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New York, New York!
The city that never sleeps; The concrete jungle dreams are made of; So good they named it twice; The actual Big Apple.
There’s nowhere in the world quite like New York, which is why we are spending an entire week here.
I’ve actually been to New York City twice before, but it’s the first time for some of the others and I’m excited to see what else the city has to offer. It doesn’t matter how often you visit, there’s always more to see and do!
First things first
Having been on a grocery run the night before we have all the necessary supplies for bacon pancakes on our first morning in New York. Hayley whipped up a feast for us all (something she will end up doing many, many more mornings in the weeks to come!), and then the first item on the agenda on our first day in the big apple was an exciting trip to Suds!… to drop off our laundry!
These things are all part of the reality of travelling life.
And whilst I’m off on a tangent, can I just say that having easy access to the internet might just be the most helpful thing in the world?
Yes, sometimes I think we as a society have become completely dependent on access to Google in times of questions and uncertainty. But, in a foreign country and in need of a service laundrette, Google is very handy!
By supplying reviews and maps, we elect to walk past two other laundromats to get to Suds, purely because it has the best reviews.
And I’m glad we did!
They are very helpful, and it is only $17.60 (that’s under $5 each!) for our combined washing, plus drying and folding, repacked for us to pick up later.
Which means we lose no time to boring tasks and are out exploring the city right away.
Central Park
We enter Central Park at the North West corner and walk southwards towards Manhattan.
The park looks beautiful in the depths of winter, the frozen pond is a sight to behold.
I find it impossible to resist walking to the edge to see just how thick the ice was, thus ignoring the warning signs… (maybe wandering ever so slightly onto the frozen water…)
I am not an idiot however and didn’t play chicken with the lake.
Big Brother was watching however, and I got a slight scolding from a police officer…
The fact that we count over 29 ice rescue ladders around the park insinuates that others are perhaps less cautious however, and as we are told by the officer, “I really don’t want to have to come in and rescue you”.
Fair point. I promise to behave.
We visit the Shakespeare Gardens and Belvedere Castle which are in Central Park, and somewhere I haven’t been before, and then continue on our journey.
Into the streets
Pretty cold by this point we make the necessary stop in Starbucks for a warming beverage before going to collect our City Passes.
The New York CityPASS is a wonderful little find!
I discovered it at 5am that morning as I woke early and decided to search online for information about the top tourist attractions. It costs just $136 (about £105) each and we can now access every tourist spot in NYC you can think of at no extra charge.
The collection office also has a wall of cards from retailers which offer discounts, amongst which Hayley spots a store called the “Christmas Cottage”. No prizes for guessing our next stop!
Whilst in Starbucks I check my Facebook (because that’s what we all do when waiting for coffee right?!) and in some freaky coincidence saw a friend from University was also in New York. And had just built his own Muppet!
I had no idea this was even possible, and immediately insist we go to FAO Schwartz to check it out right away as the store is only a couple of blocks away.
Manhattan
FAO Schwartz is basically the Hamley’s of New York; a toy store of epic proportions!
The instant we are inside Alex and I agree we should all just split up (there’s no way we wouldn’t lose each other anyway!) and meet back outside in fifteen minutes. Not long enough in my opinion, but there is a lot to cram into the day as it is… so off we went.
My inner child screams in excitement at the dollhouses and Lego models. (If I’m ever a millionaire I am getting one of the dollhouses!). The Muppet workshop is of course amazing, but so many options are out of stock that I reign in my desire to make a Muppet pal. Not guaranteeing I won’t go back in before the week is out though…
After the toy store it is off to Bloomingdales for a little mosey around the designer departments and then we head towards our ultimate destination of the day, Times Square.
Even though I’ve been here before it still leaves you in awe as you get into the heart of the city.
It’s as bright at night as it is during the day; a glowing beacon of commercialism and pop culture. Atop the red staircase you just have to stand and try to take it all in, all the while surrounded by thousands of people with the same intent.
We have spent the whole day walking the city, and at 6pm we are tired and hungry. And so we get on the subway and go to complete our day’s errands: collect the now clean laundry, grab dinner and tomorrows breakfast, cook, eat, sleep.
Alex and I quickly rustle up a stir-fry (vegetables at last!) and we spend the rest of the evening going through our free guidebooks that came with the CityPASS making plans for the rest of the week.
Walking in the rain
To say it is raining on our second full day in New York does not do the weather justice.
The streets are more like rivers within a couple of hours and the downpour doesn’t let up until well into the evening.
Now, my experience of the day is probably quite different to the others’ as I have an umbrella and watertight boots so being outside doesn’t really bother me. Everyone else however gets soaking wet, and after a while the cold and the wet does start to affect their mood and patience.
Our plan for the day is to stick to inside attractions to limit out time in the rain, and this works well to an extent.
However, we get lost a fair bit with the rain making it difficult to orientate oneself.
The mounting pressure to know where to go and find the quickest route is not appreciated by myself, and thus we go the wrong way a lot as I make snap decisions to avoid standing around in the rain.
Still, we do make it to our two destinations of the day eventually.
Avengers Assemble
First stop is the Discovery Centre to experience Avengers Station, which is a supercool interactive experience that simulates becoming an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Alex and I in particular are in our element, enjoying the movie memorabilia and the sheer geekiness of it all.
Next we manage to somehow get lost in the rain yet again trying to find somewhere for lunch…
That is until Alex’s sixth sense kicks in and he leads us to what will become one of our favourite restaurants of the trip: The Counter Burger.
Without a doubt in my mind, it’s the best burger I’ve ever had in my life! You create your own meal via a menu checklist of mains, sides, milkshakes, and you build your own burger from an insane number of choices. My brie, pesto, garlic crouton, gherkin, mixed leaf, celery beef burger on a multi-seed bun was a-mazing!! We all agree that Alex is now in charge of locating restaurants.
After filling our bellies, we go to Madam Tussauds, for no other reason that it contains a Marvel 4D experience.
Looking around the figures is actually good fun though. Plus, standing next to a wax Jon Bon Jovi is probably the closest I’ll ever get to standing next to the real thing!
The 4D ride is so cheesy, but a good laugh, and it keeps us entertained on a rainy day.
We try to visit a cinema (a classic indoor activity!), but fail due to poor directionality and a lack of decent screenings. So we resort to another time honoured activity and head to the nearest bar for a drink!
A French martini later and we are all worn out, wet, cold and tired. So after a quick junk food spree we call it a day.
Towering Above the City
With our plan of action made the night before, and Hayley today’s elected queen of directionality (I really need a day off from leading the charge), we make our way downtown to the Empire State Building.
Using our wonderful CityPASS we bypasses the queues, collect our free audio guides, and began our ascent.
The guide provides a detailed and amazing history of how the building came to rise above and dominate the New York skyline in the race for victory to become the tallest building in the world in 1931.
Amidst the Great Depression America faced in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, the Empire State Building provided steady work for hundreds of men for 14 months as they raced against the Empires twin Chrysler building to stand tall on the skyline. Proudly sporting its spire gain the extra inches needed, Empire State Building claimed victory.
Featuring in countless movies and tv shows, the cinematic history of the building is everywhere. Especially King Kong. They are really milking that Ape for all he’s worth!
Every image panel and guide narration declares the Empire State Building as a beacon of hope and prosperity for the city. As we progress skyward I learn about the energy efficiency of the tower, installed during renovations that my mum and I witnessed five years ago on my first visit here. It is great to see the building in its full glory on this visit!
On the 86th floor one can see the full expanse of New York City below in 360 degree glory.
From Times Square and Macy’s directly underneath us, to the Statue of Liberty in the distance, the view does not disappoint.
Using the handy audio guide I slowly make my way around the tower. I listen happily to the descriptions of each intriguing location below.
With no time limit to abide by we stay on the viewing deck for about an hour. I swear one can never get bored of the view.
Knowing we would once again be able to witness the city from above this evening from the Rockefeller Centre however, we make our decent.
Six Degrees of…
Before we move on, our CityPASS gives us access to another lesser-known attraction called the Skyride, which is located in the Empire State Building itself.
Now I admit the main reason I am drawn to this tourist attraction is that Kevin Bacon narrates the film. How can anyone resist the charm of the great Bacon?
The Skyride is essentially a simulator that for ten minutes takes you on a virtual tour of NYC. I recommend it if you have a cityPASS, but if you pay the $42 admission you are insane. It is NOT worth it! As a freebie bonus however, check it out. We have a laugh though, and get to listen to Kevin Bacon, so I deem that a win!
With a couple of hours to kill till our sunset Rockefeller plans, and since the shops are right there, it would be rude to ignore them!
Agreeing to split up and meet at Rockefeller Plaza at 4pm, Hayley and I make a beeline straight for Lush. Yes, I know we have Lush back home. But in our next stop in Philadelphia there is a beautiful bathtub awaiting us and we need supplies to soothe our already weary muscles.
Retail Therapy
Then we pop into Sketchers and instead of buying shoes I end up chatting to a sales attendant for ten minutes about university, writing and music. He was a singer songwriter at college in New York and gave me a high five when I told him I’d just graduated! Always fun meeting new people, and really is the best part of travelling.
Finally, we make it to our true shopping destination: Macy’s.
It’s so much better than Bloomingdales.
We are in there for an hour and barely saw anything! You could loose yourself in there for days. Admittedly our stop on the sixth floor for gelato probably hindered our progress but it is absolutely worth it!
As we are on our way to meet the others a guy selling comedy club tickets stops us in Times Square. I am not normally one for indulging people who stop me on the street selling stuff. My cynical nature assumes it’s going to be a scam, but Hayley is more open minded.
So, whilst the encounter makes us late to meet the gang, we have 5 tickets to see a comedy show for $40. Which when we later check their online value we find they go for $22 each. Whether or not they are worth it we will find out on Wednesday night! Regardless, going to a comedy club in New York City seems like a great thing to tick off the bucket list.
I Have A Dream
Tonight, however, it is all about the Top of the Rock observatory.
And the view is as stunning as last time I visited.
I will forever insist it is better to go to the top of Rockefeller Centre than the Empire State Building. And it’s for one simple fact: from Rockefeller you can see the Empire State.
To make this evening extra special, it is Martin Luther King Day. Which means the Empire State Building lights up in red, black and green to commemorate the great man. (This is why we chose to go up to the top of Rockefeller Center at sunset.)
I can’t describe the view sufficiently, and the photos don’t do it justice. But let me say this: if you get the chance to visit New York, make it a holiday day.
The lights are beautiful, and the whole evening really spectacular.
Eventually we come back down to ground level, with just enough time to stop off at M&M World and Midtown Comics before returning to The Counter Burger. (It’s just as good, if not better than the day before!)
We limit ourselves to one more visit before we leave. Otherwise we really will be those unadventurous types who stick to their comfort zone, and to keep to this pact we buy supplies to make chilli tomorrow night.
Lady Liberty
Our mission on day four is to go downtown (cue cheesy Petula Clark music!) and visit the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the 9/11 memorial site.
It is a nice clear day and whilst still cold, perfectly manageable.
An easy journey from the subway through Battery Park leads us to the ticket office for the Ferry tour. There is one waiting to leave so we quickly set off from the mainland towards Liberty Island.
From the boat we can see the classic New York skyline of Wall Street (now coined by Hayley as the “Wallbanky” area of the city), the Empire State Building and the new World Trade Centre.
There will always be an empty space either side of this glamorous new building whose reflective surface creates the illusion of invisibility, allowing this section of the scenery to forever commemorate the site of 9/11.
Admittedly we do not initially realise that this designated ‘invisi-building’ is the World Trade Centre. We stare at it in wonder, declaring it a beacon of potential stealth technology: it blends into the skyline, its mirrored surface reflecting the blue sky around it. (Yes okay, we may be a little bit to engrossed in the Marvel Comics recently…)
Looking at our photos in hindsight, now knowing the true function of the building, I have the utmost respect for the architect. They managed to build on the site of the twin towers whilst maintaining a quiet respect for the memory of the fallen monoliths. For many architects I imagine having a building in the New York skyline is a dream come true. But to have this honour and choose to build a structure that is essentially invisible encourages a great deal of respect, from me at least. I’ll return to the 9/11 site later, but for now, back to our boat trip.
The first stop on the tour is Liberty Island where Lady Liberty stands.
The full name of the statue is ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’ (French: La Liberté éclairant le monde). It was designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and was dedicated on October 28,1886 as a gift to the United States from France.
The figure represents the Roman goddess of freedom bearing a torch and a tablet, upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet representing the freedom of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad.
(Random fact: the copper that has been oxidised and is now green is only the thickness of two US pennies.)
Despite all the history and symbolism about the statue, Lisa and Hayley are rather disappointed by its size!
They thought it would be bigger.
That’s what TV has done to this landmark. Made it so iconic, and frequently shot from up close, that the real thing can’t live up to the hype.
I think she is magnificent and is certainly one of the most unique pieces of artistry in the world, so am glad to get to walk around listening to my audio guide learning the history of this monument.
Trapped on Ellis Island
The next stop on the tour is Ellis Island which houses the US Immigration museum.
The exhibit details the history of the American people and how they are a nation of immigrants. (Something I think far too many Americans forget, but I won’t get political on you don’t worry).
The less pleasant aspects of the nation’s birth aren’t glossed over; they detail the plight of the Native Americans and cover the Slave Trade which brought so many African Americans to the country. But the majority of the museum covers why the immigrants left their home nations: the Irish fleeing the potato famine; the Jews escaping Eastern Europe, and so many others. Much of the exhibit focusses on how each subculture built up their own communities whilst gradually integrating into a new society.
Walking around slowly is exhausting and Hayley, Alex and I decide we should catch the next ferry back to the mainland. Ruth and Lisa however had vanished, and by the time they reappeared it had left.
We set a timer for 30 minutes (the ferries supposedly arriving every 40 minutes) and seek out lunch. When we do spot Lisa and Ruth, their reappearance is from afar and we can’t be bothered to chase after them so go for lunch without them… (I know, I know, we are such good friends….)
They catch up with us just as we finish up our delicious soup and pretzels lunch.
We head out to catch the ferry again.
Which we miss.
Failure.
So Ruth and Lisa decide to have some lunch whilst we look around the upper levels. This time setting a timer for 20 minutes!! The ferry arrives after about 25 minutes and we finally escape Ellis Island feeling we have had the true immigration experience… being trapped there unable to get to the mainland!
Never Forget
Back in the city we walk pass Wall Street to the 9/11 memorial pools which stand on the exact sites where the twin towers stood, and are the largest manmade waterfalls in the world. Their positioning opposite the new World Trade Center is poignant, all the names of those who died both in the towers and on the planes inscribed around the edges. It is a very sobering place but well worth visiting to honour those who lost their lives.
Very tired by this point we hop onto the nearest subway which happens to go to Grand Central Station, so we decide to suck up our exhaustion and get off there to look around a little.
There is an amazing market inside which we plan to revisit to gather picnic supplies for Friday’s train journey to Philadelphia. Truly worn out we end our third New York City day with a delightful homemade chilli con carne with jacket potatoes and we consume some cranber-itas (yes, here this is a thing. Cranberry margaritas in a can.)
Thankfully tomorrow is a rest day for me, but Hayley still manages to go out exploring solo!
Hayley’s Blogging Debut
Hey guys, I do apologise that I am not the wordsmith that Jenny is. I am definitely not witty and probably won’t be very informative but I will try my best.
After completing my usual breakfast princess duties, I pack my trusty map and phone (which works over here with no extra charge! I’m still amazed about that! Thank you 3 mobile) and head out into the concrete jungle by myself!
As a group we all decide we want a ‘me’ day to check out things the others wouldn’t want to. I won’t lie, I am rather nervous as I’m definitely not street smart. And I have no sense of direction, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me.
So, my first stop is the Solomon R. Guggenheim museum, which contrary to the name is actually a gallery of 20th century art.
I decide to walk to the Guggenheim as I believe it to be a straight walk down 90th street… I am wrong to assume this as central park pops up, and this totally throws me off course.
Eventually however, I finally find my way out of the city’s sanctuary to the museum mile.
Glorious Guggenheim
The Guggenheim is a true bit of architectural beauty: a large white building spiralling upwards. Inside there is a ramp that spirals up into the dome ceiling. Unfortunately the ramp is closed for building works on my visit. However, there are four floors worth of galleries to wander leisurely through.
My favourite exhibition is the Thannhausser collection: a large collection of many different artists including Picasso and Monet. Lots of oil on canvas paintings, (I will not bore you with any art talk though), and suffice to say my arty appreciation self is very satisfied. The arty appreciation self also found myself giving evils to people with their phones out and people talking too loud…. Yes, I’m that person.
Anyho, I decide that the next place I want to go to is Madison Square Gardens.
I start trying to seek out a subway station of which I find none in 5 blocks. So now I realise I might as well walk, and back into central park I go.
I finally head into the skyscrapers and find myself walking through Lexington Avenue. It is super posh!
Happily I quickly find myself where I need to be: outside the colossus of stadiums that is Madison Square Garden.
And the crowd goes wild!
It is so vast I don’t even know where to go for tour tickets. Luckily for me the security guy is absolutely lovely, giving me directions and offering to take me. There is also a lovely tour guide called Lindsey who is my height (aka. short) and has the biggest voice. She is so passionate throughout the tour that I find myself thinking she actually enjoys her job. How novel!
The tour lasts about an hour and a half and is breath taking. For those who have been to the O2 in London, all I can say is Madison Square Garden makes the O2 look boring. It has state of the art everything. Including an interactive wall where you can look at events and people. You can get all the info you would need (or in some cases wouldn’t need) to know.
Admittedly they have just completed a massive revamp costing billions, but I feel that money was well spent.
We walk through the suites/boxes above and the hospitality lounge downstairs. The sheer indulgence of it all has me asking how much this costs. So I ask of course, and according to Lindsey, it’s in the millions for one box for a year…
I will never own a box.
I would also like to mention that there is an entire ice rink under the basketball court. Before renovations it would be a 24 hour turn around between hockey and basketball games. Now it takes only three hours to transform… How cool is that?!
After my awesome tour I have a little time to roam, so decide to go back to Macy’s. This is a very big shopping experience after all. It’s one shop you can definitely get lost in. I however do not which I am impressed about. I navigate my way to heaven… the cookware section, and all I can say is I want everything.
Cracking Comedy
At 6pm we all meet on the steps at Times Square and go to our favourite restaurant one more time: The Counter Burger. As already mentioned/gushed over, you can build your own burger/salad here, and it has the craziest milkshakes, including the Graceland! In this monstrosity you get peanut butter, banana, smoked bacon and vanilla ice cream… Needless to say I understand how Elvis had a heart attack, but it tastes amazing!
We wander around for a bit before hitting The Broadway Comedy Club. I convinced the others to give a chance to the other night. To explain, there was someone selling tickets on the street for some comedy club. They lured me in with “this will be televised for comedy central” and “Tina Fey was there last night” and at $40 for all 5 of us I was not saying no.
We walk around trying to find this club which turns out to be way less impressive than I imagined. If anything we all think we might get robbed or something. However this does not happen, and we are ushered into an underground basement club. It has a small stage and a weird layout… But after being seated and ordering our cocktails we are very much entertained by six comics! Although I’ve never heard of any of them, they are actually really funny (Rodney Laney in particular had us in stitches!).
After a few more cocktails I get a little lost on how the rest of the evening goes… but apparently I am rather entertaining on the tube ride home.
[Hayley Rowe]
And just to fill you all in as Hayley was too drunk to recall her subway exploits:
What happens is as we ride the subway home she dances around the poles like it is a carousel, and then becomes amazed by this poor man’s double bass which is taller than her.
I think the rest of occupants of the car find her funny rather than annoying though: who can be annoyed at that cheeky grin after all!
Our Last Day in NYC
On our final day in New York City we decide to go on a tour of Radio City music hall.
This concert space was commissioned in 1929, opened its doors in 1932, and is the largest theatre in the world. The 12-acre complex was by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and The Radio City Music Hall was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone and interior designer Donald Deskey.
The theatre was almost demolished in the 1978 to become a parking lot, but at the last minute declared a national landmark and saved.
It is now owned by the same company as Madison Square Gardens and has been fully restored in all its Art Deco glory.
The theatre space itself is immense and can house over 6,000 people at a time. The Great Stage, designed by Peter Clark, measures 66.5 by 144 ft and is built to resemble a setting sun. No pillars obstruct the view of the stage from any seat, meaning there truly isn’t a bad seat in the house!
The most famous show Radio City houses is the one it also produces: The New York Christmas Spectacular, starring Radio City’s own Rockettes.
The Rockettes are a troupe of 125 precision dancers. They are renowned across the globe for their synchronised moves: especially their high kicks! Having watched some footage and seen the space, I now simply have to return to New York at Christmas and see this show for myself!
Live! From New York City!
After the tour we grab lunch in 30 Rockefeller plaza to eat by the ice rink outside. We enter the building via the NBC store (I love it in there!) and a young lady stops us. She asks if we would like tickets to Seth Meyer’s monologue rehearsal that afternoon.
Of course we say yes!
After lunch we wander the stores to kill the hour we have free, then head back to the rehearsal show.
It’s a great laugh and really cool to see the behind the scenes workings of the show. We get to meet the writers and even briefly talk to Seth as he asks where we are from. Hayley tries to be clever and say “you don’t know where that is do you?”,. But he shoots her down with his superior knowledge of Hampshire! All due to him being from New Hampshire in the States which has stolen all our town names!
We fail to stay awake till 12:35am to see which jokes make it into the final show…
To complete the day we take a quick trip to Grand Central Market for lunch supplies. Then having gathered snacks for tomorrow’s Philadelphia train journey, make a final visit to Midtown Comics. Thus concludes our New York City explorations.
We head home on the horribly crowded subway. I spend the journey chatting to a couple of Aussie guys. They are also road tripping the states but are at the end of their trip. They show me some videos of the opening of Mardi Gras in New Orleans which is cool. Can’t wait to get there for the celebrations ourselves!
Hayley and Lisa get off at our apartment station, whilst Alex, Ruth and I ride on a bit further. Just to pop to the market and get stuff for our fajita dinner. A seemingly simple task.
Alas we are to experience one final New York stumbling story, forever to be known as…
The Subway Nightmare
The short version: we get in the train and the doors close… Then open…. And then close…. Then open.
(Repeat upwards of twenty times interspersed with the driver telling the people in the rear car to stand clear of the doors).
This goes in for about ten minutes till he cancels the train and kicks us all off.
Now empty, the doors close… And then open! And off we go again!
The stupid train must have a malfunction. And now it can’t leave and is blocking all the next trains from arriving!
We have to walk 15 blocks back to the apartment with all the food… what a way to end the day!
Here’s hoping for a stumble free journey into Philadelphia tomorrow! Surely it’s time for a non-eventful travel day….
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