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.
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New York City is on my travel bucket list so I enjoyed reading this post! Your photos and tips are very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Glad to be of help!