We recently spent a night in New York City. We had been there a few times before but this stop was put into our train trip schedule. We were booked into a hotel in Times Square…right downtown in the heart of much of the city activity. Late on a Saturday night, the crowds were big both around Penn Station and the blocks encompassing Times Square. We were in the theater district. We took a taxi from Penn Station to our hotel. That was like literally putting your life in the hands of your driver, who spoke very broken English. Bumper to bumper traffic, no one willing the give an inch, cars nudging their way down the street, darting here and there with lots of horn honking that no one paid attention to, was a “fun” experience. It was late evening but the ride kept us wide awake.
The next morning we decided to walk to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and attend Sunday services there. We felt safe as we walked along the now sparsely occupied sidewalk at 7:30 AM on a Sunday morning. It was a nice leisurely walk among the NYC skyscrapers. Those on the sidewalk spent most of their time on their cell phone with little facial contact. Our walk took us past Radio City Music Hall.
Back at the hotel we enjoyed a wonderful extended breakfast buffet. After breakfast we had to check our bags in the hotel holding area because we wouldn’t be back before checkout. That cost $6 per bag but they were secure.
The one site to visit on our list was the 911 memorial. That meant another adventurous taxi ride, much longer than our first one. The memorial was a few miles from our hotel. Although a Sunday, traffic was still pretty dense and navigation was somewhat scary. However, we never saw an accident.
Once at the 911 Memorial we were awed by the enormous square of granite wall around the water flowing down the side into the space below where the tower once stood. The name of every victim is written on the wall. A visit to this peaceful venue surrounded by traffic and people, was inspirational. Just across the plaza there were umbrella tables and chairs and the 911 museum. I think many miss going to the museum but it is so worth taking the time to visit. There is a mangled fire truck from that day along with verbal video accounts by people who were survivors, witnesses, or had loved ones who relate their stories. There is also a huge wall that has a square light blue block that has tried to duplicate the color of the sky that fateful morning, a block for each person who perished. In another room there is a similar wall that has a picture of every person who perished, 2,753 in the tower and surrounding area, but no pictures allowed. Quite impressive and humbling. If you ever go to the memorial, don’t miss the museum!
