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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To end the day we ate at the ridiculously expensive Hard Rock Cafe and soaked up the lights and buzz of Times Square.
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.
So, out of time, we had to say goodbye to NYC. 4 days just isn't enough to take in this awesome city!
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