NYC - Staten Island Edition

Greetings!

Let's continue with the NYC marathon, yes?

Excellent.

There are many islands around Manhattan, New Jersey, Brooklyn etc, all of which you've probably heard of - Liberty, Staten, Ellis etc. They all have different things on them and at first it was all confusing, but then not really. 

Point being, there exists a free (free! free! free!) ferry from the southern tip of Manhattan to Staten Island, which I found out is actually fully populated and a thing all in and of itself. I don't know why I didn't know this, but point being, now I know.

Much of the area near the water was very damaged after Hurricane Sandy - the escalators inside the ferry terminal didn't work (how will we survive) and both Ellis and Liberty Islands were completely closed down, which means no climbing to the top of Lady Liberty herself, which I really wanted to do. 

Anyway, here be pictures.

Boarding.

On board. Found a pretty good spot at the window. 

Manhattan! 

Ellis Island. 

Hi hi. 

Oh hey, lady.

Super super creepy zoom can get a bit dodgy, but still. Super super creepy zoom. 

Arriving - wooden ports slowly being carved by bad drivers. Bumpy arrival. Amusing, though.

Manhattan from Staten. 

So I worked out that Staten Island is kind of like the small, awkward country cousin of Manhattan. It has NYC things, but in an odd small town kind of way.

This funny little place only a half hour from one of the biggest cities in the world. For lunch; there wasn't much open and all we could find was this little place that looked like it just sold dodgy sandwiches BUT actually had a good variety of nice homemade food. Staten Island, you deceptive thing. 

Really like that tagline.

Back on board - 

Because terrorism! Obviously. Go America. 

Suddenly: lighthouse on rolling green hills! (I think it's just weird light on piles of gravel or something, but still)

Back on Manhattan, walking up to see the financial district.

Financial district is old Manhattan - lots of little curvy, cobble stone alleyways, and a proper concrete jungle. 

Wall St.

Even now, it has an odd, empty and sad kind of atmosphere about it. Like everyone's been hurt and no one's inspired to do much anymore.

Of course he's still around. 

We found the bull! I didn't quite get it. 

Walking down to Ground Zero.

When I was last here, it was about a year after 9/11, and all I (quite vividly) remember a massive hole in the ground, surrounded by a fence completely covered in letters and flowers and teddy bears and every other thing that made you want to cry for a week.

Now it's completely unrecognisable - they're rebuilding a world trade centre, which'll be the tallest building in America when it's done (that's the massive half finished one in all the photos) - but apparently the whole area is going to be all new skyscrapers on World Trade Center Place. 

We were on the opposite side of the memorial, which I really wanted to see also, but it was late and people were getting tired and worse for wear.

On this side though was a huge copper memorial plaque. 

Rest in peace to all those gone, peace to those who aren't and I'll see all of you next time.