New York day 5: Union Square, Flatiron District, Gramercy and Chinatown.

Submitted by maria on Wed, 10/09/2014 - 19:32

Today we begin our tour of Union Square, as we always arrive by subway. Union Square is a square that accommodates the most diverse, from businessmen, people playing chess, hippies juggling, skateboarders or singing hare krishnas.

Playing chess

Metronome

Greenmarket

The Greenmarket with ecological products is very interesting. There is a statue of Gandhi and another one of Andy Warhol. The most curious thing is the Metronome, it is a digital clock with two parts, the 7 digits on the left indicate the current time and the 7 on the right the remaining time of the day.

We went down Brodway in the direction of Gramercy Park, is a private park but the buildings around it are English style, is a quiet area for walking. We pass by Theodore Rossevelt's Birthplace but do not enter.

Empire State Building

We approach to Tibet House, a cultural center that gives to know old traditions of Tibet, very interesting.

Tibet House

We go up Fifth Ave to get to Madison Square Park, a park with green areas and sculptures, a good place to enjoy the view of the Flatiron Building, we are speechless. It is a spectacular building with a triangular floor plan that reminds us of the bow of a ship. This building in the early 20th century was considered the tallest in the world.

Flatiron

We take the subway and go to Chinatown, visit the Buddhist temples, the Eastern States Buddhist Temple and the Mahayan Temple with a golden Buddha of 5 meters.

Canal Street

It is curious how we remember films shot in this neighborhood with its Chinese traditions in buildings with all-American fire exits.

We eat in Canal Street in the Great New York Noodle Town, delicious, really Chinese food. We pass through Confucio Square until we reach Columbus Park. Thousands of people gathered, some doing tai chi, others playing dominoes, others mahjon... It's like going back to China.

Playing cards

We go to the subway and pass by the Courthouse and City Hall. For a while we enjoyed a street show, a group of kids breakdancing, a lot of fun.

Dancing in the street

A curiosity, we have heard of a ghost station under City Hall, so we take the subway 6 towards Downtown. When the subway makes its last stop we don't get off, after a few minutes the subway continues making a turn which gives you the opportunity to see the ghost station.

We go back to Madison Square, we pass by Koreatown, a couple of blocks of Korean restaurants and shops. We approached Madison Square Garden.