New York 2010

New York, United States

So we arrived at the iconic New Yorker Hotel late at night to find that there'd been some confusion about the rooms we'd requested ('double room' means different things in England and the States, a fact the travel agent didn't seem to think was worth mentioning). Usually, they would have swapped our rooms but because of some expo being held in the hotel while we were there, standard rooms were fully booked. Sometimes, though, persistence is the best way forward and after a bit of a negotiation we found ourselves upgraded to two of the ultra pricey tower suites, on the 39th floor (out of 40). Funnily, though, they were still tiny. We were even offered a free breakfast at a little dining room up on the 39th floor, exclusive to tower suite guests, but we felt a little bit cheeky accepting considering we hadn't paid for the privilege.

So while check-in was a bit of a hassle, the taxi drive through New York at night gave us a great first glimpse of the city, and the view from our room was incredible.

Night view from 39th floor

View from the 39th floor

New Yorker 39th floor

New York, United States

With only three full days in New York we had a lot to pack in. We decided to start with the walk across Brooklyn Bridge, and decided to get the subway to Brooklyn so that we could walk the bridge towards the amazing skyline of Manhattan.

Wandering around the quiet streets of Brooklyn and along the boardwalk that runs by East River on a Sunday was a nice way to ease into city life as we could really take our time, without that sense of being swept along by hoardes of commuters and tourists on weekdays in Manhattan. We had some fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline from across the river, and sat for a while watching a couple of different camera crews apparently filming music videos (sadly, nobody famous). As we walked the boardwalk and the bridge itself, we kept running into newlyweds having their wedding photos taken, obviously willing to freeze to death for that iconic New York backdrop. I don't blame them though, Brooklyn Bridge is amazing and it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

What a skyline

Shame about the Verizon tower

Skyline from the bridge

We spotted a bizarre skyscraper as we crossed the bridge that looked as though it had been damaged, with what looked like cracks running all the way down it. When we got closer however we saw that the effect was intentional, the building still being finished. Built near Ground Zero, we wondered if it could be some kind of a statement or tribute regarding 9/11. Well, whatever it is, it definitely makes an impact.

Interesting new building

Later, we visited Pier 17 but found it to be a bit of an anticlimax. In the evening we took the City Lights Cruise around Manhattan, giving us yet more spectacular views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey and Liberty Island, although the impossibility of getting any decent photos on a moving boat at night was a little frustrating. However, our guide was really informative and we learned a lot about the different landmarks around the city.

Sunset from the river

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lucy3119 on May 17, 2010 from New York, United States

from the travel blog: New York 2010

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New York, United States

In the morning we decide to wander in the general direction of New York Public Library and Grand Central Station and see what we encountered along the way. Although the library was a let-down being completely covered in scaffolding and sheeting, we discovered Bryant Park at the back of the building. Although it was winter and therefore deserted, we could imagine how pretty the place would look during the summer, and we saw a little carousel that seemed so out of place surrounded by towering skyscrapers.

Bryant Park

Carousel/ sky scrapers

Grand Central Station is another fantastic building (puts London's stations to shame) but again it was impossible to get a photo that would do it justice, because of the lighting.

Thanks to the rain, we spent the afternoon at the famous Museum of Natural History. The place is so huge that we were only able to take in the dinosours, extinct animals and a few ancient civilisations before we collapsed underneath the giant whale along with many other visitors who apparently had the same idea. It was funny to see so many people just lying there on the floor staring up at the huge belly of a whale suspended in mid air.

The famous whale

American Museum of Natural History

Despite the fog that was descending over the city, we realised we would have to go to the top of the Empire State Building that night, as heavy rain was forecast the next night. So, after a lot of queueing and an ear-popping elevator ride to the 86th floor we found ourselves outside on the viewing platform in what seemed like gale force winds, waiting for glimpses of the city below in the moments when the fog cleared. Definitely an unmissable experience, but obviously much better on clear nights.

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lucy3119 on May 17, 2010 from New York, United States

from the travel blog: New York 2010

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New York, United States

Our last full day in New York: we began by visiting the Flatiron Building, New York's oldest skyscraper, and discovered Antony Gormley's statues at floor level and on rooftops in the surrounding area. I also managed visit the one place that was at the top of my agenda: Urban Outfitters! Since Urban Outfitters is twice as expensive in England as it is in the States, it was a must. Naturally.

Antony Gormley

The Flatiron Building

Antony Gormley statues

After lunch we took on the Museum of Modern Art, where we discovered Marina Abramovic's performance art. I had mixed feelings about her work: her current piece, in which she sits all day at a table while museum visitors take turns to sit across from her, left me underwhelmed, while some of her previous works, also on display, were thought-provoking, disturbing or, sometimes, unintentionally comical.
I was also pleased to see an exhibition of Tim Burton's work, although only a small part of it was free to view.

Tim Burton, MOMA (Edward Scissorhands)

Marina Abramovic at MoMA

Tim Burton exhibition, MOMA

To end the day we ate at the ridiculously expensive Hard Rock Cafe and soaked up the lights and buzz of Times Square.

Guitar wall at Hard Rock Cafe

Huge plate of nachos at Hard Rock Cafe

Mum & dad At Hard Rock Cafe

Memorabilia

Times Square

written by

lucy3119 on May 17, 2010 from New York, United States

from the travel blog: New York 2010

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New York, United States

For our last day we really wanted to visit Liberty Island and Ellis Island but the rain ruined our plans once again. Instead, we took the free Staten Island ferry for a closer view of the Statue of Liberty...still, it was a bit too foggy for any decent photos. We also escaped the rain at Macy's flower show, which was a tad overrated in my opinion.

Flower show at Macy's

Later we discovered the National Museum of the American Indian, set in the old US custom House...unfortunately, it was ten minutes before closing time so we didn't have time to fully take in the amazing building and the really interesting exhibitions.