Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center
We woke to a bright, sunny morning which couldn’t have worked out better for our planned visit to the observation deck at the Top of the Rockefeller Center. It was only a short walk from our hotel but if you are staying further away the nearest subway station is at 47th-50th street. Standard tickets cost from $40 (£31.63) but as we were already in possession of a New York City Pass we made substantial savings. Booking a timed entry in advance is necessary and visitors should arrive at the exact time stated as people who arrived early were turned away and requested to return later.
Located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the skyscraper was the tallest building in New York when it was constructed between 1931 and 1939. Only being able to enter the building at a specific time worked very well as there were virtually no queues and unlike the Empire State Building where we queued for 45 minutes to pass through security, the entire process took less than 10 minutes here.
Exhibits on the mezzanine level take visitors through the construction of the building and then onto a theatre where a short film documents the history and current use of the centre and of its NBC Studios. After watching the film we were led into the summit lift which whisks visitors 850ft (259 metres) high in under a minute.
There are three observation decks, on the 67th, 69th and 70th floors, the lowest one is indoors and incorporates a cafe whilst the two outdoor ones take in the sweeping views of Manhattan, the Financial District, the Empire State Building and Central Park.
The observation decks are much larger than at the Empire State Building and with fewer people allowed up at any one time, they are far less crowded and offer a sense of calm with numerous wooden benches to relax on whilst soaking up the breathtaking views.
We couldn’t have timed our visit better as from the side of the observation deck overlooking Hudson Pier we were able to watch Concorde being lifted off a barge and returned to its home at the Intrepid Museum after under going maintenance. As mentioned in a previous post, we had hoped to visit the Intrepid Air, Land and Sea Museum but with both Concorde and the Space Shuttle off limits we changed our plans. Spending time viewing Concorde coming home made up for our disappointment especially with our uninterrupted aerial views.
We were so glad that we had the opportunity to view the city from both the Empire State Building and the Top of the Rock. We enjoyed them both but if I had to choose just one it would be the latter for its breathtaking views, ease of entry and smaller numbers of tourists.
After taking the high speed lift back down to the lobby we spent awhile glancing in the high end shops before wandering outside into the Rockefeller Plaza to watch people ice skating. I was surprised to discover that the ice rink was still operating in mid March with temperatures reaching 15 Celsius.
Our plans for the rest of the day centred around Brooklyn so we hopped on the subway, stopping off first for some lunch on Wall Street before continuing on to Court Street station so that we could visit the New York Transit Museum.
The New York Transit Museum
Located in a disused subway station at 99 Schermerhorn Street on the edge of Brooklyn Heights, the New York Transit Museum is a an absolute must for transport lovers of all ages. Standard adult admission is $10 (£7.90) and in my view worth every cent.
Established since 1976 the museum is dedicated to the subway system and documents the story of public transport in New York City. We entered down a flight of steps into what appeared to be an ordinary subway station.
The station was built in 1936 and was only in use for ten years before eventually being transformed into a museum. After purchasing our tickets from an original ticket booth we passed through a pair of vintage subway turnstiles into the museum. The ground floor galleries illustrate the feats of engineering of construction workers digging out tunnels and photos of the methods used for laying tracks.
Continuing, we viewed heritage posters, signs, maps and other subway memorabilia displayed along the walls. I adored inspecting the collection of ticket machines and turnstile barriers noting how they had changed over the years.
We then climbed on buses and viewed vintage tramcars before descending the steps to the lower level of the museum. This is the track level of the former station which is now home to around 20 original subway carriages dating from 1907.
We had so much fun clambering on board the carriages comparing the different types of upholstered and hard seating, the earliest dating back to 1907. It was also interesting to view the advertising posters along the carriage walls discovering what was popular and how prices have risen over time.
Before leaving the museum we popped into the gift shop for a look around. It’s filled with subway related merchandise from fridge magnets to posters and t-shirts. In case you don’t get a chance to visit this excellent museum, there’s also a museum gift shop in the shuttle passage of Grand Central Terminal.
On leaving the museum we walked from Brooklyn Heights to DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass). It was a pleasant stroll taking around 30 minutes passing Borough Hall and then continuing through City Hall Park along Pierrepoint to the waterfront.
The sun was shining as we strolled along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade which stretches 1.2 miles along to DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass). The walkway offers gorgeous views of Lower Manhattan and the waterfront. It’s lined with benches to relax on and to soak up the views.
On reaching DUMBO we explored this former industrial suburb with its cobblestone streets and historic architecture which has been transformed into one of New York’s trendiest districts as its old warehouses are now home to upscale bars, restaurants and shops.
On spotting the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory we couldn’t resist settling down on their sunny terrace licking an ice cream each. My favourite is coffee so I plumped for that whilst Simon chose chocolate chunk. Thank goodness we only ordered one scoop each as they were huge. Our first outdoor ice creams of the year making it feel like summer had arrived early and they tasted delicious too.
Brooklyn Bridge Walk
This set us up very nicely for our planned walk back to Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge is one of New York City’s most iconic landmarks spanning the East River and revolutionising travel since its opening in 1883. It’s recommended to walk across the bridge from Brooklyn as this affords the best views. The pedestrian entrance to the bridge is at the southern edge of Cadman Plaza where Tillary Street and Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard meet.
The bridge is 1.6 miles (2.57 km) long and it took us around 30 minutes to cross the bridge, allowing time to stop frequently to take photos of the city skyline including the World Trade Center, Statue of Liberty, Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. The walkways were quite busy but by no means crowded and it was an enjoyable walk.
The Manhattan end of the bridge leads to New York City Hall in City Hall Park so we had a little look around there before taking the subway back to our hotel after another lovely day exploring this amazing city.
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