I'm coming to the end of my two-week stay in Washington. My work at the Library of Congress has proved much more useful than I was anticipating - the sources I intended to look at were far richer than I had envisaged; moreover I've also managed to get a little bit of a head start on research for my next chapter. So all in all, it's been a very productive trip. But I'd hate you to think that I was over here in Washington and just spending all day in the library; I've also managed to do quite a variety of sight-seeing, too.
The Library of Congress seems a natural enough starting point - although it's essentially intended as a research library for members of Congress and their staff (hence its huge funding), its collection is open to anyone above high school age with a legitimate research interest. Security, naturally, is tight (there was apparently a suspicious package found in one of the rooms today), although this means that my fears of a spontaneously combusting laptop are unfounded. Given that many of my visits here have been to icons of America, it's averaging over one X-ray scan a day!
I mention the Library in particular because the James Madison building is the only tribute in Washington to one of my favourite Presidents. One of the principal movers behind the calling of the Constitutional Convention, Madison was also the co-author of the Federalist Papers, instrumental in ensuring there was a Bill of Rights, and later served in the Jefferson Administration before becoming President in his own right, and declaring war on the British in 1812. Moreover, Jefferson considered Madison perhaps the key intellectual force behind the Revolution. (I was going to say 'looked up to Madison', but Madison is the smallest ever President, standing at just 5 foot 6.) Needless to say, walking past the statue of Madison every morning when going to work gave me a geeky thrill.
As you might suspect, the Library of Congress is situated just around the corner from the Capitol itself - one of the towering landmarks of Washington. Buildings in Washington, indeed, cannot be built above a certain height so as to maintain the sightlines to the National Mall, which contains the Washington Monument and Capitol Hill. Tourists are allowed to visit the building (although with pretty restricted access) provided they turn up early enough in the morning to obtain a ticket, so last week Richard and I decided that this was reason enough to take a morning off work.
The most impressive part of the building is unquestionably the rotunda, which serves simultaneously as a study in how Americans conceive the founding of their nation. The walls contain a series of paintings designed to show thedevelopment of the nation - from the discovery of America by Columbus, to the marriage of Pocahontas to John Smith, through the landing of the Mayflower,the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the surrender of Lord Cornwallis through to Washington's resignation of his military commissions (thus signifying that a republic was to be ruled by a civilian, rather than a military leader). A cynic might suggest that rather than portraying the settlement of Virginia through the 'harmony' of Indian-settler relations, a more realistic take on history might show the avaricious nature of those making their way to the Old Dominion. But I thought better of speaking out.
The Capitol verges worrying close to being a shrine to Washington, in fact. The top of the rotunda has a painting called 'the Apotheosis of Washington', in which he is portrayed in true classical fashion as a true warrior, simultaneously upholding the principles of freedom and justice. The effect of reverence would have been even greater had Congress succeeded in persuading the Washington family to allow his body to have been disinterred, and reinstalled in the crypt of the building, directly underneath the rotunda and with a viewing gallery on the main level.
My main interest in the visit, however, came from seeing the old chambers ofthe House of Representatives and the Senate. The small size of the rooms serves as a reminder to just how much America has grown since the Capitol building was originally completed in 1800 (it has since been massively expanded). Perhaps the most interesting part was the roof of the House of Representatives - unintentionally, there are approximately 20 points in the room where you can whisper, yet be heard clearly on the other side of the room. This caused huge consternation when it emerged that hushed party discussions on one side of the room were being amplified, audible to all and sundry on the other! Despite attempts to rectify this fault, nothing could be done, although it did teach representatives a valuable lesson in discretion.
The rest of the building is largely notable for its collection of statues. (Though the former Supreme Court building also holds the distinction of being the location of the first transmission by telegraph in Morse code: What hath God wrought). Following the movement of the House of Representatives to different chambers, their former dwelling became used as a market. The Representatives, on the other hand, wanted the old chamber to be a place of dignity. So each state was invited to send two statues to what is now the National Statuary Hall, the only stipulation being that the person thus commemmorated had to have passedaway. The result is an interesting study in state self-perception - some have commemorated famous politicians; others have harked back to famous native American figures (such as Sacegawa, for Nebraska), although there is a general preponderance for founding politicians, either because of their involvement in the American Revolution, or the foundation of the individual state. Though perhaps the most incongruous fact to me was the presence of many leading Confederate figures. I wonder how Jefferson Davis or Alexander Stephens (President and Vice-President of the Confederacy, respectively) would feel about being commemmorated in Washington?
While Richard was here, I also paid a visit to Ford's Theatre. Once the place to be seen in Washington, it is now more famous as the place where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. As with so many of the American National Parks Service sites, it is interesting even to those who knew many of the facts before turning up (and certainly much better than the nearby White House Visitor's Center, which is little more than a series of videos and pictures of the rooms you can't get to see unless you write to your Congressman/Embassy months in advance). The trip starts off with a talk from a park ranger, explaining the lengths that Booth went to in order to slip into the theatre (although an actor, he was not performing in the night's performance) - right down to the leaving of a getaway horse.
The highlight, though, is the display in the basement. What is basically a Parks Service site on the basis of one small, if cataclysmic event, holds a display in its basement which explains the political culture of the 1860s, details on the elections of Lincoln, memorabilia from the night of the shooting, including the door of Lincoln's box, a lengthy and judicious account of the trial of those involved in the plot (alongside the assassination of Lincoln, there were also failed attempts to kill Andrew Johnson, the Vice President, and Secretary of State Seward), and a description of Lincoln's funeral trail. It really is a treasure trove of information, and does a very good job of wider public information.
Unsurprisingly, Washington is also home to a huge number of museums - including the gigantic Smithsonian Institution. Unfortunately, I've come here in the wrong year for my interests. The Smithsonian Museum of American History is closed until 2008; the American wing of the National Gallery of Art is similarly closed for renovation. Nevertheless, I was delighted to get to the National Gallery, for it was first created by Andrew Mellon - a man dear to my heart for the good sense of his foundation to fund my doctorate. The building itself is worth visiting - roomy and spacious, it contains several Roman-esque fountains, and (on the upper level at least) is lit primarily through natural light.
The collection is impressive, too - I was especially pleased to see numerous paintings by Turner (without question my favourite artist), Gauguin and Cezanne. There were also some intriguing exhibitions. One showed the development of the use of photography in the early 20th century - while many collages and montages were ultimately quite forgettable, the highlights included seeing how early artists were fascinated by the extra detail that could be gained from close-up photography. The highlight of this collection, though, was the development of a photography of the 'homeland', which was used by many artists arguing for the significance of their home region. Most interesting of all was the exhibition on artistic depictions of travel in the early modern period. I was surprised to see the extent to which travel was depicted as a worrying or disorienting experience. The safety of an EasyJet flight puts our travelling experiences in a totally different perspective!
My other main trip whilst here in Washington was to the Arlington National Cemetery. This was partially exciting because it allowed me to notch up a new state (Virginia); it also afforded me the novelty of walking across state lines. The Cemetery is enormous, and a deeply sombre place. Even though it clearly attracts numerous visitors, you can often feel almost totally alone wandering around the grounds. And although several funerals take place there every single day, I wasn't aware of the presence of a single funeral party.
The sights that attract the majority of the visitors are the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the grave of John F Kennedy (his brother Bobby is buried nearby). The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is kept under constant guard; the sentry paces up and down for 21 steps, pausing for 21 seconds at each end, to signify the 21-gun salute. The Cemetery in general is set in quite a stunning location; it affords fantastic views of the Monuments in Washington, and there is a sightline to the Pentagon as well. The land on which it was established was formerly the home of Robert E. Lee, better known as the commander of the Confederate Army; he vacated the estate at the start of the Civil War, whereupon the lands were promptly confiscated by Union troops and used as a garrison for the remainder of the war.
There has been a conscious effort to make the Cemetery as representative of the nation's military history as possible; soldiers who died in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 had their graves moved here so as to ensure representation of all conflicts. This is carried still further by attempting to have some reconciliation over the Civil War - Lee's former home is now a National Parks Service memorial; there is also a memorial erected to Confederate Soldiers. This sits among a plethora of other memorials, which includes the mast of the USS Maine (sunk in the Philippines war) and a memorial to astronauts. Wandering to all of these sites took a good two and a half hours; the size of the site brought home both the fact that war and conflict has been too persistent a fact of human existence, and that it brings a vast human cost.
I've also visited the National Archives today, but I think I've rambled on enough already. Tomorrow I intend to visit Mount Vernon, the estate of George Washington, and I hope to update you on my travels again in a couple of days.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
The National Cathedral
When I talk of the 'National Cathedral', I'm not talking about the church that you can find in north-west Washington. I'm talking rather about 'The Mall' - the area, at the heart of DC, where you can find the Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. I'm only being slightly facetious when I refer to the area, too - the similarities between the area and a church are striking.
The Lincoln Memorial sits at one end of a two-mile strip of land, the Capitol Building at the other. I haven't quite worked out which is the altar of the nation, but I suspect it's the Capitol - the home of the chosen representatives of the people. In the middle of the strip you have the cathedral's spire, the Washington Monument. The Monument is an enormous tower of white marble, so large that if you stand alongside the column, it is impossible to see to the top. And at either side of the Monument, completing the shape of the cross, you find the Jefferson Memorial, commemorating one of the chief intellectual forces behind the creation of the American Republic, and the White House. home of the steward of the Constitution.
The parallels could run even further - between the Capitol and the Monument, the Mall is lined by various museums, including the majority of the institutions of the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art; between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial you will find a number of war memorials - the commemorative stained glass windows marking the heritage and sacrifices of the nation.
The area is one of the most glorious places imaginable to take a walk - most of the key sites are set around an inlet of water known as the tidal basin, and are specifically designed to allow people to walk around them. There are injunctions posted to avoid running, but there is a happiness around all of them. Their scale is enormous; the statues of Jefferson and Lincoln are 19 feet tall, and they are surrounded by vast marble structures, but this means that there is more than enough room for everyone to get a good view, not only of the outside of the structures, but also to have a read of the select inscriptions on the inside.
Of all the memorials, the one that excited me the most was the Jefferson Memorial. While he may have leant rather heavily on the yet more considerable academic talents of James Madison, his vision of American development defined the politics of the nation for 30 years; moreover, he was one of the most multi-talented Presidents in history. Whereas Washington relied on his military expertise for his reputation, Jefferson was an innovator of the highest order, being an accomplished architect, a skilled diplomat, a remarkable writer, and a patron of education (founding the University of Virginia after his presidency ended). The Monument contains the aforementioned statue, surrounded by a model of his Monticello estate, with the insides containing large tablets with some of his most notable writings. None, of course, more remarkable than the famous words of the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It was humbling to think of a man with such talents managing to make the most of the moment he was presented with.
From there, we proceeded to walk round to the FDR memorial, one of the latest additions to the area, and a fitting tribute to my choice for the greatest President of the 20th century. Set in four stages - one for each of his terms as President - the memorial is largely constructed around waterfalls. Each stage focuses on the key challenges that he dealt with during his time, so it opens up with statues symbolising the new deal, then marks the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and goes on to note his 'Four Freedoms' speech, his words regarding Pearl Harbor, and the victory in World War Two, culminating with recognition of Eleanor Roosevelt and the creation of the United Nations.
The loop continues to the Lincoln Memorial, which is flanked at either side by groves with memorials to the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The contrast between the two clearly shows the different place they have in American memory. The former is glorifying of sacrifice - an inscription to the effect that "Freedom is not free" being the only hint of real sacrifice. The rest of the monument shows depictions of soldiers marching towards an American flag, and was strangely untouching, unlike all the others. The Vietnam memorial, on the other hand, is far more sombre. Made out of black marble, it seems much more like a British World War One memorial, containing a list of all the soliders who gave their lives in the conflict. The wall is built into the ground, and so you walk down quite a distance to the middle. The black marble, moreover, sucks in the heat, and so the general impression is of a black spot on the national memory.
That stands in marked contrast to the Lincoln Memorial. The centrepiece is a 19 foot statue of Lincoln sitting down, looking down the Mall as if he is still the steward of the nation. Inside are his two most remarkable speeches; the Gettysburg Address and the second inaugural address. The Memorial is even more impressive when seen at night; when lit up it is a truly remarkable sight. The Memorial is also notable for a small inscription on the steps, noting the spot where Martin Luther King delivered his 'I have a Dream' speech.
The tour of memorials finishes with the World War Two Memorial, just between the Washington Monument and the reflecting pool. This has apparently proved controversial because of the location, yet it has been constructed fully in keeping with the proportions and the style of the area, and adds a beautiful fountain to the view as well. Constructed with a pillar for each of the 50 states, and assorted territories, it has separate sections at each side celebrating victories in the Atlantic and Pacific. What was even more amazing was that at this point the sun had set, and so all the aforementioned memorials were lit up. What was breathtaking by day was even more beautiful by night.
It's hard to find the right words to describe what I felt as I walked around. For all that my studying shows the ironies and contradictions of American history as much as the successes, there is a power to the founding principles of the nation, expressed so eloquently by great men such as Jefferson, FDR and Lincoln. And in creating such accessible memorials, where you are free to stroll around and reflect with many others on the legacy of these Presidents, the power of the ideals is driven home to you. I'm not sure I have the words at the moment to express adequately the sense of awe I felt as I wandered round. All that I am sure of is that I will make sure to return again before I head away from Washington.
The Lincoln Memorial sits at one end of a two-mile strip of land, the Capitol Building at the other. I haven't quite worked out which is the altar of the nation, but I suspect it's the Capitol - the home of the chosen representatives of the people. In the middle of the strip you have the cathedral's spire, the Washington Monument. The Monument is an enormous tower of white marble, so large that if you stand alongside the column, it is impossible to see to the top. And at either side of the Monument, completing the shape of the cross, you find the Jefferson Memorial, commemorating one of the chief intellectual forces behind the creation of the American Republic, and the White House. home of the steward of the Constitution.
The parallels could run even further - between the Capitol and the Monument, the Mall is lined by various museums, including the majority of the institutions of the Smithsonian and the National Gallery of Art; between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial you will find a number of war memorials - the commemorative stained glass windows marking the heritage and sacrifices of the nation.
The area is one of the most glorious places imaginable to take a walk - most of the key sites are set around an inlet of water known as the tidal basin, and are specifically designed to allow people to walk around them. There are injunctions posted to avoid running, but there is a happiness around all of them. Their scale is enormous; the statues of Jefferson and Lincoln are 19 feet tall, and they are surrounded by vast marble structures, but this means that there is more than enough room for everyone to get a good view, not only of the outside of the structures, but also to have a read of the select inscriptions on the inside.
Of all the memorials, the one that excited me the most was the Jefferson Memorial. While he may have leant rather heavily on the yet more considerable academic talents of James Madison, his vision of American development defined the politics of the nation for 30 years; moreover, he was one of the most multi-talented Presidents in history. Whereas Washington relied on his military expertise for his reputation, Jefferson was an innovator of the highest order, being an accomplished architect, a skilled diplomat, a remarkable writer, and a patron of education (founding the University of Virginia after his presidency ended). The Monument contains the aforementioned statue, surrounded by a model of his Monticello estate, with the insides containing large tablets with some of his most notable writings. None, of course, more remarkable than the famous words of the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It was humbling to think of a man with such talents managing to make the most of the moment he was presented with.
From there, we proceeded to walk round to the FDR memorial, one of the latest additions to the area, and a fitting tribute to my choice for the greatest President of the 20th century. Set in four stages - one for each of his terms as President - the memorial is largely constructed around waterfalls. Each stage focuses on the key challenges that he dealt with during his time, so it opens up with statues symbolising the new deal, then marks the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and goes on to note his 'Four Freedoms' speech, his words regarding Pearl Harbor, and the victory in World War Two, culminating with recognition of Eleanor Roosevelt and the creation of the United Nations.
The loop continues to the Lincoln Memorial, which is flanked at either side by groves with memorials to the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The contrast between the two clearly shows the different place they have in American memory. The former is glorifying of sacrifice - an inscription to the effect that "Freedom is not free" being the only hint of real sacrifice. The rest of the monument shows depictions of soldiers marching towards an American flag, and was strangely untouching, unlike all the others. The Vietnam memorial, on the other hand, is far more sombre. Made out of black marble, it seems much more like a British World War One memorial, containing a list of all the soliders who gave their lives in the conflict. The wall is built into the ground, and so you walk down quite a distance to the middle. The black marble, moreover, sucks in the heat, and so the general impression is of a black spot on the national memory.
That stands in marked contrast to the Lincoln Memorial. The centrepiece is a 19 foot statue of Lincoln sitting down, looking down the Mall as if he is still the steward of the nation. Inside are his two most remarkable speeches; the Gettysburg Address and the second inaugural address. The Memorial is even more impressive when seen at night; when lit up it is a truly remarkable sight. The Memorial is also notable for a small inscription on the steps, noting the spot where Martin Luther King delivered his 'I have a Dream' speech.
The tour of memorials finishes with the World War Two Memorial, just between the Washington Monument and the reflecting pool. This has apparently proved controversial because of the location, yet it has been constructed fully in keeping with the proportions and the style of the area, and adds a beautiful fountain to the view as well. Constructed with a pillar for each of the 50 states, and assorted territories, it has separate sections at each side celebrating victories in the Atlantic and Pacific. What was even more amazing was that at this point the sun had set, and so all the aforementioned memorials were lit up. What was breathtaking by day was even more beautiful by night.
It's hard to find the right words to describe what I felt as I walked around. For all that my studying shows the ironies and contradictions of American history as much as the successes, there is a power to the founding principles of the nation, expressed so eloquently by great men such as Jefferson, FDR and Lincoln. And in creating such accessible memorials, where you are free to stroll around and reflect with many others on the legacy of these Presidents, the power of the ideals is driven home to you. I'm not sure I have the words at the moment to express adequately the sense of awe I felt as I wandered round. All that I am sure of is that I will make sure to return again before I head away from Washington.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Buy Me Some Peanuts And Crackerjack...
One manifestation of my Americanophilia is a passion for baseball. Normally following the game takes a certain degree of commitment. To watch a game live I have to be prepared to stay up until 1 in the morning - and even then, I only get the first pitch! Being in America, and in particular in large East Coast cities, however, gives me a much greater chance to watch some games.
Taking in a ballgame is a quintessential American experience, highly recommended even to those who have little or no interest in the game. The atmosphere is mild in terms of many British sporting events - a good analogy is to watching a professional cricket game. The action is somewhat sedate for most of the time, and from the spectator's point of view, while the game may be a central part of the experience, it is by no means the only feature.
Nevertheless, there is much about the entertainment on offer at a ballgame that would be totally alien to British sports fans. For starters, most of the chants are led over the public announcement system, with pre-recorded tunes, songs or claps designed to elicit support at key moments. There is also a concerted effort to fill in every possible moment of downtime with something to hold people's attention. Often, this is simply a chance to sell advertising space, with trivia quizzes filling up the electronic scoreboards, displayed under prominent adverts for beer, cell phones or fast food.
Other segments seem highly incongruous. The New York Mets, for example, run a segment called the 'Jose Reyes Spanish Academy' (Reyes is one of the Mets' star players, and hails from the Dominican Republic). Thanks to that I know how to say I need a napkin (necessito una servilleta, since you ask), but why there is a need for such entertainment in what is ultimately quite a short break somewhat defeats me. Then again, I suppose laughing at stupid people's attempts to pronounce a foreign language is an easy way of getting a few cheap laughs.
Each team has their own traditions. The New York Mets, for example, sing 'Sweet Caroline' in the 8th inning; the New York Yankees' groundkeepers come out and dance to YMCA at the end of the 6th. My favourite piece of entertainment, though, was the Washington Nationals' President's Race, where figures dressed up as Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt race the length of the first base line. A running joke is the failure of Roosevelt to win, despite attempting to cheat through various means such as zip-lining into the stadium or using a golf cart. It was a fun experience to be able to root for Jefferson, although sadly he was beaten to the line by Washington.
As of Thursday, I'd managed to get to four matches - three major-league games, and one minor league one. The latter was a very different experience to the first three; the ballpark, for starters, was much smaller, thus guaranteeing a better view, and the players seemed to have a much closer connection with the fans. The minor leagues exist more or less solely for the purpose of training players up to reach the major leagues; as a result they are generally situated in smaller towns, and rely for their support on the building of a rapport between players and fans (and the promise of watching stars before they become famous).
The match I went to was the Brooklyn Cyclones playing host to the Auburn Doubledays. Brooklyn is almost certainly one of the best places to catch a Minor League Baseball game, being a city with a strong baseball history. The Brooklyn Dodgers were the team of Jackie Robinson, the first black player to play in the major leagues; the captain of the team that season, Pee Wee Reese, is credited with going a long way to ease the transition. When playing in Cincinnati, Robinson faced a barrage of racial insults while warming up. Reese, without saying a word, walked over to Robinson and placed his arm around him, staring all the while at the hate-filled crowd in front of him. It is a justly celebrated moment, and commemorated in a statue outside the Cyclones' park.
The Dodgers left Brooklyn in 1958, and it was not until 2001 that professional baseball found its way back to the borough. The franchise has clearly placed a lot of effort in linking the team to the Dodgers (to the extent of basing their emblem very clearly on that of the Brooklyn cap), and has built up a loyal fan base, leading to a festive, friendly atmosphere there on Sunday afternoon.
Abner Doubleday, after whom Auburn are named, is credited as being responsible for two momentous occasions in American history - inventing the game of baseball, and firing the first shots of the Civil War in defence of Fort Sumter. Historically, he only achieved the latter, but has almost certainly received greater fame for the former 'achievement'. Sadly for his legacy, the team that now bears his name did not cover themselves in glory on Sunday. Despite some remarkably generous decisions from the 1st base umpire, they ended up losing 4-2 to the Cyclones.
The three major league stadia I visited on my tour will no longer be in existence in 2009. Shea Stadium, home to the Mets, is situated in the borough of Queens, right next door to the Flushing Meadow complex, and in Corona Park, previously host to two Worlds Fairs. The replacement stadium is already being constructed right next door, and is based on the design of Ebbets Field, the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. This represents a tendency for teams to build more compact stadia (normally with increased numbers of luxury boxes and reduced numbers of cheap seats), as it is thought fans prefer to be closer to the action.
That said, Shea puts many English stadia to shame - including many constructed far more recently. As in all the ballparks I visited, the highest seats are built at a very steep incline so every gets an unimpeded view of the field, and the seats tend to be spacious and as comfortable as can be expected from plastic. The game itself ended up being very exciting - Mets pitcher Tom Glavine (who had recently passed the career landmark of his 300th win) gave an excellent display, only to see his good work wasted through questionable team management and some appalling displays of pitching. The game was also notable for the two home runs hit by home town hero David Wright, which resulted in the lighting up of a Big Apple. Sadly Florida, the visiting team escaped with the victory.
Then on Monday, my hostel put on a special trip to a Yankees game against the Baltimore Orioles. The group I was with was multinational, and ranged from the baseball fanatics to those who were just curious for the experience - I watched the game explaining the vagaries of the rules to two German teachers. I must confess to never having had much time for the Yankees - they are very much the Manchester United or Chelsea of baseball, determined to buy their success through the purchase of the top free agents, and basically stealing everyone else's best players. Further proof of their evil ways is the design of their new stadium - built to exactly the same specifications as the old one, only with 3,000 fewer seats. Squeeze every last drop...
The atmosphere there, however, was quite unlike any other I have experienced at a baseball game. The stadium was all but sold out; and the fans exhibited a great passion for their team - showing spontaneous support, and far less reliant on the piped music (though for some inexplicable reason they all start dancing to Cotton Eye Joe in the 8th inning). Those fans who were brave enough to enter the stadium wearing Red Sox caps (the Boston team, and New York's great rivals) found themselves on the receiving end of lively and energetic "Boston sucks" chants. In contrast to a British football match, though, the banter remained good humoured throughout - US sports do not segregate opposing sets of supports, and the atmosphere is much friendlier for it.
The game itself was wacky - seeing several home runs, a couple of pitchers hit by wild pitches, and an array of fielding skills from the sublime to the ridiculous. The Yankees took a lead into the 9th inning, when Mariano Rivera, one of the greatest 'closers' in the history of the game entered. Normally, the game may as well be declared over at this point - yet he surrendered the lead, and so the Yankees went into the bottom of the 9th with the scores level. Despite the pitching of one of my favourite players, Chad Bradford (who throws with a very distinctive style, with his hand all but scraping the ground), the Yankees were able to drive in the run they needed and emerge victorious. What surprised me most was that I actually ended up pleased the Yankees won. What can I say? The atmosphere sucked me in.
Then last night I dragged Richard along to watch the Washington Nationals play the Philadelphia Phillies. At first, we feared it may be an underwhelming experience. The Nationals are new to the city of Washington, and their team is not particularly good - both factors which lead to potential fans largely staying away. We had excellent seats not too far from home plate, though, and a large travelling contingent of Phillies fans meant the stadium felt quite full by the time the game got underway.
I'd picked this game out especially, because Phillies' starting pitcher Cole Hamels is one of the rising stars of the game, and I was looking forward to the chance to watch him in the flesh. Not to mention that I wished to root for the Phillies! Hamels did not disappoint - he lasted for 7 innings without giving up a single run. The relief pitchers (including one who seemed far too large for a professional sportsman) were far more generous, and threatened to surrender the lead, but in the end the Nationals left it just a little bit too late to rally for victory. So although the home fans went away disappointed, the first leg of my baseball-watching finished on a decidedly high note. In addition, Richard seemed to enjoy the experience, too, which was a relief - I had feared he might have wondered why on earth I spent my time engaging in such activities! There was a slight scare on our trip home, when we realised that a spilt drink had soaked my backpack (containing my laptop and essential source of my work on the trip), but thankfully the super-absorbent Washington Post had managed to protect most of the rest of the contents. So with that fear averted, we headed back to our hotel content with the trip, and still buzzing with excitement. I only hope my further baseball experiences are as enjoyable!
I'm currently in Washington, largely to look through some of the collections of the Library of Congress, although making the time for some sightseeing too. I'll check in again over the weekend to keep you up-to-date on goings-on at the Capitol Hill...
Taking in a ballgame is a quintessential American experience, highly recommended even to those who have little or no interest in the game. The atmosphere is mild in terms of many British sporting events - a good analogy is to watching a professional cricket game. The action is somewhat sedate for most of the time, and from the spectator's point of view, while the game may be a central part of the experience, it is by no means the only feature.
Nevertheless, there is much about the entertainment on offer at a ballgame that would be totally alien to British sports fans. For starters, most of the chants are led over the public announcement system, with pre-recorded tunes, songs or claps designed to elicit support at key moments. There is also a concerted effort to fill in every possible moment of downtime with something to hold people's attention. Often, this is simply a chance to sell advertising space, with trivia quizzes filling up the electronic scoreboards, displayed under prominent adverts for beer, cell phones or fast food.
Other segments seem highly incongruous. The New York Mets, for example, run a segment called the 'Jose Reyes Spanish Academy' (Reyes is one of the Mets' star players, and hails from the Dominican Republic). Thanks to that I know how to say I need a napkin (necessito una servilleta, since you ask), but why there is a need for such entertainment in what is ultimately quite a short break somewhat defeats me. Then again, I suppose laughing at stupid people's attempts to pronounce a foreign language is an easy way of getting a few cheap laughs.
Each team has their own traditions. The New York Mets, for example, sing 'Sweet Caroline' in the 8th inning; the New York Yankees' groundkeepers come out and dance to YMCA at the end of the 6th. My favourite piece of entertainment, though, was the Washington Nationals' President's Race, where figures dressed up as Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt race the length of the first base line. A running joke is the failure of Roosevelt to win, despite attempting to cheat through various means such as zip-lining into the stadium or using a golf cart. It was a fun experience to be able to root for Jefferson, although sadly he was beaten to the line by Washington.
As of Thursday, I'd managed to get to four matches - three major-league games, and one minor league one. The latter was a very different experience to the first three; the ballpark, for starters, was much smaller, thus guaranteeing a better view, and the players seemed to have a much closer connection with the fans. The minor leagues exist more or less solely for the purpose of training players up to reach the major leagues; as a result they are generally situated in smaller towns, and rely for their support on the building of a rapport between players and fans (and the promise of watching stars before they become famous).
The match I went to was the Brooklyn Cyclones playing host to the Auburn Doubledays. Brooklyn is almost certainly one of the best places to catch a Minor League Baseball game, being a city with a strong baseball history. The Brooklyn Dodgers were the team of Jackie Robinson, the first black player to play in the major leagues; the captain of the team that season, Pee Wee Reese, is credited with going a long way to ease the transition. When playing in Cincinnati, Robinson faced a barrage of racial insults while warming up. Reese, without saying a word, walked over to Robinson and placed his arm around him, staring all the while at the hate-filled crowd in front of him. It is a justly celebrated moment, and commemorated in a statue outside the Cyclones' park.
The Dodgers left Brooklyn in 1958, and it was not until 2001 that professional baseball found its way back to the borough. The franchise has clearly placed a lot of effort in linking the team to the Dodgers (to the extent of basing their emblem very clearly on that of the Brooklyn cap), and has built up a loyal fan base, leading to a festive, friendly atmosphere there on Sunday afternoon.
Abner Doubleday, after whom Auburn are named, is credited as being responsible for two momentous occasions in American history - inventing the game of baseball, and firing the first shots of the Civil War in defence of Fort Sumter. Historically, he only achieved the latter, but has almost certainly received greater fame for the former 'achievement'. Sadly for his legacy, the team that now bears his name did not cover themselves in glory on Sunday. Despite some remarkably generous decisions from the 1st base umpire, they ended up losing 4-2 to the Cyclones.
The three major league stadia I visited on my tour will no longer be in existence in 2009. Shea Stadium, home to the Mets, is situated in the borough of Queens, right next door to the Flushing Meadow complex, and in Corona Park, previously host to two Worlds Fairs. The replacement stadium is already being constructed right next door, and is based on the design of Ebbets Field, the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. This represents a tendency for teams to build more compact stadia (normally with increased numbers of luxury boxes and reduced numbers of cheap seats), as it is thought fans prefer to be closer to the action.
That said, Shea puts many English stadia to shame - including many constructed far more recently. As in all the ballparks I visited, the highest seats are built at a very steep incline so every gets an unimpeded view of the field, and the seats tend to be spacious and as comfortable as can be expected from plastic. The game itself ended up being very exciting - Mets pitcher Tom Glavine (who had recently passed the career landmark of his 300th win) gave an excellent display, only to see his good work wasted through questionable team management and some appalling displays of pitching. The game was also notable for the two home runs hit by home town hero David Wright, which resulted in the lighting up of a Big Apple. Sadly Florida, the visiting team escaped with the victory.
Then on Monday, my hostel put on a special trip to a Yankees game against the Baltimore Orioles. The group I was with was multinational, and ranged from the baseball fanatics to those who were just curious for the experience - I watched the game explaining the vagaries of the rules to two German teachers. I must confess to never having had much time for the Yankees - they are very much the Manchester United or Chelsea of baseball, determined to buy their success through the purchase of the top free agents, and basically stealing everyone else's best players. Further proof of their evil ways is the design of their new stadium - built to exactly the same specifications as the old one, only with 3,000 fewer seats. Squeeze every last drop...
The atmosphere there, however, was quite unlike any other I have experienced at a baseball game. The stadium was all but sold out; and the fans exhibited a great passion for their team - showing spontaneous support, and far less reliant on the piped music (though for some inexplicable reason they all start dancing to Cotton Eye Joe in the 8th inning). Those fans who were brave enough to enter the stadium wearing Red Sox caps (the Boston team, and New York's great rivals) found themselves on the receiving end of lively and energetic "Boston sucks" chants. In contrast to a British football match, though, the banter remained good humoured throughout - US sports do not segregate opposing sets of supports, and the atmosphere is much friendlier for it.
The game itself was wacky - seeing several home runs, a couple of pitchers hit by wild pitches, and an array of fielding skills from the sublime to the ridiculous. The Yankees took a lead into the 9th inning, when Mariano Rivera, one of the greatest 'closers' in the history of the game entered. Normally, the game may as well be declared over at this point - yet he surrendered the lead, and so the Yankees went into the bottom of the 9th with the scores level. Despite the pitching of one of my favourite players, Chad Bradford (who throws with a very distinctive style, with his hand all but scraping the ground), the Yankees were able to drive in the run they needed and emerge victorious. What surprised me most was that I actually ended up pleased the Yankees won. What can I say? The atmosphere sucked me in.
Then last night I dragged Richard along to watch the Washington Nationals play the Philadelphia Phillies. At first, we feared it may be an underwhelming experience. The Nationals are new to the city of Washington, and their team is not particularly good - both factors which lead to potential fans largely staying away. We had excellent seats not too far from home plate, though, and a large travelling contingent of Phillies fans meant the stadium felt quite full by the time the game got underway.
I'd picked this game out especially, because Phillies' starting pitcher Cole Hamels is one of the rising stars of the game, and I was looking forward to the chance to watch him in the flesh. Not to mention that I wished to root for the Phillies! Hamels did not disappoint - he lasted for 7 innings without giving up a single run. The relief pitchers (including one who seemed far too large for a professional sportsman) were far more generous, and threatened to surrender the lead, but in the end the Nationals left it just a little bit too late to rally for victory. So although the home fans went away disappointed, the first leg of my baseball-watching finished on a decidedly high note. In addition, Richard seemed to enjoy the experience, too, which was a relief - I had feared he might have wondered why on earth I spent my time engaging in such activities! There was a slight scare on our trip home, when we realised that a spilt drink had soaked my backpack (containing my laptop and essential source of my work on the trip), but thankfully the super-absorbent Washington Post had managed to protect most of the rest of the contents. So with that fear averted, we headed back to our hotel content with the trip, and still buzzing with excitement. I only hope my further baseball experiences are as enjoyable!
I'm currently in Washington, largely to look through some of the collections of the Library of Congress, although making the time for some sightseeing too. I'll check in again over the weekend to keep you up-to-date on goings-on at the Capitol Hill...
Monday, August 13, 2007
So Good They Named It Twice
My first time in New York was a bit of a whirlwind - 30 hours as a weekend break in a research trip to Philadelphia. Despite having longer (a whole week!) this time, much of it was to be spent on research. Thankfully, though, my foray into the Albert Gallatin papers turned out to be swift as well as productive, and I have had three days footloose and fancy-free in the Big Apple.
The advice I was given from an NYC native before my first trip here still stood. Walk around as much as you can, he said. There's so much variety and interest in the city that any attempt to flit around between the main sites just won't give you enough of a sense of the place. Keeping this in mind, I've kept my subway journeys to a minimum, and set out my foot wherever possible.
New York is a surprisingly walkable city. It helps that the bulk of Manhattan is on a grid system, so finding your bearings is not particularly taxing. Even on the southern tip of the island, where streets are less neatly arranged, it doesn't take long to work out where you are. Saturday started with a journey to the Staten Island Ferry complex to meet Richard, followed by a trip to Strand, my favourite bookstore in the entire world (or at least its annex). Why? Firstly its layout, which is gloriously higgledy-piggledy. There's enough grouping for you to work out which subject you're looking at, but the shelves are tightly packed together and piled high. Often there are piles of books on the floor, and it is a wonderful place to idly browse. Not for nothing is its tag-line '18 miles of books'.
The main attraction, though, is the price of the books - pretty much everything in there is at least half-price. When you consider that books in the US are on average cheaper than the equivalent price here (especially given the favourable exchange rate), this represents a huge saving. In addition, the understandable greater availability of books on all tihngs American makes it a real treasure trove for me.
This adventure was followed by a route march that took us under the Brooklyn Bridge, through the vast and sprawling Chinatown, and into Little Italy. I've never been a huge fan of Chinatowns across the world. Many have been highly rated, especially those in Vancouver, San Francisco and Philadelphia, yet they have a generally run-down and shabby feel to them. New York's was little different - if, as you might expect, somewhat large in size. Little Italy, on the other hand, was far more enjoyable. It is somewhat tucked away, but has a festive atmosphere, even if it was a little too busy on Saturday afternoon for our tastes.
My next stop was Shea Stadium, home to the New York Mets, but I will write more about that when I compile my baseball post. The next day, I set off for a stroll through Central Park. Central Park is massive in scale, extending for over 50 blocks through the heart of Manhattan. I decided to walk most of them. Nice at any time (in daylight at least), Sunday is the best day for a visit, as the roads running through the park are closed. This means it is easier to amble, and considerably less noisy. Far enough in, you can close your eyes and forget that you are in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world. You do have to close your eyes, though, because the framing of skyscrapers does ruin the effect somewhat.
One thing that was interesting was the number of 'soccer' kickarounds that were taking place alongside the more stereotypical softball and football games. I joined in with one family, visiting from North Carolina. It has been interesting to observe the number of football shirts on display in the city. It's obviously unscientific (after all, I may just be running into a large number of tourists), but I've definitely seen more this trip than I ever have previously. That's without counting the large group of Toronto FC fans who turned up at the hostel on Saturday. Who knows, maybe the arrival of David Beckham is having an effect?
My next stop (after walking down Broadway to Times Square, which is one of the most hideously garish places imaginable, although fantastic in its scale) was to Coney Island. Literary fans amongst you may remember the name from The Great Gatsby. Situated at the bottom end of Brooklyn, Coney Island is home to the Cyclone rollercoaster, built in the 1920s and still clattering along its wooden tracks. According to the advertising blurb, it is the most imitated rollercoaster in the world, having 7 replicas across the United States and even Japan.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I hope that it only extends as far as the rollercoaster. Astroland, the fun park that inhabits much of the island, has certainly seen better days. Not for nothing is it closing down at the end of the year to undergo an extensive renovation. It needs it. That isn't to say the Island isn't worth a trip - it is also home to the New York Aquarium, and a vast expanse of beach with a lively boardwalk. Of course, I probably wouldn't have visited at all were it not for the presence of the Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league baseball team. But more on that later.
Today again started with a trip down to the southern tip of Manhattan, this time to see Federal Hall. Located on Wall Street (so called because it used to be the site of a wall marking the northern boundary of New York), the location played host to some important moments in colonial and revolutionary history. In the 1730s, it was the scene of the Zenger trial, an important landmark in paving the way for a free press. The real reason I turned up, however, was because it was the seat of the United States government for the first year of its existence under the Constitution.
The original building no longer stands, but it was the site of Washington's inauguration (one of the exhibits is the Bible on which he was sworn in), and, indeed, a mammoth statue of the man stands outside - in full view of the New York Stock Exchange. One wonders how proud Alexander Hamilton, Washington's Secretary of the Treasury, would have been to see the economic strength of the USA now. More interesting, perhaps, is the fact that it was in New York that the Bill of Rights was passed through Congress before being sent to the separate states for ratification.
My revolutionary interests sufficiently indulged, I then took a stroll up Broadway, past City Hall, and into Greenwich Village. Most of my time was spent wandering around the buildings that make up the campus of New York University, founded in the 1830s by Albert Gallatin (you may remember him from such paragraphs as the first). The highlight was probably Washington Square Park, again dominated by statues of Washington, one as statesman, one as a general.
Greenwich Village as a whole has a different feel from much of the rest of downtown Manhattan - not only does it have a countercultural history (there is a significant gay presence in the area, and was the location of the Stonewall riots), but it has fewer high-rise buildings and perhaps as a result feels less busy. From there I wandered on to Union Square, overlooked by the grave figure of Abraham Lincoln. One thing that makes New York such a pleasant city is that it is very easy to walk everywhere, but the streets are frequently interspersed with parks and other greenery. Too many buildings would feel oppressive, given the general pace of the city.
And so tomorrow I head down to the District of Columbia, largely to visit the Library of Congress, but also a chance to get to the Smithsonian and Capitol Hill. I'll miss New York, and there's still an awful lot that I've yet to see here. Then again, it gives me an incentive for a return visit. The hostel is not the most exciting in the world, but then again it is secure and in a convenient location. It does have a lot of the gadgetry that perhaps typifies America, though. Of all the tasks that I've wished there could be robotic assistance for, pulling a towel from a holder is not one of them. Yet the bathrooms in this hostel have an electronic sensor to save you from any unnecessary exertions. Who knows, maybe it's saved me from getting my finger jammed? I'll write another missive on my mini-ballpark tour soon, but until then, I hope you are all keeping well.
The advice I was given from an NYC native before my first trip here still stood. Walk around as much as you can, he said. There's so much variety and interest in the city that any attempt to flit around between the main sites just won't give you enough of a sense of the place. Keeping this in mind, I've kept my subway journeys to a minimum, and set out my foot wherever possible.
New York is a surprisingly walkable city. It helps that the bulk of Manhattan is on a grid system, so finding your bearings is not particularly taxing. Even on the southern tip of the island, where streets are less neatly arranged, it doesn't take long to work out where you are. Saturday started with a journey to the Staten Island Ferry complex to meet Richard, followed by a trip to Strand, my favourite bookstore in the entire world (or at least its annex). Why? Firstly its layout, which is gloriously higgledy-piggledy. There's enough grouping for you to work out which subject you're looking at, but the shelves are tightly packed together and piled high. Often there are piles of books on the floor, and it is a wonderful place to idly browse. Not for nothing is its tag-line '18 miles of books'.
The main attraction, though, is the price of the books - pretty much everything in there is at least half-price. When you consider that books in the US are on average cheaper than the equivalent price here (especially given the favourable exchange rate), this represents a huge saving. In addition, the understandable greater availability of books on all tihngs American makes it a real treasure trove for me.
This adventure was followed by a route march that took us under the Brooklyn Bridge, through the vast and sprawling Chinatown, and into Little Italy. I've never been a huge fan of Chinatowns across the world. Many have been highly rated, especially those in Vancouver, San Francisco and Philadelphia, yet they have a generally run-down and shabby feel to them. New York's was little different - if, as you might expect, somewhat large in size. Little Italy, on the other hand, was far more enjoyable. It is somewhat tucked away, but has a festive atmosphere, even if it was a little too busy on Saturday afternoon for our tastes.
My next stop was Shea Stadium, home to the New York Mets, but I will write more about that when I compile my baseball post. The next day, I set off for a stroll through Central Park. Central Park is massive in scale, extending for over 50 blocks through the heart of Manhattan. I decided to walk most of them. Nice at any time (in daylight at least), Sunday is the best day for a visit, as the roads running through the park are closed. This means it is easier to amble, and considerably less noisy. Far enough in, you can close your eyes and forget that you are in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world. You do have to close your eyes, though, because the framing of skyscrapers does ruin the effect somewhat.
One thing that was interesting was the number of 'soccer' kickarounds that were taking place alongside the more stereotypical softball and football games. I joined in with one family, visiting from North Carolina. It has been interesting to observe the number of football shirts on display in the city. It's obviously unscientific (after all, I may just be running into a large number of tourists), but I've definitely seen more this trip than I ever have previously. That's without counting the large group of Toronto FC fans who turned up at the hostel on Saturday. Who knows, maybe the arrival of David Beckham is having an effect?
My next stop (after walking down Broadway to Times Square, which is one of the most hideously garish places imaginable, although fantastic in its scale) was to Coney Island. Literary fans amongst you may remember the name from The Great Gatsby. Situated at the bottom end of Brooklyn, Coney Island is home to the Cyclone rollercoaster, built in the 1920s and still clattering along its wooden tracks. According to the advertising blurb, it is the most imitated rollercoaster in the world, having 7 replicas across the United States and even Japan.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I hope that it only extends as far as the rollercoaster. Astroland, the fun park that inhabits much of the island, has certainly seen better days. Not for nothing is it closing down at the end of the year to undergo an extensive renovation. It needs it. That isn't to say the Island isn't worth a trip - it is also home to the New York Aquarium, and a vast expanse of beach with a lively boardwalk. Of course, I probably wouldn't have visited at all were it not for the presence of the Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league baseball team. But more on that later.
Today again started with a trip down to the southern tip of Manhattan, this time to see Federal Hall. Located on Wall Street (so called because it used to be the site of a wall marking the northern boundary of New York), the location played host to some important moments in colonial and revolutionary history. In the 1730s, it was the scene of the Zenger trial, an important landmark in paving the way for a free press. The real reason I turned up, however, was because it was the seat of the United States government for the first year of its existence under the Constitution.
The original building no longer stands, but it was the site of Washington's inauguration (one of the exhibits is the Bible on which he was sworn in), and, indeed, a mammoth statue of the man stands outside - in full view of the New York Stock Exchange. One wonders how proud Alexander Hamilton, Washington's Secretary of the Treasury, would have been to see the economic strength of the USA now. More interesting, perhaps, is the fact that it was in New York that the Bill of Rights was passed through Congress before being sent to the separate states for ratification.
My revolutionary interests sufficiently indulged, I then took a stroll up Broadway, past City Hall, and into Greenwich Village. Most of my time was spent wandering around the buildings that make up the campus of New York University, founded in the 1830s by Albert Gallatin (you may remember him from such paragraphs as the first). The highlight was probably Washington Square Park, again dominated by statues of Washington, one as statesman, one as a general.
Greenwich Village as a whole has a different feel from much of the rest of downtown Manhattan - not only does it have a countercultural history (there is a significant gay presence in the area, and was the location of the Stonewall riots), but it has fewer high-rise buildings and perhaps as a result feels less busy. From there I wandered on to Union Square, overlooked by the grave figure of Abraham Lincoln. One thing that makes New York such a pleasant city is that it is very easy to walk everywhere, but the streets are frequently interspersed with parks and other greenery. Too many buildings would feel oppressive, given the general pace of the city.
And so tomorrow I head down to the District of Columbia, largely to visit the Library of Congress, but also a chance to get to the Smithsonian and Capitol Hill. I'll miss New York, and there's still an awful lot that I've yet to see here. Then again, it gives me an incentive for a return visit. The hostel is not the most exciting in the world, but then again it is secure and in a convenient location. It does have a lot of the gadgetry that perhaps typifies America, though. Of all the tasks that I've wished there could be robotic assistance for, pulling a towel from a holder is not one of them. Yet the bathrooms in this hostel have an electronic sensor to save you from any unnecessary exertions. Who knows, maybe it's saved me from getting my finger jammed? I'll write another missive on my mini-ballpark tour soon, but until then, I hope you are all keeping well.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Always Take The Weather With You
My family seems to have had a bad run of luck as far as flooding goes this year. One member found himself in Hull when the drains overflowed, and found ten minute car journeys turning into two-hour odysseys. On my part, TV cameras had set up shop pretty much at the end of the road when heavy rain hit Oxford and the Thames started to burst its banks. Yet surely going to New York in the summer would mean I was free from such adverse conditions?
Think again. I'd arranged to meet a friend for breakfast on Wednesday morning. A simple plan in theory, but on reaching the subway there was a fifteen-minute wait before the first train appeared. Not only that, but it was too crowded to afford any room to get on. The next train was the same. Eventually I managed to cram myself into a carriage, but given the heat and capacity, it was far from a comfortable journey.
The reason for this was that thunderstorms overnight had flooded parts of the subway lines, and so services were intermittent at best. Indeed, reading the papers the next morning, it seemed as if I was lucky just to have had access to a functioning train at all. The more general problem is that the subway is not an especially comfortable means of travel - it seems to suck in the heat that the rest of the city is pumping out through its air conditioning system. That said, it encourages me to walk whenever possible. Given the size of American portions, this is almost certainly a good thing!
Of course, the eating opportunities in NYC are a major bonus about being here. Richard and I have sampled a number of different establishments, ranging from stereotypical diners to more eclectic restaurants. The undoubted highlight was a Chinese/Mexican fusion food restuarant. We received a glowing recommendation from a family leaving the restaurant as we entered, and it lived up to its billing. Any institution that serves prawn crackers and tortilla chips as its free snacks has to be worth visiting! Our other regular haunt has been Tom's Restaurant, which for those of you in the know is the diner that featured in Seinfeld. One of the benefits of being around for a somewhat extended period of time is that you can visit somewhere often enough to be recognised, and sure enough last night we found ourselves in conversation with the manager being offered free drinks!
The first few days of my trip here have mostly been concentrated on research, however. (I have to include this in case my supervisor finds his way here). Thankfully, this week has been so productive that my fears of struggling to get through the papers I was reading before the archive closed for its long weekend proved unfounded, and I now have the luxury of three days unadulterated sightseeing in the Big Apple. Admittedly, the evenings are likely to be spent at a variety of baseball games. But I'm certainly looking forward to getting to explore some of the more famous sights here at a slightly more leisurely pace than my previously 30-hour dash.
My one act as a tourist so far was a trip to the Empire State Building. The building itself is actually surprisingly easy to miss, for it is so tall that the main structure is set back from the base, and thus inconspicuous from ground level (skyscrapers that run straight up and adjacent to the pavement, sorry, sidewalk are far more foreboding). The views from the top are every bit as good as advertising - and I feel justified in saying this despite the fact that visibility was only 5 miles when we were at the top! The downside to the poorer weather, of course, was the fact that the pictures are nowhere near as impressive as they might be. "That grey blob in the distance is the Statue of Liberty" isn't that impressive, I fear.
The other problem with the trip is that the staff were very surly. The building is so tall you need to go through two elevators, but they don't actually inform you which floor you need to get off on the second time round. Nevertheless, even on a less than clear day, the views were quite spectacular. It isn't for the faint-hearted, though - the height of the building is quite terrifying, especially when you get hit by really strong gusts of wind! My pictures will doubtless be characterised by a morbid fear of stepping any closer to the edge. Despite the huge safety cages in place.
Anyway, the lure of sightseeing is calling once again, so I will leave this missive now. Expect updates on the quality of New York baseball stadia soon!
Think again. I'd arranged to meet a friend for breakfast on Wednesday morning. A simple plan in theory, but on reaching the subway there was a fifteen-minute wait before the first train appeared. Not only that, but it was too crowded to afford any room to get on. The next train was the same. Eventually I managed to cram myself into a carriage, but given the heat and capacity, it was far from a comfortable journey.
The reason for this was that thunderstorms overnight had flooded parts of the subway lines, and so services were intermittent at best. Indeed, reading the papers the next morning, it seemed as if I was lucky just to have had access to a functioning train at all. The more general problem is that the subway is not an especially comfortable means of travel - it seems to suck in the heat that the rest of the city is pumping out through its air conditioning system. That said, it encourages me to walk whenever possible. Given the size of American portions, this is almost certainly a good thing!
Of course, the eating opportunities in NYC are a major bonus about being here. Richard and I have sampled a number of different establishments, ranging from stereotypical diners to more eclectic restaurants. The undoubted highlight was a Chinese/Mexican fusion food restuarant. We received a glowing recommendation from a family leaving the restaurant as we entered, and it lived up to its billing. Any institution that serves prawn crackers and tortilla chips as its free snacks has to be worth visiting! Our other regular haunt has been Tom's Restaurant, which for those of you in the know is the diner that featured in Seinfeld. One of the benefits of being around for a somewhat extended period of time is that you can visit somewhere often enough to be recognised, and sure enough last night we found ourselves in conversation with the manager being offered free drinks!
The first few days of my trip here have mostly been concentrated on research, however. (I have to include this in case my supervisor finds his way here). Thankfully, this week has been so productive that my fears of struggling to get through the papers I was reading before the archive closed for its long weekend proved unfounded, and I now have the luxury of three days unadulterated sightseeing in the Big Apple. Admittedly, the evenings are likely to be spent at a variety of baseball games. But I'm certainly looking forward to getting to explore some of the more famous sights here at a slightly more leisurely pace than my previously 30-hour dash.
My one act as a tourist so far was a trip to the Empire State Building. The building itself is actually surprisingly easy to miss, for it is so tall that the main structure is set back from the base, and thus inconspicuous from ground level (skyscrapers that run straight up and adjacent to the pavement, sorry, sidewalk are far more foreboding). The views from the top are every bit as good as advertising - and I feel justified in saying this despite the fact that visibility was only 5 miles when we were at the top! The downside to the poorer weather, of course, was the fact that the pictures are nowhere near as impressive as they might be. "That grey blob in the distance is the Statue of Liberty" isn't that impressive, I fear.
The other problem with the trip is that the staff were very surly. The building is so tall you need to go through two elevators, but they don't actually inform you which floor you need to get off on the second time round. Nevertheless, even on a less than clear day, the views were quite spectacular. It isn't for the faint-hearted, though - the height of the building is quite terrifying, especially when you get hit by really strong gusts of wind! My pictures will doubtless be characterised by a morbid fear of stepping any closer to the edge. Despite the huge safety cages in place.
Anyway, the lure of sightseeing is calling once again, so I will leave this missive now. Expect updates on the quality of New York baseball stadia soon!
Welcome!
Hello to any of you finding their way here. This blog is primarily a means of chronicling my research trip to America in August and September 2007 - keeping a record of my thoughts and impressions as I travel up and down the East Coast. The primary posts (at least at the start) will be travelogues, although I may well post observations on what is in the news or links to articles that have caught my eye. I hope you find it interesting and informative, and please feel free to leave comments.
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