Sunshine Friends!!!!

                                              Enjoying the gorgeous day at Trinity Church

My grandma and I shared a favorite quote: “Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference.” This walk was a whole new experience for Jenna as she realized just how much this Colorado girl appreciates a little Vitamin D. Spring has officially arrived here in NYC, and everything we passed on Course #3 had a wonderful new glow, including my attitude. Still smack dab in the middle of the Financial District, we began our day’s journey at ‘Boltons’ to buy Jenna a necessary pair of leggings, and me an unnecessary hat because, well, it was cute. 

Stem: Finally finding a little pattern in the streets, we began on Pine Street at the East River. Pine eventually turns in to Thames, which turns into Albany, which of course makes total sense, so we hardly got lost this time at all! Kidding. We did, however, manage to make it across to the West Side just in time for lunch. Although the lovely day made for little progress, we sure had a wonderful time. 

First point of interest on our course was Trinity Church. Founded in 1697, it radiates history. The amazing detail in the church is made only more beautiful with the blossoming tulips and trees bringing life to the timeworn graveyard. Wandering the grounds among all the tourists and financiers on their lunch break, we soaked up the gorgeous day. We happened to pick the right guy out of the crowd to snap a few photos of us. Dante Lara, www.napalmstudio.com, took some great shots. Thanks Dante!

Seed: It’s hard to believe that mere blocks from this glorious site is the vast blankness where the Twin Towers once stood. Approaching the devastated area on such a wonderful day, we felt quite conflicted. Ground Zero usually feels like an energy-sucking black hole. With the recent events concerning Bin Laden, however, the overall attitude of the tragic site was one of hope and renewal. We were inspired to ride the positive spirit while we remember all those Americans lost on that tragic day. 

I was a sophomore in high school when the Twin Towers were hit. The feeling of devastation touched each home across America, but it is truly the NY’ers who suffered the loss of the World Trade Center and those made victim by this horrific act. We continue to grieve, support, and inspire each other as prideful Americans, but it is within the New York community that the renewal is most influential. No words can do this justice, and no memorial can properly honor those we lost, but I do my best to stand behind you New York, as “We will never forget.” 

Juice: Continuing west for the last leg of our day’s journey, we found ourselves back in urban-suburbia. We found a suitable patio right on the Hudson where we could appreciate the beauty of the day amidst the pre-fab brownstones and cookie-cutter corporations. Totally content, we spent quality time breathing in the spring air. Jenna and I looked out over the Hudson River to the breathtaking view of Lady Liberty, iconic and serene. I was overwhelmed with nostalgia sharing a sight seen by so many generations before us. Strolling down the esplanade, I flashed-back to perhaps a previous life, where two Victorian socialites strolled along, umbrellas shielding the spring sun and the city growing rapidly around them as they enjoyed an afternoon walk in the Big Apple.

Back to the reality of today, we were surrounded by the wives and nannies of Wall Street’s account executives and investment bankers. Thus, our “juice” lacks any substance beyond idle female chatter. “Pick-a-little, talk-a-little, cheep cheep cheep...” blah blah blah. 

Sauced: We will pass Ground Zero again on our next course, which exemplifies the extent of the loss. At roughly 20 square blocks, it is a lot to take in. We are humbled by the destruction, yet inspired by the new attitude.

Continuing our search for deep meaning and cute boys, we look forward to heading north out of the manufactured Battery and into the hip-historic area of Tribecca.

xoxo, Morgan

                                                    A 9/11 Tribute near Ground Zero

Sauced: We had a great third walk. The weather was gorgeous and we covered, in my opinion, two of the most emotional places in the Financial District. We didn't get to walk very long, but we accomplished what we set out for. I am going to keep this entry as short and simple as our course was. 

Stem: We didn't cover too much ground, but what we saw was amazing. We began on the East part of Pine Street and headed West. Finally, the grid is starting to come into play. There were a lot more people on the streets with the sun finally being out. It was great to see all the people exercising, reading, and laying out on the esplanade. This is one of the many things I love about New York.  When it's nice, everyone is outside enjoying the city. Morgan and I were extremely eager to get some food and some drinks. What's better than eating outside on the waterfront with Lady Liberty in the distance?  So we headed to Merchants River House and stuffed our faces. It was amazing. We had much better attitudes when the sun was out and had so much fun!

Seed: One of the first things we crossed was Trinity Church. I have passed this church many times, but I have never seen it more beautiful than it was on this day. I had also never set foot in the cemetery. The tulip trees were all bloomed, the sun was out, and a lot of people were sitting there enjoying their lunches. The church was founded in the 1600s and the architecture definitely shows that. Tom Thumb was married there, Alexander Hamilton is buried there, and although the church was covered with dust and fear after the 9/11 attacks they provided shelter to Lower Manhattan's workers during the tragedy. This place has such a rich history and is still thriving. 

The next thing we took in was Ground Zero. I, unfortunately, never had the chance to see the World Trade Centers when they were still standing. Even though I haven't seen them first hand, it isn't hard to imagine where they used to be. When you're standing near the construction site and looking into the skyline, instead of seeing the usual buildings, you see the blue sky. Not only was this sky once filled with two towers, but they trumped all the buildings near it. Ten years after the attacks and most of the grounds are still fenced in. They are slowly making progress on the first tribute tower. The moment it really hit me was when Morgan and I were walking near the fence and I started picturing myself in that exact spot when the planes hit. Obviously people were walking in the area when both planes hit the towers. What would I have done? Ran away in a panic? Stood there in awe? I just can't even imagine. 

Juice: With all the buzz about Osama Bin Laden's death and the fact that we had just been at the World Trade Center site a couple days prior, we decided to head back down there and pay our respects. I'm not going to deny that Osama's death was a good thing, but it seemed a little morbid that everyone was celebrating his death rather than paying tribute to those who lost their lives. I wanted to head down there and celebrate the lives of those who deserved it and think about all the families who were affected by the horrible tragedy. We passed a little restaurant with a bunch of firemen and police officers who were gathered in celebration. New Yorkers sometimes get a bad rap, but I can say they always come together with pride. I will leave you with this. Where were you when the first plane hit the tower? I was in high school doing testing and I will never forget when they stopped us and turned the TV on. 

Love Always, Jenna

                                                         We are almost done, right?

Getting Wild on Wall Street!!

                               We brought a lot of energy to the Financial District!

Sauce: Well, the Financial District was still the same even though we moved a little more North. This time we brought a new attitude and we were determined to bring some energy to Wall Street. We didn't see as many interesting things, but we sure did learn a lot more about the history of Manhattan. This time we didn't have to read any signs, we got to learn from a third generation New Yorker and let me tell you, I much prefer it.

Stem: Since we approached our second day with a new attitude, the streets seemed a little less confusing and the people a little warmer. Let's be real though, the people still weren't too great. I felt more warmth from the fresh asphalt being laid on Greenwich Street than I did anywhere else. We, apparently, didn't learn our lesson about the temperature the first time because I decided to wear cuffed jeans and Morgan ended up having to purchase a pair of gloves from a street vendor. There weren't too many things to see along this course. We saw interesting architecture, but not too much other than that. The one street we were not able to walk on was New Street, which runs on the west side of the New York Stock Exchange Building. This street is only warranted to employees and security. They block the street in order to reduce the chance of terrorism. We spoke with a few security guards/NYPD and explained our situation. They really wanted to let us through, but they didn't want to risk being terminated. We did get the name of the person in charge and we are going to contact him toward the end of the walk to see if we can be escorted down the street. *Fingers Crossed* We kept up our energy for the most part, until we hit a major sugar low. Morgan and I always seem to bottom out at the same time and we sure are a pleasure to be around when we’re like this. After standing on a corner trying to figure out where to grab lunch, we ultimately decided to grab some trail mix and continue on until a suitable place was found. Unfortunately, the historic and/or cute places were sparse. In the end there was no choice but to go back to Stone Street. Even though it was a little chilly we wanted to sit outside. Morgan wanted pizza at Adriennes and I wanted Shepherd's pie from Stone Street Tavern. We sat at different tables and enjoyed our huge meals by ourselves, but only a stones throw away (get it? Stone street! ha) It was a little awkward, but hilarious. Then we finished our night out with some drinks at the India House.

Seed: What started as a normal, blah day quickly turned into one of the best days I have ever had in NYC. This was all due to a man named Eddie Dunne. We walked into The Blue Bar at Bayards in the India House and were welcomed by a man who quickly became a friend. He immediately got us seated, ordered a round of mojitos and began telling us about the history of the building and Financial District. I kid you not, I probably learned more from him than any history book I have ever read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. He taught us about pirates, Indians, the mob, real New Yorkers and everything in between. There is nothing like sitting at a high-top table looking out a window in a building built in the 1800s and seeing a street that was once a river running through the town. We learned Pearl Street got its name from all the oysters in the area when it was once underwater. Eddie showed us the new menu he was working on. Fittingly so, it was filled with different quotes. One of the only appropriate quotes (haha) said "The energy & vibe of the area always attracts those not afraid of taking risks and always will". I couldn't have felt more at home. They say it takes at least 10 years of living in Manhattan to become a New Yorker, but after exchanging stories with Eddie he said that rule doesn't apply these days. He is third generation, so if he says it then I will say it, too. I AM A NEW YORKER!!!!

Juice: There wasn't too much juice other than all of the hilarious things Eddie told us. Actually, there was a lot of juice. It wasn't apple juice. This time it was juice from a grape, lots and lots of grapes. This is why I am not specifying all the things we learned. I am afraid I will slur the details. Eddie told us A LOT of information and I couldn't write fast enough then the part Morgan wrote was illegible. I will say that our amazing night ended with a drunken ghost hunt on the third floor. Morgan was terrified. I had enough liquid courage to not be spooked, but I am sure I will be scared out of my mind to return. This is exactly why I wanted to start this walk. It isn’t every day that you get to meet someone as interesting as Eddie while sitting in a building that was built in the century when NYC was officially dubbed the “The Empire State”.

Love Always, Jenna

                                               Our new best friend, Eddie 

Motivated by our first course and anxious to see what our next walk had in store, I woke up this past Wednesday ready to spice up the blah-ness of Wall St. With Jenna from the Upper West Side and me from the Upper East, we met in the middle–right in front of the New York Stock Exchange. We began the day’s journey jumping (literally) for joy among the sea of tourists. The gloomy forecast and the robots of Wall Street weren’t going to put a damper on our day. And what a fantastic day it turned out to be!

Stem: Still off the grid, we did our best to pick up from where we left off. I remembered the pedometer this time, so we very accurately began Course #2 on the east side at Pier 11.  Surprised at the lack of security throughout, we took advantage of the open gates and braved the rocking pier. Our freedom didn’t last long however, as in the middle of snapping a prize photo of Jenna simulating sinking on the Titanic, we were graced by the presence of an unhappy female ferry attendant who demanded to see our “invitation.”

“Our what?”

“Your invitation!”

“Umm, well, the gates were open...”

“I can’t wear roller skates at work. Otherwise they’d be closed.”

I really wanted to give her a sticker and tell her it’s ok to smile, but Jenna thought it best we flee before she threw us into the river! (Probably a wise decision.)

Moving west, we passed many areas of disinterest. We noticed slightly more detail in the modern architecture, but still felt the streets lacked any real character. The skyline opened up as we moved into the residential area of Battery Park City. We instantly appreciated the cleanliness of the area, however, it felt like we were transported to suburbia. This cookie-cutter neighborhood encompasses everything two NY transplants are trying to avoid.

With nothing else catching our eye along the way, our tired feet and hungry bellies took us back to Stone Street. The variety was perfect for our differing taste-buds. Unfortunately, our waitresses did not share our contentment, as they were clearly inconvenienced by us enjoying our meals from each restaurant's respective picnic table.

Seed: Satisfied and satiated, we decided to work our way over to the India House,  a beautiful historic building that now houses a private dining club and the not-so-secret Blue Bar. It was here that we met our prize seed: The fabulous Eddie Dunne. Manager of the Blue Bar, he welcomed Jenna and I with open arms and entertained us throughout the evening. A third generation, born and raised in Brooklyn, Eddie is everything a New Yorker should be. With each story he shared, a new bar was set for what we are hoping to encounter along this journey. From the Brooklyn Alphabet-- "Fuckin A, Fuckin B, Fuckin C"-- to the real gangs of New York, we learned everything there is to know about the history of the only three places in the United States: “Brooklyn, New York, and America.”

Juice: Initially unimpressed with the lackluster of Wall Street, we left wishing we could travel back in time to when pirates and gangsters ran the city. Eddie agreed we would have fit in more with that crowd than with the “suits” that run the area now. It comes at no surprise to us that the “Cutie Count” is still at 0.

SAUCED: It took 10,427 steps and a prize meeting with a native, but we have a new appreciation for the history bores-ville contains. We will be returning to this area at some point, as the NY Stock Exchange is apparently on high security 24/7 and no matter how many NYPD officers we smiled at, no one would let us in the gates to walk down New Street! Don't worry, Eddie knows a guy. We'll be back.

Wanting to honor the area, we plan to take our time through the World Trade Center Memorial and Trinity Church during Course #3.

xoxo, Morgan

We are getting there :)

Our First Day!!!!!

                                                  Taking our first steps

For fear NY would never again see a sunny day, we decided to brave the cold and let the journey begin-- rain or shine! At the corner of White hall and State street, just outside the entrance to the Staten Island Ferry in downtown Manhattan, we took our first official steps on our Big Apple Journey.

The Stem: After schlepping it down to the starting point, we quickly realized the downtown streets are not only "off the grid", they're darn right elusive! Alleyways and city blocks proved indecipherable south of Houston. We did our best though, and managed to cover every inch of sidewalk from Battery Park to Broad St. in a mere 8 hours. I forgot the pedometer, so our first records might be slightly skewed. Best guess? We took 100 gajillion steps. Through the winding streets, we caught glimpses of Lady Liberty and Ellis Island, as we reflected upon those who walked the ground before us. Feeling proud of our American roots, we found unfortunate contradictions in the preservation of history. Original brownstones, like Fraunces Tavern-- Manhattan’s oldest building-- were shrouded by square, tasteless towers. We searched for bits and pieces of beauty among the pillars of steel, but the only take-away is a planned warm-weather return to the bars and crowds of Stone St. (perhaps more appropriately named: “Stone Alley”).

The Seed: Battery Park, constructed on years of landfill, housed so many museums, memorials, and iconic works of art, that we expected the inspiration to be overflowing! Unfortunately, the overall attitude of the Financial District left us cold, quiet, and anxious to return north. We appreciated all the sights, however, and found hope in the volunteer farmland of The Battery and the bagpipers of Stone St.

The Juice: We wanted to chat with "locals" about their fave spots for cocktailing and conversing. Except from a brief visit with our farmer friends, we were unable to grab the attention of anyone willing to give us the time of day, let alone invite us to happy hour! Apparently the financial district only takes notice of briefcase-clad women in pencil skirts, pumps and a button down. Left to our own devices, we found a cute-ish new restaurant on the corner of Pearl St. where we feasted on fine wine and lobster mac ‘n cheese. It ranked “OK,” but among the oldest brownstones in the city, we had hoped to stumble upon the oldest little bar that had been serving the same thing for the last 300 years. To further prove our discontent, the pub around the corner was established in 2010. 2010! Our post-walk fare was much more enjoyable. We returned to Fraunces Tavern for a beer (or two) and up-scale bar food. The historic building ranked “AWESOME,” with a museum upstairs and 3 bars all with a their own distinct ambiance. Unfortunately, the investment bankers lining the bar still took no notice to us “commoners”.

Sauced!: Overall, the walk was a success. We found our bearings, appreciated the history, and enjoyed each-others’ company-- which was a good thing, since no one else would talk to us! Next on the map: Wall St. and the Twin Towers!

XOXO, Morgan

                                       Camilla and Mia working on the farm




Sauced:I didn't know exactly what to expect in our first walk. I was, to say the least, ecstatic to begin the adventure I've been thinking about and planning for 6 months. Morgan and I knew the first few walks would be the most challenging just from looking at the map. The southern-most part of the island lies off the grid and zig-zags all over the place. Besides being puzzling geographically we were also baffled by the things and people we saw. We absolutely found the stereotypes to be true. The lack of emotions in the suit clad residents matched the lack of clouds and blankness in the air. The financial district wouldn't be my ideal neighborhood to work or live, but the history drew me in. There is without a doubt a unique feeling in this area. 

Stem: Although the streets were insanely confusing, we managed to get around with just a map in hand. Using a map and not a phone like I usually do was refreshing. It was almost as empowering as walking around the city without a purse. If you live in NYC, try it. I swear you'll feel like a new person. The weather was also a factor on our first course. We weren't expecting the temperature to drop 20 degrees near the water. It wasn't the most pleasant day to begin, but we were chomping at the bits to get started. Battery Park and the Promenade were gorgeous due to the landscape design and the amount of artwork. There was a lot of historical artwork (Korean War Memorial) mixed in with more recent (9/11) and abstract pieces of art (Keith Haring).The historical and modern mix was also reflected in the architecture. Water Street is compiled of mostly steel skyscrapers and then you walk around the corner into Coenties Alley and you're surrounded by history. 

Seed: Castle Clinton located in Battery Park holds a lot of history. Not only was it used in the British Invasion and for entertainment, it was eventually the first immigrant landing depot in the U.S. before Ellis Island. It was inspiring to stand in a structure where over 8 million immigrants once stood to claim their freedom. Beaming with emotion we continued our walk to the non-touristy streets to find NOTHING.The streets lined with the newer buildings and clean concrete housed those who were also concrete in their ways. Usually you can see all different cultures in one area, not here. There was nothing, not even any homeless. The only energy on those streets were us. Don't get me wrong, some streets had personality, like Stone Street and Battery Place. The mood changed on every street, like any other part of the city, but this different. There was always an unsettling feeling. Although there were people on every street, you somehow felt alone. Then you would turn a corner and there would be a Scottish group playing bagpipes. The lack of emotion and then sudden burst of entertainment was almost as muddled as the streets. Before we knew it we walked onto a TV set.

Juice: With summer approaching, TV/Film sets are sprouting up everywhere. We walked onto a set with.... drum roll.... please.... Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise. It was awesome. Actually it was only awesome for about 5 seconds. That's how long it took us to realize the security guard was a liar. It turned out they were shooting an NBC pilot called Prime Suspect. Although there weren't any A-listers, it was still fun. You don't see that everyday in the Midwest. While I enjoyed discovering the Financial District, I won't be changing my jeans for a women's suit anytime soon.

LOVE ALWAYS, Jenna

We made a lot of progress :)