About the Trip
On Saturday, October 21, the Ethnic American Experience left the ATS parking lot at 7 am bound for NYC. After a string of traffic delays, we finally made it to Battery Park in NYC at around 12:30 pm, at which point we joined the seemingly never-ending line for the Circle Line Ferry.
While waiting in line, Learning Community students enjoyed street entertainers and roasted almonds. Prof. Pagano along with students Elena Martelli, Michael Dusaniwkyj, Tyler Saville and Daniel di Meo purchased caricatures from street artists.
Finally, we boarded the ferry, circling around the Statue of Liberty before landing on Ellis Island, the location of the Immigration Museum. Prof. Pagano had arranged for a presentation by museum historian Barry Moreno. To share what you learned, go here.
When the presentation ended, students were free to explore the museum's exhibits, including a collection of treasured belongings some immigrants brought with them to America, a restored holding room and an exhibit of graphical displays of immigration trends. Some students searched for names and records of ancestors who had immigrated to the United States and passed through the Ellis Island immigration station.
Then, in the early evening, the Ethnic American Experience group reboarded the ferry and returned to Battery Park where hungry students scurried aboard the bus. We made our way through Chinatown to Little Italy, walking part of the way on foot and passing Italian bakeries, restaurants and souvenir shops along the way. We arrived at Lombardi's Pizzeria at 32 Spring Street at 6 pm and were seated together in a large room where we had what is supposedly the best pizza in NYC. In fact, Lombardi's Pizzeria claims to be the earliest pizzeria established in NYC.
After dinner, students were given a little time to explore Little Italy before we boarded the bus at approximately 8 pm for our return to Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
