Tempe, AZ (home base)
USA
New York, New York Day 2
New York City Day 2 (Continued from New York City, Day 1, Continued on New York City, Day 3)
Waking up in New York, is a little different than waking up in Vermont, New Hampshire, or ANY of the other places we’ve stayed in so far on this trip. Since our walls were so thin, I was lucky enough to wake up repeatedly. Remind me to thank the inventor of ear plugs. They really are the number one travel necessity. If you can’t get good sleep, your trip will be affected, so don’t forget these little gems when you’re packing. Anyway, let me get back on track…Waking up in New York was fantastic. Even though the city can be a little overwhelming, you always know that there is more to see, and you’d better get your butt out of bed or you’ll miss something. On this particular day, we had A LOT to do.
As I mentioned in New York City Day 1, we purchased our Grey Line bus passes that included four separate bus tours, admission to the Top of The Rock, a ticket on the New York Water Taxi, and a 48 hour window to get it all done. Our timer had started at 4:00pm the evening before, when we stepped on the bus for the downtown tour, which included a live commentary while viewing Times Square, The Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, Union Square shopping district, Soho, Chinatown, Little Italy, The East Village, The Rockefeller Center, The World Trade Center Site, and so many more. Today, we had plans to revisit the more prominent sites and take more time to revel in the New York-ness of the city.
Greenwich Village
This area is by far my favorite neighborhood in New York City. As we learned from our tour guide, Greenwich Village has a completely different feel from the rest of the city for many reasons. First, since building codes with height restrictions were enforced in this area, there are no skyscrapers, which means more light makes it down to street level. Second, this area’s tenants in the sixties and seventies were artists of all kinds. The feel of the neighborhood, and the culture they brought to it has survived throughout the decades making Greenwich Village seem more eclectic and laid back then other areas. Third (which is my personal opinion), any place that holds a farmer’s market four times a week with fresh local produce, baked goods, hot food, and live music, creates a unique atmosphere for the neighborhood, and sets it apart as a destination.
We were lucky enough to visit Greenwich Village during the Saturday farmer’s market. Actually, we didn’t even know it was going on, but we spotted it from our seats on the second level of the bus, and did a mad-dash for the door at the next stop! We walked up and down the busy booths, impulsively purchasing anything that made our mouths water. This included grilled corn on the cob, mini freshly baked pies that can fit in the palm of your hand (I had mixed berry, Katie opted for strawberry rhubarb), and hot crepes filled with Nutella and banana (which always takes me straight back to Paris!). 
I’ve always wanted to live in a place that had one of these markets where you could do all of your shopping. I’m a little jealous of those who live in Greenwich Village because they actually DO!
In addition to the farmer’s market, this village has no shortage of amazing restaurants, cool bars, and unique shops. Yes, drivers still honk their horns, and some rather foul mystery smells will waft your way from time to time, but in some way Greenwich is different from the rest of New York Downtown. In my opinion, if this section of the city was completely removed and relocated somewhere else, it would still be worth visiting.
The Statue of Liberty and the New York Water Taxi
With full, happy bellies, we decided not to hop back on the tour bus and instead walk from Greenwich to the tip of Manhattan to catch our water taxi tour. We walked for about 20 minutes and decided to stop and check the map to make sure we hadn’t veered off our path. Although we were going in the right direction, we had only made it about a fifth of the way to our destination! A little tip for you: Manhattan is a much larger area than maps let on. Make use of the tour buses or the subway on long treks to save your feet. There’s nothing worse than trying to walk around with blisters. Believe me, I learned the hard way.
We decided to hop on the subway because there were no close tour bus stops, and luckily we had a straight shot to the Staten Island Ferry stop at the end of the Downtown line. Unfortunately we hopped onto the wrong one, and what was supposed to be a short trip ended up being a bit of a zigzag…but finally we made it. Upon arrival at the Staten Island Ferry subway station, you will stumble across where they keep all the tourists. This place is a mad house. Now add street vendors and performers, out of state drivers, and impatient locals to the mix, and you have yourself a pretty good idea of the scene that greeted us.
If you want to visit The Statue of Liberty there are a couple ways to get this done. Since you can’t get close enough for good pictures on the mainland, you can either take a ferry out and around the island where you can get pictures from all angles, or you can take a ferry straight to the island, disembark, and wander around at the base of the statue for your photo-ops.
There are pluses and minuses to both, but remember that after 9-11, you can no longer go up into the statue, so to me, there is really no reason to go to the actual island. Another thing to take into consideration is the line. When we got to the boarding areas there were two lines. One was wrapped around in a snaking zigzag for about a mile, and the other had four people in it. We got lucky and realized that we belonged in the latter (seriously, this was our first bit of luck with situations like this on the whole trip!) Our boat was smaller, and much less crowded than those for the tour that takes you all the way to the island, and we only waited about fifteen or twenty minutes for our boat. Keep that in mind when you’re deciding how you’d like to spend your afternoon.
Because of these reasons, my recommendation is to take the New York Water Taxi. The fare is included in your Grey Line package deal, or you can buy it separately for $25. The ferry will take you out and around the statue for all the best angles for pictures, then it will also cruise by the New Jersey coast, under the Brooklyn Bridge, around the Brooklyn coast, by the Waterfalls (a temporary art exhibit), and (my favorite) it will deliver the best views of the city skyline for unmissable photo-ops and mouth-gaping awe. We had a great time, took about a thousand pictures, and didn’t stay out on the boat long enough to get bored.
Another tip for you…don’t forget your sunscreen. Since you’re out on the river, the breeze makes you feel cool, and fools you into believing that your skin is not being seared by the sun. Don’t make the same mistake I did and realize a little late that you might very well have a sunglasses tan in the rest of your vacation pictures!!
Central Park
New York can often keep travelers busy with all the sites to visit, the food to eat, the shows to see, the stores to shop in, etc., etc., but make sure you take time to enjoy your time in New York City by slowing down for a quick picnic or stroll through Central Park. Let me stop here to emphasize one thing: you will NOT see all of Central Park in one day. You probably won’t see all of central park in THREE days, so don’t try to get through it all. Just pick a couple of things that you’d like to see and take the time to enjoy them.
We wanted to have a bit of a picnic for lunch in the park, but after the farmer’s market, we were still stuffed to the rafters, so we decided to grab a quick snack from a street vendor that was conveniently located at the park entrance. Don’t forget to have this experience when you come to New York. I’m not recommending you try any of the questionable meat (chicken kabobs that are clearly not kept in sanitary conditions, etc.), but it probably won’t kill you to grab a hot pretzel, or even a “dirty dog” (I’ll let you take a guess at the reason for the nickname). After throwing some elbows to get to the cart (there were a few foreigners who simply could not grasp the concept of a line), we opted for giant hot pretzels with spicy mustard, which we saved until we found a perfect little spot in the grass for a lazy break. We people-watched, laughed about trip memories so far, and relaxed in the last half hour of direct sun until we were done with all but a chunk of our pretzels. We saved the last bites for the ducks.
There’s really no way to describe Central Park without writing a novel. There are so many different settings, paths, statues, fountains, plants, and places to see like zoos, lakes, carousels, and meadows. If you can imagine all of London’s Green, Hyde, and St James Parks put together you might get an idea of what it’s like. We only visited the park between 59th and 74th street (it continues to 110th street) by the time it got dark, and already we had seen everything from rollerblading street performers, to couples on the lake lazily rowing rented boats.
I think everyone’s experience in Central Park will be different depending on the day they go, the weather, the route they choose, the people and performers entertaining that day, the festivals/weddings/music concerts going on, and even the visitor’s frame of mind. I know I loved my first trek into the 843 acres of green, and I can’t wait to see what I stumble upon next time.
Don’t miss the Imagine Mosaic (a tribute to John Lennon) located in Strawberry Fields in the west end of the park near 72nd street. It’s hard to find, but just ask a local and they can point you in the right direction. If all else fails, follow the sounds of singing when you’re within earshot…there’s always loyal fans keeping John Lennon’s music alive.
The Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and Top of the Rock Observation Deck
After the Statue of Liberty, (and Pizza), the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of New York is The Empire State Building. This iconic building built in 1931 helps give New York its recognizable skyline, and lights up different colors for different holidays and occasions throughout the year. As I was reading our guide book (24 Great Walks in New York by Frommer) I learned this pretty rare and interesting (to me) fact:”In order to not be accused of hoisting a useless spire (a charge leveled at the Chrysler Building), the architects announced the Empire State’s spire would serve as a mooring for an airship” (Frommer, 96)
This means that a zeppelin was supposed to use this spire as an anchor. Can you believe that! I can only imagine what that would have looked like. There are a million and one stories about buildings and places in New York just like that one that make it so interesting to read and learn about. Or maybe I’m just a nerd. Either way, for whatever reason, we can all agree that the Empire State Building should be visited during a trip to the city.
Seeing the Empire State Building all lit up among the lights of Manhattan was something we couldn’t miss. One thing I can suggest from past experience is to visit the Empire State Building during the day, go in, see the lobby, etc. but when it comes time to visit an observation deck, head over to 30 Rockefeller Center and visit Top of the Rock (an observation deck at the top of the Rockefeller Center. For $25 (or included with your Grey Line pass) you can view a short documentary introduction by Tom Brokaw, sit for a picture of you and your party on a construction beam set (which will cost you a pretty penny after the tour if you choose to buy it), ride a high speed elevator to the top of the skyscraper, and walk out onto the deck for an absolutely incredible vista of the city…including an unobstructed, direct view of The Empire State Building.
The observation decks are surrounded with glass instead of a fence so views are more natural and clear, and between each pane, a small opening allows for camera shots of the city without glare. There are three levels to visit with the highest being completely obstruction free (no glass either!) There is a photographer there to take a picture of your group (so you’re not getting yet another picture of you holding the camera outstretched trying to fit everyone and the background into it). Make sure to take the time to look at the entire city while you’re up there. I recommend going at night to see just how vast and jam packed the city actually is. Plus, the city lights make New York look simply amazing. If you choose to visit the Top of the Rock during the day, make sure to take the Night Loop on the Grey Line bus tour to get a great city lights view from across the river in Brooklyn.
After soaking up all the New York we could muster for one day, we decided to head back to our hotel…collapse onto our beds…face down…without changing…and pass out. I developed some nice blisters during the day that I was happy to be off of, but the feeling of having a full day of seeing a new place made it all worth it. Exhausted but still glowing, we fell asleep looking forward to doing it all again on New York City Day 3!
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