Monday, August 25, 2008

A Glimpse of Battery Park City, Lower Manhattan, NYC





































We just came back from NYC...yes, another visit to the Island of Manhattan. We had a FABULOUS time. There is nothing better than knowing that you can find your way from way downtown, almost the very lower tip of Manhattan, to the front of Bloomingdales, see 2 very special friends, eat lunch, get across town and way back down to the lower part of Manhattan, still have enough energy to go out to dinner and then take a long walk by the Battery Park City Promenade! The photos are all from Battery Park City. This whole area is landfill, much of it from the 'dirt' that was displaced when building the World Trade Center. It is an amazing part of New York., bustling with children, growing families, fierce basketball games, tennis, 'green' buildings going up in every un-used square foot, waterfalls, ducks and fish, rock walls, Whole Foods, restaurants galore, and magnificent view of NY Harbor. Today, we are all exhausted, glad to be back home to our cozy house and the QUIET!!! A great time had by all, with continued love and gratitude to my Mom, for being such a great sport, for letting us camp out in her living room and for her great Spirit. She can't see very well, but she gets around Manhattan like a teenager!!!

I must add, that the top photo, is of the Winter Garden. My husband and I had the privilege of living in Battery Park City for 2 years. This was where we lived when Edward was an infant. His first escalator ride was in the World Trade Center when he was 16 months old...I'll never forget the expression of WONDER on his face! The Winter Garden was connected to the World Trade Center with an enclosed bridge which allowed people to cross over the very busy West Side Highway. When the dust had barely settled after 9/11, and I saw photos of a very broken Winter Garden, that's when I fell apart. We had spent so much time there, going to concerts, giving Edward some great space to roam during the winter months, window shopping, noshing along the way. It was like a big, broken jewelry box. But, somehow, with the great resolve that all New Yorkers have, it was 'put back together'. A jewel itself, with millions of facets, it sparkles once again!

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Amy it looks like you had a wonderful visit...I love the photo of the Winter Garden...that is a beautiful building....got to give a thumbs up for the sunflowers too LOL

Amy Lilley Designs said...

Tammy!!! There is a wonderful neighborhood garden and these sunflowers were towering over everything else that had been planted ...great contrast w/ the building in the background...the Winter Garden..definitely a special, special building...

Kim said...

sounds like you had an exciting time Amy..
these are great photos....
the skyline and harbour remind me a lot of Sydney :)
it makes you wonder with 9/11 how lucky you are that you weren't there that day....

Azure Accessories said...

Wonderful photos...sounds as though you had a great visit...your Winter Garden looks amazing...it seems your visit brought back good memories...

I've never been but would love to visit some day...

Cheers

Amy Lilley Designs said...

Km we were very, very lucky that we weren't there that day...we would have taken what we could and walked up to my Mother, who was living in Greenwich Village @ the time...we lived in the shadow of the WTC and have played that scenario over in our heads...

We had a wonderful, full visit...

Heather...good morning!!!...it always brings back good memories for us being down there...Edward was just a newborn, baby, toddler, when we lived there, but it is SO incredibly built up...2 or 3 times what it was when we were there...the Winter Garden is really quite the piece of architecture...I hope that you get to see it one day!

The Muse said...

Goodness sakes! Your images are better than most Travel Pics!
I am there...right there!

As a true sunflower Fanatic (I confess)...that shot is wonderful as we welcome the end of summer...

Architecture is a passion of mine, so you can imagine my heartrate upon seeing the Winter garden!

Oh Amy nice blog!

Amy Lilley Designs said...

Yes Muse...that picture of the Winter Garden was heartbreaking beyond words...we had just moved to RI that July...so when we went back to the City the first weekend of November, you could still 'feel' the dust...

I had a great time taking the pics...I have more...lol

crpitt said...

Another place I probably wont have to time to see, but I am glad you had a nice time :)

Amy Lilley Designs said...

Oh Claire, you will have the best time...you'll just have to plan another visit and land on the Island of Manhattan!!!

Osborn said...

This won't actually have success, I think so.
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