The next morning, we decided to visit the “9/11 Museum”. I have been to the Freedom Tower many times through the years but never had I been to the Museum. Although the line to buy tickets was a bit long, I have certainly seen longer. Once we got the tickets there was no line. The museum was every bit as moving as I had heard. I am haunted by the recording of someone’s voicemail telling his wife in one of the two messages he left that it looked like someone hit the tower next to him and that he would probably be stuck in his building for a while. The museum itself is a blend of architecture, archaeology and history. There are remnants of fire trucks, police cars, personal items and exhibits.
Once we were finished visiting this museum, we realized we only had about an hour before our pre-arranged tour of Wall Street; so, I recommended “Fraunces Tavern” which was nearby. I explained to Mayi that it was the oldest bar in New York and where George Washington had given his farewell address to his officers after the war. Once again, we were not disappointed. I had a delicious cheeseburger! The entire place is historic and very comfortable. Unfortunately it was truly a “dine and dash” (although we did pay!) because we had to rush to meet our tour guide at a nearby Starbucks.
As it turned out we were the only two on this tour, so it was, essentially, a private tour… or so he told me. Richard was incredibly knowledgeable. He took us to the inside of the Oculus, which can, from its underground, be walked to the other side of the entire building to Le District. He explained how expensive it was to build, and that each tile on the floor and walls cost $1,200; the tiles are marble and imported from Italy. Richard also added that the tiles need to be replaced often due to wear and tear. He talked about McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company and Bain Capital, each true pioneers in finance. He then took us through a high rise named Brookfield Place, a 14-acre commercial complex on the Hudson. The building has 40 floors, is seven million square feet and was built in 1986. It houses major corporations such as Meredith, Le District (a french inspired marketplace), 14 eateries, luxury commercial shops and five acres surrounding the building with beautiful landscaping. It is luxury at its finest. We then walked back towards Wall Street and walked through the Trinity Church cemetery to see Alexander Hamilton’s burial site.
Our next stop was the Federal Hall National Memorial on Wall Street, which is where George Washington took the oath of office as our first President. This site would become the first offices for Congress, the Supreme Court and the executive branch. Later it served as part of the US sub-treasury. I had walked in front of it many times but never gave it much thought. It was incredible to me that this building held so much history and yet here it is a few blocks away from where I am staying. It is open to the public and yet very little foot traffic.
Very close to the Federal Hall National Memorial is the Bull of Wall Street. The bull weighs 7,100 pounds, it is bronze and 11’ tall. The charging bull symbolizes aggressive financial optimism and prosperity. The artist dropped the bull off illegally on December 14, 1989 in front of the NY Stock Exchange. Members of the Stock Exchange did not appreciate this “gift” so the New York Police Department was called and the statue was taken to an impound lot within a few days. The locals complained and demanded that the bull be returned and so the New York Department of Parks and Recreation placed the statue at its new location, two blocks from the New York Stock Exchange just 7 days later from the first drop-off on December 14th, 1989. Who says the public has no voice???
The Fearless girl is in front of the NY Stock Exchange and it represents the urging of higher representation of women on corporate boards. It was installed on March 7, 2017 in anticipation of International Women’s Day on March 8th. It also has become a popular tourist attraction.
On my many walks on Broadway (a block away from me) I noticed strips on the sidewalk with sporadic names and dates. Richard explained that these granite strips were markers to signify the occurrence of a ticker tape parade. In total, NYC has had 206 parades beginning in 1919 (to honor soldiers from WWI), and the last in 2021 honoring the health workers during COVID. The parade has always been on Broadway starting in Lower Manhattan and concludes at City Hall. This section of Broadway is also knows as “Canyon of Heroes.” And, just in case you are wondering, the ticker tape was originally used for stock quotes on the stock exchange. Clever way to recycle… but can you imagine the cleanup?
On my many walks on Broadway (a block away from me) I noticed strips on the sidewalk with sporadic names and dates. Richard explained that these granite strips were markers to signify the occurrence of a ticker tape parade. In total, NYC has had 206 parades beginning in 1919 (to honor soldiers from WWI), and the last in 2021 honoring the health workers during COVID. The parade has always been on Broadway starting in Lower Manhattan and concludes at City Hall. This section of Broadway is also knows as “Canyon of Heroes.” And, just in case you are wondering, the ticker tape was originally used for stock quotes on the stock exchange. Clever way to recycle… but can you imagine the cleanup?
After the tour, it was time for a drink and this was when Mayi realized she didn’t have her credit card in her purse (the one she used at lunch). Hmmm! I wondered if my sunglasses were with the card. We killed two birds with one stone and went back to Fraunce’s. The card was there, the sunglasses were not, and we discovered a third bar in the same building known as the “Whiskey Bar”. Incredible and comfortable. The bar is small, only serves whiskey drinks, about three small tables, comfortable chairs and a fireplace.
We left Fraunce’s, walked to a nearby bakery and bought a fresh baguette for our dinner, which consisted of bread, wine and cheese on the rooftop. We were both quite happy with the meal and our view:
