New York New York - (a good song)

Our trip from Atlantic City to New York on the second day was reasonably calm after our first rolling day in the Atlantic, so we decided to make a long day of it and did a 10 hour run of 75 nautical miles reaching Sandy Point in Lower New York Harbour where we anchored for the night near a busy ferry run. As we made the turn  around Sandy Point we were 'buzzed' by an NYPD helicopter ( it actually looped over us). We had already been visited by Customs & home security officers in Cape May who came by to ask details of who we were. Apparently officers in Delaware City had seen us, were confused by the Aussie flag & sent our photo on to them for checking. Once they saw the Delaware boat registration and spoke to us the confusion was resolved. (are we on their radar still?).
Next morning it was only a quick hop across the bay dodging ferries, crab boats & watching for freighters to Great Kills Yacht Club in a lovely enclosed bay. This is a long established club run by down-to-earth, friendly, helpful & unpretentious club members who operate the marina on a voluntary basis. John (in the photo) is a looper & has got special deals from the club for members to tie up here. They are mainly of Italian heritage. John took us to do provisioning on the 1st day & then drove us & fellow loopers Bill & Joyce to the train to catch the ferry to New York next day.
We visited an American Indian museum, walked through the financial district up Broadway to Ground Zero - an awesome tribute & memorial that is still being built. We caught a train to 42nd St and then walked to Times Square where we had a very good lunch at an Irish pub - 'O'Lunny's Times Square Pub' & our waitress was from Brisbane! We walked on to Central Park via The Street of the Americas. Here we hired a horse (with the undignified name of Shaggy) and cart to ride around some of the park with a commentary by the driver. We walked back down Broadway - shows advertised everywhere, to see the M&M store. Hard to believe that a small chocolate button with very little actual value can generate a huge business by great marketing.
A days walking was plenty - to really enjoy the city you need to stay some where central & "do the shows & sights". New York is a vibrant place of many people, tooting vehicles, colours, lights, sounds & signs. It's another one of  those places where you could walk downtown with your knickers on your head, in your best nightie & gumboots and you wouldn't be out of place.
Today is a lay day because of the forecasted heavy rain which is just arriving now (9pm) & heavy mist that has been about all day. Both us & our friends hope to leave tomorrow in clearer weather to enable us to take photos of each others boats in front of the Statue of Liberty.