The Star-Spangled Sojourn (Part 2): Statue of Liberty, Museum of the American Indian, 9/11 Memorial, MoMA and Everything in Between

- October 12-13, 2015, Monday-Tuesday.

- Taking of from my first two days in New York (click here), I felt comfortable with how things went around in New York. I loved how the streets were mostly arranged by numbers and letters, and the city itself, like in many cities in the US, are arranged in a grid-like manner, which made navigating easier. The subway, although confusing at first, quickly became my best friend in traveling - as with most highly-urbanized countries I've been to. Probably the only thing I wasn't too comfortable with was the price of everything, though I already expected that beforehand as New York (particularly Manhattan) is very well known to be one of the most expensive cities in the world. The high tax that is added to the already-expensive-things-to-begin-with don't help too. However, this did not stop me from enjoying New York City.

- The main agenda of my third day was a visit to the Statue of Liberty. I had bought my ticket beforehand through the Statue Cruises website, and it is highly advised (as with most attractions too) to buy tickets beforehand. Ferry tickets to Liberty Island can run out very quickly, and it can be expected that there won't be anymore tickets available if they are bought impromptu. There are three kinds of tickets: ferry ticket, ferry + pedestal (base of the statue with the museum,) and ferry + pedestal + crown (until the head of the statue.) I initially wanted to buy the last ticket, which of course is the most expensive, and because I wanted to maximize my visit to the statue, but the tickets to the crown were already sold out even a month and a half prior!! Fortunately, I was still able to get a ticket to the pedestal, which is a the next best thing. All ferry tickets to Liberty Island are inclusive of a free visit to Ellis Island, which is the island beside Liberty Island, and is home to the National Museum of Immigration. Ferries depart at 2 ports, depending on which one is more convenient - Battery Park (Manhattan side) or New Jersey, so you need to double-check when you buy your tickets online; you might end up buying a ticket at the wrong port. As for me, since I stayed in Manhattan, I bought the ticket for the ferry that departs from Battery Park. Ferries leave the dock every 15 minutes. Also, I also had to book the time that I wanted to depart from Battery Park. I sort of regretted booking my cruise at 11am, since it was so late in the morning, though during the time I was booking my ticket I was thinking that I needed some allowance in case in got lost in the subway, because Battery Park is quite far from my hostel. Battery Park is located at the southern tip of Manhattan, while my hostel was located at the center/east of Manhattan. However, the week before I left for the US, I was able to stumble upon an article that mentioned that it is still advisable to go to the port as early as possible as the lines can get pretty long; getting on the ferry earlier than scheduled is also a common occurrence, which is also a good reason why going to the pier way earlier than expected is recommended. I followed this piece of advice, and I got on the ferry before 9am - a bit more than 2 hours earlier than scheduled!! Also, note that airport-style security is done at the pier on the way to Liberty Island; the same kind of security check is done in most places of interest (like museums;) this is more hassling than the back-checking scheme (with small batons or drumsticks) in malls and LRT stations in Metro Manila.

All aboard!!

Buildings surrounding Battery Park.

More buildings.

Ellis Island from the ferry

We're almost there.

- I reached Liberty Island from Battery Park within 5 minutes, witnessing a fantastic view of Liberty Island, Ellis Island, and Manhattan from the top floor of the ferry; it was the best spot in the ferry. Upon arriving, I immediately went to the statue's entrance to visit the pedestal.

Perfect selfie!!

We're here!!

- The Statue of Liberty was given to America by France in 1886 as a symbol of the countries' friendship, particularly during the American Revolution. It was designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, and constructed by Gustave Eiffel. The latter, Gustave Eiffel, is of course the same person involved in the making of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, and the San Sebastian Church in Manila. The copper statue is said to represent Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty.

I'm officially here!!

Star-Spangled Banner and Autumn Trees.

Artsy shot.

- Inside the statue, one can find a small museum dedicated to the statue, but I first went up the pedestal to see the view. There were plenty of stairs up the pedestal, and even more stairs up the crown; the elevator, from what I remember, does not operate on all the floors, so there will be parts when going up the stairs is necessary. Outside the pedestal, there is a narrow walkway that goes around the pedestal, with a nice view of New Jersey, Ellis Island, and Manhattan. Afterwards, I went to the lower base of the statue (base of the pedestal and statue) to take more photos of the Statue of Liberty.

A replica of the torth inside the statue's pedestal.

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn. Quite polluted, no??

Manhattan and pollution. (See that black strip in the middle??)

Ellis Island, and New Jersey.

Statue of Liberty turned abstract.

Historic cornerstone.

Behold, the lovely statue.

Mandatory tourist selfie. Couldn't do a photoshoot because of distance problems.

Another one while I'm at it. Couldn't stop staring at her.

- Before having lunch, I went to the small museum inside the base, which shows the history of the Statue of Liberty, and derivative artworks inspired by the statue. My favorite in the exhibit was the 2-foot tall origami model of the Statue of Liberty, as I am a big origami fan since I was 9.

What's supposed to be inside the statue.

Jewish woman dressed up as the statue.

The origami Statue of Liberty!! :D:D:D:D

A replica of Lady Liberty's face.

Replica of the foot.

People who worked on the statue.

-  After lunch I departed Liberty Island and visited the National Museum of Immigration. The museum used to the the main immigration office from 1892 to 1954, and is the first place immigrants go to to process their immigration documents. This makes the building itself the largest exhibit of the museum. Interestingly, the ferries used by Statue Cruises also resemble the kinds of boats used by the early immigrants to enter the USA.

Goodbye Liberty Island!!

Hello Ellis Island!! This is the National Museum of Immigration.

Look at that!!

Yay.

- The museum tells the story of how migrants started coming to the United States, by force (ex. slave trade) or voluntarily (ex. those searching for greener pastures.) It also showed how migration greatly affected the loss of land of the indigenous Americans (i.e. the "American Indians.") Apart from the offices involved in the immigration process, some halls also showed the living conditions of the early migrants, such as the bunks where immigrant-workers stayed.

Inside the main hall.

Small court room.

Qing-dynasty immigrant from Guangzhou.

What the museum looked like before.

From the mezzanine.

Replica of the bunkers.

The flag and Manhattan.

With my foam crown.

With Lady Liberty at the back.

The rear of the ferry.

- I later left Ellis Island and sailed back to Battery Park. I took a short stroll within the park vicinity, and went ahead to visit the Museum of the American Indian, which is located beside Battery Park, right outside one of the exits of Bowling Green Station. The Museum of the American Indian is a satellite/branch museum of the Smithsonian Institution of Washington D.C., which meant that the museum was free admittance, just like all Smithsonian museums in D.C., and unlike all museums in NYC where museums would normally charge a hefty 20-25 USD entrance fee (note: there is also a Museum of the American Indian in D.C.; both museums in NYC and D.C. had impressive collections.) The building which houses the museum in NYC used to be the US Custom House.

FAT SQUIRREL.

On the way to the Museum of the American Indian.

There's the Philippine flag.

OK, here's the real deal.

Nice building.

- I noticed that compared to the other museums that I had visited during this whole trip, both American Indian Museums (in NYC and D.C.) were the least-visited museums. I could not understand why. A friend told me that racism is probably one of the many reasons, but I cannot confirm. Other scholars claimed that the exhibits were too disorganized in terms of exhibit arrangement and flow of historical narrative (i.e. it's hard to understand how the groups formed and survived through the centuries,) which I partially agree; I'd describe the exhibits as overwhelming, more than disorganized. I'd also describe them as anthropological (dealing more with myths and their belief systems,) more than sociological (i.e. societal organization and functions) and historical (i.e. narratives of formation and survival.) However, on the more positive note, I was very impressed with the collections, mostly contributed by George Gustav Heye, and I am very happy that there was at least some initiative to give exposure on the groups of people that once dominated what is known as the Americans today (both North and South America.)

Inside the majestic museum.

"Nations" referring to the socio-political definition. 

Some native American accessories.

Major indigenous groups from North....

....to South America.

Festival costumes.

I can't even tell which is which anymore. Either the exhibit was a bit disorganized, or it's just because I'm not too familiar with the native American groups.

This came from Pocahontas' group. Tsenacommacah.

Inside a teepee.

Painted interior.

Teepees are quite spacious inside.

Dance costumes.

Costume for the scissor dance.

- Instead of going directly to the subway station, my eyes caught the sight of a street bazaar, similar to the typical street markets of Hong Kong. The bazaar naturally drew my there, and little did I know that I was in the middle of Wall Street; I only realized this after I took a photo with the famous bull statue of Wall Street. As I walked and walked, little did I know that I was already at Brooklyn Bridge. Brooklyn Bridge was supposedly 3 subway stops away from Bowling Green, but I was too distracted by the sense-tingling items and food for sale at the bazaar, so I didn't realize that I had walked three-stations long. The Brooklyn Bridge was coincidentally my next destination, so I was happy that I was on the right track after all.

The Wall-Street bull.

Colonial-style buildings.

Trinity Church. 

- The Brooklyn Bridge was opened in 1867, and lies between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It is one of the oldest cable and suspension bridges in the USA. Its distinct feature also makes it an icon of New York City. Today, the bridge allows both pedestrians and vehicles to pass through; this lets tourists like me go back and forth the bridge by foot, or stay in the middle of the bridge to get stunning photos of either Manhattan or Brooklyn.

Manhattan view.

Brooklyn view.

The distinct shape of the bridge.

See the Empire State and the Chrystler Buildings??

Manhattan Municipal Building.

Illusions.

- At night I passed by Times Square once again to get more photos, since I realized that I took photos of the WRONG SIDE of the intersection the previous day (click here to see.) I also passed by Toys R' Us to look at nice toys, particularly, and shamelessly, Power Rangers merchandise. (I didn't buy though.)

Taking as many Times Square photos as I can.

No judging. I grew up with this..

Moving dinosaur!!

Dora of Liberty!!

Famous landmarks made of Lego.

- To end the day, I had dinner at the McDonald's near my hostel. I felt that the taste of America's McDonald's is close to Burger King's burgers. Now I normally wouldn't (always) eat in a regular fastfood chain when I'm in another country, but sometimes it's fun to experience how something so usual can be so different in every country.

- The next day I started by visiting the National September 11 Memorial and Museum (or 9/11 Memorial) at the lower side of Manhattan. It is located over "Ground Zero," meaning the memorial fountains and the museum were built over the exact place where the twin towers of the World Trade Center used to stand.

- The museum seems small, but the bulk of the exhibits are located at the basement level. As expected, the museum shows the stories of the twin towers themselves, some of the victims (and the families) of the 9/11 atrocity such as the workers and plane-crash victims, and the people in charge of the hijacking. The museum had a solemn but tense ambiance. It was solemn because it was a memorial, and visitors tend to be silent inside the museum (and to think there were only a few people when I was there too,) and tense, because sounds from television screens that have looped international news coverage of the atrocity. I can't help but feel a sort of pounding sensation on my forehead, and I don't know it if's just the tensions, the empathy, or something else. Out of respect, I did not take "touristy" photos of myself in the memorial too, except for the fountain outside, in which I barely had a smile on my face.

Foundations of the old buildings.

What's left of the basement.

Before.

After.

Right in the feels.

Part of the old radio antenna.

Destroyed firetruck.

Quilted flag, which each state contributing one panel.

Colonial-era finds when the twin towers were just being built.

Fountain.

Barely smiling.

The museum.

The new Three World Trade Center. 

- To lighten up my mood, I walked all the way to Little Italy for lunch. Since I arrived around 10am, most restaurants have not opened; they open around 11 or 12 onwards. Seeing this, I walked around Mulberry Street, where Little Italy is, and tried to see anything culture I could do. Surprisingly, I caught the filming of the Netflix sitcom "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," and saw Jane Krakowski, who also starred in shows like 30 Rock and Ally McBeal. Further south of Mulberry and the adjacent Mott Street, one would reach Manhattan's Chinatown. I was met by the familiar smell of raw Chinese ingredients and smoked sausages, and of course the Chinese (Cantonese-speaking) people. I realized that I was on my way to Chinatown, so quickly I turned back and stayed in Little Italy. I didn't do this because I was racist - my being Chinese myself - but I just wanted to use my time in experiencing something I wouldn't back home (and since I am Chinese, I do experience A LOT of Chinese culture on a daily basis.)

Buongiorno!!

Buildings in Little Italy.

Busy showbiz people filming this Netflix sitcom.

Jane Krakowski coming out of a Halloween costume store.

Set, with the usher behind me.

Director and staff.

The nth take. 

That's the shop she came out from.

Taking a break.

Showbiz chair.

America and Italy.

- While walking around I also saw a small museum dedicated to the Italian Americans, but I still don't know why it was closed that day even though the opening hours on the entrance said that it would be open around the time I arrived. With a sad heart, I treated myself to gelato, and later on, to a cream puff, a tiramisu, and and a tiny cup of espresso in Caffe Roma. Soon, it was time for lunch. I initially had no idea where to eat, but I just based on the stickers by the door if the restaurant will be a good choice. I chose a restaurant called "Da Nico Ristorante," which was reviewed greatly in TripAdvisor and other review sites, and it has been in Little Italy for around 20 years. I got to check details online through my phone, and indeed this was a highly-recommended restaurant. I ordered an authentic margherita pizza, and a bowl of gnocchi (small potato dumplings.) I couldn't finish the gnocchi so I had the leftovers packed and thought of eating them at the hostel for dinner.

Gelato before lunch.

Galileo at the base of a street lamp.

In front of the Italian-American Museum.

Dessert right before lunch - bad decision on one hand, but no regrets on the other.

Loved their pastries.

Da Nico's pizza margherita. Now THIS is REAL ITALIAN PIZZA (or at least close to it.)

Heavenly gnocchi.

Firetruck.

In the middle of Littly Italy.

Good choice!!

Italian-flag fire hydrant.

- After lunch I tried looking for Little Ukraine to the north of Little Italy, but as my good friend, the internet, would tell me, it would be challenging. Historically the hub of Ukrainian-Americans, Little Ukraine isn't as "Ukrainian" as it was before. The palmful of establishments related to Ukrainian culture are scattered and tucked away in the quieter parts of the area. Today, Little Ukraine is mostly a residential area, and has a lot of interesting thrift shops, and many cultural shops that sell Nepalese, African, and Tibetan items. However, this is not a place that I'd visit again, since it's seemed a little too quiet and sketchy for me. Also, I wasn't able to successfully find any Ukrainian-related establishments (although they still exist, as mentioned earlier.) Despite this, I was able to buy a nice mustard-colored Tibetan top from a Tibetan store, which was, at least, a little reward I got myself for walking through the streets of the once vibrant Little Ukraine.

- I later rode the train to 5th Avenue and walked to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA.) This well-visited museum was built in 1929, though its appearance/facade does not spell "historical," even when it is. The museum houses modern art such as paintings, sculptures, and nontraditional art. Works by Picasso ("Seated Woman,") Dali ("The Persistence of Memory",) Matisse ("The Dance,) Warhol ("Campbell's Soup",) van Gogh ("Starry Starry Night.") Of course, there are the other forms of abstract art that make one wonder what "art" really means, and if everyone can be an artist as well (ex. a canvas with a slash, or a canvass with just two rectangles, etc.)

Museum of Modern Art.

Hello!!

The jewel of MoMA.

I never knew that van Gogh's "Starry Starry Night" was this tiny.

Picasso.

Mondrian.

My personal favorite: Dali's surrealist works.

Frida Kahlo!!

Picasso's creative cubit sculpture from paper and cardboard.

The Beatles.

My sister's favorite (at least it's what I hear her speak of,) Andy Warhol.

Marilyn Monroesssss.

- The museum was about to close when I left MoMA. With a little sunlight left for the afternoon, I made a quick visit to the nearby St. Patrick's Cathedral. This neo-gothic Roman-Catholic cathedral was opened in the late 1800s. In 1965, Pope Paul VI visited the cathedral, and in 2015, Pope Francis visited the cathedral after the extensive renovations done to the cathedral.

Reminds me of the Hunchback of Notre-Dame (though I knew that the story took place in France.)

Holy.

The doors reminded me of San Agustin Church's doors.

- I was able to go inside and go around the cathedral even though there was a mass going on. The cathedral reminded me of Manila's very own Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church, I even think that the priest who was giving the homily was Fr. Adolfo Novio, one of the newly-ordained priests of the cathedral (I felt that he was Filipino because he looked and sounded Filipino, but then again, I could be wrong.)

Gothic.

Golden altar.

Pillars and windows.

I love the stained-glass windows.

From the back of the altar.

- I later walked all the way back to Times Square (as MoMA and St. Patrick's Cathedral were within the vicinity,) and took a few more photos of the intersection before going back to my hostel. I ate my leftover gnocchi and chatted with my roommates before calling it a day. I had plenty of walking during my third and fourth days, but I fed myself well too - not just my tummy, but my mind and senses too. New York just became a lot more interesting, but it just dawned on me that the following day would be my last full day in New York before heading to the second and most significant leg of my first sojourn to the United States of America. (Don't forget to read Part 1 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, Part 5 here, Part 6 here, 7 here.)

Rockefeller Center again.

Times Square during sunset.

Tourists seated on the red steps where Alicia Keys sang "Empire State of Mind." (I'm on the topmost step of the staircase.)

Big lights will inspire you.

After sunset.

Panorama shot.