Chinatown, Mott Street Betwen Mosco and Pell Streets, Bayard Between Mott and Elizabeth Streets

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………… …..........……………….. click to enlarge

Go to Yelp to read 19 reviews of Silkroad Place. Okay, don't go, I'll just report what they say. The food is okay at best, basically tea and other drinks and sweets, but there's something about this place . . . the ambience, or the friendliness of the waiters, or, or, oh yeah, they have internet access out front. Yes, outside the actual restaurant!  If that doesn't hook you, I don't know what would.

You see that clump of kids to the left? Can you make out the guitars? I don't know whether they're there because of the internet access (but why?) or because of the stools. They weren't performing. Kids. Who can figure.





Mary Sargent © 2009 …………….............…… ………………….. click to enlarge

And now it's still not time for lunch. About 25 more minutes. Just about enough time for a nice foot massage. The ready availabilty of cheap foot massages just when you need them is one of the things that makes New York great. Ten minutes for ten dollars. Plus tip.






Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………… ………………….. click to enlarge


In this case, the reclining chair was almost as great as the massage.




 

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………..........................………… ………………….. click to enlarge

And now to Nice Green Bo, formerly New Green Bo. Myra was already there and we lost no time in ordering. Pork and crab soup dumplings (they call them tiny buns), shrimp fried in their shells, and sauteed pea shoots, one of my favorites.

The dumplings were great. You know soup dumplings? Where the soup is inside the dumpling. Bill and I trekked out to Goody's in Queens quite some time ago and had them for the first time. This was before they existed in Manhattan. Those were the pioneer days, kids. Anyway, we realized we had found something way worth the trek. Later Goody's opened a branch on East Broadway. Shanghai Joe's dumplings got all the buzz, but I thought Goody's were better. I was just going to lament the closing of Goody's in Manhattan when I saw a notice that they'd reopened on Fulton Street. Must check out.


Anyway, back to Nice Green Bo. I didn't much like the shrimp because of the too sweet sauce they were in. Myra begged to disagree. We both thought the dumplings and pea shoots were wonderful and thought we should return and try other things.

And now this walk is OVER. At last.



P.S.  Apologies for the last two inadequate photos.  When I start to actually have experiences, I tend to lose my dedication to the Project.  If you go to Google maps, street view, you will see a full photo of Green Bo when it was New, not Nice.

Chinatown, Bayard Street Between Mulberry and Baxter Streets

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………… ……………….. click to enlarge

Meanwhile on the other side of the street, from Worth to Bayard, is Columbus Park. We've been here before and I won't repeat myself, but in case you've forgotten, here's the link.

I told you it was a beautiful day. Isn't this pretty?





Mary Sargent © 2009 …………… ………………….. click to enlarge

I sat on a bench for a while, watching people.

Chinatown, Bayard Street Between Elizabeth and Mott Streets

Mary Sargent © 2008 ………… click to enlarge

After we left Mosco Street, I turned my camera off. I was getting sick from an over-abundance of riches. Like eating too much candy. I had to turn it back on, though, to catch this shot of the Ice Cream Factory where we stopped for ice cream cones. We had walked by on a frigid day in February when the line was out the door. Now, on a beautiful warm day, no line at all. Go figure. I had coconut, Bill had ginger. This isn't really top of the line ice cream, but it just feels more right than going to the Hagen Daz store. And the flavors are more right.

Okay, that's it for Chinatown. About time. Even though I posted multiple shots, I ran over my two week limit. Sorry!

See map

Chinatown, Bayard Street Between Mulberry and Mott Streets

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Can you believe this color? I dare one of those photorealists to come down here and paint this scene.

See map.

Chinatown, Bayard Street Between Baxter and Mulberry Streets

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

This is the northern end of Columbus Park which we first saw over a year ago at its southern side. The sign at the entrance says Columbus Park Pavilion. Googling the pavillion brought up some interesting stuff. If you go to NYBeyondSight, you can hear Wellington Chen talking about the area and the pavilion (scroll to the bottom of the page). Or Brian Lehrer describing the Empire State Building. Or . . . but you can check it out for yourself.

And then there is Project For Public Spaces, where the pavilion was placed in the Hall of Shame BEFORE it was renovated in 2007. Go there to see photographs of its sorry state pre-2007.

And finally, I learned on Yelp that once again I have been a dope, just taking my shot and walking on. Apparently old China exists right down that path.

One day when this project is finished, I'm going to start at the beginning of the blog and go back to all those places where I later regretted not going farther. Stick with me.



Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

This is at the other end of the block at Mulberry where lots of people hang out outside of the park.

I'm happy to be posting this well before midnight now that the conventions are over. That was some two weeks.

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Chinatown, Bayard Street Between Elizabeth and Mott Streets

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

I've just been inching along this street. So much to see, can't get enough of that doorway. But this is the last one for this walk.

On this frigid February night, I'm daydreaming about a warm spring morning when I get up early and go down to Chinatown for breakfast and then I walk around taking pictures until I get hungry and then I have lunch and then I walk around for a while and have some ice cream from the Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory and take pictures until I get hungry and then I have dinner. And then I nap on the subway coming home.

I'm putting that on my list.

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Chinatown, Bayard Street Between Elizabeth and Mott Streets

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Too bad I had egg custard tarts at Jing Fong; I could've had ginger ice cream at The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory – or even one of their exotic flavors like cherry vanilla.

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Chinatown, Bayard Street Between Elizabeth and Mott Streets

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge


See map.

Chinatown, Bayard Street Between Elizabeth and Mott Streets

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Imagine living in one of those 2nd floor apartments. I sort of like the idea, but the reality might be trying.

If anyone out there lives in Chinatown, let us know what it's like.

See map.