A Walk Around the West Village

After walking downtown to find a geocache in the West Village, we continued east to Washington Square Park where we introduced the kids to the Hanging Tree (the tree doesn't hang, people used to hang from it) and the Washington Square Arch (pictured below).
Gesturing around us, we told them that New York University owns pretty much everything on three sides of the park and then we continued on to the Asch Building, home of the former Triangle Shirtwaist company. For those of you who care, the Triangle Shirtwaist factory was the site of a horrific fire that changed both the state of unionization in New York City and the fire codes. The union that was responsible for building the complex we live in was born partly as a result of the Triangle fire.The Triangle building is now owned by NYU.

Heading east, we encountered the Alamo at Astor Place and took it for a spin ...Yes, it really spins and yes, they were able to do it.

And then pointed out Cooper Union, one of our premier institutions of higher education (and free!).
And then, keeping our eyes open, headed to Union Square for some Greenmarket apples stopping first for some chocolate! Squidette and Papa Squid spotted this place while we were riding the NYC Century and they have been there, with Little Squid but without me. A ultra chocolate cake was purchased. Forgive me while I stop writing to indulge in a very chocolate memory ...

As we headed uptown we spotted this manhole cover ...and pointed out Tammany Hall. (Tammany Hall is synonymous with political corruption in NYC.)Tammany Hall

The rest of our morning was anticlimactic after all that history and chocolately goodness as we returned home to a late lunch and some quiet activities. I actually did some spinning and listened to a Lisa Scottoline book and now will bake some cranberry muffins. Yes, I said bake. Pick yourself up off the floor now and stop laughing!