NYC! Part I "Lower Downtown Manhattan"

Hey all! I just got back from New York yesterday! I couldn't wait to write about this one while it's fresh!
This weekend trip is marked into history forever as my first big travel adventure with my husband!

How this came to be was an impromptu visit to meet family at our Uncle's new pad and to celebrate our Aunt's birthday at Grandpa's house. It's taking some getting used to realizing my family grew dramatically! We arrived Friday evening after about 4 hours. The map said it would be much faster, but once we hit construction and some traffic, it delayed our arrival time. We got there safely, hung out with family, and crashed that night to prepare for a big tourist day.

Saturday the family took us on a ferry for the first time since I was a kid! It was a bit chilly and super windy, but still enjoyable!

Once we got to the other side, we were met with some unusual entertainment. These three guys were street gymnasts. They went around the city performing shows for tips. They did an airborne flip over six people!

We did a lot of walking, visited the 9/11 World Trade Center towers Memorial. First time I have seen this. The last time I saw anything of the real towers was back when I was younger. My family visited Ellis Island and New Jersey so we saw the outskirts of NYC from a ferry, but never made it into the city itself. I think it was a year or two years before the towers came down that we got a family picture standing in front of the skyline. Now this is all that's left of it.

We ran into this guy too who was hanging out next to a building. He let me use his walky talky. I couldn't tell if he was made out of duct tape or paint. Maybe a little bit of both. Pretty impressive actor!

My impressions of Lower (Downtown) Manhattan:

Majestic skyscrapers. If you look up and stare at the clouds and the top of the skyscrapers, you can see the earth rotating. It makes you dizzy!
The overwhelming, claustrophobic effect of being squished in narrow streets, surrounded by buildings that swallow you up and strain your neck if you stare upwards too long.

Uniquely artistically designed buildings, structures, and architecture.

Crowded streets with wide diversity of tourists from all kinds of countries.
A fashion trend setter. A wealthy hub of department stores and restaurants.
Pricey, but large, single size pizza slices that is known to be eaten folded in half long ways. I had my taste of this Sunday actually when we ordered pizza at the house.
A surprising heat smoke that rises from underground portals that will take your breath away if you're not prepared. Blech!
Thick New Yorker accents, street corner sellers, and high security everywhere.

There were so many NYPD cars lined up on the streets!

We also came across St. Paul's Church and cemetery. This church contributed to helping out during 9/11. Firemen and volunteers were taken care of as they cleared away rubble and rescued victims.

I'm sure there is so much more I missed and there are even more pictures, but I recommend at least visiting once to see all of this history. It's rather fascinating. Make your own memories and take pictures that you will cherish for years to come.

After we went back on the ferry to the other side, we hit New Jersey to visit Grandpa and celebrate our Aunt's birthday. I met so many new family members. (I am not posting any pictures of the family to protect privacy wishes since this is a public blog.) I have to say when starting to meet family and now being referred to "Jason' wife", it's kind of a reality check that you're getting older and have moved on from other stages of life. It sure comes with new responsibility.

We had a really nice dinner and indulged in German chocolate cake. Now I'm not a cake or sweets person, but occasionally I will try cake if it's cheesecake, carrot cake, or German chocolate. Though it has been so long since i have had that I forgot how that is one of the flavors on my tiny "yes to sweets" list. :P

After dessert we played a game of Taboo. Grandpa kept score. Somehow the team with the least points still won. I'm thinking a miscount haha.

It was getting late but we were encouraged to go visit mid Manhattan where the big lights hang out.
Because of so many good pictures I wanted to share, I've divided this NYC trip into two posts so the next is here: NYC Part II "Midtown Manhattan"