The other day I was in the city, walking past the WTC

And I overheard some tourists talking about St. Paul's right across the street. They referred to it as "a cemetary right in the middle of everything".

I should have stopped them. I would have told them this:

"That church there is one of the oldest buildings in Manhattan. It was one of the first Catholic churches in this country, and has a plaque to that effect. A block away you see Trinity Church, which was the tallest building in the city for some time. They have a graveyard too, and the children from the preschool play there twice a day, three times a day, I don't know. Billy the Kid contributed money to Trinity Church. Back over here, at St. Paul's, there is a collection of WTC memorabilia. People would come to the site and leave their ribbons or teddy bears or cards at the fence of this church. These two buildings are infinitely more fascinating than the construction going on across the street."

And they are. Look here. Apparently, George Washington attended St. Paul's on the day of his inauguration. It's not just "one of the oldest buildings in Manhattan" but is the oldest building in continuous use. I'm told Trinity Church has the slightly more colorful history, though you can't tell it from their website.

I should have stopped them, I really should have. Next time.