AALP Class 14 North American Study Tour - July 8, 2012

AALP loves NY!

After passing through numerous security checks we were able to experience Ground Zero and the 911 Memorial, such a small site for such devastation.

Following this somber visit, the Staten Island Ferry was a highlight for some, with Miss Liberty herself standing proud and tall as they sailed by. Martha, NY's Book of Knowledge (aka the tour guide) took us through the many neighborhoods of Manhattan. A stop at the Chelsea Market, a former cookie factory now a thriving marketplace provided a wonderful stop. Many left with a cool treat of ice cream or gelato and talking about the huge lobsters numerous visitors were enjoying from the seafood market inside. Then it was up to the High Line....what a wonderful idea. An old elevated freight railway line above the city streets is now transformed into a garden path for locals and tourists to enjoy. Though we were missing our classmate, Michelle, as in Wall (St.), we burrowed deep into the burrough of NY - Manhattan, (also Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island). Five million people in New York and with the tourists numbering 50%!

A stop at a flea market in Harlem gave some the chance to haggle and score a bargain or two. More than a few knock offs made it onto the bus (especially purses and hand bags). Central Park, 843 acres all man-made on a swamp showed us some green space in an area that overwhelms with towering architecture, cultural differences, rich and poor, all with a crush of activity around. Never could there be a visit to NY without a stop on Broadway and a peek inside the likes of Trump Tower, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Abercrombie and Fitch.

The tour ended at Time’s Square and left the evening open in the Big Apple. An evening, yet to be discovered by a group of sophisticates ready to lead(ership) themselves to perhaps a Broadway Theatre, some famous restaurants and all the sights, smells and experiences of Manhattan on a hot and sultry July night. 1 mile = 20 city blocks. Will they take the town........stay tuned.

Adam Garniss, Karen Mansfield, Remi Van De Slyke - Class 14

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