Pizza is yum

*sorry peeps. been too occupied and exhausted over the past few days to update. hopefully i recall most of the good stuff* 

People who wait in a block-long line outside a Abercrombie and Fitch store (as I observed on 5th Avenue)for must be going inside to gawk at the shirtless male models or even to get high on the excessive perfume sprayed around the store, because those threads are just not worth waiting an hour plus over. Then again, some people really do want to look like preppy jerk-offs...

The people in front comprised of about 25% of the whole line
waiting for the place to open.

The doorman is really good at making people disappearing....
.....into Grimaldis! HAHAHA. G

However, some establishments really do deserve this sort of ludacris dedication. This includes Grimaldis Pizzeria, a little, understated joint located under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side of the East River. It is not only decent, but it's known to be one of the best, if not THE best pizzeria in New York. What is different about Grimaldis pizzas? I don't know, but they are cooked using traditional coal brick ovens, which are apparently illegal in the Manhattan area (stems from old legislation, no clear reasoning). Considering that we started waiting in the sizable line half an hour BEFORE the restaurant even opened, my expectations were justifiably high. As soon as the clock hit twelve o'clock, we were finally beckoned in by the doorman (who looked like he had just finished making cement shoes at the local lake). The place was filled to the brim, and the line outside continued to extend down the footpath. The menu was pretty straight forward. Large or medium? Tomato or white-based  pizza? Toppings? Extras? Sorry for anyone with a stapled stomach, but there is a no single slice policy, so we had to order and attempt to finish a whole pizza. It was brilliant and lives up to its billing. Apparently this place has been served with eviction papers recently, and will have to move, despite having the place consistently full. If that is true, then we sure are lucky to have had the chance to visit Grimaldis in the original location. The service and atmosphere were simple, and the all-male staff weren't the easiest on the eye, but in the end, it's all about pizza. A pizza which happens to be the best I've ever had. 

You finished taking photos yet?

Having eaten our pizza and looking three months pregnant as a result, we decided to hire some bikes and ride over the Brooklyn bridge. Despite being right next to the shoreline, we still had to backtrack and make our way through Brooklyn Heights because the bridge extends quite far inland. All I wanted to was change up my

gears and hoon my way across the bridge at breakneck speeds. However, leaving my girlfriend in my dust would have had dire consequences, therefore I was forced to bring it down a notch. Comparing this to our bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge (which is more of a....hmmm.... red?), I wouldn't say it gave me the same feeling of awe, but it definitely was a good experience, regardless.

View of Manhattan from the bridge.

We eventually made our way to Ground Zero, something very high on my list of things to do in NY. It's 's obviously serious subject matter, so I will treat it as such. For those not faimliar with the 'Ground Zero' term, it's the area where the Twin Towers used to stand before the events of 9/11. The enormous impact to the financial center infrastructure, and of course, from an emotional perspective, is still very evident. Construction of the memorial, as well as 1 WTC (formerly known as the "Freedom Tower"), will be completed this September and January 2013, respectively. The memorial is named Reflecting Absence and has a associated preview site half a block away. This preview site is essentially a museum of sorts dedicated to 9/11. All net income from the store goes towards construction/maintenance of the memorial, as well as associated organisations such as the FDNY and NYPD funds, etc.

A model of the Statue of Liberty covered in  badges and photos of servicemen,  messages, etc.

Having occured on the other side of the world and at a time when I was much younger, it was hard to fully comprehend the scale of this tragedy, resulting in a sense of detachment. However,while pensively looking up at the suddenly rainy area of sky where the towers would have otherwise have covered, a sense of melancholy overcame me. My sadness towards this does not compare to those who have been more directly affected, but this experience has definitely increased my understanding about its impact.

Ground Zero (sort of.. virtually impossible to get a photo of any significance)
and the half-constructed "Freedom Tower". A couple of nearby buildings also are in the process of rebulding.

Grim ending to today's post, I know, but it was and eye-opening experience that I wanted to write about and share to those interested enough to read. Less depressing stuff next post, I promise.

D