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Manhattan’s Lower East Side: The Big Onion

The blaze of the afternoon city sunlight bathes the brownstones in a glow of ruddy orange. Leaving the American Jewish Historical Society on 16th Street and heading to the Tenement Museum via the best dumpling stop in town, I cannot help but see the Chinese/Hispanic Grocery sign and hear merchants hawking their leather wares in Arabic.

There is a Mexican-American art installation in the windows of 97 Orchard Street across from the historic Americana of the Blue Moon Hotel and there is only one place I can be; the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

This amalgamation of cultures is one of the most historically interesting neighborhoods in New York City. Inspired by my Stonybrook University course, New York Stories: Literature of the Lower East Side, I took the advice of Professor Eva Gold Bovi PhD and headed down to the southern end of the big onion.

Peeling away layers of history, I find more and more treasures. Before Ellis Island, there was Castle Garden, America’s first immigration center, which now offers a free online database of more than 10 million immigrants who came to the Lower East Side between 1830 through 1892. Read more of Lisa St. John's story about the Lower East Side.

Chautauqua, New York: A Great Place to Start a Tradition

Statues on the grorunds of the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York - photo by Kristi Girdharry

My trip to Chautauqua County started at the Chautauqua Institution, a gated community that was easily accessible from the main road. 

After meeting with Stephanie Burdo, Communications Coordinator at the Chautauqua County Visitors’ Bureau, my travel companion Mark and I received passes to enter and exit the Institution.  On our way to drop off our backpacks at the first hotel, Stephanie gave us a mini-tour of the grounds.

As we rounded past the huge amphitheater, she gave us a brief history of the Institution.  It was started in 1874 as a place to train Sunday school teachers but grew into a larger center for discussion of both spiritual and secular issues. 

The Chautauqua Institution promotes arts, education, religion, and recreation.  Lecturers seem to be the backbone of this center -- inspiring thought and exchange amongst visitors.  But there are also many things to stimulate your senses such as ballets and symphonies. Read more of Kristi Girdharry's story about Chautauqua.

Whiteface Mountain - photo by Kent St. John

Long before New England poised itself as an adventurer paradise the Adirondack Mountains have fulfilled the role. As I rolled up Route 73 to the Olympic Village of Lake Placid, the mountains held me captive.

Nowhere else in the Northeast do the mountains kiss the sky as they do in the Adirondacks. Tall and stony with plenty of space and promises of real adventure come to mind. In fact there are 46 peaks that rise above 4,000 feet and the tallest are in Essex County, New York.

Smack dab in the middle of America’s largest state park, outside of Alaska, sits a town where sport is king, Lake Placid. If you consider finding fine food and unique lodgings a sporting event, you will be more than satisfied. Add on the outdoor activities and you will be in heaven.

It is evident that Lake Placid is steeped in Olympic history; the intertwined Olympic rings beckon everywhere. Both the 1932 and 1980 winter games took place here.

Entering the town I passed the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex where even last autumn on a warm day ski jumpers were flying amidst blazing reds and gold foliage. This trip, steadily falling snow made the top of the jumps invisible till a jumper swooped like a hawk to the touch down hill.

Training goes on all year due to the vast opportunities available at the Olympic Training Center. Training facilities for winter sports such as Hockey, Luge, Speed Skating and Skiing are available to athletes. In summer, training shifts to Water Polo, Swimming, Wrestling and Triathlon. Read more of Kent St. John's story about Lake Placid.

Read more GoNOMAD stories about New York:

Sandy Hook, New York: A Different Sort of Beach

Coming Home to Ulster County, NY

Climbing New York's Shawangunks

A GoNOMAD Visit the Holler, a NY ecolodge

Community Tourism Comes to New York City

Tailored Tours: A Handy Way to See New York City

Flushing New York's Wonderful YMCA GoNOMAD

Destination Guide to Brooklyn

Budget Travelers Save Time & Money With JFK’s AirTrain

Traveling Food: My New York Secret

Fung Wah Buses: The Lines are Long, but the Price is Right

Celebrity Restaurants in New York

Liquor and Literature in New York City