South Street Seaport and Downtown Manhattan
New York City - January 16, 2010
We went to South Street Seaport in downtown Manhattan on the Saturday of January 16, 2010. The winter day was extremely mild -- the temperature reached 50 when normal average for this time of year is freezing at 32 degrees.

Downtown Manhattan is at the mouth of the Hudson River and so is the oldest European settlement in New York. Many old buildings there constructed in the 1800s are restored as museums today.

Downtown Manhattan is also called the "Financial District" because of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. The requirement that major financial institutions have a physical presence there created its own cluster of steel and glass skyscrapers apart from those found in midtown.

Also found downtown are the gothic and Victorian government buildings surrounding Foley Square.

So you can imagine downtown Manhattan to have a diversity of building architectures all concentrated in one small locale.

We chose to go to South Street Seaport because it sits almost between the Financial District and the government buildings in Foley Square. We did not know that Brooklyn Bridge -- another New York landmark -- is visible from South Street Seaport. And so it was to us a big bonus to our photo-seeking walk.

New York City is known as a "melting pot" because of the mix of races, cultures, and ethnic groups living there side-by-side. But after viewing the pictures we took especially of the buildings both old and modern standing there side-by-side, we thought that "melting pot" may as well apply to the city's architecture, too.

We hope you enjoy the pictures. Thank you for looking.

 Click on a picture to enlarge.
Lunch was nothing special. We wanted to eat non-fastfood but when we saw South Street Seaport in the distance we went into the first restaurant we saw -- Wendy's -- to get lunch out of the way so we can start taking pictures.
After lunch we walked towards South Street. Vi and I spread out looking for shots.In this picture Vi is in foreground-center near the sign surveying the scene with camera at the ready. Cody is patiently waiting by the chain-link fence on the left.
Old buildings along Water Street.
Stroll along Water Street.
Listening to music on Front Street.
Pub on corner of Fulton and South Streets.
New York being New York -- that is, anything goes without regard to aesthetic complementarities -- walking along cobblestones and brick walls it is hard to make-believe I'm in Europe what with the constant nagging presence of looming skyscrapers breathing down my neck.
Restaurant and shopping mall at South Street Seaport. Vi took this photo.
Circle Line ticket booth.
Cody said this must be a late build judging by the steel bowsprit. He's right, according to the South Street Seaport website,
Rope rigging for the Peking. Vi took this photo.
Water on East River. Vi took this photo.
Financial District seen from South Street Seaport.
Brooklyn Bridge. Vi took this photo.
Brooklyn Bridge Brooklyn side.
New York Water Taxi.
Barge on East River.
Brooklyn Bridge Manhattan side. A fellow photography enthusiast (Walter S) at steves-digicams.com says of this photo,
Brooklyn Bridge with a portion of the Brooklyn skyline. Vi took this photo.
Barge with Brooklyn skyline in the background. Vi took this photo.
Brooklyn as seen from the docks of South Street Seaport. Vi took this photo.
Seagull on the pier. Vi took this photo.
Man feeding seagulls.
Outdoor dining tables.
The weather was mild -- it reached the 50s -- but still it was winter and so outdoor furniture remain stacked. Vi took this photo.
Beer, however, continues to be served on the pier regardless of the season.
Shops along South Street Seaport.
Vi and Cody.
Me.
Me and Cody.
View as we headed out from South Street Seaport. Vi took this photo.
Brooklyn Bridge as viewed from along the streets of downtown Manhattan. To be viewable from above building rooftops just shows the sheer size of Brooklyn Bridge.
Federal government buildings on Foley Square. Vi took this photo.
Foley Square seems to be a favorite hangout for local teenagers who are into skateboarding .I asked Cody if he knew how to skateboard. He said,
New York City Supreme Court building. Vi took this photo.
Brooklyn Bridge Subway Station at City Hall Park. New York City Hall is the small building right behind the station.
Manhattan Municipal Building. It is
Manhattan Municipal Building spire. Vi took this photo. I used a
New York City Hall at night.
Chinatown in Canal Street at night.
Corner of Mott and Bayard Streets in Chinatown. I had a cup of taho at this corner.
Vegetable vendor on Mulberry Street in Chinatown.
Chinatown store.
Whereas lunch was fastfood, dinner, on the other hand, was extra special -- authentic Chinese cuisine you can't get anywhere else in Manhattan but in Chinatown.Care for beef with Chinese broccoli?
Or perhaps roast duck dripping in artery-blocking fat and cooking oil? Vi took this photo.
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