New York City: They have forgotten

Day 265
Manhattan NY

It's memorial day in the big apple. We have become pros at navigating our way around the city. Manhattan was planned and laid out in one big square grid before a single building ever went up. The land was bulldozed flat and the streets laid out so any fool can get their way around. We hop off the train on 33rd & 6th and start walking up towards times square. Big city life is starting to lose it's shine and the reality of New York starts sinking in. Sure, sticking to popular areas and well traveled streets makes things look nice. Head up 6th ave instead of taking 5th and that's where you start to see trash strewn about. Homeless people are out picking through the trash cans and a distinct smell of urine emanates from the sides streets. We often take the route less traveled to see the real side of a city, and this one has a side that is really gross.

The closer we get to Times Sqaure the nicer the streets start to look. Tourism has a way of bringing money, and the city wants that money to keep pouring in. This is also the first time we get hassled by hustlers and ticket sellers. Whether sanctioned or not, vendors line the streets with trinkety crap for sale.

Our arrival at Times Square was a little surprising. Brightly lit scrolling ad signs and billboards filled the street. However, take a closer look. It is Memorial Day after all. Not a single flag, banner or billboard would tell you differently. This is supposed to be a city that the world travels too. We traveled here and I expected a lot more. On the east side of Manhattan they are having a parade and ceremony at a docked naval ship. That's it. Nobody else on the island seems to care.

Our walking journey turns us south and Grand Central Station is next on the list. It was built in 1913 and to this day remains the largest operating train station in the world. In terms of tourism, it remains one of the top most visited places in the world, and that's not counting the million passengers a day that can run through here on a holiday weekend. Oh that's right, it's Memorial Day. See the flags?

Ah ha! We found a flag in Manhattan. Thank you Rockefeller Center for showing some patriotism. I see the rest of the flag poles are empty so we can focus on a flag of solidarity in the center. Well done.

Continuing our walk down the streets takes us past the Chrysler building (so close to it you can't see it) and then the Empire State building.

Last on the list for the day is the Flat Iron. When completed in 1903 it was the largest steel framed building in the world and stood as one of the tallest for a short amount of time. The Industrial Revolution was in full swing and soon was eclipsed by buildings throughout the world. Off to the left hand side of the building was a small park where we sat down to catch our breath and give a break to our feet. It was there I saw a field of flags. Around 100 miniatures stuck in the ground in a 10 x 10 square. It looked like someone showed up and did it themselves, obviously not a city sanctioned event.

We finish the day the way we started it. In a dark grubby subway station that reminded us where we were. This is the big city and they have nothing to hide. New York has a real F-U attitude towards the people who come here. Cars in the street don't follow any of the traffic laws, pedestrians cut you off without looking up from there phones, and the city has trash piled up on the street and burnt out lights in their subway terminals. It's surprising to see in a city with a GDP of 1.55 trillion dollars, more than the country of South Korea, allows themselves to not take better care of what is supposed to be the crown jewel of the USA. A great place to visit for a few days to take in the sights, but a not a place to live unless you like constant chaos and the dirtiness that goes with it.