1,174: THIS ROADTRIP HAS SEVEN DAYS

Previously on Roadtrippin': Dead presidents and stuffed Adirondack wildlife.

Day 3, Part 1: Newark, NJ and New York, NY


Since it was a beautiful morning, I walked down McCarter Hwy to Newark Penn Station instead of taking a cab. The stroll was longer than I expected, but great for picture taking.

Bishop Womack Says... Looking Towards NYC
Left: Bishop Womack-El's face dominated Newark's billboards. He bills himself a "prophetic physician", which seems to involve a mixture of herbal remedies, religion and methods to accumulate wealth. Had Newark's expressways been equipped with wider shoulders, I would have taken at least half-a-dozen Womack-El signs, all with different pictures and messages, though somebody else found the same sign in another location.

Right: looking east into Manhattan. How many buildings can you name?

Barbed Wire Everywhere! Barbed Wire
One element of Newark that is hard to ignore: barbed wire everywhere, whether it's protecting businesses (right photo) or freeway underpasses. This does not enhance the city's reputation - some friends thought I was crazy to stay here instead of Manhattan. Driving was the key to the decision, since I didn't relish the thought of facing NYC traffic...though access to quick transit to NYC and a large room at an affordable price don't hurt.

Downtown Newark (1) Downtown Newark (2)
Two shots of the north end of downtown Newark. From here, I took the PATH train into Manhattan. Imagine a subway train winding its way through industrial wasteland and you have the Newark branch of the PATH system.

World Trade Center Site (1) WTC Remains
Left: I got off at the World Trade Center, the train entering via the construction site for the Freedom Tower. Leaving the station, one can look out at the project.

Right: The route to the subway. Note the rip in the ceiling - it and the flooring in this section remain from the original WTC buildings.

Museum of Modern Art Lineup School Group
I had not been to the Museum of Modern Art since its overhaul a few years ago. The lineup stretched outside, but it moved swiftly. When I showed Mom the left picture on my small camera screen, she thought the bearded dude was me. Being a weekday, school groups were out in force, including this one admiring a classic.

Comic Abstraction 50 Years of Helvetica (2)
Two current exhibits: Comic Abstractions and 50 Years of Helvetica, the latter including a surprising piece of CanCon.

What Happened To Us?
The eye-catcher was Projects 85 (What Happened to Us), an amusing look at modern America by Dan Perjovschi that covered several stories of wallspace.

What Happened To Us? (3) The Padded Wagon
Left: life in a nutshell? Right: Looking out the window on 54th St, I noticed this moving van. Feel free to invent your own slogan for this company.

Corner of Many Names Unnecesary Noise Prohibited
Left: Signage gone wild! It feels like every corner in midtown Manhattan bears at least 2-3 sets of names - in this case, the alternates are "the father of the blues" and a longtime local radio DJ.

Right: This plea for silence was found near Cooper Square, which has never struck me as a place to keep down the noise.

Next: Afternoon and evening in the Big Apple - JB

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