STL DPB IN NEW YORK - HIGH ROLLER

There is a park in Manhattan's Chinatown that is a social center for older people. Most of what's going on is games involving gambling. The tables are strictly segregated by sex. The women were mostly playing cards. The men were playing a game in which counters with Chinese characters were placed on a grid. None of our group understood what was going on but money was clearly changing hands.

The man in the shiny pink hat, chain smoking and gesturing with his right hand, was the center of attention. Like a good poker player, his face never showed expression. I don't know if he was winning or losing but he was the center of attention.             

STL DPB IN NEW YORK - INDIAN CLOTHING IN JACKSON HEIGHTS

As mentioned earlier, Jackson Heights, Queens, has more ethnic diversity than any zip code in the United States. This is a traditional Indian clothing store, displaying very creepy manequins of children. Note the girl's right forearm.          

STL DPB IN NEW YORK - FUNNEL CAKES

After leaving Brighton Beach, the group walked a mile down the oceanfront boardwalk to Coney Island. My back and I took the subway. The area is lined with amusement rides and arcades and, of course, Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs. (Ever watch the Fourth of July hot dog eating contest?) None of the attractions were open, probably waiting for our Memorial Day weekend later this month. I used to love to go there when I was a kid. This refreshment stand didn't have a lot of business yet but the attendant was a great subject.                

STL DPB IN NEW YORK - THE SUBWAY

Everybody has heard of the New York subway. Not everyone knows that 40% of the system is at or above ground level, although locals call all of it the subway. It has 472 stations, 36 lines and 248 miles / 399 km of routes. I commuted to high school on the subway from 1963 to 1967. Still ride it every time I'm in town. This is a station in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, but I've never set foot in the vast majority of them.    

STL DPB IN NEW YORK - NEWS OF THE WORLD

Much of the signage in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, is written, all or in part, in Cyrillic. The population is Russian and Ukrainian, both Christian Orthodox and Jewish. You don't have to deal with English to get through day-to-day life.