Squid on Feet: On the way to (and from) Chinatown

As we headed south from home, I decided to document some of the wonderful bank buildings that fill our city. So many of these edifices were built to hold what were, at the time, major financial institutions. Now, however, most are now filled with other businesses or, sadder yet, have been torn down. These two are right across the street from each other at 14th Street and 8th Avenue.

Now a spa for men.

Now an emporium of high priced food.

Continuing downtown, we wandered across this interesting alley. That's it, just an interesting ally.

And this hotel alternative.


Not having stayed in a hotel in New York City since my wedding night, I cannot vouch for this statement.

As we continued downtown, we located the Bleaker Street Red Mango and spotted this bit of street art.
No, we did not get any Red Mango -- that came later. What came next was the Bowery Mission.

The Lower East Side has always been a haven for new immigrants. My ancestors, the European Jews, settled there many years ago. Today you find immigrants from Asia -- different origin, same story -- looking for a better life. The Bowery Mission serves those who need a hand up, no matter their story. As we came off the the Bowery, we encounterd another bank building. This one, still in use as a bank, albeit a different one then what it was built for.
Most Precious Blood Church. Home to the National Shrine of San Gennaro, from whence comes the Feast of San Gennaro.

And then, just some interesting structures and artwork as we made our way home.


Take a good look at the next three pictures. These are rooftop structures.


iMade Mike think of the Three Little Pigs. All of them are on top of this structure.

Neat, no?

And finally, the Public Theater is the home of the Shakespeare Workshop, founded by Joseph Papp in 1954. My first introduction to Papp's genius was during the summer of 1986 when Mike introduced me to Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The tickets are free if you are willing to spend time on line during the day. We would go with a group of friends, spread a blanket out and wait for hours until the tickets (or passes for the tickets) were handed out. We'd eat bread and cheese and talk about all sorts of stuff. The play was only a small part of what made the day wonderful.

We finished our walk with a stop at the Greenmarket for another tomato plant (that makes 6 for this year), Barnes and Noble and ... Red Mango. Yum!