My second day in New York City began with a train ride from Brooklyn to Manhattan on the D line, exiting near City Hall, with a loose itinerary of walking to the One World Trade Center — Little Italy — Chinatown — then taking a train up to Rockefeller Center – St. Patrick’s Cathedral – Central Park.
This is what I saw on the way to the One World Trade Center. Flower pots overflowing with beautiful tulips and a small cafe…
Bryant Park which is located behind the New York City Public Library is my favorite urban park within New York City! Although it had started lightly raining while I was exploring the area a couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed taking a few photos of the area…
Meet Molly! She’s a fellow travel blogger and had recently moved back to New York City after returning from a year of traveling the world with her husband. You can read more about her here!
She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Very generous, sweet, intelligent and pretty (inside and out)!
We originally connected online when she gave me some advice for my 35 day overland truck adventure through six countries in Africa based on her own experiences. My first day in New York, I took the train from the Times Square area over to Long Island City (In Queens across from Manhattan) so that we could meet, and she took me to Gantry State Park and her apartment, which is located nearby.
After coming out from the Subway, I started walking towards Times Square and didn’t really know what to expect. I knew there would be lots of lights, people and action. I thought it was one area…like a square…but as I approached the area…I realized it encompassed a few blocks.
Although I’ve been to Las Vegas…initially I was like…”Wow”! So many things to look at!
The High Line is a 1-mile linear park built on a section of the former elevated New York Central Railroad. It runs from near 14th Street up to 30th Street. The first section was opened in 2009 and the second in 2011. After visiting Chelsea Market, I walked outside to the steps that took me to the park. What a great idea for a park!
There are lots of cool creative pieces of art along the walk. I’m not sure what those wooden posts sticking up in the Hudson River are…
Chelsea Market in New York City not only has lots of restaurants and shops, it’s also a great place to take photographs. Natural light flows through the high windows and the old brick is really nice.
I had three daily itineraries for my time in New York City and I chose this one… Greenwich Village (yesterday’s post) — Chelsea Market — Highline Park – Times Square – N.Y. Public Library – Bryant Park – Grand Central Station. I also went to Gantry State Park in Queens to meet a fellow blogger (that will be a future post). So my first day I was in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens!
I walked most everywhere (except to Queens) and have holes in my boots and had a blister on my foot to prove it!
Greenwich Village in New York City is very similar to what I had envisioned through the years it might be like. Artsy and colorful with beautiful old buildings!
Having arrived in the City the night before, with only four days to explore, I got an early start the following morning walking the 3/4th of a mile to the train, from the home of my Couchsurfing hostess–Maria and her parents–in Brooklyn. The train ride into Manhattan took anywhere from 35 – 50 minutes, depending on where I was headed, and if I needed to transfer trains. My experience taking trains in Europe was good practice for the subway here.
I had purchased a book about New York City and tore out the walking tours to have some type of map and plan. Even with the map, the streets in Greenwich are a bit confusing, because they wind around and connect here and there. As you can see, It was an overcast day.
This grouping of sculptures is very creative. I like that they’re devoid of color, except for the one pair of tennis shoes.
The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia has a very creative exhibit in their foyer known as “The Time Machine“. I didn’t have time (no pun intended) to see their free musical called “Flash of Time”, but just stopping in to take photos of this installation was interesting!
The area known as South Street in Philadelphia is approximately 10 blocks long and has a fun bohemian flair! With over 300 shops and 60 restaurants, it’s a great place to people watch, wander into eclectic shops, have a famous Philly Cheesesteak, or listen to music! I had read when I returned home, that the area has been known for being a bit seedy or perhaps even dangerous…but I didn’t sense that and felt perfectly safe as a solo female traveler!
As I passed this colorful bar, I knew I had to have a photo…
My second day in Philadelphia began with an absolutely delicious egg, bacon and cheese biscuit sandwich at the Metropolitan Bakery near Rittenhouse Square. The biscuit was so flaky and yummy!
Philadelphia has so much natural beauty! Not only its architecture, but all of the small Squares, Parks and Gardens. This is one of the small parks…
There’s a magical street in Philadelphia called Elfreth’s Alley that has colorful and quaint townhomes dating back to 1736. It’s a short street, but full of charm and history and is our nation’s oldest residential street!
With just two days to explore Philadelphia by foot, I saw some beautiful architecture, flowers and scenery. I don’t remember the name of this park, but it is beautiful!
For $10 you can tour the beautiful Masonic Temple in Philadelphia! The Mason who led the tour wasn’t the nicest fellow or the most dynamic, but the Temple made up for him! The photos are in order of my tour and there were quite a few rooms, so I didn’t post all of them.
Oh and in case you’re wondering what Masons or Freemasons are…according to Wikipedia…
“Freemasonry (or Masonry) is dedicated to the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God. It uses the tools and implements of ancient architectural craftsmen symbolically in a system of instruction designed to build character and moral values in its members. Its singular purpose is to make good men better. Its bonds of friendship, compassion, and brotherly love have survived even the most divisive political, military, and religious conflicts through the centuries. Freemasonry is a fraternity which encourages its members to practice the faith of their personal acceptance. Masonry teaches that each person, through self-improvement and helping others, has an obligation to make a difference for good in the world.”
There is so much to see and do in Philadelphia! I started walking towards the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Boathouse Row. This domino sculpture is pretty cool! I like it sometimes when there is someone in my photo, because they become an actor…like in this photo…it’s almost seems this lady was posing for me!
Sherry Lachelle Travels 