Number 4: Go to New York

New York!  31^st March to 6^th April 2012

We flew to New York from Manchester via London Heathrow. Although everything went smoothly and we had no delays I think I would pay the extra next time for a direct flight!  It was very tiring, especially on the return journey.  So close to home yet so far to still go! 

We arrived into New York early but getting through customs was an extremely long drawn out process.  We had to wait in a queue for an hour and a half whilst they finger printed and photographed everyone!

Our first glimpse of NYC on Saturday evening, whilst on the journey from the airport to the hotel was breath taking.  Just as seen on TV with the Manhattan skyline lit up!

St Giles Hotel - The Court NYC

When we booked into our hotel at about 11pm (after enduring a scary, very fast cab ride in the dark) we wondered what we had come to.  There was a private party going on in the bar and the music was extremely loud and squealing girls were running around the place! We were woken at about 4am with the same said girls running up and down the corridors making a right carry-on! I assumed they were going to bed after a rather wild night!  Luckily for us this was a one off and the hotel was extremely quiet the rest of the week.  Our bedroom had fabulous views looking out onto the Chrysler building and was extremely spacious with a large bathroom so all-in -all we were happy with the accommodation.

View from our hotel bedroom window

Day 1: Sunday 1^st April 2012

Although we’d had a busy day and late evening on the Saturday we were all up with the lark and raring to go due to jetlag!  After all 6am in New York is 11am in UK!  We found a fab little diner for breakfast called Scotty’s which was literally across the road from our hotel.  Huge quantities of food and a never ending supply of coffee set us up for the day!! I ordered a plain omelette which wasn’t just an omelette but came with piles of fried potatoes and toast!  

 Me in the whispering corner!

We set off to find Central Park as our plan for the first day was to hire bikes and sightsee.  On the way we stumbled on to a film set (may be seen as an extra in a film in the future!  Keep your eyes peeled!) before passing through Grand Central Station (to get the subway) which is a magnificent place and its quite unbelievable that it’s a station. We tried out the "whispering gallery" which is located on the Grand Central Terminal dining concourse near the famous Oyster bar and Restaurant.  Here, the acoustics of the low ceramic arches can cause a whisper to sound like a shout. I thought this sounded impossible and that I was being tricked into looking stupid!!  However, it really worked!  My friend and I stood in opposite corners of the large arched entrance facing the corner and whispered. I was stunned to be able to hear my friend’s voice as if she was standing next to me and she could hear my whisper too!  Initially we failed as we stood in the wrong corners but once we realised our error it worked! According to experts, this happens because the whisperer’s voice follows the curve of the domed ceiling. We got the subway to a station as close to Central Park as possible. On our way our next discovery was “The Dakota” close to Central Park. This is the site of the tragic murder of the former Beatle John Lennon. His widow Yoko Ono, still lives here.  We planned to visit Central Park on our first day as it was a Sunday and the park is closed to traffic which we thought was safer for us on bikes!  However, when we got there we were welcomed by a large running event starting and finishing in central park which made the area very congested with runners and spectators!  We easily found a bike hire company and when we saw Tandems we decided to have a go!  Much hilarity and laughter followed as we tried to get our balance and pedal together!  We eventually succeeded and had a cycle around but due to the congested park we decided it was probably a better idea to exchange it for 2 separate bikes!  We cycled around the park viewing all the sites such as the boating lake (stopped for a coffee here!), strawberry fields (created in memory of John Lennon), Bow Bridge, Bethesda Fountain (watched a hilarious group of young male dancers perform here) and the ice rink.  After several hours cycling we returned our bikes and made our way to the Rockefeller Centre where we watched people skating on the famous ice skating rink in the Rockefeller plaza before going to “The top of the rock” which is an observatory on the 67^th -70^th floors of the centre  offering a 360 degree panoramic view of the city.  

Top of the Rock!

The view was breathtaking although it was slightly cold up there!  It was then a quick return to the hotel to wash and change into our posh togs before catching a cab to join an evening dinner dance cruise at 6pm on the Hudson. It was an all inclusive cruise (including alcohol, although they were a little slow at serving this!) with a live jazz band and 4 course meal. The boat (The Duchess) sailed past all the major landmarks including the Statue of Liberty enabling us to see it in all its glory from the deck at night! Unfortunately it was cold and raining by this point but this didn’t deter us – I think the alcohol helped! After dinner and sightseeing it was time to hit the dance floor!  The most memorable moment was dancing and singing to “New York New York” (whilst in New York!) Pretty awesome day all round but very tiring!

Singing and dancing to New York! New York!

Day 2: Monday 2^nd April 2012

Another great day! Breakfast again at our local diner, this time I went for French toast (aka Eggy Bread) which was delicious and served yet again with copious amounts of coffee. Today’s plan included the  Staten Island ferry, which was originally operated to carry island commuters to and from the city but also offers tourists an unforgettable close up of the harbour, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Manhattan’s fabulous skyline. Incredibly it is FREE! 

View from the ferry

We didn’t venture beyond the ferry terminal (there didn’t appear to be much to visit) and returned immediately on the same ferry!  The experience was a very cold and windy one, taking us a while (and a wine) to warm up!  Next we went down Wall Street (enjoyed a burger at the only vendor van with a huge queue – after all if there’s a queue it must be good?!!!), then onto Ground Zero where they are in the process of building the replacement Twin Towers. We saw the gleaming World Trade Centre rising from Ground Zero. When finished, Tower One will rise to 1,776 feet - higher than the Twin Towers. Next we went into St Pauls Chapel where all the rescue workers rested during the rescue efforts after September 11th. Inside there are many mementos and stories relating to the rescue efforts. Outside St Pauls Chapel there is a bell donated by the UK, made by the makers of Big Ben as a memorial to 9/11. Afterwards we went to City Hall Park (New York’s Village Green 250 years ago!), then had a very quick look in Macy’s before finding a Pandora shop and buying a big apple charm engraved with NYC!  We went back to the hotel and once we were changed and suitably rested , we went to an Irish bar for dinner ( and cocktails of course) and when it got dark we made our way to The Empire State Building (The tallest skyscraper in NYC and starred in King Kong!). 

View from the top of Empire State Building

We queued for quite a while to go to the 86^th floor outdoor observation deck – 1250 feet high but before we did this we enjoyed a virtual tour simulator (Skyride) (a specially designed platform which moves in sync to an 18 foot high definition screen) showing you all the New York sites on film as if you are a bird!  Doing this first entitled us to Fast Track the queue to the Empire State Building Observatory (much needed as the queue was very long). Once we got to the top the view with all the twinkling lights in the night sky was fantastic but it was extremely cold and windy – enough to take your breath away and make your eyes water! 

Day 3 – Tuesday 3^rd April 2012

Today we went to Battery Park.  We saw a person dressed up as The Statue of Liberty and she beckoned us over to have our photographs taken.  

You would think with using our own cameras there wouldn’t be a charge but as we were walking away she whispered 5 dollars into my friend’s ear!  I was oblivious to this and would have just walked away with a wave and a smile!  Along the waterfront, ferries depart regularly for the Statue Of Liberty and Ellis Island, We initially got the boat to Liberty Island where we got to see the Statue of Liberty (again!) up close but unfortunately due to maintenance work we were unable to go inside. Close by the Statue of Liberty there is a memorial grove with trees planted in memory of those who lost their lives in the 9/11 disaster.  This grove looks across to Manhattan and Ground Zero. 

Next we returned to the ferry and went on to Ellis Island which in the past served as America’s immigration depot. On the island is a large museum which houses photo’s and stories of the immigrants, and we also watched a film about their lives too.  Once we had returned to Manhattan we went on a Big Apple Helicopter Tour which flew us over all the major landmarks, and yes you’ve guessed it we saw the Statue of Liberty from yet another angle! I got the prime seat in the front next to the pilot ( got told to keep feet well away from pedals/rudders?) and the view was phenomenal as it was a bright warm sunny day!  I was slightly anxious whilst waiting to board the helicopter, but once on board the pilot was very nice and I felt safe! An unforgettable experience and one I am glad I did! From here we made our way to Times Square to TGI’s where we had ribs and cocktails, then a quick turnaround at the hotel to get washed and changed to see Mary Poppins on Broadway!  We had booked the show in the UK but did not know the seats allocated to us and expected to be fairly near the back!  I was amazed to be placed on the second row!  Perhaps slightly too near as it was difficult not to laugh at all the actors facial expressions which were a bit OTT when you were so close! However, the show was brilliant and worth the watch!  We had a giggle when my husband ordered a beer and got it in a Mary Poppins souvenir plastic cup with lid! On our way back to the hotel we popped into an Irish bar on Broadway for a couple of drinks ( Cosmopolitan cocktails) before collapsing into bed after a very full and tiring but enjoyable day!

Day 4 – Wednesday 4th April 2012

Today was very much an “on foot” day!  We decided to walk the Brooklyn Bridge which links Manhattan and Brooklyn.  We got the Subway to Brooklyn and then walked back over the bridge admiring the views.  Another glorious day and the views were exceptional.  On the bridge there are many padlocks with engravings on and we thought that they were mementos’ of people who had committed suicide by jumping off the bridge but in fact it was much nicer than that and they were placed there by lovers who attach the padlock onto the bridge and throw the key into the river apparently “You lock your heart away and throw the key into the river. So it can’t be reopened”. Once we had walked back along the bridge we made our way to Pier 17 (South Street Seaport) and had drinks in the sun overlooking the port, before browsing in the shops and stalls on the waterfront and finishing off with a Hagen Daz ice cream.  Next stop was China Town!  What can I say?  Lots of Chinese people, lots of “different” foods on stalls and various smells lingering and to put it bluntly a bit of a dump! I felt very intimidated being in the minority! We swiftly moved on to Little Italy, which was very little indeed unless we missed most of it, there wasn’t much here except nice little Italian restaurants which would have been nice if we were looking to eat! We had refreshing Sangria in a bar before heading for a walk along the Highline Park in the sky (an elevated park built on top of the skeleton of an old rail system). It was planted with lots of trees, shrubs, flowers and grass making it feel like you were on ground level but with fantastic elevated views!  Along the paths were lots of seats and also sun loungers.  

Unfortunately with it being a beautifully sunny day all the loungers were taken and the park was fairly busy so it wasn’t quite “Getting away from the crowds” as advertised.  On the positive side I was pleasantly surprised that there was no admittance fee. We had an hour back at the hotel to wash and change before hitting Times Square again but this time Hard Rock Cafe for dinner!  There was a waiting list of about an hour and a half for a table so there was nothing else for it but to go to the bar and experience a few cocktails!  The cocktails here were huge, delicious and potent! We were ready for food by the time our table became available. We received a souvenir cocktail glass, which we surprisingly got home in one piece.

 

Day 5: Thursday 5^th April 2012

Very sad day today – Our last day in NYC! We went to Scottys for breakfast (wonderful waffles) before heading back to the hotel to pack and check-out etc, storing our luggage for later. We then made our way by subway to the Ariel tramway that took us over to Roosevelt Island.  We were pleasantly surprised that our metro card for the subway covered this tram too! Roosevelt Island used to house an insane asylum.  Today there is a hospital and housing there.  

After wandering around we got the tram back to Manhattan and went to Maddison Square where we saw what must be the biggest Post Office in the world – it was gigantic!  It was now time to head back, stopping in Grand Central station for our final NYC beer. By 4 o’clock we were heading back to the hotel to collect our luggage.  The next challenge was to hail a cab! It looked easy when the American’s did it – but we obviously didn’t have the technique quite right!  When we did manage to get one to stop as soon as we said JFK the cab drivers weren’t interested as it was too far away to make it worth their while!  Eventually we did manage to get a cab and arrived at the airport in plenty of time! After going through many security checks including a full body scan, we had time for a meal before boarding the flight home. 

A fantastic holiday in a fabulous city giving me many happy memories! 

I would love to go back at Christmas to see the city covered in snow, with Christmas trees and lights decorating it!  I can dream!