A Tale of Two Shorelines (Fourth Day, Second Leg)

We're still walking down through Hudson River Park, which barely existed a mere ten years ago and now covers 550 acres, from 59th Street down to Battery Park, all along the Hudson River.  It's a glorious fall day, well into the 60s, and New Yorkers of all stripes (and I mean "all stripes" as we're now in the fun and funky Greenwich Village area) are taking advantage of this sunny Sunday morning in their own uique ways...

Upstate Annie, the Old Guy and I strolled out to the end of the longest of the new piers jutting out into the mighty river, affording us much closer views of our noble neighboring state to the West...New Jersey.  Even in the absence of our sole New Jersey walker, Nature Girl, and despite the natural superiority complex of New Yorkers (how can we help it), you won't find any gratuitis New Jersey-bashing on this site.  You have to admit that those living along Jersey's watefront definitely have the better view...and it is the land that brought us some of our greatest entertainers (Sinatra and Springsteen, among many others).  Of course, they were dreaming of "crossing the river" to the Island of Manhattan to seek their fame and fortune.
Meditating on the view across the river, it's worth noting how much has changed in the 15 years since the OG and I lived in the Village.  For one, the famed Maxwell House Coffee Sign (and grounds) are gone (I once watched Fourth of July fireworks on the Hudson from those grounds, via an old New Jersey boyfriend's dad, who used to work at the plant).  It felt a little strange watching Hudson River fireworks from "the other side" but the view of those starbursts and light showers enhancing the wattage of an already sparkling Manhattan below is really a magical sight.  But, the old Hoboken ferry terminal, with it's magisterial clock tower, is still there...

as is the Colgate Clock, barely visible on the far left of the next photo.

But, there are so many new buildings along the Jesey City waterfront...I have long been especially fond of those buildings that mimic the outlines of  oceanliners (I wonder if the buildings have anything to do with the maritime industry). 

So, here we are at the end of the pier, with it all looking much more like a land-locked park (golden trees shading stylish park benches; a tented area for music or other special events) than a strip of aluminum, steel and wood way the heck out on the water. 

Oh so tranquil and totall unexpected...

In addition to walking, biking, stretching, doing headstands...what else were the Villagers and other denizens of lower Manhattan doing on this lovely Sunday morning alongside the Hudson River?  Why playing soccer, of course!  Another in a growing every longer list of suprise awaited us just across from Houston Street...a soccer field encased within the frame of an indoor garage space...out on another of the Hudson River piers! 

Funny...I remembered this garage from the old days, when I was looking for non-street parking for our car.  I recall the OG saying that he wouldn't want to park his car out over the water because of the salt from the water coroding the bottom of the car (though he didn't remember it).  I never walked into the space that I assumed led only to the garages.

This time, we walked in and "low and behold" (as another Annie and the OG are fond of saying), there's a massive soccer field inside.

This is the last thing I would have expected to see...nor the sets of rowers we encountered right next to the garages. 

These were serious rowers, not the lone kayakers out for a fun run dodging the mild swells of the tranquil Hudson we were watching today.  No, these folk were definitely getting lessons on the proper way to crew...but it was difficult to tell if they were training for the Olympics, or for a college race, or just for the heck of it!  Then, of course, more tennis courts.

Where were all these courts when I lived down here!  Boy, would I have taken advantage of them...along with the long line-up of players that were waiting right next to these courts.  Hey, it's New York...there's always a wait for everything, except Broadway plays.  Let me rant a second:  The tourists, neophyte play-goers and the polite start forming a line like their waiting to be let in to a movie or concert...the sophisticated, seasoned theater fan knows that you never, ever wait in line to go into a Broadway theater.  Everyone just crowds by the open doors and pushes through to the ticket-takers.  Much more in the spirit of racing into the theater to catch the curtain.  Those waiting patiently on line -- rubes!

Now, back to the walk at hand.  So, who can tell me what this huge concret box is?

I think the OG still doesn't believe me when I told him that this is the way that air gets into the Holland Tunnel.  If you go back to a previous photo in this entry of the Jersey City shoreline, you'll see the exact same structure there.  Similar towers were visible as we walked near 33rd Street, where the Lincoln Tunnel soars under the Hudson on it's underseas way to Weehawken.

We're now just south of Canal Street and moving through a delightful stretch of broad-beamed wooden walkways that wind around tall sea grass, rock-garden formations and other landscaping that is obviously planned, but very reminiscent of the dune areas out on Long Island, past Amagansett but before you get to Montauk...an area of one lane highway, one or two smaller roads, a few homes but mostly sand and sea grass, scrub pines and driftwood, and faded wood walk-ways.  The OG and I only been out there a few weekends before...the first time in many years...and this part of the walk definitely put me in mind of it. 

It's just a short hop, skip and jump from here to Chambers Street and the start of Battery Park City...we're well take up the next installment of "the walk" as we continue on our last leg from the top to the bottom of Manhattan.