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 86th floor and on the 102nd floor. With my pass I had access to the 86th 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 102nd floor is not included in the NY pass and access must be purchased separately. But I can recommend the 86th 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!
It looks like you managed to fit a lot in to a short period of time pretty successfully. I did a similar trip a couple months ago. I agree about the 9/11 Memorial & Museum – it’s very well done but is difficult to walk through. That said, I definitely recommend everyone visit. I liked your pictures of Central Park. I went for a run there early in the morning and it was so empty. It’s neat seeing how it looks later in the day.