"Lets go on an adventure!" Mr. Pardon Me said on this very, very cold Sunday, at the end of January. What he had in mind became clear only after I had agreed to take a walk and had put on my walking shoes, had bundled myself up and stood in front of our house in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.
"I think we should walk over the Manhattan Bridge, go to Chinatown and have lunch in Little India on 6th Street."
That sounded like a whole lot of walking to me, but it was too late. I had agreed, and besides, it did sound like a fun adventure. So off we went, the cold wind making our faces feel numb.
We started our tour on Smith Street, walked down to Jay Street and crossed Tillary Street. We passed the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of Saint James, at Chapel Street, which was founded in 1822.
St. James was the first Catholic church on Long Island and thus the cradle of Catholic Christianity for two dioceses and 388 parishes. In 1979, Pope John Paul II stopped in front of the Cathedral and blessed those who had gathered to greet him.
(You can read more about the Cathedral here.)
From there, we made our way onto the bridge. I have walked across the Brooklyn Bridge countless times, but had never walked over the Manhattan Bridge, though it is as impressive and its views are almost equally majestic.
Past the Watchtower buildings and DUMBO we walked, until the East River was below us. At the halfway mark, I stopped to take photos of both the Brooklyn and the Manhattan side. (I much preferred the first.)
Once across the bridge, we found our way from the chaos of Canal Street to Chrystie Street in Chinatown, past wonderful produce vendors and fish mongers.
We made a right on Broome Street and slowly walked towards Orchard Street were we stopped to say hello to our Moroccan friend Rachid at his beautiful and exotic store Sheherazade.
Rachid offers the most beautiful textiles, furniture and home decor items from Morocco, Turkey, Andalusia , Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, and other Middle Eastern countries. If you have never been, make sure to check it out.
(See slide show below.)
After leaving Sheherazade, we walked up First Avenue and 6th Street, with its many Indian restaurants. Many of our favorite little places have vanished over the years, but Gandhi, at 345 East 6th, is still there. We had a lovely lunch at the restaurant.
Well fed, warmed up and rested, we left Gandhi and made our way back down to Chinatown, where we stopped to buy produce.
Exhausted, we hopped onto the F train and rode back to Carroll Gardens and home.
So you see, dear Reader, I was busy on Sunday. I won't lie to you, it was a 'trifle' cold and my legs were sore when we came home, but all that fresh air made me feel really great. We both took a nap.
Mr. Pardon Me is already plotting out another route for next week-end. I only hope my poor legs recover till then.
Sheherazade
121 Orchard Street
New York, New York 10002
121 Orchard Street
New York, New York 10002
For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking
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3 comments:
That's a great walk! Only thing about Manhattan Bridge is that it does not feel so safe to me if you are walking alone. The day I did it, I felt very vulnerable. Not many people, so you don't know who you can trust. Too bad, because it is very convenient where you end up.
Anon,
I do know what you mean. It does not have that wide open feel that the Brooklyn Bridge has.
And because of the subways rattling by, it is rather loud.
But the views of downtown and the Brooklyn Bridge are fantastic.
I walk from midtown Manh home to CG at least twice a week over Manhattan bridge. Never have seen or heard of any problems or any suspicious characters. The solitude (especially this time of year) is what makes it so great.
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