"Taking Manhattan" P.M. of Day One

Battery Park is a much smaller (25 acres) bit of green in Manhattan than Central Park. Located on the southern tip of the island, it was our afternoon destination after warming up and filling up. For a small park there was lots to see not all of which I'll write about or show photos of. (Google it. The history is fascinating.)

Just to get it out of the way, the first photo I took in lower Manhattan, the new One World Trade Center. We did not go there. I did not want to go there - my feelings are too complex.

When we went to Charleston, SC in 2014, my one biggie was walking on the battery - just like those Southern Belles I'd read so much about.

It never occurred to me that I would one day also walk on the battery in Manhattan.

Bud waited until the ship was out of frame before he took his Statue of Liberty photos but I wanted one with it next to the statue because of Doug's love of sailing. I want to call this ship a sloop but it has more than one mast. So, a Cutter? A Ketch? A Schooner? A Brig? ?????

Close-up of the circular sandstone wall of Castle Clinton, also known as Fort Clinton and Castle Garden, built in 1811 as part of the defense of New York City during the War of 1812. It was later used as the first immigration station where more than eight million people arrived in America between 1855 and 1890 after which Ellis Island became the immigrant inspection station.
Castle Clinton is now a National Monument. In the past, when it still had a roof, it was used as a theater and an exhibition hall and from 1896 to 1941 housed the New York City Aquarium.

The old aquarium was the inspiration for Battery Park's newest attraction, The SeaGlass Carousel. This picture is Juliet telling Mark, "I want to ride!" The ride consists of thirty glowing fish which rotate, rise up and down and change color.

Some of the rotating fish changing their glowing colors with the trees and buildings of New York reflected in the glass, including......

.....the James Watson House and the Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton across the street. In the late 1800's this house served as a safe haven and way station for young immigrant women, many of them Irish, entering the United States.

"Would you like to see where I work?" Sure. "It's just a few blocks from here. One of those tall buildings around here somewhere. Just another block or two." Uh-huh. Now I'm ready for a car ride again.

Back to Queens and Mark's apartment for dinner. The Manhattan Bridge across the East River.

On a scale of one to ten, our first day in the Big Apple was a definite ten! It had been interesting, fun, informative and amazing that my knee held up. The absolute best part of the day was spending it with Mark & Juliet.