Surely on this nice warm late September Sunday, there would be an anarchist uprising in Manhattan. The weather warm, ripe for trouble. So, my intrepid traveling companion, daughter Emily, joined me to scout out those thumbing their nose to the rule of law. Driving over the Brooklyn Bridge, all was quiet. But we knew by the time we got to the West Side, it’d be like the Wild Wild West!
Let’s see what we found out.
The Starbucks Reserve: the first stop at 1 Ninth Avenue. With its international coffee offerings, this would be the starting point for plots and unruliness. However, we found mostly dogwalkers, and couples and one family of four. We sat for a bit to eavesdrop on conversations. After an hour or so, we headed out. P.S. The Kenya coffee is amazing.
The Vessel – 20 Hudson Yards: the dizzying sculpture of over 154 interconnecting steps draws tourists and residents from all over, and possibly a meeting place for plotting poor behavior, but once you’re there, this really tall structure captures one’s imagination. Rather than cook up mischief, you are more likely to just scratch your head in amazement.
The Frying Pan – Pier 66 at 26th Street: A former Coast Guard vessel, this site is now a trendy eatery and bar. Perhaps, I thought, it was prime for a mutiny. In we went, masks in place, and sat with eyes peeled. The Bratwurst was amazing, and the Lobster Roll was 4 stars. No danger afoot. No one causing chaos.
Walking south on 12th Avenue, we saw kids playing football, groups picnicking on blankets, bikers delivering pizzas, bikers with babies in tow, and walkers keeping out the bikers’ way. At Union Square, games of chess were in progress, a xylophone player serenaded with pop songs, and street artists sold their creations. I yawned.
Glad to say that there is peace in Manhattan, labelled by the Justice Department as “anarchist jurisdiction.” And there’s really only one thing I have to say about that: “fuhgeddaboudit.”
Photos by MJ Hanley-Goff
