Book shopping on Broadway

Well it's safe to say today has been another truly amazing day. I am now officially hooked on the city and it's very easy to see why the city has the reputation it has. Best of all, when you're here all the amazing things just seem normal, you feel like a local and just like why haven't I been doing this all along? That's not to say other cities aren't great - even Sheffield where I live (which is much smaller) is a great place to live and has come a long way in the 21st century. Still, New York is at the very top of it's game and simply can't compare to other places.

Cool underground art at 36 St subway station.

Most of today was taken up by visiting the Ellis and Liberty Islands to see the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, where many hundreds of thousands of people from all backgrounds and countries arrived in the city during the 20th century. It's a lengthy expedition, with constant crowds of people queueing up for tickets then an hours wait to go through airport style  security. It really is worth it though; it's very nature means you're not likely to do it again in a hurry and as such make the most of every moment.

Manhattan as seen from the Liberty/Ellis Island ferry.

Pedestal access tickets to the onsite museum are hard to come by unless you start early, and crown access tickets even harder (unless you take advantage of the ticket touts assaulting you in your way out of South Ferry subway station). Everyone has to go through security though and it was a sunny day, so we were happy enough to just wander round taking pictures through the throng before boarding the ferry again over to Ellis Island.

Not really sure what this is.

The views from the boat are tremendous, although tinged with sadness still as you note the twin towers missing from the skyline, lost to history. There's no time for sadness though as you head off the boat and into Ellis Island museum. The museum itself is fascinating and free to enter (though the ferry ticket to get here costs), but is quite time consuming. I bought a nice affordable book from the museum gift shop with stories from immigrants from all over the world from the early 20th century to the present day about their lives after arrival in America.

Statue of Liberty as seen from Ellis Island.

Back in Manhattan we had a cheeky snack of bacon cheese fries (delicious) before heading to the Strand bookshop on Broadway. Absolutely huge with (it's said) over 18 miles of books, a massive bibliophile (i.e. me) could spend hours in there. I didn't however but managed to find a copy of the beautiful hard cover book I'd seen previously about the  Grand Central Rail Terminal in the New York Transit Museum at Central station for an amazing $12.95 as compared to $50 in the museum. I was reeling in a positive way at the price so bought another small Taschen art book I'd had my eye on for $8.95 before making my escape, ever conscious of my increasing luggage weight.

The Strand bookstore on Broadway - this is a dangerous place.

Dinner was had in Brooklyn again, this time at a German style bierhalle. Currywurst, fries and a hofbrau dunkel for just under $20. Nice! We were pretty tired by this point so headed back to the hotel to settle down. Tomorrow we're moving our things over to our Manhattan-based hotel so it should be easier to explore upper Manhattan or just take a break in the middle of the day if necessary. I still need to see Central Park, Top of the rock, 9/11 Memorial museum, MoMA, Friend's house and so many other things in the next 5 days I don't know where to start.

Very cool good shop and deli in Brooklyn.

I still can't believe I'm so close to all these things and it's very easy to see why New Yorkers love their city. On the way back to the hotel I discovered an amazing food shop and deli in Williamsburg and picked up an artsy magazine in a bookstore known as The Brooklyn Rail which I'm going to sit and read now - critical perspectives on arts, politics and culture await! Time to get my hipster on - until tomorrow ;)

The Big Apple

Our first taste of Manhattan crossing the bridge on the subway.

Our first full day in the big city dawned bright and (reasonably clear). After breakfast I was very much torn by what to do first with so much choice around me. Should I explore Brooklyn first, or Manhattan? Given that it was so close, the temptation was there, but as we're based in Brooklyn for the first few days we decided to start here. Somewhat ironically, we had to take the subway to Union St 14 station in Manhattan before changing to the L line to cross back into Brooklyn for our first stop.

All aboard for the Brooklyn Brewery tour.

This was to be the Brooklyn Brewery, which I had tried to book on a tour for a few weeks before my arrival into the city, but unfortunately they had sold out for the week I was here. Happily, they also offer free tours at weekends for which no reservations are allowed, but you just turn up and take your chances - luckily, we had no problems doing so. As we arrived just after the last tour had left we had plenty of time so we had a beer from the bar in the brewery itself: $5 for a delicious Greenmarket wheat beer in my case.

The famous Wythe Hotel. Drinks planned here later in the week on the rooftop bar!

As the tour itself had been free instead of $14 I also treated myself to one of the breweries big bottles, Local number 2 with European malt and hops, Belgian dark sugar and raw wildflower honey from a New York family farm. At 9% ABV it is definitely a thing to be savoured. After leaving the brewery we headed to Rough Trade Records, a cool CD and vinyl shop with some vintage Otis Redding on vinyl as well as a cool release by a band called Eagulls - released by a Brooklyn based record label I thought I was onto a winner after hearing it on the listening post...until I discovered the band were from Leeds in Yorkshire - d'oh!

The amazing Grand Central rail terminal.

Next up we took a brief stroll down to Bushwick Inlet Park on the riverside for a view across into Manhattan. Sadly it was somewhat windy and cold at this point and overcast conditions meant the photos weren't the best. We headed back to the subway station to cross back over into Manhattan, where we changed trains to explore Grand Central railway terminus. As the starting point for many commuter trains headed north of the city it remains a fantastically beautiful building and with a range of shops and historic features inside.

The historic clock over the information booth in Grand Central.

We had a quick coffee and a snack from Café Grumpy (made me laugh) in the station then headed outside to just roam the streets for a while. We headed north along Fifth Avenue and came out at Bryant Park, a pleasantly green leafy spot with a random collection of chairs and books outside where you could just sit and read. We headed over the road and came across a Japanese bookstore selling all manner of books on Japanese culture, fiction etc in a range of languages. Somehow I wasn't at all surprised to see this in New York!

The attractive Bryant Park just off Fifth Avenue.

After leafing through the shelves for a while we left the shop and meandered over to Times Square, which came up on us before we knew it. I was pleased to walk the streets a little, as you see and do more than is possible below ground. Given we're currently based in Brooklyn, we've no choice but to rely on the subway, although this is an experience in itself and doesn't take too long to get to places if you plan your route. Still, New York is very much a walking city and if you group sights together there's no reason you can't spend an entire day without ever getting a train if you put your mind to it.

The famous Times Square approaching dusk.

Veering off track there, anyway Times Square isn't quite what I thought. It's certainly very impressive, and full of  tourists, but somehow felt different to how I expected. I can't put it any other way, but suffice it to say it's cooler in the evening as it starts to get dark and the light show comes into it's own. I bought a nice canvassy print in a cardboard frame from a Russian guy for $2 (hopefully with no links to the Mafia) - there were loads of them making it hard to choose but I settled on a print showing all the shows on display in the square. It's my hope to see something off (or on) Broadway later in the week, possibly Arthur Miller's The Crucible (hello Sheffield!) at the Walter Kerr theatre.

Museum and gift shop dedicated to Hershey's in Times Square.

Time was marching on so we headed back into Brooklyn for dinner. We had planned to eat at Łomżynianka, a Polish restaurant in Williamsburg. Sadly it had closed down when we got there, so we had clearly been misled by Google. Nonetheless we chose a cosy, candlelit bar called All's well where I had delicious gnocchi in a cheese sauce with asparagus and a lager from another local outfit Six point brewing. Following on this we went to the hotel to retire. It's now 8 minutes to midnight so time for some sleep ready for another hectic day of exploring tomorrow!

Leaving St. Louis

It's a strange feeling leaving St. Louis after a week here, and somewhat sad. I know I'm flying to New York this evening and it's highly likely to be considerably more exciting than anything I've ever experienced. Still, this part of the trip has been a nostalgic experience as much as revisiting the city through more 'adult' eyes.

The beautiful building that is the  Washington University in St. Louis.

The city itself hasn't changed too much, although some things are different (or perhaps they seem different to me). However, I think it's myself that has changed more in the 13 and a half years since I first came. That's not surprising, given I was only 15 when I last came, but it certainly makes for some interesting observations on things I didn't even notice or think about last time.

Morning refreshment at Kaldi Coffee CO.

Anyway, this isn't a blog piece down memory lane or a place for my philosophical musings (which you all probably know I'm bad for), but a summary of the trip. Our last full day yesterday was spent mainly around the arch - we finally made our way back to the top in one of the tram/cable cars that pull you up one leg and then back down the other (after some time at the top).

Looking up at the arch from ground level.

Going up the arch is an, or even the essential experience to undertake when coming to St. Louis. The true scale of the structure is only apparent when you get to the top, and unlike other more linear structures the sensation of walking on a curved floor reminds you where you are and is quite astounding. The lack of a large steel arch in the view over the city is slightly perturbing, but it gives you a chance to see other landmarks you may not have focused on from down on the ground.

Inside the arch at the very top, 630 feet up.

We spent around 20 minutes up there taking photos and generally taking into account just where we were, 630 feet off the ground. The arch cost $15 million to build and we discovered that the architect, Eero Saarinen, who designed the monument didn't even live long enough to see construction begin - quite a tragedy really, but at least his memory lives on.

Downtown St. Louis as seen from the top of the arch.

We didn't really do much else for the rest of the day. We took the metro back to Union Station and I returned to the Schlafly tap room to buy my cycle jersey (I just couldn't leave it). We then returned to the hotel via the supermarket to get some last night snacks and headed back to pack. Checkout from the hotel is in 10 minutes so it's time for one last trip downtown to do my whiskey distillery tour at Still630 distillery, then lunch at Broadway Oyster Bar before heading back to the airport.

View of St. Louis as seen through a window of the arch.

It's been a blast St. Louis. Who knows when I'll be back again, probably not for a while, but I definitely hope to return in future, even if just for a few days. I probably won't spend a week here again, but then there's still a lot of the US left for me to explore! Montana next year anyone? In the meantime, New York here I come!!!!

Star wars, cycle jerseys and science museums

Today dawned cloudy as per yesterday, and with a little rain but fortunately no storms. Our first destination was Forest Park, as we had decided to finally do the Science Center. The Center was very loud and full of school kids and reminded me of a kids play area back home which my nieces love. Still, we weren't there to explore the museum so much as to go to the IMAX cinema we'd visited previously in 2002. Admission was $9 and we saw an inspiring film about a group of three people exploring America's national parks and trying out all sorts of adventurous activities, from ice rock climbing to mountain biking in and around famous canyons and climbing tall rocks.

Ceramic Star Wars mugs on display at the Science Center - shame they're not for sale!

The cinema itself is astounding, and whilst not in 3D, the films present on a huge domed screen (the largest I've ever seen) and you literally feel as if you're right there with the guys in the film. You climb up to your seat and the seats are arranged in such a way that you immediately lean back in your seat and look skywards. It's quite an experience and one I won't forget in a hurry. Prior to going to the cinema we also had a brief look around the Missouri History Museum, which stocked a great range of books and relics from American history.

The pretty awesome film we saw at the Omnimax theatre.

We headed back downtown afterwards as when we left the museum the weather had improved dramatically and we decided to take our chances and go up the Gateway Arch whilst it was nice. Unfortunately tickets had sold out for the day so we bought them for tomorrow afternoon and watched the 30 minute movie detailing the arch's construction. To say it's 50 years old the quality was amazing and they clearly went to special lengths to document the construction of the arch. It's a real find and definitely worth watching as a tribute to this historical monument.

Pretty cool merchandise and memorabilia on display - love the bike theme!

We were getting pretty hungry by this point so headed over to Union Station towards the Schlafly tap room, home of one of the local breweries and offering a good range of hearty food in addition to a range of beers on draft. They also sold some cool merchandise so I picked up a cool tshirt, a couple of bottle openers and an awesome poster print detailing the local breweries in St! Louis overlaid on a map.

A map of local breweries on display at the tap house.

I really had to resist getting one of the cycle jerseys they had on sale for $60 as I felt I'd spent enough over the course of the day and couldn't really justify buying it (I have a pretty sizeable collection at home). That's not to say I won't return for it though! On the way back to the metro we took a slightly different route back that revealed some fantastic views of the old Union Station and I couldn't resist the photo opportunity. We also checked out the very classy hall inside where you could sit for drinks etc. - presumably this was the old waiting hall for trains, and was ever so majestic, now part of an expensive (and tasteful) hotel. We also got to look inside the station as the food court was open which overlooks the former shopping area. Only two food places were open and it really does look a shadow of it's former self. Such a shame to see a really beautiful building ( partially) gone to waste.

The oh-so-cool cycling Jersey from the Schlafly tap room.

There was a bit of trouble on the metro on the way home with a local gang of some sort having a bit of a to-do with each other. Fortunately the security on the platform at Forest Park station courted them off and we were able to continue our journey. Unfortunately we ended up missing our hourly bus connection due to the trouble so ended up staying on the train to the airport then coming back just to kill some time.

The glorious Union Station, no longer a railway terminus.

Tomorrow is our last full day in St. Louis so we're going to finally ascend the arch ourselves (if the promised storm doesn't come) and may check out another record store we've been recommended. Then it's off back to the hotel to pack our suitcases and spend our last night relaxing before boarding our plane back to New York where the real fun is set to begin!

Sounds of St. Louis

Today has been a pretty good day, with the exception of the weather. As I write, the sky is being lit up brightly by lightning outside the window of our hotel room, and by all accounts we missed a huge hailstorm earlier - somehow we seem to keep avoiding them with no apparent knowledge!

Colourful hotel sign indicating where my Dad stayed in 1999.

We started the day in somewhat nostalgic fashion, taking Dad to see the Residence Inn where he'd previously stayed whilst working here in 1999. The friendly staff at the reception asked us about our stay here and showed us inside one of the self-contained apartments which Dad said hadn't changed too much from the time he first came here.

One of the nice apartments where my Dad guested.

Afterwards we moved on to the Galleria shopping centre just across a wide highway from the Residence Inn. As with most shopping malls it was the usual not-so-eclectic mix of clothes shops, electronics and food places, together with other high end goods, but at least it got us out of the rain which started just before we got in there.

The very wide road near the Galleria shopping centre.

I did have a look in American Eagle's clothing store which had a few nice t-shirts and a good range of boxer shorts, as well as H&m which had a nice New York T-shirt I hadn't seen in the UK. I also bought some luxury Belgian chocolates from Godiva in the lower part of the mall. We didn't hang around but instead had a quick coffee and a snack at St. Louis Bread Co. before going back to the metrolink station.

The pretty cool and quirky area known as the Delmar Loop.

We got the metrolink to Skinker station (funny name) which is just on the edge of Forest Park and also a short walk from the Delmar Loop. The Delmar Loop is a long street of shops and eating places, and seems to be more sure of itself than other areas we've explored in St. Louis. It has a lot of neon signs and tram tracks laid down (seemingly with no trams running) and feels a bit like old world America, if such a thing exists, kind of like the setting for Hill Valley in Back to the Future (!)

One of the many colourful signs in Delmar Loop.

Whilst on the street we ventured into a place called Subterranean Books (curiously with no downstairs) and a record store called Vintage Vinyl. This store was particularly cool and had wide ranging sections from blues, folk, soul to local and world music, as well as a whole section dedicated to Prince. Some good prices were to be had as well as some rarities, and I took a chance on a folk/roots/bluegrass album by New Yorker Eileen Ivers (appropriate), as well as a compilation of local artists traversing a number of genres including blues, folk, country and rock which seems pretty appropriate for music from this neck of the woods.

A couple of CDs by a mix of local artists and a native New Yorker.

As it turns out both CD's are excellent and seem set to be good reminders of my time here (although I haven't gotten to New York yet). I left the store feeling very satisfied and wondered what other cool record stores I might find in New York (Rough Trade aside). Whilst making our way slowly back to the metro station I took the time to study the LA-esque stars in the sidewalk commemorating local legends and those with a link to the city -  including Tina Turner, Chuck Berry and Pierre Laclede, after whom Laclede's Landing is named downtown.

Statue of Chuck Berry.

There was also a statue of Chuck Berry just off the sidewalk, as well as a number of cool coffee places selling great coffee and interesting flavours of tea. The whole area has a cool vibe but is not too crowded, and is definitely worth a visit. Lastly, I picked up a copy of the latest Riverfront Times, a cultural guide to what's hot and what's not in the city, as well as detailed listings. There's a live blues band on in town tomorrow night so may make an effort to get there and see that. For now it's time to settle in with some more TV (once the signal comes back on 'cos of the storm!

Latest copy of the Riverfront Times - cool cover!

On a parting note it's struck me that when I wake up tomorrow it will be two days until we're bound for New York. Excitement is definitely starting to build but I'm conscious of the fact I need to make the most of my time left in St. Louis, as I'm not likely to come back here as soon as I am to New York. Chances are I won't even have time to blog in New York, but here's hoping I will try!

Fish, crisps and Central West End.

Today was something of a mixed day, in the sense that it was enjoyable but nothing really out of the ordinary. When we woke up for  breakfast, the weather was very cloudy and the rain was coming down fast. Gone were the shorts of yesterday and out came the long trousers! However fortunately after breakfast the clouds cleared and the rain stopped - not long after we went out the sun came out and it actually became very hot.

Downtown St. Louis.

To start the day off we headed to the Gateway Transportation Centre, otherwise known as the main railway station, served by Amtrak trains to Kansas etc. and by Greyhound and Megabus to other destinations. Unfortunately, railway station is something of a misnomer. The place feels more like an outdated waiting room with not a train in sight and not even a departures board.

Self-indulgent picture in downtown St. Louis.

It certainly can't hold a candle to the wonderful building that is/was Union Station, and I presume that this is the price paid for low cost air travel - still, St. Louis isn't on most tourist trails and therefore probably isn't as well served as other places. Nonetheless, I did pick up an Amtrak leaflet for the 'Adirondack' service between New York and Montreal, which I hope to complete (in full or in part) maybe next year.

The Old Courthouse with the Arch in the distance.

After this brief detour we headed back downtown so my Dad could buy a jacket he'd been hankering after to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arch construction. Whilst he did so I headed upstairs in the courthouse to get the view from the top of the building and to see the old courtrooms previously used. It really is a stunning building, so unassuming on the outside but wondrous in it's myriad of rooms and staircases inside.

Glass model of the Old Courthouse.

Next up we caught the metro train to Central West End, a concentrated area of cafés, restaurants and shops, something which seems curiously missing downtown. I say concentrated, but the wide leafy cafe-strewn avenues are still broken up by long wide boulevards teeming with traffic. What the area sets out to achieve is nice, and towards the latter end it succeeds, but the wide traffic choked highways which break it up make it seem artificial somehow. Still I found an interesting local eco-friendly grocers (with no prices on anything) and an independent bookshop called Leftbank Books stocking a good range of local literature and books on the region.

One of the courtrooms in the historic Old Courthouse.

We ate in a Welsh bar today which had some excellent beers on draft, however I broke with  tradition by having a lovely cider from Urban Chestnut Brewing Company. Also tried a small sample of their pilsner which was utterly delicious and different to those I've tried before. Food was fish and chips which did in fact come with chips (i.e. crisps). Strange but surprisingly tasty.

Tree-lined streets in the Central West End.

The craft beer scene is clearly booming here as everywhere and with such tasty (and unique) brews on draft I just can't see why big corporate breweries making fizzy pig swill such as Anheuser Busch continue to exist. Still, there's no accounting for taste and each to their own I guess, I just prefer a quality taste over carbonated water :).

Llewellyn's Welsh pub in the Central West End.

Leaving the West End we decided to head back to the supermarket near our hotel which had grabbed our attention from the bus window. I know to some people this may be a bit weird, but I just love checking out local supermarkets when I'm on holiday - the shelves full of unique and colourful products that are different to those you see in tesco or sainsburys every day is just fascinating.

A selection of local beers from the supermarket 

In the end I came out with seven sachets of different flavoured hot chocolate, a nice warm up meal made fresh on the premises to take home and a 'summer patio pack' of beer bottles from the local Schlafly brewery. Twelve bottles for $12.99 with three of each style: Yakima wheat beer, Raspberry hefeweizen, summer lager and grape fruit IPA. The store also sold bottles of fireball cinnamon whiskey for only $12.99, with miniatures for just over a dollar, although I was more interested in the somewhat pricier (but still good value) local bourbon on display.

Evening time view from the hotel room.

I got back to the hotel to find I'd gotten email confirmation of the Still630 whiskey distillery tour I've pencilled in for Saturday before our flight. These are a local distillery who's name reflects the height (in feet) of the Gateway Arch previously mentioned. More on that later! Tomorrow it's off to Soulard (said to be like Brooklyn without the crazy prices) and maybe the St. Louis Science Centre. For now it's time to put my feet up and finish watching Back to the Future on CMT (once the commercials end)!

Beer, baseball and... rain

It's our second day in St. Louis and it dawned cool and cloudy, but by no means cold. We woke slightly earlier than yesterday due to the earlier breakfast time, together with the added excitement of yoghurts to the breakfast mix as well as actually having some waffles. We ventured out of the hotel about half past 10 to begin our second day exploration in  earnest.

Ballpark village next to the baseball stadium.

Our first port of call was the Busch Stadium, famous home of the local baseball team The Cardinals, and currently in it's third incarnation. Last time we were here the stadium was a circular Romanesque structure which looked like a Roman coliseum. However, this was flattened in 2006 to make way for the current replacement structure. Like it or not, the current structure looks pretty cool, although I think I preferred the old structure as it was more iconic. Still, things change and you have to roll with the punches!

View of the Gateway Arch from the Cardinal's home ground.

After visiting the baseball ground we made our way down south towards Lafayette Square, an elegant district of old Victorian homes and quality independent shops, and centred on a sizeable park. We didn't venture into park due to the rain, but ducked into Park Street Coffee, a local joint selling a good range of coffee, but not before going in a shop called Four Muddy Paws which sold the most amazing dog biscuits with icing that looked good enough for us humans to eat!

The most colourful dog biscuits in the world?

We then headed into the coffee shop, which stocked a wide range of the locally traditional (and famous) gooey butter cake. I had the key lime variety, a simple twist on the original recipe but utterly delicious with my cappuccino. The cafe also had big (454g) bags of coffee on sale for between $14 and $16 - not bad value when you consider the size and the quality of the coffee. Nonetheless I didn't buy any at this point and we moved on to our next stop.

Traditional gooey butter cake at Park Avenue Coffee - a local delicacy.

This was a store called Looking Glass Designs run by a local woman who must have been approaching 70. She spent around half an hour just chatting to us about the city, our travels and what to see and eat in the city. This seems to be a habit of people here but it's nice and I ended up buying a lovely pair of owl earrings as a present before moving on. The lady wrapped them up so nicely and even gave us a nice jewellery roll made of cloth to keep them nice for travelling.

Traditional Street sign in Lafayette Square.

By this point we were getting hungry so went into Square One Brewery and Distillery, a restaurant and bar that brews it's own beer and distils it's own whiskey, rum etc. You'd be forgiven for thinking the place might be overstretching itself with all that going on but it manages to be great at all three of them. I had a sample rack of four beers; Park Avenue Pale Ale, Single Malt Scotch Ale, In Hawaii and a truly delicious Maple Stout infused with maple syrup from Vermont as the name suggests.

Delicious local beers from Square one brewery and distillery.

All the beers were delicious and it was great to see all the different colours lined up on the tray together. To accompany the beer I ate a Stout-braised pot roast served with mashed potato and green beans. To end my stay here I had a look around and saw both the mash tun where the whiskey is distilled and the barrels where the whiskey is kept through a glass section in the floor. To end the visit I bought one of the small glasses and a neat looking old style whiskey glass.

Local brews on sale in the Field Foods supermarket.

Last stop for the day was a local supermarket called Field Foods specialising in local produce and  products. I bought some Salted Caramel coffee (!) and spent a while perusing the craft beer section although I noticed many of them were quite expensive, ($7 and up), so I didn't buy any at this stage. I was pleased to spot  6 packs from the local independent Schlafly brewery though, with some very interesting flavours and for only $9. I'm planning to visit the Schlafly bottleworks and tap before I leave town so with luck I'll be able try some of their brews too.

Local supermarket specialising in local products.

Now it's time to sit back and enjoy some quintessentially American television! Until tomorrow.