Day-by-Day in New York City
DAY 1
Today was the day we flew to New York from Minneapolis, and arriving in a new city at 5:00 PM sort of limits one's opportunities. Despite this, we managed to fit a good taste of New York sightseeing into about three hours. Our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, was quite near the Times Square area and fashion district, so we simply wandered in that area for a couple of hours, took pictures, and enjoyed the sights.
Here are some highlights of the things we did:
Food
Street vendors: Throughout New York City, one can find carts on the sidewalk and small shops on street level, peddling an assortment of cheap food to go. Simply to snack on while we walked, we bought some pizza, hot dogs, and some candied peanuts. The pizza and the peanuts were both quite tasty, and well-priced, too. One dollar for the pizza and two bucks for a generous bag of peanuts impressed us. However, the hot dogs don't come as recommended by me. For two dollars, one gets a middle-school cafeteria hot dog, but possibly less tasty- although likely less bouncy. The bun was dry, borderline stale, and the mustard was too spicy for my taste.
Evergreen Café : Just half a block off of 8th Avenue is the distance we traveled to find a bite to eat. We stopped at the Evergreen Cafe, which was, quite frankly, a disappointment. The prices were cheap for New York City - around 7.50 for an entrée - but the quality of food was hardly keeping up with the prices. Poor food, mediocre service, high prices, and incredibly bland decor made this a place to avoid.
Shopping / Sightseeing
Various street-level shops: Even more common than food vendors are the assortment of stores right off the sidewalk throughout New York. Many of them sell factory-direct popular brands, footwear, and the mandatory kitschy 'I LOVE NEW YORK' t-shirts. Some of these stores are practically peddling trash, but some actually sell good brands for better prices. Either way, it's a lot of fun just to poke your head into them.
Toys 'R' Us Times Square Store: Appearing in almost every up-to-date New York tourists' guide, this massive toy shop is a must. If you're actually looking to buy toys, or if you're just looking to spend a couple minutes somewhere, look no further. Having pretty much every gadget, video game, toy car, and dart gun imaginable, this impressive store also sports an 80-foot Ferris wheel!
NOTE: In general, it's easy to spend an afternoon or two in the roughly two-mile radius around Times Square. Small shops, interesting vendors, and well-decorated major department stores make this a great place to spend time in.
DAY 2
Today was our first full day in New York, and we were blessed with perfect weather- 37 degrees and rainy (I lied about that 'perfect' thing). Luckily, our day was spent primarily indoors, touring the American Museum of Natural History. After returning to our room for an afternoon siesta, we hit the streets yet again to go to a New York classic: a Broadway musical.
Museums
American Museum of Natural History: With its own Metro stop and location on 8th avenue, this landmark museum is easy to get to. However, some might not say it's worth the trip, and I'd probably be among those people. Normally, I'm a huge museum fan, viewing the main attraction of a new city as being all the museums it has to offer. But for some reason, this museum and I simply didn't get along, and I'm not entirely sure why.
The building takes up an entire city block, and is a grand old structure, with high vaulted entryways and huge marble columns. Upon entering, my brother and I soon discovered one thing: the museum is surprisingly difficult to navigate. Oddly-placed stairways, empty hallways, and strange room placements made it a legitimate chore just to get around. Another thing that struck us was the lack of proper organization. The order of the exhibits seemed not to have any real structure in terms of how it fit in with its neighboring exhibits. The 'Aquatic Mammals' hall led into the 'American Forests' hall, which went into the 'Inuit Peoples' hall, and so on. I found this moderately irritating, if not downright distressing. This odd feeling of aimless wandering wasn't helped by the scarcity of benches, which made it tough to find a place to rest and puzzle over a map.
In short, I actually didn't like the museum, despite normally being a fan of things like that. Unless you're a fan of darkened rooms full of dead things, you shouldn't plan on spending more than three or four hours here, if it even makes your itinerary.
Dining
Shake Shack: Just two blocks from the Museum of Natural History is this marvelous little restaurant. Seating is scarce, but the prices are fair and the food is fantastic. We braved the cold – jacketless- to get to this place, and we were not disappointed. A short wait and a little money yielded one of the most delicious cheeseburgers and one of the tastiest milkshakes I have ever consumed. Whether you're going to the museum or not, you have to pay a visit to the Shake Shack.
Musicals
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying: Featuring Daniel Radcliffe, star of the Harry Potter film series, this stunning musical combined stellar choreography, quirky songs, and a charming storyline to create a truly wonderful musical. Radcliffe and his fellow actors and actresses were outstanding, and I recommend this musical to anyone visiting the city and hoping to see a Broadway show. However, if another musical fits your fancy more than this one, feel free to go, as most of the shows in New York are pretty amazing, with the exception of that Spider-Man one. Don't see it.
Join us tomorrow, when we visit the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, and Ellis Island!
DAY 3
Today was arguably the day which contained the most nautical activity (so far) in our trip to New York. Taking the metro to Battery Park, we boarded a ferryboat and rode said vessel to the islands of Ellis and Bedloe. Bedloe, now known as 'Liberty Island,' houses the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island is home to the famous immigration center. After taking the ferry back to Manhattan, we walked about, visiting Wall Street, Trinity Church, and Ground Zero.
Tourism
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island cruise: Included in the New York City pass, this National Park Service-run tour brings visitors on a ferryboat and drops them off at the Statue of Liberty and on Ellis Island. Boats are on a schedule, so there is no obligation to catch the same boat; one must simply wait around half an hour for the next boat. I suggest arriving to catch the departing boat early, as security scans and lines are lengthy and can cause delays. Due to this, we missed our boat and were forced to wait for about half an hour. Despite this, we caught the next one and enjoyed the tour a lot.
First stop for us was the Statue of Liberty. This iconic statue is actually built on the remnants of a fort meant for harbor defense. Visitors are allowed to walk about the island, able to view the statue from below. Included with the price of the ferry cruise is a ticket to the museum and pedestal. The museum, in my opinion, was very well done. It told of the building process, design, and general history of the statue. Touring this small but very engrossing area took around 45 minutes. Then we climbed around 160 steps to the top of the pedestal. Keep in mind, this isn't the actual statue. Climbing into the statue costs an additional fee, and reservations must be made three months in advance due to the low capacity of the crown of the statue. Despite this, we enjoyed the pedestal just fine. It provided a brisk wind and marvelous views of Manhattan and the neighboring boroughs. A gift shop, bathrooms, information center, and restaurant can also be found on the island. All in all, we spent around one and a half to two hours on the island.
Next up was Ellis Island. This immigration center, restored to its condition circa 1910, is a fantastic museum and historical center telling the stories of many immigrants, about the process of immigration into the U.S, and the history behind that particular immigration station. The museum is incredibly well done and expansive, and a gift shop, restaurant, and bathrooms can be found on the island. If one views the movies shown in the theater as well as all the exhibits, three to four hours could easily be spent here, although I recommend budgeting at least two hours here. Personally, I found Ellis Island much more interesting and engaging than the Statue of Liberty, so if given the option, I would suggest Ellis Island for maximum enjoyment. However, if you're someone who enjoys plain and simple tourist attractions over actual historical sites, you're better off with Lady Liberty.
Wall Street and surrounding area: After getting back from the cruise, we went on a quick self-led walking tour. Poking our heads into Trinity Church to admire the woodwork and majestic vaulted ceilings was worth a five-minute stop, and simply walking through Wall Street, enjoying the iconic columned forefronts of the buildings was fun as well. Be sure to stop and get your photo taken next to the famous Wall Street bull statue!
After a hearty Italian dinner at a small, cheap restaurant (of which there are many in the area), we took a quick detour to see Ground Zero of the September 11th attacks. Now, not to offend anyone, but the renovations and such weren't quite finished, so it struck us as pretty much an average construction site. However, the planned museum, park, fountains, and new tower seem to be promising, so any traveler in the next few years should take a visit.
From there, it was about a half-hour walking-and-metro commute back to our hotel, where we rested for the night, in anticipation of the next day's adventures.
DAY 4
Contrary to yesterday's statement, today contained the most nautical adventures of our trip so far, in terms of time spent on naval vessels. We began our day's adventures at the USS Intrepid, a 70-year old aircraft carrier docked on the east side of Manhattan. After that, we stopped briefly to pick up some lunch, and consumed the meal aboard another boat, this time on a three-hour sightseeing trip around the entire island of Manhattan. After that, we recuperated in our hotel, found dinner, and returned to the room.
Tourism
USS Intrepid: So far in the trip, this competes with Ellis Island for most awesome thing in the history of ever. Perhaps that's a small overstatement, but this museum is a true masterpiece. Housed on Pier 82 of Manhattan's harbor, a twenty-dollar ticket will grant you complete access to both a Cold War-era submarine and a thousand-foot-long aircraft carrier.
The sub, called the USS Growler, is a self-guided tour, not much more than the walking through a passageway in a submarine. It isn't lengthy, perhaps a half-hour investment, but it's quite fun to see, and gives a really good idea of the living conditions on a submarine.
The main attraction by far, however, is the USS Intrepid. Christened in 1943, this beast of a boat has dropped anchor in New York, and now houses a museum about aircraft, the history of the ship itself, and the inner workings of such a vessel. Visitors can see the flight deck, which houses around fifteen aircraft (including the SR-71 Blackbird off of which Will Smith hits golf balls in I Am Legend). One level below, the hangar houses more aircraft and small exhibits, some explaining the mechanics of flight, some talking of space travel, and others about the history of the boat, including an outstanding storytelling of the Kamikaze attack on the carrier during World War II. Both adults and children in the family enjoyed the experience, be it viewing movies, walking through the corridors, looking at machinery, or climbing over disarmed cannons. Also aboard the ship is a café and restrooms. For additional prices, visitors can tour normally off-limits areas of the ship, a Concorde passenger jet also on the pier, and very entertaining flight simulators that allow for 360 degrees of movement, along with vomit-inducing spins and loops. Recommended for adults of strong intestinal composure or giggling young children who haven't eaten in a while.
Ticket prices are well worth the experience, and our family easily spent four hours aboard the ship.
Circle Line Tours: Circle Line tours operates out of the pier adjacent to that which harbors the Intrepid, inadvertently making the carrier seem bigger when compared to the dinky little tour boats. Despite this, these tour boats offer quite the trip. Offering a half-hour, hour, two-hour, or three-hour trip, we opted for the three-hour, which takes tourists around the entire island of Manhattan. The boats have restrooms and a small souvenir / overpriced food shop, and have a heated indoor area along with the open decks. It's a great way to get proper bearings for the area, especially when taken early on in a trip. A talented announcer will share interesting facts about passing structures, telling you of the history of areas and the stories behind certain curiosities of an area. It's a great opportunity for getting panoramic pictures of the city, or simply to sit back in the main cabin and enjoy the passing scenery. This three-hour tour should be paired up with the nearby USS Intrepid, making for a wonderful day of nautical adventure.
Food
P.D. O'Hurley's: After finishing with the USS Intrepid, we walked only half a block to reserve tickets for the sightseeing cruise, and we learned that we had under half an hour before the boat left. Because of this, we rushed to this little restaurant, which was quite close to both the Intrepid and the ticket booth (right between them, really). We picked up the food to eat on board the ship, and upon opening the white styrofoam containers, I for one was not impressed. Diminutive portions for exorbitant prices and overall low-quality food makes this place one to avoid. Resist the temptation of the name of a kindly old Irishman and find some other restaurant. Honestly, even Burger King would have been better.
Continue to DAY 5 -- >
Today was the day we flew to New York from Minneapolis, and arriving in a new city at 5:00 PM sort of limits one's opportunities. Despite this, we managed to fit a good taste of New York sightseeing into about three hours. Our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, was quite near the Times Square area and fashion district, so we simply wandered in that area for a couple of hours, took pictures, and enjoyed the sights.
Here are some highlights of the things we did:
Food
Street vendors: Throughout New York City, one can find carts on the sidewalk and small shops on street level, peddling an assortment of cheap food to go. Simply to snack on while we walked, we bought some pizza, hot dogs, and some candied peanuts. The pizza and the peanuts were both quite tasty, and well-priced, too. One dollar for the pizza and two bucks for a generous bag of peanuts impressed us. However, the hot dogs don't come as recommended by me. For two dollars, one gets a middle-school cafeteria hot dog, but possibly less tasty- although likely less bouncy. The bun was dry, borderline stale, and the mustard was too spicy for my taste.
Evergreen Café : Just half a block off of 8th Avenue is the distance we traveled to find a bite to eat. We stopped at the Evergreen Cafe, which was, quite frankly, a disappointment. The prices were cheap for New York City - around 7.50 for an entrée - but the quality of food was hardly keeping up with the prices. Poor food, mediocre service, high prices, and incredibly bland decor made this a place to avoid.
Shopping / Sightseeing
Various street-level shops: Even more common than food vendors are the assortment of stores right off the sidewalk throughout New York. Many of them sell factory-direct popular brands, footwear, and the mandatory kitschy 'I LOVE NEW YORK' t-shirts. Some of these stores are practically peddling trash, but some actually sell good brands for better prices. Either way, it's a lot of fun just to poke your head into them.
Toys 'R' Us Times Square Store: Appearing in almost every up-to-date New York tourists' guide, this massive toy shop is a must. If you're actually looking to buy toys, or if you're just looking to spend a couple minutes somewhere, look no further. Having pretty much every gadget, video game, toy car, and dart gun imaginable, this impressive store also sports an 80-foot Ferris wheel!
NOTE: In general, it's easy to spend an afternoon or two in the roughly two-mile radius around Times Square. Small shops, interesting vendors, and well-decorated major department stores make this a great place to spend time in.
DAY 2
Today was our first full day in New York, and we were blessed with perfect weather- 37 degrees and rainy (I lied about that 'perfect' thing). Luckily, our day was spent primarily indoors, touring the American Museum of Natural History. After returning to our room for an afternoon siesta, we hit the streets yet again to go to a New York classic: a Broadway musical.
Museums
American Museum of Natural History: With its own Metro stop and location on 8th avenue, this landmark museum is easy to get to. However, some might not say it's worth the trip, and I'd probably be among those people. Normally, I'm a huge museum fan, viewing the main attraction of a new city as being all the museums it has to offer. But for some reason, this museum and I simply didn't get along, and I'm not entirely sure why.
The building takes up an entire city block, and is a grand old structure, with high vaulted entryways and huge marble columns. Upon entering, my brother and I soon discovered one thing: the museum is surprisingly difficult to navigate. Oddly-placed stairways, empty hallways, and strange room placements made it a legitimate chore just to get around. Another thing that struck us was the lack of proper organization. The order of the exhibits seemed not to have any real structure in terms of how it fit in with its neighboring exhibits. The 'Aquatic Mammals' hall led into the 'American Forests' hall, which went into the 'Inuit Peoples' hall, and so on. I found this moderately irritating, if not downright distressing. This odd feeling of aimless wandering wasn't helped by the scarcity of benches, which made it tough to find a place to rest and puzzle over a map.
In short, I actually didn't like the museum, despite normally being a fan of things like that. Unless you're a fan of darkened rooms full of dead things, you shouldn't plan on spending more than three or four hours here, if it even makes your itinerary.
Dining
Shake Shack: Just two blocks from the Museum of Natural History is this marvelous little restaurant. Seating is scarce, but the prices are fair and the food is fantastic. We braved the cold – jacketless- to get to this place, and we were not disappointed. A short wait and a little money yielded one of the most delicious cheeseburgers and one of the tastiest milkshakes I have ever consumed. Whether you're going to the museum or not, you have to pay a visit to the Shake Shack.
Musicals
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying: Featuring Daniel Radcliffe, star of the Harry Potter film series, this stunning musical combined stellar choreography, quirky songs, and a charming storyline to create a truly wonderful musical. Radcliffe and his fellow actors and actresses were outstanding, and I recommend this musical to anyone visiting the city and hoping to see a Broadway show. However, if another musical fits your fancy more than this one, feel free to go, as most of the shows in New York are pretty amazing, with the exception of that Spider-Man one. Don't see it.
Join us tomorrow, when we visit the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, and Ellis Island!
DAY 3
Today was arguably the day which contained the most nautical activity (so far) in our trip to New York. Taking the metro to Battery Park, we boarded a ferryboat and rode said vessel to the islands of Ellis and Bedloe. Bedloe, now known as 'Liberty Island,' houses the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island is home to the famous immigration center. After taking the ferry back to Manhattan, we walked about, visiting Wall Street, Trinity Church, and Ground Zero.
Tourism
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island cruise: Included in the New York City pass, this National Park Service-run tour brings visitors on a ferryboat and drops them off at the Statue of Liberty and on Ellis Island. Boats are on a schedule, so there is no obligation to catch the same boat; one must simply wait around half an hour for the next boat. I suggest arriving to catch the departing boat early, as security scans and lines are lengthy and can cause delays. Due to this, we missed our boat and were forced to wait for about half an hour. Despite this, we caught the next one and enjoyed the tour a lot.
First stop for us was the Statue of Liberty. This iconic statue is actually built on the remnants of a fort meant for harbor defense. Visitors are allowed to walk about the island, able to view the statue from below. Included with the price of the ferry cruise is a ticket to the museum and pedestal. The museum, in my opinion, was very well done. It told of the building process, design, and general history of the statue. Touring this small but very engrossing area took around 45 minutes. Then we climbed around 160 steps to the top of the pedestal. Keep in mind, this isn't the actual statue. Climbing into the statue costs an additional fee, and reservations must be made three months in advance due to the low capacity of the crown of the statue. Despite this, we enjoyed the pedestal just fine. It provided a brisk wind and marvelous views of Manhattan and the neighboring boroughs. A gift shop, bathrooms, information center, and restaurant can also be found on the island. All in all, we spent around one and a half to two hours on the island.
Next up was Ellis Island. This immigration center, restored to its condition circa 1910, is a fantastic museum and historical center telling the stories of many immigrants, about the process of immigration into the U.S, and the history behind that particular immigration station. The museum is incredibly well done and expansive, and a gift shop, restaurant, and bathrooms can be found on the island. If one views the movies shown in the theater as well as all the exhibits, three to four hours could easily be spent here, although I recommend budgeting at least two hours here. Personally, I found Ellis Island much more interesting and engaging than the Statue of Liberty, so if given the option, I would suggest Ellis Island for maximum enjoyment. However, if you're someone who enjoys plain and simple tourist attractions over actual historical sites, you're better off with Lady Liberty.
Wall Street and surrounding area: After getting back from the cruise, we went on a quick self-led walking tour. Poking our heads into Trinity Church to admire the woodwork and majestic vaulted ceilings was worth a five-minute stop, and simply walking through Wall Street, enjoying the iconic columned forefronts of the buildings was fun as well. Be sure to stop and get your photo taken next to the famous Wall Street bull statue!
After a hearty Italian dinner at a small, cheap restaurant (of which there are many in the area), we took a quick detour to see Ground Zero of the September 11th attacks. Now, not to offend anyone, but the renovations and such weren't quite finished, so it struck us as pretty much an average construction site. However, the planned museum, park, fountains, and new tower seem to be promising, so any traveler in the next few years should take a visit.
From there, it was about a half-hour walking-and-metro commute back to our hotel, where we rested for the night, in anticipation of the next day's adventures.
DAY 4
Contrary to yesterday's statement, today contained the most nautical adventures of our trip so far, in terms of time spent on naval vessels. We began our day's adventures at the USS Intrepid, a 70-year old aircraft carrier docked on the east side of Manhattan. After that, we stopped briefly to pick up some lunch, and consumed the meal aboard another boat, this time on a three-hour sightseeing trip around the entire island of Manhattan. After that, we recuperated in our hotel, found dinner, and returned to the room.
Tourism
USS Intrepid: So far in the trip, this competes with Ellis Island for most awesome thing in the history of ever. Perhaps that's a small overstatement, but this museum is a true masterpiece. Housed on Pier 82 of Manhattan's harbor, a twenty-dollar ticket will grant you complete access to both a Cold War-era submarine and a thousand-foot-long aircraft carrier.
The sub, called the USS Growler, is a self-guided tour, not much more than the walking through a passageway in a submarine. It isn't lengthy, perhaps a half-hour investment, but it's quite fun to see, and gives a really good idea of the living conditions on a submarine.
The main attraction by far, however, is the USS Intrepid. Christened in 1943, this beast of a boat has dropped anchor in New York, and now houses a museum about aircraft, the history of the ship itself, and the inner workings of such a vessel. Visitors can see the flight deck, which houses around fifteen aircraft (including the SR-71 Blackbird off of which Will Smith hits golf balls in I Am Legend). One level below, the hangar houses more aircraft and small exhibits, some explaining the mechanics of flight, some talking of space travel, and others about the history of the boat, including an outstanding storytelling of the Kamikaze attack on the carrier during World War II. Both adults and children in the family enjoyed the experience, be it viewing movies, walking through the corridors, looking at machinery, or climbing over disarmed cannons. Also aboard the ship is a café and restrooms. For additional prices, visitors can tour normally off-limits areas of the ship, a Concorde passenger jet also on the pier, and very entertaining flight simulators that allow for 360 degrees of movement, along with vomit-inducing spins and loops. Recommended for adults of strong intestinal composure or giggling young children who haven't eaten in a while.
Ticket prices are well worth the experience, and our family easily spent four hours aboard the ship.
Circle Line Tours: Circle Line tours operates out of the pier adjacent to that which harbors the Intrepid, inadvertently making the carrier seem bigger when compared to the dinky little tour boats. Despite this, these tour boats offer quite the trip. Offering a half-hour, hour, two-hour, or three-hour trip, we opted for the three-hour, which takes tourists around the entire island of Manhattan. The boats have restrooms and a small souvenir / overpriced food shop, and have a heated indoor area along with the open decks. It's a great way to get proper bearings for the area, especially when taken early on in a trip. A talented announcer will share interesting facts about passing structures, telling you of the history of areas and the stories behind certain curiosities of an area. It's a great opportunity for getting panoramic pictures of the city, or simply to sit back in the main cabin and enjoy the passing scenery. This three-hour tour should be paired up with the nearby USS Intrepid, making for a wonderful day of nautical adventure.
Food
P.D. O'Hurley's: After finishing with the USS Intrepid, we walked only half a block to reserve tickets for the sightseeing cruise, and we learned that we had under half an hour before the boat left. Because of this, we rushed to this little restaurant, which was quite close to both the Intrepid and the ticket booth (right between them, really). We picked up the food to eat on board the ship, and upon opening the white styrofoam containers, I for one was not impressed. Diminutive portions for exorbitant prices and overall low-quality food makes this place one to avoid. Resist the temptation of the name of a kindly old Irishman and find some other restaurant. Honestly, even Burger King would have been better.
Continue to DAY 5 -- >