New York City

The Battery

 

Diving up to New York City is about a 7½-hour drive from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when you consider the need to stop a few times along the way. It’s not a terrible drive but by the time you get to your destination you’re definitely happy not be driving anymore. The trick is to not hit too much traffic going into New York City. If you time it wrong, and that happens, your 7½-hour drive could be extended to 9.

As usual, we were staying in the Upper East End. We arrived just after the sun went down and had just enough energy left in us to head out for a simple dinner somewhere. We accidently found a Mexican restaurant called Maz Mezcal on E. 86th Street. Either we were starving or the food was pretty good. The service was attentive and quick. Because the weather was uncannily warm for early November, we were able to sit outside in the evening and enjoy our meal, which we usually prefer. 

Our plan the next day when we got up was to explore the Battery Park area (known as “The Battery”) at the southern tip of Manhattan. For the first time in our relationship we’d be going to an area of Manhattan Angela knew very little about. She’d actually never been to Battery Park. It was cool to check out a place to explore that was new to us both.

From where we were staying in the Upper East Side we walked to 86^thand Lexington to take the #4 Subway to Bowling Green which was the last stop in Manhattan before the train heads under the east River and over and into Brooklyn. I feel like the trip took about 30 minutes not during rush hour on a weekend. I’d expect it to take longer when it’s busier.

Once we got off at Bowling Green it was maybe only a 10-15 minute walk to The Battery. It was really a perfect day for a walk in another one of Manhattans iconic parks. At 24-acres, The Battery is a decent size by any standard unless you compare it to Central Park which is thirty five times larger. What makes The Battery special though and feel much larger is the New York Harbor it borders which feels like an extension of the park. 

The Battery is famous for its history. Because of its strategic location, the Dutch built Fort Amsterdam on the site in 1625-26, later name Fort George by the British. The British, after taking over, installed an artillery battery in 1663. Another military installation, now known as Castle Clinton, was built prior to the war of 1812 between 1808 and 1811 just west of where Fort Amsterdam had stood. Castle Clinton, named after a mayor, has worn many hats over the years having been converted early on as a theater and later on as an immigration and customs center (prior to Ellis Island). At one point it even became an aquarium. Today Castle Clinton, now a National Monument, is considered one of the parks main attractions.

Restaurants within the park include a huge venue named Pier A Harbor House and a smaller more upscale Italian restaurant called Gigino at Wagner Park. Gigino, with its outdoor seating and vibe, was our choice to grab some dinner.  A sprawled out field in front of the restaurant where locals, tourists and families hung out gave us ample opportunity to people watch. We also had beautiful views of New York Harbor, Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty as well as both Governors and Staten Islands. From the restaurant, even as the sun was starting to set, one could still see ferries departing to those very destinations.

After dinner we got to take a walk around some of the rest of the park. The well-manicured lawn and overall park atmosphere make clear why so many flock to this park on a daily basis. 

Just north of the park World Trade Center One dominates the skyline. Wall street and the financial district are also just a short walk from The Battery so after we managed to find some coffee across from the park at a local Starbucks, we decided to take the 15-20 minute walk up to see the 9/11 Memorial. Because it was November it was starting to get dark early but the temperature was still warm enough for just a light jacket. 

The Memorial obviously was a somber experience. For me, besides being a reminder of all the lives lost, philosophically it will also be a memento of what life was like before 9/11 and how much life changed after 9/11. The deep holes left in the ground are but an admonishment of what cultural intolerance, bigotry and hate can materialize into. 

The entire 9/11 episode in human history will forever remain one of its worst. Even today many still struggle from PTSD and other health ailments from the cloud of debris nearly two decades later. To a degree, much of the world also still lives in that day. The decisions the US and its allies made soon after the attack influence a lot of decisions made today by governments and corporations the world over. The US choice to go to war with Iraq, the Taliban and Al Qaeda lead to power vacuums, which helped create new extremists and terror groups. Everyday people living in countries like Syria and Northern Iraq with no connection to terrorism or Islamic militant groups have been forced to flee their homelands now decimated by war. The resulting refugee crisis, now flooding through much of Europe, creates cultural clashes and only reinforces bigotry and hate that prior was maybe held back through more rational thinking. New prejudices are being born on both sides where maybe none or very little existed before.  Some believe the current refugee situation may ultimately permanently change Europe and its landscape forever. That fear drives governmental policy and elections. Some of those policies and elections create divides and even more hate. Most believe the circular issues each side face are powder kegs sitting in open wounds waiting for just the right spark to ignite.  

To me these issues are part of why I write. I believe the world needs to figure out how to get back to center. How we understand each other culturally only improves and enriches people. It doesn’t take away from who we are by learning about one another. Innately we all want the same things, to love and be loved. We all want to be able to protect and provide for our families. We all want peace.

Our last stop for the day before headed back up to the Upper East Side would be The Oculus at the New World Trade Center. Architecturally, (designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava) its one of the more incredible places you’ll maybe ever see. It’s basically the major subway station hub that was replaced after 9/11. We were already fortunate enough to see one of Calatrava’s other creations in Toronto called the Allen Lambert Galleria. In a way you can see the influence of his work on the other when you visit each location. Feel free to check out some pictures of the Galleria in my Toronto blog.

Feeling hungry we got off in Mid Town and walked towards Sutton Place To find an open diner to get a late meal. Angela had found some books along the way that she decided to start before we made it back to where we were staying. You can’t really skip out on a greasy spoon and authentic New York City hamburger and fries when you visit. If you do, then shame on you.

New York City and Manhattan isn’t just a place. It’s a collection of places and neighborhoods. The Battery and the Financial District have a completely different vibe than the Village, Central Park, the Upper East End or even Mid Town. Each one should be experienced separately and with a clean palate.

Eventually this particular short trip would come to an end the same way as we had arrived… with a magnificent sunset.