I just had to share some more of my fun experiences in New York City last weekend. On Sunday, my friend Terri and her boyfriend Gene, a New York City Fire Chief picked up my associate Kenneth Stovall and me at the Marriott Marquis and we headed out for a day of sightseeing. The weather was splendid, with crystal clear blue skies. A big coat did feel pretty good however, as temperatures started out in the 30s. Gene, a twenty three year veteran of the force, took us south on Fifth Avenue, toward Battery Park. There is nothing like watching an experienced New York driver at work. They have an uncanny sixth sense as they dart in and out of openings, using their horn like a weapon.
Gene is a Chief for the fire Battalion that serves the southern part of the island. They were called out on the second alarm to the World Trade Center on September 11th. We stopped by his station house. The firemen were incredibly hospitable, showing us the entire station and equipment. (They called each piece an apparatus.) The camaraderie and bond between the firefighters is remarkable.
Especially moving was the huge, ornate shrine built near the huge doors at the front of the station. The shrine serves as a memorial to all of the firefighters that have been lost over the years to in the line of duty. The battalion lost four of its five chiefs on 9/11. Gene was assigned to an uptown station at the time. He and many members of the NYFD would spend much of the following weeks in the miraculous recovery effort.
We toured Greenwich Village and then made our way to Chinatown, where we enjoyed dim sum in a real Chinese restaurant. Their slogan was, “only sharks enjoy fresher seafood.” And true to their word, they had massive aquariums where they fished the prawns, crabs, octopuses and fish right out for preparation, when you ordered them! We visited a shrinking Little Italy and then headed to watch the Jets play with some real New York football fans. New Yorkers live and die with their sports teams, and when the Jets let the Ravens come back to win in overtime, our New York hero was not happy.
Final part tomorrow...
Gene is a Chief for the fire Battalion that serves the southern part of the island. They were called out on the second alarm to the World Trade Center on September 11th. We stopped by his station house. The firemen were incredibly hospitable, showing us the entire station and equipment. (They called each piece an apparatus.) The camaraderie and bond between the firefighters is remarkable.
Especially moving was the huge, ornate shrine built near the huge doors at the front of the station. The shrine serves as a memorial to all of the firefighters that have been lost over the years to in the line of duty. The battalion lost four of its five chiefs on 9/11. Gene was assigned to an uptown station at the time. He and many members of the NYFD would spend much of the following weeks in the miraculous recovery effort.
We toured Greenwich Village and then made our way to Chinatown, where we enjoyed dim sum in a real Chinese restaurant. Their slogan was, “only sharks enjoy fresher seafood.” And true to their word, they had massive aquariums where they fished the prawns, crabs, octopuses and fish right out for preparation, when you ordered them! We visited a shrinking Little Italy and then headed to watch the Jets play with some real New York football fans. New Yorkers live and die with their sports teams, and when the Jets let the Ravens come back to win in overtime, our New York hero was not happy.
Final part tomorrow...