I guess it would only be fitting to start off my NYC blogging by showing where we stayed. I don’t have a ton of photos of the place we stayed at, but there is one of the sign. 🙂
Jamaica, NY – it took us about 20 to 30 minutes by subway to get where we went. I liked riding the subway, it was a bigger, more efficient version of the MAX in Portland. More efficient? Over 4.2 Million people ride the subway.
Each day.
I should have taken more pictures of our times inside the subway system. On Thursday of last week we got off the plane and into the subway after dropping off our belongings. Getting on the subway with no map. We got lost and the rest of the day was spent finding our way back. We were tired and irritable (as we hardly got any sleep the night before due to the red eye flight) We went to Yankee stadium (as they were playing the RedSox.. and won) but didn’t go inside.
Onward to Friday..
On the Subway.. in this case, the subway was above ground (as seen in top picture).
These subway sites are doorways for millions of people as I previously have noted. In a matter of a day we were being sung to by three mexicans in the train, playing their guitars- and I have to admit.. they were really good.
Another time we got out of the Subway and waiting on the platform. We thought the radio was playing outside, but we saw this lady sitting in the middle with 20 people or so surrounding her, singing. She was really good, I was surprised. Not that I thought she would be bad, but more of the fact that she really sounded as good as someone on the radio. Hidden talents with mad skills scattered across all sides of the tracks.
The typical NYC subway. And your video of the day (below)…
http://video.xanga.com/xangavideoplayer.swf?i=864232&m=321c0&xt=1
We one of the first things we accomplished was going to the WTC site. (subway sign below)
There is more than one line that goes to the WTC but, one of them is still under construction from the attacks (the one that was directly under the buildings when it happened)
This blog will be Loaded with photos. So much so I am breaking this day in two parts.
We took a tour of the whole place. One that is self guided. You really don’t get a sense of the big hole in the skyline until you are there and see.
The glassy building is the newest completed WTC building to be rebuilt. It was one of the buildings that collapsed after the towers fell.
Across the street they have a firehouse- on which there is a huge mural of the events of 9/11 as a tribute to their fallen fire fighters. On the back of this plaque all the fire fighters wrote personal messages to friends and family they lost.
I didn’t take a picture of it- but in the firehouse on the fire engine it says “Still Standing” I thought that was great.
There is a walkway for people to take across near the construction – it is a mess, but it is getting taken care of.
“The Heroes of September 11, 2001” – more than one of these.. the list went on.. and on.
A notice.
In the makeshift memorial building there were parts from the 9/11 site. This is a passenger window of a plane that struck the building.
This is a jacket from one of the fallen fire fighters – they identified the man inside this suit- and it was considered a great honor to find a loved one’s jacket.. little loan a loved one.
The plans to be completed by 2012
A different view of the WTC site.
We continued walking after our tour. On the street I spotted this sign.
You may have to click on it to see it (if it will go that big) but the street sign says… Horn Honking $350 fine.
Crazy, right?
We also stumbled across the church that housed many of the survivors of 9/11. This church has been up since the 1700’s
I loved the age of the building, all the stories it must be able to tell and still standing.
In the church there were quotes of people saying “The church was the beacon of light in such a dark time”
I pray that people would say that always about the church, and not just in a time of national disaster.
That’s all for now.
A lot.. I know, but more tomorrow! 🙂
just Pray.