New York, New York 2

Muesli for breakfast then a quick stroll to 5th avenue where we pay a visit to the magnificent New York Public Library which is just opening for the day - Like all the older public buildings in New York the large, spacious marble interior is very impressive and makes one feel as though you are about to enter on a major undertaking.
Outside we jump on a bus for the George Washington memorial in Greenwich Village. As much as we tell ourselves that it won't be the same as in the biographies we've read or the movies we've seen we are not really ready for the variation that exists between expectation and reality. The contemporary New York university buildings overshadow the area and there appears to be little of the old. Bleeker street and a couple of the surrounding blocks seem relatively untouched but all else has disappeared under the ongoing drive for modernisation that one sees everywhere.

Disappointed, we jump on a subway train and travel two stops to Canal street station and set off in search of "Little Italy" which turns out to be three blocks of one street (Mulberry). Everything else has been overtaken by Chinatown including the famous Mott street and almost everyone you pass offers "rolex", "CD", "handbag (Lou Vitton)". Another disappointment, but we stop for a coffee at a bar which we discover used to be a hang out for some of the local "Wiseguys" (the mob) and such celebrities as Frank Sinatra, Pavarotti, Niel Sedaka, etc. (the coffee is good).

Setting off for Tribeca (TRIangle BElow CAnal street) we come across a massive multi storey concrete building with bars and mesh on the windows and discover that it is the downtown detention centre - it looks like it could have been built in the time of the crime bosses and there are lots of police vehicles and sad looking folk in the area. A strange contrast to the avenue of blossoming trees in the park opposite.

A block further on we come across a squat ornate building which looks totally out of place and discover that it used to be a fire station but is now used as a juvenile centre.
White street leads us into the Tribeca area where we find many old wharehouses. Most of these appear to be in need of repair and we start to understand why much of the old part of Downtown Manhatten has disappeared. Fortunately the buildings here seem to be being restored rather than demolished and rebuilt. Through Finn Square and down Franklin Street and Robert De Niro's Nobu restaurant appears on the opposite corner. This was a landmark we had been looking for but we hadn't really planned to dine here. However, as it is approaching 2, and the prices aren't too high we decide to have a late lunch. What a great dining experience. Nobu is run by a Japanese chef so the food is after the Japanese style but so different to anything we have had before. The food was excellent, the service was immaculate and the dessert was to die for - a confection of panna cotta, lychee ice cream, strawberry creme and a delicate, wafer thin biscotti (yumm).

By the time we leave the temperature has again risen to 92F so we use the subway to travel up to Sheridan Square then walk through tree lined backstreets with walk up apartments to the Meatpacking District where we watch a film crew at work before continuing on to the Chelsea Markets . By the time we get back to the hotel at 5 Marcia's pedometer has counted over 18,000 steps for the day - we are pooped.
At five we venture forth once again to explore Grand Central station which is only a few short blocks away. It is exactly as we expected with people scurrying to and fro in the broad central plaza. Another short video to try and capture the atmosphere and we set off to explore the labrynthine passages. An unappealing food hall on the lowest level is enough to put us off our food but we find a fabulous food market one level up which sells everything for the busy homeward bound worker.

Wednesday and we have decided to visit the print studios (unfortunately Hilary is unable to join us as it is the last week of semester and she is very busy) but first we head back to Zeytinz for brunch (too late for breakfast- we seem to be slowing down) which we carry upstairs to a cafeteria area which overlooks Bryant Park. It is hard to tear ouselves away from this people watching eyrie but eventually we set off for 39th street to the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. It is an old building and the lift is broken so we go up via the goods lift and come in through the back of the studio. We are met by Deborah who is one of the paid managers of the facility. She is very interested and proud to show off the facility and explain the history and how it works (there are about 20-25 people using the studio in any given month). They are well set up for lithography and etching and there is also a digital print facility. As well as the open studio they have two specialised areas for contract printing - one for litho and the other for etching. The classes they provide are run by Master printers who generally have their own studios and are either paid by splitting fees or in studio time (handy if you have an etching studio and wish to do some litho printing). As well as the paid staff there are monitors who supervise/assist in exchange for studio time and we spend some time talking with one of these young ladies who suggests that we visit another studio called Dieu Donne in 36th street which specialises in pulp paper art.
Two blocks further down is the Eastside Print Studio which turns out to be less interesting than the previous one. We are met by Sei who tells us that they moved into the current fairly spacious premises from a much smaller facility just a few years ago. It is quite austere and I get the feeling that they left some of their soul behind in the old facility. LIke the previous studio they rely for much of their income on grants from foundations and supplement this with exhibitions, sales and contract printing (they retain half the edition of any contract printing that they do). Suprisingly, the studio caters mostly for screen printing and some etching (they have the largest vacumn screen printing table that I have ever seen).
In the next block is the Dieu Donne pulp paper facility but they are loath to show us around as artists are working and it is very wet. They use a hollander beater and work mostly with paper linters. However, when pressed the young lady admits that they do sometimes work with fabric and natural materials.
As it is not too late we decide to walk back to 5th Avenue and ride a bus all the way to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. It is fascinating to see the changes in buildings and shops as we move through the various areas of downtown Manhattan - from the smaller poorer areas of NoHo and SOHO to the grandeaur of City Hall, the Woolworths building (the only building ever built in New York which was paid for in cash) and the Financial district (Wall street and all that). At the end of the line we find the old Customs House building (another grand marble stucture) which is now part of the Smithsonian and houses the National Museum of the American Indian. It has an exhibition of American Indian female clothing called "Identity by Design" with explanations of the meaning attached to the various parts (only women were able to boast about their warrior's exploits by drawings on their dresses). Marcia studies the history of the Customs House while I immerse myself in Indian culture.
The subway takes us back to Grand Central Station and we buy a small loaf of bread covered with sunflower seeds and some cheese at the markets for our dinner. What a great end to the day and to our stay in New York.
Although we have been very careful we seem to have collected a number of catalogues and brochures during our stay and spend the evening sorting through everything and repacking our bags before going to bed so that we will be ready to check out the next day.