Day 1:
It had been more than eight years since our last visit to New York City so we were overdue a return trip. We had booked flights with British Airways to JFK with a connecting flight from Manchester to Heathrow.
Since last travelling long haul with British Airways they have upped their game with a vastly improved service and we were well looked after by the cabin crew during the flight. We enjoyed wine and pretzels before our choice of main meal. This was of a generous size comprising a roast chicken dinner, bean salad, roll and butter, raspberry crumble, cheese and crackers, wine and coffee. We then settled back into our comfortable seats and I watched a couple of films. As I always seem to be on the go, I rarely have time for evenings at the cinema so it was a treat to relax watching both Barbie and Oppenheimer. There was a heavy rainstorm as we touched down in JFK and after a wait of over an hour at immigration we were finally reunited with our luggage and on our way into the city centre.
To get into the centre by public transport we took the Air Train to Howard Beach. Passengers just board the train without a ticket and then pay on exit at either Howard Beach or Jamaica stations. Air Train fare $8.50 (£6.73). We changed at Howard Beach for an A Line train to Manhattan. Single fare $2.90 (£2.30) which took 50 minutes to our stop at Times Square 42nd Street. It was then a short walk in pouring rain to our hotel the DoubleTree by Hilton Times Square West.
After a speedy check-in we were soon heading up to our home for the next eight nights on the 22nd floor of this midtown hotel.
Day 2:
The clocks had changed during our first night in NYC resulting in only a four hour time difference from the U.K. so we were up bright and early to start exploring. Thankfully the rain clouds from the previous evening had passed and there was a glimmer of sunlight from our bedroom window. After tucking into an extremely large breakfast in a nearby bakery (I’d forgotten that portions are always so huge in the U.S.) we were ready to start exploring and to burn off some excess calories.
Our first task was to pop into the nearest subway station to purchase 7 Day Metro Cards. These offer excellent value at $35 (£27.73) for unlimited use on public transport within New York City. As the subway network is all within the same zone passengers just need to swipe their cards at the entry turnstiles with the card not needed on exit.
9/11 Memorial
First on our list was a visit to the 9/11 Memorial Garden located at the World Trade Center. The memorial is a place of remembrance and contemplation to the horrors of the terrorist attack which took place 23 years ago. I’m certain that everyone recalls that awful day and remembers vividly where and what they were doing when news broke of the horrific attack.
The memorial honours the 2,977 people who were killed in the attacks with two reflecting pools, each nearly an acre in size set in the footprints of the former north and south towers. The memorial opened on September 11th, 2011 exactly ten years after the 9/11 attacks. The names of 2,983 people who were killed in the 2001 and 1993 terrorist attacks are inscribed on parapets around the pools. These names are grouped by the locations and the circumstances in which victims found themselves during the attacks.
The north pool parapets include the names of those who were killed at the North Tower, on hijacked Flight 11 and in the 1993 bombing. Moving to the south pool, the inscriptions include the names of victims killed at the South Tower, on hijacker’s flight numbers 175, 77 and 93 together with the names of first responders who lost their lives that day. The memorial garden has been thoughtfully created and it’s become a place of calm with thousands of people flocking daily to pay their respects, many of them like us with tears in their eyes.
Wall Street Historic District
New York Stock Exchange
Our morning walk then led us towards the Financial District where we paused to view the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). It’s located in a National Historic Monument and is the largest stock exchange in the world. Since 9/11 it has been closed to visitors so we were only able to view its exterior.
The NYSE’s opening and closing bells mark the beginning and end of each trading day. The opening bell is rung at 9.30 a.m. and the closing bell at 4.00 p.m., the ceremony often taking place by VIP’s and celebrities.
The Charging Bull
This bronze statue which is also referred to as the Wall Street Bull has become the symbol of the U.S. Stock Market. The bull is located two blocks from the Stock Exchange directly north of Bowling Green Park on Broadway. The statue stands 3.35 m (11ft) tall and weighs 3.5 tons.
National Museum of the American Indian
Overlooking Bowling Green Park, the museum is located on the first two floors of the historic U.S. Custom House in Lower Manhattan. The building is listed as a National Historic Landmark with its stone exterior decorated with nautical motifs. The museum is free to enter and is the New York branch of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. The exhibition explores the diversity of the Native peoples of the Americas and the strength and continuity of their cultures from the earliest times to the present day.
Not only is the museum worthy of a visit but the building is too. The main entrance boasts a marble staircase leading into a magnificent double height rotunda with ceiling murals in the original customs hall. National Museum of the American Indian.
Staten Island Ferry
From there, we strolled through Battery Park to the Staten Island ferry terminal. This free service runs a half hourly service through the New York harbour between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, taking 25 minutes.
Taking a ride on the ferry is a great way to see the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline for free.
For the best views remember to sit on the right hand side of the ferry when travelling towards Staten Island and on the left for the return journey, the ferry being double ended and therefore it does not turn round. All passengers need to disembark at the Staten Island terminal but can then re-join the vessel for its return crossing if preferred.
South Street Seaport
After returning to Manhattan on the ferry we walked along to the South Street Seaport, a historic district where Fulton Street meets the East River. As we were feeling quite peckish we headed to the Tin Building for a bite to eat. It’s a foodies paradise with 12 diverse dining options and a marketplace offering farm fresh produce from their stalls.
South Street Seaport Museum
Close to the Tin Building are a collection of historic ships which are part of the South Street Seaport Museum.
These are listed as being open to view from Wednesday – Sunday 11.00 – 17.00 but on the Sunday afternoon of our visit they were closed so we were only able to view the vessels from the exterior. Of particular interest is the Tall Ship Wavertree and the 1885 Schooner Pioneer. The Wavertree was built in Southampton, U.K. in 1885 and after a 24 year sailing career is now the last remaining iron hulled three masted full rigged cargo ship. There’s also a small museum on an adjoining street which is included in the entrance ticket.
Little Italy and Chinatown
Leaving the seaport we hopped on the subway to Canal Street so that we could explore Little Italy which is noted for its Italian population and abundance of authentic restaurants and cafes. The area once spanned 30 blocks in the Lower East Side whilst nowadays it lies north of Chinatown with Mulberry Street its main thoroughfare.
Before heading back to the hotel we continued on to Chinatown which is located along Mott, Pell and Doyers streets. There we found many Chinese restaurants, herbalists and supermarkets with their vegetables piled in wooden crates on the pavement.
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