In August we (Heike, Helen and me aka 3H) went to NYC - not for the first time but to discover a lot of new sights.
But first we had to master taking the cab from the airport to Queens. If you think cabdrivers know the city, you will be disappointed. Even if we just had to follow three of the well known avenues, the cab driver didn't have a clue about streets outside of Manhattan. Luckily Heike is an old stager: She had printed out the google map.
As it was the first time for Helen in NYC, we decided to start our tour on the first day arount Bryant Park, getting Coffee at Starbucks and heading to the flashy heart of the city: Times Square.
The view up with all the skyscrapers pointing to the sky wasn't as impressive as the first time, but still I couldn't stop to look up again and again.
Afterwards we went further uptown, crossing Columbus Circle, Central Park and Fifth Avenue. On the way to Grand Central station we found a street market with food, clothes and shows from Asia and Latin America. Pouring rain kept us within the station where my camera stopped working and a three days search for the right repair shop started. (If you ever need anything audiovisual equipment, go to B&G on 9th Avenue, it's almost like Akihabara in Tokyo, but with Jews instead of Japanese sales people).
For the next day we started downtown at the old city hall and woolworth building, saying hello to the most curious squirrels. Just across the street you can walk up the Brooklyn Bridge, one of the hottest and crowded viewpoints, but also one you shouldn't miss when you are in New York City.
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| Aus New York 2011 |
Passing Ground Zero I was shocked how noisy the construction site was. Helen met a man outside of St. Paul's Chapel which was spared 9-11. He came here for the 10th anniversary of losing a family member and stated: This looks wrong...
For a more buzzing atmosphere we went on to Chinatown - for apparent reasons one of my favorite spots where you can get bubble tea and different asian food, have your hair straightend, find uncountable lucky charms and drink from a fresh coconut if you want :)
But I have to admit Little Italy has it's charm as well - especially at night.
Finding the port for our speedboat trip was a hassle. We got off the right station but went down the wrong street and walked a three mile detour...(For the records, it's just 42nd street down ;-) At least the speed boat tour was more than a compensation. You will see the same as with the 90 minutes circle line tour with a stop near the statue of liberty. But going back and forth its a wavy ride with some wet stop-turn at the end :D
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| Aus New York 2011 |
Another new experience was walking through Highline Park. Before it was the trail for the freight train going through the Meatpacking District around three to five meters above the ground. Today it is a walk paved with smothe stone and wood, build in benches and enclosed with all the plants and bushes that wildly grow there. And if you look around you can see several innovative buildings which offer exclusive (and expensive) housing.
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| Aus New York 2011 |
Missing it the last time, I wanted to go to the Flatiron Building. Even if we followed Helen's little cousin by: "Saw it, was awesome, let's go!" - we only added some pictures.
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If you pass Union Square one day, you should look out for the 9-11 memorial. People posted all the names of the victims - one on every wall tile.
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| Aus New York 2011 |
When Matt visited us, we went to the UN early in the morning, catching the first tour. Even if they are renovating the office building we experienced sitting in the great assembly hall. Until 2014 they want to be finished while having the rooms look the same as intented by the great architects and designers who designed it in 1952 (e.g. Oscar Niemeyer, Le Corbusier, Marc Chagall). Unfortunately the security council hold a meeting, so we couldn't have a glance at their hall.
Even if the girls backed out due to the buring sun, Matt and I went for a bicycle ride along the Hudson river. What a fun and what a pity the girls missed it! There is a special bikelane on which you could go up all the way, but we didn't want to make the girls wait to long so we turned around at the USS Intrepid.
For the evening we went uptown again to the observation deck of the Rockefeller Center. During sunset you can have the greatest view over the city. We were a little early but still, the orange light started to coat the buildings. And as we were on Top of the Rocks, we had a awesome look at the Empire State Building - but the Chrysler Building was a little bit covered by the Met Life Building.
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| Aus New York 2011 |
I wanted to go to at least one of the museums so just on the day we went back to Germany I went to the Met on my own and spend a short but fantastic time there. Having lingered to long around the modern paintings I had to almost run past the complete egyptian temple with mummies, the huge figures of the polynesian section, the classical american housing, tiffany artwork and the roman statues.
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| Aus New York 2011 |
I am very interested in this sphere and reading this post I have known many new things, which I have not known before. Thanks for publishing this great article here.
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