Almost a decade later, the Yankees are champions again. I read in today’s NY Times an editorial by one of George Bush’s aides where he sadly admitted, as a Yankee fan, that the team has won championships only during the time democrats are in the White House. I did not know that.
All I knew is that for the first time I was open to wearing a Yankee hat and going downtown to the parade. When you are past 30, large, noisy crowds stop being exciting, and actually become a less-than-exciting prospect. But I was willing to brave all that and go celebrate with thousands of New Yorkers, who had taken the day off to head downtown to enjoy the victory of the home team.
It had been a long time since I can recall the city “dressing up for a party” like this, especially downtown, after that fated Tuesday, when for the first time New Yorkers were set to elect our current, and now third-term mayor, Mike Bloomberg. We have reasons to celebrate today. The city –especially downtown– has come back from the depressive aftermath of 911.
We in New York were just happy to have a reason to head downtown and celebrate, despite all else that’s happened. It was a worthwhile trip. I knew better than to drive in or take a taxi down there. Many streets were closed, and the best bet was to take the subway. The 4/5 lines were packed with fans. Someone said that Yankee fans tend to be a bit “obnoxious”. Of course that is a generality which I took with a grain of salt. But I’m sure if my friend had been riding the train downtown on Friday, full of Yankee fans, she would have reminded me that she was right.
Armed with camera and blackberry in hand, I was determined to capture the celebration. No doubt the media had special access to better spots for the rest of the world to watch from the comfort of their own monitors. I knew I’d just have to find my way in the crowd and get a spot that would help me capture great views. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to show you what the mainstream media would, I decided to capture what they did not manage to show you, perhaps because it is mundane, perhaps not as special as the Yankees themselves, but it was certainly worth capturing, especially on a day like this.
I decided to stay in the City Hall area, since that’s where the celebration would ultimately take place. Therefore the pictures are from that vicinity. Given the massive crowds and so many streets closed, even to pedestrians, there was no way I’d be able to follow the parade all the way up Broadway.
So, I’m dividing my pictures into three sections. Part A, which shows you my view from the streets, prior to the parade and celebration. Part B, will show you views from a more “strategic” spot. And part C, back in the streets, after the celebration.
Having arrived to the City Hall area, I was not surprised at the major crowds. No matter how tall you were, it was difficult to see because many people were carrying little ones on their shoulders. People had begun to climb into anything that would help them see better. I just knew I had to find a good spot that would allow me a variety of views.
Then I remembered that my Alma Matter, Pace University, owned the tower right across from City Hall. How convenient and strategic! Thankfully I had my alumni ID. I walked into the quiet hallway of the tower at 41 Park Row. The security guards were extra cautious, checking IDs. Once I got on the elevator I decided to go to the English department, which I remember being on the 14th floor. But it wasn’t. I was off by one floor. I ended up in the Career Services Department, and the terrific team of people there were nice enough to let me into the conference room with the most strategic view. I want to send a special thanks and shout out to the folks in that group, especially Gregorio Mendez who greeted me and got me in. I had met him a few years before in another Pace event and had connected via LinkedIn. It was a pleasure to meet you all and spend time with you on this special day.
The second set of pictures, (part B), were taken from the 14th floor of the 41 Park Row tower at Pace University. I did wish I had brought my video camera with super zoom and tripod. But perhaps another time. In the meantime, here are some shots that I am sure you did not get to see on TV nor from your computer. Each photo has captions, and you can put your cursor on top for more options. The button to the far right of the navigation bar will expand the pictures to fill your screen.
After the parade, it was rumored that the Yankees were inside City Hall having lunch with the mayor. So we decided to order some pizza. It was unbelievable that the nearby pizza place wouldn’t deliver for an hour and a half. So some of us decided to walk over and pick it up. Thanks Genevieve! The folks at the Career Services department were terrific.
After the celebration was over, I went back out to the streets and it was unbelievable! The mess we had left behind as fans! But the NYC sanitation department was already hard at work. Cops were still all over the place making sure that the now-drunk fans wouldn’t get out of hand. So, this last set of slides shows you the aftermath of such a great celebration, and how the city has it together cleaning up right after. A big thanks to all of you, unsung heroes, who did all the cleaning up after us. This next set of slides is for you. You guys have to see this, plus also there are some great views of some special spots. Thanks for tuning in. I’ll be reporting from the next spot very soon again. If there are any ideas or suggestions of spots you’d like me to capture for you, feel free to contact me here.
In the meantime, enjoy these images. Feel free to leave feedback. Thanks for visiting.
- Mr. 3,000 Derek Jeter is 6 hits away from attaining a form of baseball immortality. That’s right. With just 6 more base hits, he will join the illustrious 3,000 hit club. That means that on 2,994 separate occasions, he has stepped into a Major League batter’s box and come through with a......
- A Month of Sundays: 4 Days in New York Years ago, I had a commission for a painting. The man who commissioned the painting, lived in New Jersey. He wanted a large painting, to include his four children, three sons and one daughter. Large paintings are expensive to ship, and as I had a friend in New Jersey, I......
- Looking for Mannahatta In 2004, I found my family tree with the help of a genealogist. I say mine, not ours, because my brother, three cousins and I were relinquished at birth in Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago, and adopted by two couples (two brothers and their wives). We grew up in......
Recent Comments