1st solo wander in Manhattan & The Statue o' Liberty

Had a nice day today, I had some time to myself as Sarah had to go and meet her fella (my bro) at Newark Airport and have some couple time. So, I decided to go and find Bluestockings the bookshop and activist centre on the lower east side, what I found on the Bitch website. I'm too cheap to get the subway if I can feasibly walk it before nightfall or collapse so I had a lovely long walk from Christopher Street Path Station and Spring Street in SoHo, made note of some eateries to visit in future. I saw a poster I liked and took a bad photo of it and also a cute stencilled robot behind a grille. Every now and again, I thought - Oh my god I'm mooching about in New York city, reading my book on the Path Train from New Jersey like I'm y'know totally seasoned in all of this and not really nerdy and excited!

Also went into the most wonderous stationary shop. I'll admit I have a bit of a stationary/pen problem and this place only made things much worse. I liked the fact that they sold folders that said 'limbo' on them, I have 3 magazine files worth of papers that deserve that category!

Anyway after a brief paper-fetish pit-stop I make my way to Bluestockings where I am again in paper heaven but this time of the feminist/zine/art/activist bibliophilic kind. It's a lot like the Cowley Club in Brighton as they serve coffee and vegan food and they also have events virtually every night. I'm hooked, it's my new favourite place. I spent a good hour and a half reading and browsing before setting off. Also was given some good advice as to where to see live music and other good cheap events as relying on tourist guides is often very expensive and you miss really great stuff. Great success. Yes.

Then, to further top off my day on my walk back to the studio from the train station in Jersey City I realise that for three weeks we've been walking past a street called Liberty View Avenue or street or something...so I thought I'd take a wee detour not five steps down the street I spot her in the distance (pictured), small but definitely there. I mean that's pretty great, to just happen upon the sight of the Statue of Liberty whilst meandering home. It was such a strange feeling, I just stopped, it was more impressive than hen seeing it from closer range. I don't know why exactly, it just was.