Last NYC for a while

[grabbing a photo from April the last time I was here because this go-round I didn't have my camera]

The meeting ended early enough for me to hop on the Lexington Avenue subway and head downtown to City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge. I walked to the midpoint but since it was a bit breezy and therefore a bit chilly I didn't go all the way over to Brooklyn. Just for yuks, I sat on one of the benches close to the halfway point and looked back at the Chrysler and Empire State buildings. Despite the cool weather, there were lots and lots of people out for a stroll. Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge is simply one of those things I have to do when I am in NYC; it's almost a holy place. Could it be because a great-uncle once worked on it changing its light bulbs?

Then I walked down Park Row, popping into J&R music world to get a little salsa and cumbia music, before crossing Broadway to Saint Paul's Chapel. I had thought of lighting a candle but there were none to be lit and the place was an utter zoo. I forgot that it probably would be since it's Saturday and I haven't been there on a weekend. It was too chaotic with all these people milling around that I couldn't pray there so I simply crossed it and left by way of the graveyard.

Then back on the E train up to 23rd Street to wander over to Chelsea Square to see what's going on with the seminary construction. The old building on Ninth Avenue is gone and the new one is going up. They're at the concrete floor stage. The name of the forthcoming edifice is so pretentious (as they want it to be) but also off-putting: Chelsea Enclave. Oh please. It will be strange for future seminarians to confront that as they enter the Close. Anyway, the 'hood still contains a few relics from my time: the Ha Ha grocers, the Moonstruck Diner and a few other joints but there are more upscale restaurants there than in my time.

Since it was warmer on the West Side inland, I walked up to the zoo that is called Penn Station and waited in the waiting area for my train, the Ethan Allen. Too bad I had to bail in Albany because the train comes up to Rutland. But I couldn't catch it on the way down.

Now it's time to close up shop so as to be alert (? si se puede) for my third Sunday at Trinity, my second track-race type Sunday.