4: City Hall

Warning: we let the crazy out on this walk.

The first stop for us was St. Paul's church. I am attempting to immitate this adorable poster child, but my wink (sometimes called the squink) is far less obvious than his.

Here is St. Paul's. It is beautiful and quite old. It is situated right next to the World Trade Center site, and they used it as a place to bring the injured. There were several 9/11 memorials inside.

Jill by the Bell of Hope. What is the Bell of Hope, you might ask? Keep scrolling; we have thought of everything!

A tree was knocked over outside of the church on 9/11. No damage was done (which is somewhat miraculous) and a guy made a sculpture of the tree roots. We saw the sculpture on walk 2. Feel free to revisit that post.

Our hearts went out to whoever is in this grave. This nub is all that is left of their headstone. For the record: this headstub is maximum 5 inches high and as thin as recycled paper. Jill seems concerned.

This is the Woolworth Building. For some reason - I find it to be hilarious. Perhaps because it used to be the tallest building in the world (for 17 years - until the Chrysler Building). It was built in 1913 and Woolworth paid 13 million dollars in cash for its construction. Note: That is an obscene amount of money for 1913.

At this point in our walk, we had just ran into a bookclub friend of Jill's. I don't know about Jill, but as we talked to the friend, I felt very aware of my silly purple hat and of the fact that we are 24 years old and purposefully matchy.

There she is again: Woolworth building - still among the 50 tallest buildings in the world.

This is the fountain in City Hall Park. This is the second time on our blog that I have gotten in a fountain (see walk 2). Who would have guessed that this would become a theme?

Jill loves that these lamps lit with real fire. Another second on our blog: Jill making a creepy face in reference to fire (see walk 2).

I am peeking at city hall.

This is a true beebopp moment. A friendly tourist allowed us to be in a picture together. BOOYA!

Have you ever done that thing where you press your arms against the sides of a small doorway for like thirty seconds and when you step out, your arms rise on their own?? Jill was not a believer. My first experience with this phenomenon: age 8ish, the towel closet at the Shirk home. Jill's first: age 24, city walk #4.

Jill immitating the statue of Horace Greeley, founder of the New York Tribune (circa 1841). I thought he looked like Russell Crowe. Jill said, "I was thinking Benjamin Franklin."

Cool courthouse.

(I just deleted the picture and am not a skilled enough blogger to get it back - luckily the cool courthouse appears again in the next pic)

Jill asked me to look judicial. I don't know how. I think I pulled off "confused."

ROCKY!!!

This is very dark - I hope you can see it! My hand is a perfect imitation of the sculpture. I felt like I was in a gang, and I liked it.

New York has EVERYTHING. This proves it. An African Burial Ground in the middle of downtown! I don't know what is crazier: that or the fact that Jill laid down on the nappy NY street.

My computer screen is dark, and I cannot read the sign. I hope it is self-explanatory.

SO exiting! Jill by Duane Street......

Me by Reade Street.....

DUANE READE!!! For those of you who are un-aware, Duane Reade is NY's version of Walgreens, but intensified. There is more than one on every corner. We adore Duane, and he adores the one zillion dollars we spend there each fiscal year. The corner of Duane Street and Reade Street is where the first Duane Reade was located.

An artistic end of the excellent Walk 4. Next week - Jill's sista and her fam will be along for the walk! Whoop whoop!

p.s. I LOVE this blog. I never thought I would, but I totally do.

--Meg