This was my first live view ever of anything connected to New York City as I drove in on the famed George Washington Bridge from the New Jersey side. I pulled up to the toll booth and had my money all ready to give them, only there was one little problem—I was in one of those automated lanes that requires a pass. For a while, I thought I'd gotten away with a freebie, but I got a letter from New Jersey when I returned home saying they wanted their $8 toll, or they were gonna fine me 50 bucks more! For once, I was a fugitive from justice...
I wanted no part of driving in Manhattan, but I did inadvertently drive in Harlem for a short while, just after crossing the GW Bridge. I was attempting to go by Yankee Stadium in da Bronx, but found myself on the wrong side of the Harlem River. Truthfully, I didn't find Harlem to be all that inhospitable, really—it didn't seem any worse than Kansas City, Kansas to me, anyway. Meantime, that deee-luxe apartment in the sky on the left in this photo sits right where the infield of the Polo Grounds once existed.
...from my hotel, with the Meadowlands sports complex lurking across the way. This has to be the only Red Roof Inn in the world with its own boat dock and resident seagulls, therein. They also had some comfy lounge chairs along the shore, which were great for relaxing after hoofing it all day in the city. Not too bad for 105 bucks a night.
This is my favorite photo from the entire trip. I snapped this while I was waiting for the subway train to Yankee Stadium. Get a load of how thick the paint is on this pillar—it's at least a quarter of an inch, and I counted no less than nine different coats! All in all, though, I'm fascinated at how that city manages to function on a daily basis. It's a totally different world than what I'm used to here. The subway rides were interesting adventures too, and you got to know your neighbors a little more than you'd like to, but I survived. Honestly, New York City isn't nearly as horrific as it's made out to be. The people I interacted with were generally amiable and pleasant, and there was none of that macho bravado that is supposedly stereotypical of New Yorkers. At no time did I ever feel unsafe (even in Harlem) and I encountered more assholes later in Philadelphia than I did in Gotham City. Other than driving in Manhattan, I no longer fear New York City like I once did, and I'm itching to visit again.
Here be the new Yankee Stadium in da Bronx. I wasn't able to get a real good look at it because there was a concert going on there with Metalheads queueing up to see Metallica, Megadeth, et al, so I had to view it from a distance. In the foreground is where the original Yankee Stadium stood, now occupied by a cheesy little league ball diamond. This is how they're going to honor Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio? Oh well, at least they didn't make it a parking lot...
This of course, would be the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. Not much of a street, really—it's more wall than street. The beginnings of the current "Occupy" movement were taking shape while I was there. I'm all for reforming our financial system, but I really don't see the point of the whole "Occupy" thing—what exactly is it accomplishing?
I saved Ground Zero for last in my tour of Manhattan, and this is the new Freedom Tower under construction. Behind the blue tarping on the fence is the new 9/11 Memorial, but I didn't have a ticket for it, so I didn't get to see it. I still say the new tower should include a huge middle finger on top aimed at the Middle East...
Right next to the 9/11 Memorial. Damn right, we won't forget...
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