The Big Apple, Day 2

I found an area where I think I could live in the NYC area. This morning we decided to walk into Manhattan via the Brooklyn Bridge. We got off the train in Brooklyn Heights. I really like the feel of that area. We spent about an hour wandering Brooklyn Heights (in search of the pedestrian entrance for the Brooklyn Bridge) and I enjoyed being in that neighborhood. We walked into Manhattan, which took much longer than we expected due to our inability to find the bridge and the human traffic jam across the bridge (too many bikers, rollerbladers, runners, normal speed walkers, and old people on the bridge). We took a train to Battery Park and made in just in time for our ferry to Liberty Island (thank you Congress for reaching a budget agreement at 11 p.m. last night so the government didn't get shut down today which kept Liberty Island open). We went to the museum and to the Pedestal view level at the Statue of Liberty. Then we took the ferry to Ellis Island. Ellis Island was really cool. Unfortunately, it's not the best place for a 2 year old. I felt rushed. Dan took Miles out and let him wander so he missed most of the museum. I'd like to go back there sans a toddler and have all the time I want to read and experience Ellis Island. After the ferry ride to Manhattan, we went to Chinatown where Miles had to have a Chinese flag. We ate mediocre Chinatown Chinese food for dinner. Jonathan and Nolan both tried new foods- Nolan tried broccoli chicken and Jonathan tried fried rice, lo mein, bamboo, water chestnut, bean sprouts, and scrambled egg. Then we headed over to the United Nations building (which was really lame because it was late evening on a Saturday and everything was locked up and no flags were flying) and then back to Times Square for souvenir shopping. The Big Ones bought picture frames to put a NYC picture that they took in. Miles got "I heart NY" pajamas. Our last stop of the night was to the Eugene Oneill theater to get a picture take by The Book of Mormon musical posters. It was a long, but fun day (and the boys were dragging by 4 p.m.)! Off to Boston tomorrow...

Oh, and I've decided that New Yorkers are the nicest people. We had people stop and ask us if we were lost or needed help. Kind people tried to interact with Miles. People gave us their seats to we could sit with Miles. My Metro card was being lame and not reading correctly so some nice guy exiting the station swiped his card for me so I could get through the turn-style. The real New Yorker City-ers are so much nicer than the tourists!