Time for the Lower East Side

Today we spent the majority if the day in the lower East Side visiting Little Italy and Chinatown. We first stopped at the AMAZING tenement museum where we learned about immigrant families and their living conditions from the late 1800's to the 1930's. Having 11 of us at a time stuffed into an apartment with three small rooms and only 1 set of windows gave us a pretty good idea of what it would be like to be one of the multiple families that lived together in these apartments. We had a great tour guide named Dave who kept us well informed as well as well entertained. After, we had lunch at Katz's Deli of When Harry met Sally fame. I had 1/2 a roast beef sandwich and motza ball soup. YUM! We then took a tour of the Lower East side learning about the neighborhoods and various ethnicities that lived in them. A few of us set out to the China Town dollar stores to look at cheap trinkets.  I was approached by a sly looking Chinese lady and asked in a low whisper if I "Wanted to buy a handbag."  We took a break in Columbia Park where we watched many Chinese senior citizens playing cards while holding umbrellas. (It was really sunny out.) We tried some crazy Asian candy at a candy store and a squishy, spongy thing from a Chinese bakery.   The group then met up again at a Chinese restaurant called Joe's Ginger for some delicious grub. We ended the day with a sunset walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a very informative day with a crud-load of walking, but worth every minute.

The famous Katz's Deli.

Me, on in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Chinatown eats.

The famous table from the movie.