I can’t believe I went to New York! I had thought about New York many years ago, pre-panda obsession, and then never really thought it would happen, and then forgot about it. But when planning my DC trip, I wanted a few days somewhere else, and San Diego was a little far to make it work in the time I had, New York became an appealing option – it’s on the same side of the country as DC, and less than an hour flying time, plus there is a direct JFK to Edinburgh flight, it ticked a lot of boxes! So after 3 nights in DC, I headed up to New York for 3 nights there, ending up with a half day when I arrived and almost 3 full days before my overnight flight home. The time ended up being a really good taster of the city, enough to tick off some major sights and leave some things for a future trip – I do think I will end up coming back in a few years!
Central Park
I ended up in Central Park almost every day I was in New York – the hotel I picked was a couple of blocks away and with the park being so huge, there were so many different areas to explore, I hardly covered any of it! I was only in the Southern side of the park, but went up to the Belvedere Castle which was a good workout and offered great views, saw people boating on the lake, saw sights from some classic New York-set movies, enjoyed seeing the Bethesda Terrace, and of course took advantage of the quiet peaceful atmosphere. It’s quite crazy how calm it was in the middle of a bustling city! And because it’s a huge park it never felt too busy or like I was around too many people.
Central Park Zoo
Couldn’t resist another zoo stop – this time to Central Park Zoo! This is the smallest zoo I’ve been to, but by no means only has small animals, here you can find a very nice selection, however I wouldn’t recommend doing what I did and going on a hot Summers afternoon because I didn’t see a lot! Luckily in the indoor spaces I saw plenty, but I would have liked to have seen more of the red pandas, snow leopards and bears, but that was very much a me problem! I’d definitely return again in colder weather and first thing in the morning. I also went into the Tisch Children’s Zoo where you could see the more domestic farm-type animals and I definitely saw plenty here, however I was the only adult there without a child XD But I like sheep and goat too!
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
Seeing the Statue of Liberty was a must for my first trip – I opted to go on the Statue City Cruises option, which is the only one where you stop at the island and can get off the boat, and it also goes to Ellis Island before heading back. For $25 I think this was great value for money. I booked an early time slot at 9AM so I could make the most of the day, and I knew I wanted to see both of the museums on offer. You go through security before lining up for the boat, this was very quick, and then the line for the boat will depend on when the next departure is, I had missed one by maybe 5 minutes, so I had to wait a little, but it wasn’t long and the area I was in was shaded, plus it meant I was near the front of boarding for the next boat. I picked top deck and sat in the middle so I could look out both sides. Most people ended up standing for pictures so I stood to take a few, but it was quite rocky in some bits so I was happy to have a seat. The journey was quick so I didn’t really have time to think about feeling motion sick! Once on Liberty Island I first walked around the island, getting a lot of photos, then I headed into the shop to check out the merch on offer (a lot! It was also quieter earlier in the day and got very busy from around 10:30AM) before going into the museum. It’s small but very informative and interesting, definitely worth going in to learn about the history and construction. After I took another walk around the island before going to the cafe for a snack and picking up some stickers in the shop. There was quite a line for the boat, I waited maybe 30minutes but again most of the waiting area was shaded. For this trip to Ellis Island I sat inside so I could be in the shade (pale person problems). Ellis Island was also fascinating, the museum was incredible and I spent a long time in here – a couple of the exhibits were closed for some renovations, but there was still plenty to see. After I walked around the outside and got pictures of the city across the water. The wait for the boat was completely in the open here, luckily I lined up as a boat arrived and managed to get on that boat so didn’t need to wait long. The journey was quick back across to The Battery, and I got back around 2PM.
Note that entry to the museums is included in the cost of the ticket.
9/11 Memorial & Museum
After finishing up at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island I made the short walk to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, again this was another stop I really wanted to make on my first visit to the city. Before going I was undecided if I wanted to go into the Museum, but ultimately opted to and think it was completely worth it. I first walked around the Memorials, it was quite busy here but what I thought was a bit odd were the number of people posing and having photoshoots there, it just didn’t really feel like the right place for that. Then I went into the Museum, entry was $30, and again, I thought this was completely worth the price. I spent almost 3 hours here, and could definitely have toured around the route another time if it hadn’t been so close to closing time. I took a few very general photos, nothing of specific exhibits (there was one area where photography was not allowed I think) and really just took it all in. Very emotional, and so in depth, there was so much to it, can highly recommend. I just found it ‘weird’ because it’s history, if we can call it that, that I can remember happening, it was over 20 years ago now, but I still remember it even though I was just a child. I’m so glad I went there and would definitely go again on a future visit.
Top of the Rock
There are so many viewing points available in the city to choose from, I opted for Top of the Rock simply because it was close to my hotel and I wanted to go up first thing in the morning to avoid crowds – and that I sure did because it was very quiet! It was very nice and I did get very good views, but I’m not sure I get the hype with these observation decks, it didn’t take a long time to go around all the areas and I really felt like I was done in around 20mins – for the cost I didn’t think it was worth it, it was $45 before tax, but I’ve done it now so don’t need to do it again. Once I came down I headed for a pumpkin drink in Starbucks and picked up an obligatory New York Starbucks mug for my collection, then I also headed to FAO Schwarz which is at the bottom of the tower, to check out the Jellycat Diner – super cute, but also pricey, didn’t pick up anything as they didn’t have a lot of stock that I liked, but glad I stopped by to see it.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
After The Rock I headed for my last activity of the trip – to The Met! Had to pick one gallery for the trip and this what I opted for because my teen years were filled with Gossip Girl^ Because I didn’t spend as long at The Rock as intended, I walked all the way here, which was further than anticipated, but hey, gotta get those steps in. It’s a huge gallery, so the night before I had scoped out the different sections and decided to focus on the European area, then choose another once I was there. I like Van Gogh, Monet and Degas, so this was the focus of my strategy and I was very happy with that. They had a good selection, although it was very popular as it was quite busy in these rooms. I took a break at the Great Hall Balcony Cafe for a pastry, it was quiet here so I could sit a while and get a great view, then I went around the first floor American Wing and Egyptian Art rooms – for me this was enough for one day and filled my time perfectly to end the trip!
