A Random Tour of the Lower East Side (Part 2)
Walking toward the East River along Grand Street, we came across a playground decorated with murals, including, oddly, the Staten Island Ferry.
The view from the eastern end of Catherine Street, near the southern border of Chinatown.
Okay, now anyone who grew up in the suburbs probably has heard of a "Chinese Fire Drill." That's when you're riding in a car full of people, and at a red light, the people on the passenger side RACE to the driver's side, and vice versa, all before the light turns green. You're about to see where that expression originates from.
A real Chinese fire drill! It was really something. A bell in a nearby church was ringing and ringing and ringing, and all at once I saw children pouring out of the building, with this man proudly walking across Catherine Street displaying this sign for all to see.
Looking south from Catherine Street, the massive concrete slab that is the Verizon building. I once dated someone who got really angry whenever she saw this building. She said it completely ruined the downtown skyline.
In Chatham Square, the busy center of Chinatown, sits a statue of a 19th-century Chinese man who was supposedly a pioneer in the war against drugs. I promptly forgot his name. Sitting on the bench immediately opposite the statue were three men who, in his honor, were smoking something a wee bit stronger than cigarettes.
Down around the South Street Seaport: The ancient buildings along Peck Slip (yes, that's the actual name of the street) and Water Street.
A slightly more modern look at downtown:
The Lower Manhattan skyline, from Pier 17.
A bird enjoys a, well, bird's eye view (?) of the Brooklyn Bridge from Pier 17's third-floor deck.
Last year, I put together a photography collection all about bridges; why do I have a strange feeling this year's collection is going to feature a lot of birds?