Katy + NYC + Instagram = A Day Well Documented

by Katy on October 11, 2013 · 18 comments

My son and I are still in New York, and since my sister Jessica had an illustration job to finish yesterday, we took the subway into lower Manhattan.

Washington Heights subway

We decided to start off with a quick Staten Island Ferry voyage, which should have been fun. It’s free, and super accessible to the subway. And since I recently became the recipient of my husband’s old iPhone, I am love-love-loving and over-over-using Instagram.

See how pretty Manhattan looks from a distance?

Manhattan

Everyone wants to stand on the side that faces The Statue of Liberty, as the view is rather wonderful:

Statue of Liberty

My son was already getting tired of having his photo taken.

Staten Island Ferry

We were not grooving on the crowdedness, so we walked to the other side of the ferry to take in the not so popular view of Brooklyn. Which sadly meant we were right next to the front of the moving boat when a man ran past the NSA security man and jumped from the bow. Although I didn’t see his jump, I did see the doors open and heard the scream of the NSA guy. It was horrible.

The ferry then stopped, backed up and became still as a rescue was put into action. Police boats, a helicopter and a nearby tugboat raced to the scene to pull the man from the water. Most passengers moved over to the windows to watch and document the action, although my son and I sat away, as I really did not want to watch a possibly dead body being pulled from the water. (I assumed that he’d been hit by the then fast moving ferry, and possibly pulled under the boat.)

The woman yelling at everyone to “Get away from the windows and start praying,” which did not help my mental state.

Luckily, the man was somehow unhurt and is currently undergoing mental health evaluation, which is a huge relief.

HERE is a NY Examiner story, which pretty much gets the story straight.

After all this mental turmoil, my son and I walked up to Chinatown, where I used Yelp to identify a good restaurant amidst the myriad of options.

Wo Hop

When our sated selves came out of the Mott Street restaurant, we were met by the sights and sounds of an enormous Taiwanese Independence Day parade!

Dragon

It was absolutely incredible, as there were thousands of people in the parade! And when my sons and I walked over to Mulberry Street for cannoli, the saleswoman told me that “Taiwanese people really know how to party.” Which I kind of loved.

We continued to walk uptown, stopping so my son could look at shoe stores, as he had a wallet full of refereeing earnings and a never ending passion for shoes.

We stopped at a few different shops, including one that must have had an illustrious history, as the ceiling featured much-painted-over molding and friezes. So gorgeous!

Molding detail

My son eventually did find a pair of shoes to buy, which happened to be A) exactly his size, and B) the very last pair of the style. I asked the salesman if “There was a discount for being the last pair?” to which he answered “Well, I guess I could ask my manager.” They ended up knocking off an extra $5, which was great since the $90 shoes were already marked down to $55.

The bargaining did not faze my son, as he is very used to my unorthodox ways.

Here, tell me if he looks upset:

New shoes

We then walked all the way up to 23rd Street and 7th Avenue to catch the subway back to Washington Heights, taking a moment to snap a quick sunset photo with the Empire State Building. (My son was refusing to be photographed at this point.)

Empire State Building

To say it was a memorable day would be an insane understatement. Yes, it started with a very upsetting incident, but since I now know that the man attempting suicide is okay, I can now admit that the rest of the day was enjoyable.

Never boring. That’s New York City for you! And with my Instagram account, it was very well documented.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }

Auntie Karen October 11, 2013 at 9:04 am

Thank you for letting us join you on that absolutely incredible tour of the sights and sounds of lower Manhattan. Better filmed and documented than most travelogues. Reminds me of why we absolutely love New York City. Also reminds me of how sad we are that we could not join the family festivities this weekend. We can see you are having a wonderful time and are glad you are there!

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erin @ dfmi designs October 11, 2013 at 10:02 am

That’s awesome! I’ve never been to NYC so I very much appreciate the bevy of photos. I was impressed by your savvy shoe shopping. Glad you had a great time (and that the jumper remained unharmed. )

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Maureen October 11, 2013 at 11:56 am

The downside to your trip is you see everything in NYC, which can be sad. The good thing is you did find some good and had an amazing rest of the day.

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jackie October 11, 2013 at 1:00 pm

I’m impressed with the ease in which you got around the city! Don’t think I could have done it, especially after that boat ride!

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Katy October 11, 2013 at 1:13 pm

Manhattan is the easiest grid ever! Nothing difficult about it at all!

Katy

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Debbie R October 11, 2013 at 3:31 pm

Wo Hop is amazing! Cheap and yummy! I find it very amusing that it’s the only Chinese restaurant I know in NYC and that you went there. Small world.

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Katy October 11, 2013 at 6:36 pm

A small world indeed!

Katy

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Annie October 12, 2013 at 2:00 pm

We live near Chinatown and Wo Hop is one of our favorites. If it’s crowded you can go right next door to Hop Kee, also great and cheap. Make sure to leave room for dessert. Further along Mott Street are some great chinese bakeries, like Golden Fung Wong at 41 Mott Street, that sell yummy pork buns and coconut cream buns. If you continue north on Mott Street and make a right on Bayard Street, you will find the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, simply delicious! They have many of the usual flavors, but some lovely unusual ones like Almond Cookie, Lychee, Red Bean, Zen Butter, and Black Sesame.

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Katy October 12, 2013 at 6:05 pm

I guess I did well picking out a restaurant. Again, thank you Yelp!

Katy

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kris October 11, 2013 at 5:57 pm

I’m glad the jumper is ok b/c that had to be traumatic to see! Great tour you gave us and your son has some cool kicks!

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Katy October 11, 2013 at 6:37 pm

It was traumatic, and I got quite emotional.

Katy

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Jan October 12, 2013 at 3:02 am

I love that you were taking pictures of the ceiling while your son was buying shoes. 🙂

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Katy October 12, 2013 at 4:06 am

Doesn’t everybody do that? 😉

Katy

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Diane October 12, 2013 at 4:18 am

Love, love, love following on your day in NYC. My last visit there was in the early 60’s where I bought a pair of handmade sandals in the village and visited various coffee houses to listen to folk music.

Enjoy your visit!

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Jude October 13, 2013 at 4:10 am

Cool shoes.

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dusty October 13, 2013 at 4:13 am

Love how you spent the day in NYC. I grew up in NY and it was a great place to be a kid. People often tell me they think it is too noisy, dirty, etc. but it was so much more than that. I had so many friends of different races and could handle myself in any situation and also my parents gave me a sense of independence at an early age (able to ride the subway, buses, etc.) by myself or with friends. I wouldn’t trade my childhood there for anywhere else. I still keep in contact with some of my friends and try to get up there as often as I can. Playing the lottery and if I win, half the year in FL and half in NYC. Have a safe trip home.

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Katy October 13, 2013 at 4:37 am

My step-father grew up in The Bronx, and I think he would agree with you 100%.

Katy

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dusty October 14, 2013 at 3:51 am

Give my fellow Bronxite my regards. It’s a great place

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