This is an update to a story I shared a while ago: this is a unique spot in New York City, sitting just north of the Freedom Tower, which at night looms large in the distance:
Located where the twin towers used to stand, this monument to New York’s resilience looks beautiful at night, but during the day it also offers many pleasures, like when it lets off a little bit of steam:
I was in the area running an errand, as it led me to New York’s most unique slice of real estate:
Yes, I shared this before – but note that there is now a sign in the window announcing this abandoned cigar store will become a chicken outlet!
Why do we care? Because directly in front of the entrance sits this notice on the ground:
Yes, that triangle is. piece of private property, cemented in the middle of a very public, very well travelled sidewalk!
Now, take a moment to notice the ground….uneven sidewalk, but no big deal, right? Well, I beg to differ….here is what happened to me as imagined by this AI-generated image:
No, I did not lose a hand, but AI has one of mine on the ground without an arm! What happened is that I completely misjudged the slightly uneven, cracked sidewalk, was walking fast without a care….and SPLAT!!!
Well, first of all I’m kind of enjoying this AI-generated mischief, but basically I was walking fast, hit a bump in the sidewalk and took a fall forward, landing on one knee, scraping my hands as I landed…and yes, in was right in front of a sidewalk cafe, which was bustling with business.
AI assumed my body fell completely apart, but in fact that did not happen. I jumped back up quickly and moved on, happy to know I provided a bit of entertainment to the people sitting with their coffee.
When I got home I told my wife Alex about it and said the fall was due to the uneven sidewalk – because the west village of New York has many cobbled streets…but guess what?
When I took this photo to update my story and reveal that a new chicken cafe is opening in the old Village Cigar location, I noticed that there was NOTHING about that sidewalk that should have caused me to fall….and why am I taking the time to type this story out?
Let’s go to the videotape:
As you can see, that sidewalk is perfectly walkable – except for me! Which leads me to my blogging friend Brian, who shared this story with a title similar to mine!
Brian was honest enough to share a tumble he took and shared a great story about it – go check it out!
It reminded me of my trip-up – you should check Brian’s blog out – filled with terrific stories and insights on the human condition, and since both of our conditions were slightly scraped and bruised, I thought I would share mine as well!
Now, back to this:
If you want to know why I am obsessed with this building – and the triangle in front of it, well that’s because it’s New York’s smallest piece of privately owned real estate!
Click here to see why!
I discovered this thanks to a guy I know – Adam Guy!
My wife Alex and I have done several tours with him, and he is filled with the city’s history and culture – a terrific way to see the sights and learn so much…with a unique method of travel!
Yes, we took a Tram – did you know that New York has one? Here is a look at the tour he gave us of Roosevelt Island, which sits on the east river!
When you get home and friends tell you they’re going to NYC, you can say, “Hey, I Know A Guy!”
Here’s more about Adam:
My name is Adam Guy (hence “A Guy”), and I’ve lived in New York for more than 10 years. If I’m not attending a Broadway show or out with friends, there’s a good chance I’m exploring a great neighborhood. I enjoy discovering those secret and charming spots that scream New York and grabbing heaps of Instagram-worthy photos along the way. And I just love getting to meet people from around the world. It’s a sure bet that we’ll share loads of laughs and stories during our adventure together!
Here is his website to see even more!
This is without a doubt the way to get the most out of a day in the Big Apple – because there is so much to explore:
As this Instagram photo shows, the city has unending adventures, and for me Central Park is one of the world’s natural wonders!
And of course, Central Park has a castle!
Click here for a tour!
I will be exploring more of this incredible oasis as well – but remember the time I was in New York and got my “walk on?”
196 blocks to be exact!
It was all part of my “Hitch Hiking” series, where take a fun hike and tie it in to a Hitchcock classic – in this case “Rear Window!”
See it all here!
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Categories: Bloopers, Exotic Travel, Funny Pictures, Memoirs, New York, Real Estate, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
Your AI shenanigans are hilarious, John. I remember the Village Cigar. and talking about central Park, is the Tavern on the Green still open?
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Tavern IS open, and the horse chandelier in the bar continues to rotate above the bartenders…next time I go I will capture some of it and share as a story…it’s back and better than ever!
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That’s good news!
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I love this post, John. The privately owned triangle of land is a treasure. I feel your pain with tripping and falling, the kids at school are never surprised. I’ll never get over the enormity of Central Park.
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Hilarious!
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OK! We are all different! Smiled at the smallest bit of NY real estate, realized how old and technically dumb I was when I saw the AI photos but really went ‘oh’ when I saw probably the best pic of Central Park ever 🙂 ! Had never seen the Park from as high and am trying to work out where all my favourites are !!! Way back when the Plaza was our ‘sleeping spot’ . . . one could walk almost everywhere we wanted from there . . .
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Annoyed bigtime! Have tried to repost your blog on multiple occasions this morning – am refused due to ‘transient error – try again’ yet a few other ‘sends’ have gone thru’! Wish I had your IT knowledge 😦 !!!
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Thanks for the effort, I appreciate it…but you never know what goes on in that “cloud” of theirs!
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We walk by the Plaza all the time, which was the first hotel I ever stayed in when I went. to New York for the first time to interview Actor Raul Julia!
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*laugh* I actually remember him! We stayed there on multiple occasions because of the position – a number of what I called the ‘le’ and ‘la’ restaurants were walking distance as were some of the stores selling goods we did not have Down Under! And if our kids were along, they actually got us to go on the horse/buggy rides in the Park 🙂 !
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what a charming tiny spot and love the message embedded in the sidewalk. like you and Brian, I am known for being a bit ‘trippy.’ )
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“As you can see, that sidewalk is perfectly walkable – except for me!” Oh, I don’t know about that John. I’m looking at the sidewalk and I see all kinds of danger zones. You’re lucky to come out of there alive!!!! Of course, I’m also one prone to fall over a stray leaf or a crack in the sidewalk. Ha, ha. I needed a laugh today. Thank you so much! And thanks for the shout-out. Much appreciated. And oh yea, here’s hoping your arms and limbs are attached . . . unlike how AI would like to show your fall. Ha. ha.
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I don’t use the AI much on WordPress so that was a surprise to be sure!
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I haven’t used the AI feature much either. Every time I use it, I come across similar issues. No hands. No feet. Weird stuff. Ha, ha. I’m dipping a toe gingerly into using Chat GPT for work but I haven’t seen the full benefit yet. I need to play more with it.
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I regularly lose my footing in my apartment on my completely flat flooring so I feel you on this piece of sidewalk, haha! Also … these AI-generated images are hilarious!
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Yes they were – every pic has a body part missing! Thanks for the comment always great to hear from you!
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Your AI pictures are very amusing. This is also my experience with AI. Good to know there is development happening in New York.
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