East Village rocks

Friday
Jeepers creepers - it's my two week anniversary already.
Wandered down to a bit of a favourite diner on Waverley and 6th for a slap-up breakfast and a spot of mooching around the shops before grabbing a subway uptown to the International Centre of Photography. There were four exhibitions on and I spent over three hours exploring them. First up, photographs by Cornell Capa covering the presidential electoral campaign and the first 100 days of JFK's presidency. Then 'Looking at LIFE' - over 200 prints tracing the history of the magazine including some iconic images of war. There was also a display of Iraqi prison photographs from Abu Grahib which was extremely disturbing, and a film of some people re-enacting the assassination of JFK as well as driving a car through a bank of televisions, which was actually very funny.

Afterwards I sat writing in Bryant Park for a while before heading back to the apartment and an evening out on the Lower East Side and the East Village and some fine bars. I had never explored this part of town before - it looks a little intimidating to the wary tourist - but the streets below East Houston are alive with small bars, cafes and clubs spilling out onto the pavements. I think another visit is on the cards.