The morning view from my suite...
From the window, there appeared to be a terrace one floor down. I asked about it. Apparently the floor below mine has the high end rooms. They're the only ones with access.
Since it really was just two blocks west of the hotel, my first stop of the day was a structure simply known as The Vessel.
The structure opened to the public last spring. It stands one hundred and fifty feet tall with over a hundred flights of stairs and eighty landings. Best of all, it's free to the public, though access at any given time is limited. Considering it's all stairs with only one access points, it makes sense. You can book a ticket in advance, or follow the directions on the kiosk. They'll email you an entrance ticket.
Looking up from the entrance line..
From inside, and the view...
As I explored the structure, it became perfectly clear, it was colder than I thought and I needed at least one more layer. So, it was a quick dash back to the room. After last year's trip to the city, I came across a site dedicated to tours within the city that are off the beaten path. In the few minutes I was in the hotel, one popped up for a catacomb tour of the old Saint Patrick's Cathedral downtown. So, I signed up for an afternoon tour, and hit the streets.
High Line Park runs 1.45 miles over the city. From 1934 to 1980 it was a rail line carrying freight over the city. The line sat abandoned and under threat of demolition until the city turned it into a park. The first stretch opened in 2009. I had walked the park before, just never the newest and final stretch over Hudson Yards, beginning on 34th Street.
Knowing I had a deadline, I left the High Line around 14th Street, planning to head inland. That's when I saw this curiosity...
This is a new city park, named the "Little Island." The elevated park will cover a little over two and a half acres and contain a seven hundred seat amphitheater. The cost is estimated to run $130 million, with private foundations covering all but $17 million. You can read more about it and see some of the conceptual art here.
Adjacent to the new park sits a rusting archway. This pier was owned by the Cunard Cruise Line. In 1934, they merged with White Star Lines. The two companies were fierce competitors. In April, 1912, Cunard's Carpathia was the first ship on the scene to rescue the passengers of White Star's Titanic. If you get close enough, you can still make out the lettering on the sign.
It was time to head deeper into Lower Manhattan. Seen on the walk towards St. Patrick's Cathedral...
The tour begins in the basement of the old convent and school, directly across from the church.
The first Catholic church in New York was St. Peter's, built in 1785. At the time there was enough anti-Catholic sentiment that the decision was made to build it just outside the current city limits, adjacent to the future World Trade Center.
By the turn of the century, it was clear another, larger facility was necessary. Since the Diocese of New York had been established in 1808, and a bishop assigned, it would have to be a proper cathedral. The plot of land currently sitting on the corner of Prince and Mott Streets was being used as a graveyard for St. Peter's. The decision was made to use it for the new cathedral.
One year later, the cornerstone for St. Patrick's Cathedral was laid. At the time, the area was still farmland. As the slums and tenements took over, the neighborhood became dangerous. That's when the wall was added.
The tour begins by he front door of the cathedral. When it was built, this was the entrance to the catacombs below. A metal door had to be lifted to gain access.
The graves underneath the church were moved before construction. The vaults for ashes started being added in the late '70s.
Ryan, our tour guide, took us into the church and up to the choir loft.
In the back of the loft sit the massive organ pipes. The organ was built for St. Patrick's in 1868
by Henry Erbin, one of the best known organ makers of the day. His factory was right in the city, but
shipped organs around the world. Ryan took us through the very tight passageway behind the pipes
and pointed out an iron wheel with a handle. When the organ was first installed, someone would
have to crank the wheel throughout the church service to supply air for the organ.
Eventually, we would make our way down to the catacombs. Below the church are the burial vaults.
As you'd expect, the cost of a burial chamber below the cathedral came with a steep cost, so they were filled with the rich and elite of the day. Most of the vaults held three or six metal caskets. If you needed more space, you were welcome to dig below the floor. Lit only by small, electric candles and red exit signs, it made photography a bit of a challenge.
The original entrance...
The last stop of the tour is the vault of Thomas Eckert. He bought a vault with room for eight. Instead of being sealed in, he left instructions for a steel door and that it be left unlocked so visitors could pay their respect. Only four places are filled. In the back is Thomas. Along the side are his second wife and her parents.
Upon his death, Eckert left his fortune to his wife and two sons. To the oldest, he left a lump sum. He used it to build his own fortune. His younger son received a comparable amount, but in a trust fund, to be slowly given out over time. He took exception to this and wanted nothing else to do with his father. So, the vault remains as is. If someone is a descendant of the Eckerts, they can still be interred here. They just have to produce proof of ancestry and the original documents of ownership There is still one vault left below the cathedral. It's a family sized vault, suitable for twelve.
With the tour finished, it was back on the street in search of a late lunch. On the back of the tour ticket, there's a coupon for 10% off at Lombardi's. They claim to be the oldest pizza restaurant in America. They opened in 1905. How could I pass it up. Two things to remember if you find yourself there for lunch. They take ONLY cash, and yes there's an ATM inside. All their pies are fourteen inch. There was a time I wouldn't think twice about it. I had a calzone instead. And yes, it was amazing.
Seen walking through Chinatown...
I stopped to listen to this guy play while his wife sang. Yes, I did leave some money in his case. Inside there seemed to be equal number of bills in American and Chinese currency.
Considering it was by now late afternoon, the Brooklyn Bridge was mobbed with people. I did cross to the park on the Brooklyn side, hoping for some sort of sunset. While I didn't get much, it was still worth it. .
Cold and tired from walking all day, it was time to head back towards the hotel. This time I walked back across the Manhattan Bridge, simply for the view...
It did feel a little strange to have the bridge mostly to myself. Well, myself and all those commuters taking the subway home to Brooklyn.
Once back in Manhattan, I knew I was done. It was time to relax and take the train home.
The end of the line for the 7 train is the new Hudson Yard station. Opened in September, 2015, it's the city's newest station. It's even got that new station feel to it.
Best of all, it really is just two blocks from the hotel, an easy walk.
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