you can picture this, right? white background, black letters, and a big red heart?

having spent an entire day and a half here, I can say, “I [heart] NY.” it’s absolutely stunning. it’s its own culture. I’ve heard a dozen different languages, seen the same, and smelled the delicacies of them all, too. of all the big cities I’ve visited, this towers above them all. L.A.? blah. Chicago? nice, but a wee bit small. Dallas? marvelous seminary, but the downtown hardly qualifies.

determined to capitalize on my brief amount of time, I woke up at 6:45am, got ready for the day, and headed out the door by 7:15am.

I hopped on the subway at 8th Ave and 50th, and rode down to Chambers St. exited, walked around Ground Zero, and then down to Battery Park. squinted at Ellis Island, paced past the Holocuast Museum, and then went to Wall St. saw the famous bronze bull and Bowling Green.

walked all the way down Wall St, past the Federal Memorial and NYSE, to the bay to take a look at the Brooklyn Bridge. back up Wall St and up Broadway to…Bleecker St, Strand’s Bookstore, and then the Empire State Building.

left there with some friends of Tom Basile, the director of the Bowery Mission, to visit their work. this place is incredible, and God has been tremendously generous to this ministry.

took a spin down Mulbery St (Little Italy) for the Feast of San Gennaro, peeked at Chinatown, and then picked up the “6″ all the way to 86th St. scooted over to the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, down and through Central Park, and snagged a “Recession Special” at Gray’s Papaya - two dogs and a drink for $3.50.  true to their word: “the best damned frank you’ll ever eat.”

now I headed south on Broadway, past the Lincoln Center and Juliard, to my hotel. it was a gloriously long day. you can see all the pictures on my flickr photostream.

a word to the wise: don’t attempt this in your dress shoes. I earned two blisters, like water-logged quarters, one on each foot. I still [heart] NY, though.