There’s much to see in New York City, but it is still possible to cover all the major must-see sights in 1.5 days, including Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, 911 Memorial, Chinatown, The High Line, Times Square, New York Public Library, Grand Central Terminal, Empire State Building and Central Park.
There are 3 ways to see the Statue of Liberty. The first way is, of course, to get on the island itself. This can be costly and time consuming. The second way to view the Statue of Liberty onboard the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry is free, but a round trip is necessary and that takes an hour or so. The third way, which I have chosen, is to view the Statue of Liberty from Governor’s Island. The view isn’t the best, but to make better use of time one has to make a compromise, and in this case I think it’s worth it. To get to the Island, one has to take a ferry from Manhattan or Brooklyn (see here for schedule). The ferry ride takes only 10 minutes. We happen to be there on a weekend, so we were able to enjoy the free ferry ride (first 2 ferries are free).
New York skyline including Brooklyn bridge, as viewed from the ferry.
The view of the Statue of Liberty from Governor’s Island, with the Staten Island Ferry passing by. It does look slightly bigger in reality than it appears in the photo.
The Bowling Green is a very peaceful park in front of the old customs house. The charging bull is right at the tip and Wall street is just a little beyond.
The 911 Memorial is a stone throw away from Wall Street
Not too far away is Chinatown, the logical place to have lunch. Brooklyn bridge is also nearby if one is interested to take a look.
Chelsea Market is a nice place to check out on the way to the High Line. Many people chill out or have their meals here.
A lot of interesting ideas are used in the High Line, such as this amphitheatre that allows one to sit and watch cars go by.
The otherwise forgotten brick walls of buildings become a feature of the High Line. Murals add life to it. I’m surprised at how the loss of privacy was not an issue when they created the High Line that run right next to buildings.
And of course you will find flowers in a garden that the High Line is, and it is much much more than a garden.
Some train tracks are deliberately left intact.
It’s not what it looks. I was drinking from a water fountain.
On the way to Times Square you will pass by Broadway. I’m guessing you’ll have to book tickets way in advance if you want to catch a show.
I have to admit, the billboards at Times Square look impressive.
The Grand Central Terminal was completely revamped, yet retained it’s original look. It looked as if they polished every single stone and brick. You have to see it.
The Grand Central Oyster Bar is located at the basement of Grand Central Terminal. It was our dinner place, mainly because they have the Maine lobster.
Gotta have oysters at an oyster bar.
Also had the New York cheesecake for it’s name sake.
To end the day, we went to the Empire State Building. It was darn expensive and way too crowded, but you kind of have to do it just so you can say you’ve done it. If you time your visit right, you’ll get to see New York at daytime (dusk) and night time.
Central Park is another must-see attraction. It is huge, expect to spend 3 hours or more here.
New York skyline from the park.
Water fountains are a godsend when walking through the park.
Footpaths underneath bridges intrigue me much.
A peaceful atmosphere of people boating around the Loeb Boathouse.
If you’re into art, you can finish your Central Park tour with a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is located in Central Park itself.
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