New York City 2007

We went to New York for Chinese New Year. We had never been in NYC for this event as a family. In fact, Judy has NEVER been home for New Year's. She's a bad Chinese daughter. One thing we always like is the food we get.

Umm....

Davey uses chopsticks with his left hand!

Everyone enjoyed the big meal at the restaurant.

 

Around New York, we saw many sites. One thing we wanted to see was Trinity Church where the the treasure turns up in the movie "National Treasure". Alexander Hamilton's grave is near there.

 

Fvlton. They really mean "Fulton". Why couldn't they chisel out a "U" if they could chisel out an "O"?

We had to take a picture of this sidewalk decoration which has Geof's true birthday for the date.

June, Judy's sister, put a beautiful Martin acoustic guitar on "permanent" loan with Joey. Joey was ecstatic!

Judy and Geof's hotel room. Very small, but nice.

There was no room to put our luggage, so we used the second bed.

 

 

This was a really cool looking sink and faucet.

It was really cold in NY while we were there. Generally, it was in the teens.

We enjoyed Ferrara's Italian Bakery near our hotel room. Not only do they have great desserts, but they make wonderful paninis.

In Chinatown, you can find everything to eat for sale regardless of the time of year.

This fish market has lots of variety.

These are goeduck clams. They look disgusting. And they're expensive!

Joey likes to take pictures of goofy signs as we sightsee. But that bakery.... is a nice one!

These are the 'tombs'. They used to be the jails.

We visited a flower market set up for Chinese New Year at Columbus Park.

Inside are flowers and crafts of all kinds.

This is a calligrapher. He would make signs for you to hang for New Year's.

 

Inside a restaurant where much of Judy's family had lunch with us. This is the area where people would have wedding banquets. The newlywed couple would sit at one of these head tables.

Vino (John's wife) with Leanne and Ma at the lunch table.

John and Vino

Judy's sister Beany (Frances) between Judy and Ma.

This is John. We all call him "Gems". His Chinese name is Gen Men. I don't think we've ever called him John.

Such good food!

 

Andrew hides from the camera.

 

Crowded streets in Chinatown.

Glitzy things for the New Year.

Joey thought this was cute, since he had a teacher named Rossi.

Guess what Joey likes?

The subway station. Grand Street. D train.

 

At Radio City Music Hall for a Chinese New Year spectacular. Radio City is more spectacular than the show was.

 

Dinner with Beany's family at Boca Chica. This is Beany with Sammy.

Beany and her twin boys, Mike (in the hood, like a ninja) and Sammy.

 

 

 

 

 

Jordan Shakeshaft, Helen's daughter.

 

Jordan and her latest boyfriend.

In Ma's condo. Joey and David stayed there with her.

The building where Judy's Dad had a printing shop when Judy was a little girl. 112 Mulberry Street. It's in Little Italy.

Breakfast in a small diner on East Broadway, near Chatham Square.

A view from Ma's balcony. Ma lives on the 7th floor, the first of the floors with balconys. Ma grows all sorts of plants on this little balcony. She has a green thumb.

Joey was reviewing the crosses he has made for Ma. This is the latest one.

This was the first one he made. He was only about 11 years old at the time.

It was really cold while we were in NYC. You can see the snow left in the gutters. Here, the police are setting up baracades for the Chinese New Year parades.

A guy walking around on high tech stilts. And bright yellow underpants on top of pink tights. Only in NYC....

 

Crowds are forming. The tall building is Confucius Plaza. It is so populated that they had to build an elementary school just for those children. The school is on the ground level. The pagoda looking golden building toward the right is a Chinese bank.

June (in the pony tail and blue headband)is leading the crowd of us through the heart of Chinatown toward Little Italy. We were walking on Mott Street.

Celebration flags adorn the buildings.

 

 

 

NYC has banned fireworks for the New Year celebration (this was disappointing!) so people use the little poppers that pop out confetti when you pull a string (know what I mean?). They make a pretty big popping noise.

The corner of Mott and Pell.

 

Funny things everywhere in Chinatown!

The crowds have gotten thick. Joey loves this photo of a guy in a Russian looking hat.

When we approached Bayard St, I yelled to June, "We need to go on Mulberry Street!" thinking it would be less crowded.

We're walking on Bayard Street. See the "tombs" in front? I love that bridge -- there was an old bridge in the original tombs, called the "Bridge of Sighs" just like in Venice. It was just as crowded as Mott St.

When we got to Mulberry street, there was the lion dance that everyone is here to see. We have a video of this on the CD.

It was extremely crowded on Mulberry St. So Judy yells, "Who's dumb idea was it to come over to Mulberry?!?"

We stopped in an Italian restaurant in Little Italy for lunch.

A goofy singer who thinks he's Frank Sinatra walks around singing in the restaurant. Here, he's trying to get a tip from our table. Maybe it was because June and Judy were singing along!

Headed back out in the city. This is the court house.

 

 

 

Now we are at South Street Seaport.

The human body exhibit is here. We didn't go because we thought it was too much money just to be grossed out.

 

 

 

There really are ships down here, not just shopping and eating.

 

 

 

 

 

Judy's cousin John Chu (blue jacket) was visiting Ma while we were there, and he went sightseeing with us.

 

Everyone recognizes the Brooklyn Bridge, right? The bridge behind it is the Manhattan Bridge. The one further north is the Williamsburg Bridge. They all connect Manhattan with Brooklyn.

Joey loves "Family Guy".

 

Joey and Dave went to a fancy restaurant (Smith and Wollensky's) with Judy's sister, Susan and her boyfriend Dean, while Judy and Geof were at the Blue Note watching Kurt Elling sing. They took a photo of the wine list because there was a bottle of wine (Hermitage) from 1964 that cost $618.

Susan and Dean. Susan is the pretty one.

A snack at Ferrara's. They have ever kind of pastry you can imagine. Judy simply *had* to buy treats for her children friends.