Maggie's Farm

From the Battery (the old location of the forts defending Olde New York), with the towers of Jersey City on the right, across the Hudson

This looking north from Battery Park (still under renovation post-the Sandy storm)

Heading north into the Financial District.

e stopped by Fraunces Tavern, George Washington's old headquarters and where Washington delivered his famous farewell speech to his officers. At the time, NY was the new nation's capitol.

Then we wandered east to do a walk-by of South Street Seaport - Brooklyn Bridge in the background

Then zigged west through the gleaming towers to the WTC, stopping by Trinity Church of course but I somehow lost the photos. Who cares? It's still there.

Some of us went to view the memorial, some did not

Heading back a little west to Broadway, St. Paul's Chapel (built 1766)

Then we hiked up Broadway to City Hall - a fine old building now draped in renovation

Pretty fountain in the little park in front

That little area is packed with intimidating court and government buildings and there is nobody there on a Saturday

From there, we strolled up to the infamous Five Points - quite harmless today with a very busy Columbus Park

And suddenly you are in Chinatown!

Says wiki: 

It is one of nine Chinatown neighborhoods in New York City and twelve in the New York City Metropolitan Area, which contains the largest ethnic Chinese population outside of Asia, enumerating an estimated 735,000 individuals

Then, heading north, you cross Canal St. and you are suddenly in the rapidly-shrinking Little Italy. It's mobbed with people, and even a few Italians.

Our group had lunch at one of the nice cafes, and some grabbed cannoli on the street. Still on olde Mulberry St.

Heading a bit north, you enter Soho (SOuth of HOuston St). A land of old manufacturing lofts turned into very expensive dwellings.

When you cross Houston St (pronounced House-ton here), you are in NoHo (NOrth of HOuseton)

NoHo blends into central Greenwich Village (as opposed to the East Village and the West Village). The central area is dominated by NYU and Washington Square Park, and a bunch of old, small jazz and other music joints where Bob and all the others used to play.

Around 6th St is the original (and still) Cooper Union, where Abe Lincoln really set his candidacy on fire in 1860. We're on lower Broadway now.

Just a block east is good old McSorley's. Everybody took a look inside but we did not stay for any McSorley's ale (they only sell their own brew, they now will admit ladies, it's still dirty and dark with sawdust on the floor and the same peanuts)

Thence north to Washington Square

Washington Mews

Then we headed uptown on 5th Avenue (which begins there)

We hiked up 5th, then jogged east for do a walk-by of a very busy Union Square

Blue Water Grill on Union Square is one of our favorite seafood joints

The back uptown on 5th

Then another jog east to do a walk-by of elegant old Gramercy Park

Then back up on Broadway to the Flatiron District with the iconic Flatiron Building

We're in Midtown now, and the pedestrian traffic is heavy. Across the the Flatiron, we walk-by Madison Square Park, where the original Madison Square Garden once was.

 Then up 5th to do a walk-by of the Empire State Bldg

Then a walk-by of the main NY Public Library (what are the names of those lions?)

Even on a Saturday afternoon, Midtown has. crowded sidewalks. Why?

At this point, it's after 4 pm so we decided to cut the hike a bit short (cutting out the next bit with Times Square, Theater District, Carnegie Hall, Columbus Circle, Central Park, etc) and headed east on 42nd for a photo op of a busy Grand Central Terminal and to introduce people to the elite and comfortable Campbell Apartment where 1920s-era cocktails are the main draw - as is the attractive and prosperous after-work crowd on weekdays.