New York

The Dream Trip to New York Part 2

New York, Travel, USA / By Nils / November 22, 2021 November 22, 2021

Major part of Day 1 in New York was spent in touring Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Read about my experience here.

Brooklyn Bridge

I decided to go to the Brooklyn Bridge as the first destination of my explorations. It was almost a 20-minute walk during which I just took in the sights and sounds of New York and did some people watching. It was fun!

The iconic Brooklyn Bridge stood before me in all its glory and majesty. The bridge is a suspension bridge which connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. I took pictures of the bridge, regarded the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines from a different angle than the morning’s and watched the high-speed traffic on the lower tier of the bridge.

Walking halfway across the bridge in the last rays on the sun, fatigue and jet lag set in and as dearly as I wanted to walk the whole bridge, I just couldn’t. I turned homewards.

Tip: If you are a biker (cyclist), you can take (guided) bike tours which are included in the NY pass.

Day 2

Highlights of New York

Next day was to be a big day – I was trying to capture all of my heart’s desire about New York in 1 day! There is so much to do and see and experience, I knew this would be impossible, so I simply chose what I called – the highlights of New York!

Madame Tussaud’s

First up, I had to collect my New York Pass and guide. I wanted to start with the Hop On Hop Off Bus tour to move from one attraction to another. HOHO bus tickets were free with the NY Pass so I headed to the nearest stop. As it turns out, Madame Tussaud’s was the closest HOHO bus stop, so I decided to tour the museum first.

The hour or so spent there was so much fun, going around the wax figures – from living people to dead legends, from royalty to scientists. To be honest, some were not such a good likeness but most of them were so astonishingly real and detailed that you’d think they were about to move. It’s marvelous and a must-visit for all.

9/11 Memorial and Museum

Emerging onto Times Square, I gazed up at the skyscrapers and just couldn’t hold in my excitement – I was in Time Square in New York!!! I just turned round and took it all in. After soaking up the atmosphere, I climbed onto the HOHO bus and traveled to my next stop – the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

On the way, the guide on the bus relayed interesting facts and history about New York City – old and new. Like, the new part of NY was planned and hence laid out like a grid – avenues and streets whereas old part of NY – south of SoHo (meaning South of Houston), is more haphazard and doesn’t follow any such pattern.

The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is located at the spot where the original World Trace Center used to be. It honours the people killed in the attacks of September 11, 2001. The memorial consists of two reflecting pools set in the footprints of the Twin Towers and a plaza of trees, including the Survivor Tree. The museum relays the events of that fateful day and the horrific tragedy through artefacts, videos, some surviving structures while also conveying personal stories of loss and memories. It was with a somber feeling that I left the museum.

Empire State Building

Lunch was delicious lasagna at this cute little restaurant. Post lunch, I walked to my next destination – the Empire State Building. This iconic building is mainly and office building, but its fame is due to its Art Deco architecture, its height – before the WTC, it was the tallest building in the world – and mainly because of its observation decks.

It has 2 observation decks – on the 86^th floor and on the 102^nd floor. With my pass I had access to the 86^th floor deck and that’s where I headed. The ride itself is exciting one – via elevator – nearly half a km. above the NY streets. Once there, I was treated to amazing panoramic views of the entire city of New York, its boroughs, the Hudson and the skyscrapers that distinguish the Big Apple.

Tip: The 102^nd floor is not included in the NY pass and access must be purchased separately. But I can recommend the 86^th floor is not to be belittled.

Central Park

After I had my fill of the NYC skyline, it was time to return to the ground – literally. I was now going to visit another iconic NY attraction – the Central Park. Traveled by bus – guided by Google Maps – I reached the park in the early hours of the evening. Lush foliage, abundant greenery and neat pathways greeted me.

With no particular aim in mind, I roamed around the park and enjoyed the fresh air and more importantly the wonderfully alive and vibrant atmosphere of the park. Groups played music, people danced, others simply strolled while yet others lay on the grass to absorb the last rays of the sun. Unbeknownst to me, I had made my way to the heart of Central Park, the famous Bethesda Fountain. With its Angel of Waters statue, it is a lovely sight indeed.

Tip: If you are a biker (cyclist), you can take (guided) bike tours which are included in the NY pass.

Times Square and Rockefeller Centre

From the park, I headed back towards my first stop of the day – Times Square. I wanted to experience it during the night-time and oh, was I right?! During the late evening, it was a different ambience there altogether – it was fun and party mood. Times Square is glorious in the night – all lit up with smorgasbord of colours, sights, sounds and smell!! I just fell in love with it. It would have been nice to share it with someone though. I walked around for a while, snapping pictures and just being.

Finally it was time for my final attraction of the day – the Rockefeller Center! What I was headed for was the Top of the Rock observation deck. I rode the glass sky shuttle to the Top – the 70th floor, which is actually 3 stories of open-air observation deck! I was presented with a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of New York at night. I was mesmerized, I went round just gazing out from the outdoor deck at dazzling view in front of me. It was late at night and I had actually had to wait outside for my slot, but this was so worth wait! A worthy end to my day in New York.

Tip: The New York Pass has to be presented at the Box office to convert into tickets as per available slots. I had a late slot available at 10:10PM. The pass also helps skip the general line at concourse level.

Times Square in the Evening

Views from Top of the Rock

Eating and Shopping in New York

That night, I had a hot dog – with mustard and ketchup – from a stand in true NY (read: Hollywood) style. There is no dearth of eateries in New York, any and all kinds of cuisine is available. I had Italian, Mexican (yummy tacos), American obviously (burgers, pancakes) etc. So don’t be shy and eat your heart out.

There are gift shops available at all attractions to get your mementos. While I did buy magnets, keychains, pens etc. I also bought some fantastic costume jewellery at this shop I spotted near my hotel. The shop said “everything must go!”. I went in and just went a little bit crazy at the offers and the variety of goodies. Suffice to say, I bought a lot. So be sure to keep a lookout for such deals.

On My Next Trip…

I know that I barely scratched the top of the jewel that is New York. While I was supremely happy with my time there, I know that I will surely return again. And on my agenda are the below, which you should definitely do if you, unlike me, have 2 more days.

Visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) – this iconic museum which holds 5000 years of art history from all around the world.
Visit The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) – it has world famous collection of modern and contemporary art including van Gogh’s The Starry Night.
Do the Rockefeller Centre Tour – apart from a Top visit, there is a tour of the rich art, design and architecture of the building.
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge end to end.
Browse Bloomingdales (not going to buy anything but still!)
Be an audience on one of the late night shows – they were giving tickets near the Rockefeller Centre but unfortunately I didn’t know the scene at night for a solo woman.
Walk The High Line – elevated park and walkway created on former New York Central Railroad on the west side of Manhattan.

Tip: There are also a ton of walking, bus, ferry tours available on the Pass which are highly interesting, be sure to check them out and choose as per your taste. I just know, there’s something for everyone in this versatile and ever-embracing city!

The Dream Trip to New York Part 1

New York, Travel, USA / By Nils / November 9, 2021 November 22, 2021

Watching all these TV shows (Friends) and Hollywood movies (You’ve Got Mail, Serendipity) and reading about it in books (Shopaholic series) has always made me yearn for a trip to New York. There was so much I wanted to see and do – to me it represented the ideal place which represented all things American. In 2018, I was presented with an opportunity to make this dream trip come true. I was to go on a work trip to Austin but I arranged to arrive 2 days earlier in New York out of my pocket so I could finally visit this city.

Only A Day and A Half

Considering flight timings, hotel check-in etc., my time in New York was actually a day and half. As such, I had very little time to visit all the places I wished to. I planned carefully, checking distances between places, prioritizing what I wanted to do most and researching passes vs. direct tickets.

Finally, I chose to buy a 1-day New York Pass, and separate tickets to the Statue of Liberty. The reason was, that New York Pass did not cover the entrance into the Statue, only entry to the island and also because I wouldn’t really have 2 full days to consider getting a 2-day pass. This combination was much cheaper.

Tip: Pedestal access tickets including the ferry and access to Ellis Island Museum was $18.50 and the New York Pass was $124. Check current price for the former here or here and the latter here.

Day 1

Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island-Brooklyn Bridge

Mini Disaster Averted

My destination for the day – Statue of Liberty! I used the metro, to travel to New Jersey. Google Maps helped me find the approximate location of the ferry, but I got lost locating the boarding point. I stood for a while at a spot I assumed to the location but turned out to be incorrect. Even though I had arrived with almost 30 minutes in hand, time was slipping away. Having finally found the correct place, I waited for the next ferry.

Here I realized that this ferry was a 2-minute one to take me across the water channel to the main ferry building from where I had to board the final ferry to Ellis Island/Liberty Island! Anyway, the smaller ferry soon arrived, and I reached the Ferry Building with minutes to spare. I frantically ran to convert my soft copy to a physical ticket and then to the ferry boarding gate, boarding just in the nick of time!!

Ellis Island

The first stop of the New Jersey ferry was the Ellis Island. The Ellis Island is where millions of immigrants first entered the United States of America, and this was where they were processed. The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration depicts this history of America and is also a tribute to the nation’s past.

The museum has 3 floors of exhibits which document immigrants’ experiences as well as the general history of immigration. There are various rooms like Registry Room which is a huge hall where the initial processing was done, Dormitory Room where the immigrants stayed, Treasures From Home where possessions of immigrants from their homeland are displayed and so on. I took an audio guide which helped me through my whole tour through the museum and America’s very interesting and rich history.

Statue of Liberty

As I reboarded the ferry which now turned towards Liberty Island, I could barely hold in my excitement. In a few minutes, the famous lady in green holding aloft a burning torch came into view. The Statue of Liberty was gorgeous up-close! As I stared up at the statue, I admired it for its might, for its significance and for its beauty.

I had booked my Statue of Liberty Pedestal Access ticket online via Statue Cruises a week in advance. This was a mistake because I waited until the last moment and hence couldn’t get a ticket either for the Battery Park ferry (in Manhattan) or a ticket for the Crown access. I could only get the pedestal access via New Jersey ferry.

Tip: Never leave it until the last moment to book tickets for pedestal and crown access. Book atleast a month in advance to get your desired tickets.

After landing on the island, I made my way to the statue, where I had to pass several security screenings before being granted entry. Once inside, I climbed hundreds of stairs (did not count), to reach the pedestal level of the statue. At the pedestal – feet of the statue – I visited the Museum where the history of the statue was laid out – from its emergence to its being gifted and to its final construction and place at the entrance to New York.

Tip: There is an elevator available, but it is only for senior citizens and physically handicapped. So be prepared for a long walk up numerous stairs.

Edouard de Laboulaye, a Frenchman, conceived the idea of a monument of liberty to be gifted to the US. Auguste Bartholdi, a young sculptor took on this opportunity to create a modern-day Colossus. The statue was assembled in Paris, foundation work was done on Bedloe’s Island (later renamed to Liberty Island), and the statue was finally dismantled and shipped to New York. 21 years after conception, Liberty Enlightening The World stood in New York Harbour. It was declared a national monument in 1924.

After touring the statue museum and learning about its origins, I made my way back down and just strolled about and toured the Liberty Island. I had my lunch – burger, fries and cola! – and also visited the gift shop to buy some mementos. It was a sunny day and the views of the Hudson and the New York skyline just made my day. It was a charming sight.

I finally left via return ferry to Battery Park in Manhattan. Since it was still daylight, I decided to do a bit of exploring on foot.

Tip: To know about current visiting rules in the light of Covid-19, please visit their website here.

My evening adventures and highlights of New York visit the next day – all coming up in Part 2.

Views of the New York Skyline

New York, Travel, USA / By Nils / August 14, 2021 August 29, 2021

New York is glamorous, effervescent, opalescent, and plain, simple fun! It’s busy, fast-paced and expensive sure, but as tourist these did not strike me as negative factors. I was there was 2 days and I wanted to just enjoy the kaleidoscopic New York which I had seen in movies and which I had always dreamed of experiencing one day.

I will write a post – maybe several – about my New York trip and the must-do things, soon. Today, I bring forward the views of New York’s skyline – as seen from various vantage points.

The Dream Trip to New York Part 2

Brooklyn Bridge