy trinkets of remembrance. Before and after pictures of Lower Manhattan. A before picture will set you back $15. You can do a deal and get a before and after picture for $20.
Whilst such things initially make you want to cringe, it is exactly this same spirit of defiance, self-belief and invincibility that allows America to continue and not just give up. This is “the New York way”
We were dropped off at Battery Park to have a look at the sights and take in some of the sounds. On the street side of Battery Park, stalls sell trinkets and as you walk into the Park itself, gangs of Orientals jump out at you, offering massages at their on-street chairs. As much as you try to refuse you find your shoulders being kneaded and cries of “Nice massage, only $2!” follow you into the park.
It is inside the park that the true reality of 9-11 hits you and you need to take a moment to regroup. It is here that a temporary memorial to those events has been erected. The remains of Fritz Koenig's "The Sphere," which used to stand in front of the twin towers, is here. This bronze globe, some 15ft across, bears the scars from that day as it was gashed and battered by the falling debris, when the towers collapsed.
Just a few feet away are people selling gaudy trinkets of remembrance. Before and after pictures of Lower Manhattan. A before picture will set you back $15. You can do a deal and get a before and after picture for $20.
Whilst such things initially make you want to cringe, it is exactly this same spirit of defiance, self-belief and invincibility that allows America to continue and not just give up. This is “the New York way”
The Lower East SIde and East Village
As we headed for the Lower East Side we took South Street and passed the majestic and extremely impressive Brooklyn Bridge and the elegant Manhattan Bridge before picking up The Bowery and making for our next port of call, CBGB’s.
The Bowery used to be a main thoroughfare but, as the city grew and moved north, the fortunes of those in the area declined. Today, it is not as bad as it was but the signs of decay, poverty and desperation are clear to see. Drunks, junkies, panhandlers, homeless, and crazies walk the streets, sleep rough and hassle people for money. It can be a bad place to be, but then again so can Brixton, in London. I’ve only ever been to Brixton twice. The first time we got caught in a race riot, the second my car got broken into and the stereo nicked. I think I’ll take my chances on The Bowery!stage is diagonally across the far end of the room, with a triangle of space in front, that if you tried to swing a cat in it, you would surely smack everyone in the face with your pussy.
CBGB's
What can you say about CBGB’s? It is a place of legend. The Skeptix were due to play here on the previous night but the gig got moved to that shed in Long Island for various reasons. But, we weren’t going to come to NY and not visit CBGB’s though.
Like the first time I ever saw the London Palladium, my initial reaction was I thought it would be bigger. I also thought it would be a lot, I don’t know, brighter. Not so seedy. But hey, I can’t hold seediness against a place. Some of the best times I’ve ever had have been in seedy little dives. No, I didn’t mean that to sound like that. Well, actually, I did, because it’s true. The management at CBGB’s very kindly allowed us to go in and have a look around, as we had not been able to get there the previous night. The first thing you notice is how small it is. It is nothing more than a narrow aisle with a bar down one side and some raised seating on the other. The stage is diagonally across the far end of the room, with a triangle of space in front, that if you tried to swing a cat in it, you would surely smack everyone in the face with your pussy.
What? OMFUG!
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As I update this website, it is 2010 and CBGB's, just like Johnny, Joey, and Dee Dee, is no more.
'They' would call it progress.
Me, I say it is a sad loss.
Then again, maybe it is also for the best. It was just not right to have air-conditioning in there.
August 2010
Like the first time I ever saw the London Palladium, my initial reaction was I thought it would be bigger. I also thought it would be a lot, I don’t know, brighter. Not so seedy. But hey, I can’t hold seediness against a place. Some of the best times I’ve ever had have been in seedy little dives. No, I didn’t mean that to sound like that. Well, actually, I did, because it’s true. The management at CBGB’s very kindly allowed us to go in and have a look around, as we had not been able to get there the previous night. The first thing you notice is how small it is. It is nothing more than a narrow aisle with a bar down one side and some raised seating on the other. The stage is diagonally across the far end of the room, with a triangle of space in front, that if you tried to swing a cat in it, you would surely smack everyone in the face with your pussy.
What? OMFUG!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I update this website, it is 2010 and CBGB's, just like Johnny, Joey, and Dee Dee, is no more.
'They' would call it progress.
Me, I say it is a sad loss.
Then again, maybe it is also for the best. It was just not right to have air-conditioning in there.
August 2010
Greenwich Village and Washington Square Park
Anyway, Gash and myself had decided that, come what may, we were going up the Empire State Building. Nothing would stop us. I also wanted to see the Chanin Building and the Chrysler Building too, but if we didn’t have enough time, c’est la guerre. I was not missing out on the Empire State though. Even if I had to kill Usher and Chig in the process. Fish was flapping about in the back. I guessed he was out of water!
No seriously, he couldn’t decide if he wanted to go up. He’s not fond of heights and, you know, this was the tallest building in New York, these days.
Our journey to ESB took us past NYU, Washington Square and into Greenwich Village, where we picked up 6th Avenue, or Avenue of the Americas, as it is also known.
No seriously, he couldn’t decide if he wanted to go up. He’s not fond of heights and, you know, this was the tallest building in New York, these days.
Our journey to ESB took us past NYU, Washington Square and into Greenwich Village, where we picked up 6th Avenue, or Avenue of the Americas, as it is also known.
6th / 5th Avenue heading towards the Empire State Building
As we got nearer to 34th Street, Lionel turned onto W23rd, heading towards 5th Avenue. I took a picture at the junction of 23rd and Broadway. Now that I look at it, it looks like The Flatiron Building but, from the sequence of the photographs, I don’t see how it can be, as the ESB is in the background. 23rd and Broadway is where the Flatiron is, but with ESB in the background, I had to have been facing East on 22nd. Ah well, any New Yorkers who can tell me what this is, please do put me out of my misery.Next stop, the Empire State Building!
Click here for the next bit
As we got nearer to 34th Street, Lionel turned onto W23rd, heading towards 5th Avenue. I took a picture at the junction of 23rd and Broadway. Now that I look at it, it looks like The Flatiron Building but, from the sequence of the photographs, I don’t see how it can be, as the ESB is in the background. 23rd and Broadway is where the Flatiron is, but with ESB in the background, I had to have been facing East on 22nd. Ah well, any New Yorkers who can tell me what this is, please do put me out of my misery.Next stop, the Empire State Building!
Click here for the next bit
