Monday, June 04, 2007

Destination: Union Square

At a glance:

Venture into New York City's Union Square Park, between 14th and 17th Streets on a balmy summer evening, and the entertainment is free and plentiful. Buy a soft-serve or a dirty-water dog, jockey for a spot on a bench, and sit back and enjoy the show. You'll be treated to an endless parade of Manhattanites trudging home from work, walking their dogs and their babies, displaying the latest fashions (both couture and curious). The concrete fringe on the park's north and east sides may be home to a farmer's market four days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday), but in the evenings it's a skate park. The grassy expanses within the square are less than pristine. Still, they're a welcome sight in the concrete canyons of this busy city. Listen to the street performers and feel the rumble of the subway below your feet: You're a New Yorker now.

Fast facts:
  • Subway: L, N, Q, R, W, 4, 5, 6
  • Time Zone: GMT/UTC -5
  • Statuary: George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi
Jennifer's Monday Mission for today: Travel guide entry. I couldn't pass that up!

P.S. I took more pleasure than is probably reasonable in scanning for open wireless networks during this trip. Some of my favorite names: Lawstud3, Precious Taters Too, TaBoNe, and of course: 40 cats live in my UES apt.

9 comments:

Lara said...

when J. and i were still living together, our wireless was called "Blithe Spirit," from the Keats poem "To a Skylark." we're big nerds. :-P

Scribbit said...

When we lived in D.C. we were pretty poor students and it used to irk us how much the metro cost there. Then we visited NY and rode the subway and never wanted to complain about the cost again. D.C.'s trains are so clean and nice--the ones we saw in NY were pretty dirty and scary.

Jennifer (ponderosa) said...

Welcome back!!

This is a great entry -- makes me want to hop a plane immediately! Which I suppose is the point of travel guides.

Lady M said...

I'm on the road this week, but fortunately this hotel has wireless so I don't have to scan around . . .

I like the 40 cats ID. Not that I'd actually want 4 cats, not to mention 40.

Magpie said...

The 40 cats ID is wonderful. My next door neighbor's wireless network is called "nodogsorirish" - a man of Irish descent with two dogs.

What you forgot about Union Square? Rainbow Falafel on 17th Street - a perfect alternative to the dirty-water dog.

theflyingmum said...

Holy Cats! 40 of them?! Yikes. glad you could just pirate their signal without actually having to GO there.
I heart NY, I get to go there next weekend!

Anonymous said...

Great descriptive post. Your words make me realize that It's been way too long since we visited New York. And we have no excuse because we have friends and family in the city. Sounds like you had a blast.

Julie Marsh said...

That was awesome! I wish more travel guides were written in that style.

I love the New York subway. Love love love. And I hear that work has officially started on the Second Ave line.

Jennifer said...

What fun! I haven't been to NYC in years and years and didn't really get to "explore" even when I was there. I need to put it on my travel list.

The wireless names are too funny!

Reading through these "missions" is so much fun.

-- Jennifer (Faking It)