Thursday, October 22, at 8:36 a.m. at Darien Metro-North Station or 8:39 a.m. at Noroton Heights Metro-North Station
On Thursday, October 22nd, the Wanderers will travel to Greenpoint, Brooklyn and wander on its main commercial streets, through two of its largest parks and past two significant houses of worship. We will take the Metro North train to Grand Central that leaves the Darien train station at 8:36 a.m. and the Noroton Heights train at 8:39 a.m. As usual, we will gather at the Information Booth on the main floor of Grand Central and proceed together by Subway to Greenpoint.
The Wanderers will wander in Greenpoint on commercial streets populated by many small Polish- American businesses. This wandering will take the Wanderers through McGolrick Park and to its historically significant Monitor Monument, through McCarren Park and past the largest public swimming pool in NYC, to Popirluszko Square with its unusual history and on tree-lined residential streets bordering the parks. The wanderers also plan to visit the beautiful St. Stanislaus Kostka Church and wander past the impressive Transfiguration of our Lord Russian Orthodox Cathedral.
In keeping with the Polish-American focus of this wandering, the Wanderers will have lunch at Pierozek Restaurant, 592 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn (718-576-3866), a restaurant that claims to be the home of the most authentic handmade Polish Pierogi in New York. After lunch, the Wanderers will wander to the NYC Ferry’s Greenpoint Landing and enjoy the wonderful views available on the ferry ride across the East River to the NYC Ferry’s East 34th Street Landing in Manhattan. The Wanderers will wander from the East 34th Street Landing to Grand Central and return home via Metro-North.
Contact: Chet Cobb, Harry Bergen or Bill Tamme
Summary:
“On Thursday, October 22nd, 20 Happy Wanderers travelled via Metro-North and subway to Greenpoint, Brooklyn and wandered on its main commercial streets, through two of its largest parks, inside a significant house of worship and through a famous square.
While enjoying sunny fall weather, the Wanderers wandered past small Polish- American businesses before entering Msgr. McGolrick Park and viewing the historically significant Monitor Monument that commemorates the 1862 battle of the Monitor and Merrimac. The United States Navy built its first ironclad warship, the USS Monitor, in nearby Bushwick Inlet during the American Civil War. The Wanderers then wandered on residential streets before entering the magnificent St. Stanislaus Kostka Church and visiting well-designed McCarren Park, the home of one of the largest public swimming pools in New York City.
From there, the Wanderers found their way on tree-lined streets to nearby Popieluszko Square and viewed the statue of Jerzy Popieluszko, a much celebrated Roman Catholic Priest and spiritual symbol of resistance during the early 1980’s against Poland’s communist government. During this wandering, Harry Bergen provided interesting historical commentary and arranged access for the wanderers to St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, a church that Harry attended as a child.
In keeping with the Polish-American focus of this wandering, the Wanderers enjoyed a satisfying lunch at Pierozek Restaurant, a restaurant that claims to be the home of the most authentic handmade Polish Pierogi in New York. After lunch, most of the Wanderers stopped for ice cream at Davey’s Ice Cream while wandering to the NYC Ferry’s Greenpoint Landing and enjoyed the perfect weather and stunning views available on the ferry ride across the East River to the NYC Ferry’s East 34th Street Landing in Manhattan. The Wanderers then quickly wandered from the Landing to Grand Central and returned home via Metro-North.”
I also have attached the following photographs taken during our wandering:
1- Wanderers gather at the Monitor Monument in Msgr. McGolrick Park.
2- Wanderers Kevin Marks, Art Baron, Bob Hughes, Joe Sarbinowski, Joe Spain and Jeff Taebel stand across the street from the St. Stanislaus Kostka Church.
3- Wanderers are awed by the beauty of the interior of of the St. Stanislaus Kostka Church.
4- Harry Bergen emerges from one of the many confessionals in St. Stanislau Kostka Church..
5- Harry Bergen provides commentary in Popieluszko Square regarding the historical significance of the life and statue of Jerzy Popieluszko.
6- Wanderers Chet Cobb, Bob Hughes, Peter Smith, Jack Carley, Bill Tamme, Charles Salmans (left to right back row), Steve Fogarty, Harry Bergen and Geoff Schnider (left to right front row) await the arrival of the ferry on NYC Ferry’s Greenpoint Landing.

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