Every morning we get out and about a little earlier. Good tourists! As we started down the stairs to our nearest subway station, 2 cops came rushing up towards from below shouting, "Station closed! Go to 72nd!" We backed away quickly, especially since fire trucks and cop cars were screeching up with sirens going. This was our second subway scare. On 9/11 we were on a subway downtown when we noticed that a package had been left on a seat. Some guy nearby said, "Oh yeah, a guy just left it here and walked off..." No one around us except one other lady seemed too concerned. I insisted we get off the train and take the next car. Paranoia? Yeah, probably, since no explosions were reported in the news... but Hey!
Our big outing was to the High Line and we took the bus (just subway averse for the morning). A few blocks before we approached the stairs to High Line down in Soho, Ben and I realized we were near Sullivan Street Bakery and we decided to pay homage to Jim Lahey, founder of the bakery, author
We walked into this beautiful bakery and were immediately salivating. We had to order potato pizza and cauliflower pizza, as we needed to compare it to our efforts to produce it at home. While waiting, I noticed Jim Lahey in the back bakery. The nice salesgirl knew we were big fans and went and asked him to come out and meet us. WOW!
We have met a mega-star of the food world (in our food world, anyway). We chatted with Jim for several minutes and he told us he loves California and the Big Sur area. We immediately invited him for a visit and he gave us his "personal" email address (!!!).
We met up with Dilara and started the walk on the High Line. She was like, "Jim who?" That is what happens when you give up bread...
It is a modern, elevated garden walk on an abandon- ed, historic elevated freight rail line, that was no doubt an eyesore before landscape architects came up with this project. The plant species selected are native to the area and beautifully tended. Bright Coreopis, sage and elderberry were planted amid small trees, grasses, etc. integrated into the garden walk. 
Ben offers these facts about the High Line: 1.45 miles long. Last train ran in 1980 and carried frozen turkeys. Park opened in 2009. More that 300 species of plants.
We met up with Joe Hewes-Clark, a high school contemporary of Dilara and Noah - Joe has lived in NYC for 8 years. He and his Dad are working on a play script about aging Viet Nam vets.
Ben and I left Dilara and Joe to reminisce and we walked to REI through Soho and Greenwich Village. We happened on the Fest of San Gennaro in Little Italy. On the surface it looked really cool, but we were put off by the funnel cakes booths, Cuban cigar booths and fried pickles. We had started out with the quest to go to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, but all the interesting distractions along the way made us decide to put it off until another day.
Back at the apartment, Dilara decided to sit out on the balcony AKA fire escape.
Tonight we are having a little get together with the some more of the SLO transplants from our kids' generation.
Look forward to catching up and hearing their insights on life in New York.
Craig and I walked the Highline when we were in NYC last December. A nice walk with interesting art, and we had it pretty much to ourselves! Enjoying your blog. Keep it up.
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