(Sea) Lions, and Tigers, and Bears...On The Lower East SIde - First Leg, Third Chapter (from Manhattan Bridge to Houston Street, along the Mis-Named East River)

First of all, I have to tell you all that I've been plagiarized.   Well, maybe not plagiarized, but my idea has been "ripped off" by none other than the esteemed New York Times.   On Sunday, September 19 in the Metropolitan section was an article about "Circling Manhattan."   David G. Allen walked the entire circumference of Manhattan Island in one day, staring at 6:57 a.m. from Battery Park City, walking north along the Hudson to Inwood Park (he got there around 12:44 p.m.) and then walked (as much as he could) along the East River.  He finished nearly 12 hours later, at 6:39 p.m.  I guess "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" -- and he even has photos and a map of his travels (I really liked the map).   He said he couldn't walk quite the whole way up along the Hudson (had to bail at Dykman Street).  Of course, he did not have Nature Girl at his side, unafraid to blaze trails where little exists.  I just want the record to show that NG (and her hat), Old Guy and other assorted friends who have joined me on this pilgrimage, did it first!  And, with much more aplomb (and better restaurant recommendations)! 

So, we trudge on...

We're still on the first leg of our trek up along the East River, and as I mentioned last time, it's like a "time warp" back to the 1960s of my youth.   We're still not able to walk right along the water's edge, but we're less than a block away, still on the Lower East Side and below the Williamsburg Bridge (becoming more of a looming presence as Nature Girl and I walk North).  We had just left the remnants of John V. Lindsay's New York...and stepped right into the California Coast!  After all, outside of various zoos around the country, where else can you see Sea Lions lounging on rocks and frolicking in the surf.   Lest you think I completely lost it, look below...

So, how cool is that?  And, how unexpected!  Like a small salt-water lagoon that is nearly dry, there were turtles and crabs too...but the sea lions predominated.

Then, it got a little creepy, I think...all those tails, with no heads!

Actually, it was a very lovely water park...there was a toddler fascinated with the water spouting up here and there as NG and I walked through it.   It didn't look all that new...I'll bet it was among the first of those "water spouting" areas triggered by people walking in New York City.

Continuing up along the East River, we were still unable to walk right along the rivers edge, but found some forest-like areas with flowering gardens...and some interesting ground cover.  Again, somewhat "shabby" and in need of a little TLC, but pretty nonetheless.

Again, somewhat "shabby" and in need of a little TLC, but pretty nonetheless.

                                                                                                     

Finally, we were "close up and personal" with the Williamsburg Bridge...

...albeit through a chain link fence because this was another area still "under construction" and not open to the public (who may be out for a stroll).   

Looks like it will be quite a pleasant walk under the bridge, if it's ever completed.

There's not a lot I can say about the Williamsburg Bridge...I don't know it's history or timeline in the building sequence of Manhattan bridges.   It's always seemed to be under repairs...like it's northern cousin the Queensboro Bridge (or 59th Street Bridge of "Feeling Groovy").  Also, both bridges share the neat feature of an "outer" roadway, where you can cross in your car on the outside of the main road, with little barrier on the side away from the inner road.   It's a bit of a "dare devil" way to cross, both for the largely unobstructed views of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, but also because you're in "deep yogurt" if a car breaks down in front of you...there's no way around the one lane road!  Repairs had kept me from making a crossing on the outer roadway for quite some time, but just recently I was traveling from Manhattan to Queens (having inadvertently crossed the bridge while showing one of my Brazilian cousins around Greenpoint and Williamsburg -- which she wanted to see because "hip" young people all over the world know about this former German enclave that used to only be famous for the Williamsburg Savings Bank and that venerable temple of steak, Peter Lugar's).  Now, it's the hot, "chic" and oh so "of the moment" place that young people willing to venture afield of LES are flocking.   What I like about it is that it's chock-a-block full of good restaurants, interesting shops and still has many of the low-slung tenements and attached row-type houses that where there when Schlitz and Pabst Blue Ribbon beers were the major employers to the area.

Anyhow, on our return to the "borough of Kings," I opted for the opened outer roadway.  Still love driving "on the edge." 

And, I'm outta here (too late and too tired to continue).   Will finish our walk to Houston Street in the next installment.