Tag: New York

Enjoying the spring weather in Battery Park

Battery Park

I don’t enjoy commuting to New York City. Today, I expected my morning commute to Manhattan to be about two hours. It took me just under three hours.

But once I am in the city, I enjoy having a choice of places to eat. I enjoy watching the tourist and daily commuters on their lunch breaks. And when the weather is excellent, like it is today, I enjoy the stroll from Old Slip to Battery Park.

Right now, I am in Battery Park, enjoying the incredibly pleasant weather in New York City today. Bagpipes are playing in the background. There is a memorial event for veterans of World War II.

If only I could convince my wife, when the weather is this great, to come with me for a day (dawn to dusk) around Brooklyn Bridge Park, Battery Park and Governor's Island.

I brought my Fujifilm X-T2 and Fujinon XF16-55m F2.8 R WR LM lens with me. My Timbuktu messenger bag feels “stuffed”, but I am happy I brought the camera. I am improving my street photography, but I still feel self-conscious about focusing my camera on strangers.

Battery Park, Manhattan, New York, New York —FujiFilm X-T2 + XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (35.3 mm, 0.001 sec at f/5.6, ISO400), © Khürt L. Williams
Battery Park, Manhattan, New York —FujiFilm X-T2 + XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, 0.001 sec at f/5.6, ISO400), © Khürt L. Williams
Battery Park, Manhattan, New York —FujiFilm X-T2 + XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, 0.001 sec at f/5.6, ISO200), © Khürt L. Williams
Battery Park, Manhattan, New York —FujiFilm X-T2 + XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR @ (16 mm, 0.002 sec at f/5.6, ISO200), © Khürt L. Williams

PATH Train weekend service chaos

Bhavna and I are considering attending the kite festival in Brooklyn this weekend but after reading this I’m hesitant to try. We would prefer to drive but it can be stressful and challenging to find parking in Brooklyn. But the trip via public transportation would take nearly 90 minutes one way. That doesn’t include the 20 minute drive to the Princeton Junction train station. The event is just three hours long. Ugh!

How far (measured in time) would you travel for a short duration event?

As a regular rider on the PATH system for the past 18 years I am continuously amazed at the ineptitude and the total lack of consideration toward PATH riders by those who run the system.

Case in point, yesterday (Sunday, 3/24/2019) I wanted to take my usual trip into Manhattan and was greeted by a message at the Journal Square PATH station stating there was no direct service to 33rd Street between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. In addition, there was no direct service all weekend to the World Trade Center — a double whammy. We were forced to take an Exchange Place bound train and change at Grove Street for a 33rd Street train which included the still ridiculous and time wasting stop in Hoboken. When we arrived at the Grove Street station it was a chaotic mess! The Grove Street station is just no good as a transfer point.

I opted for the train to Exchange Place to try PATH’s replacement ferry service to Brookfield Place in downtown Manhattan. Passengers are forced to walk to an open-air dock and wait in line over a block away from the ferry itself! This must be a real joy when it’s pouring rain or bitterly cold. Then if the ferry is full before a passenger boards, they must wait another 15 minutes for the next one.

When departing the ferry, passengers must walk over a quarter of a mile to the World Trade Center and subways. I pity the poor riders with mobility issues or are physically handicapped.

I left Journal Square at 3:58 pm and arrived at World Trade Center at 5:02 pm. This trip normally takes 15-20 minutes. ~ PATH Train weekend service chaos – Hudson Reporter