For the long holiday weekend I decided to visit New York City. I booked my airfare in January at an unbeatable $200 round trip with Midwest Express. This would be my first visit to the Big Apple. I was very excited about this and had been researching for months on what to do and where to go. When we were landing at the airport I remember seeing Manhattan and thinking this is it? This is where it all happens? It looked so small. I made reservations online with Red Roof Inn in Manhattan. The hotel had superb location, right across the street from the Empire State building. Although a bit run down in general the hotel offered updated rooms, but the worse feature was the older elevators which took about 10 minutes to take you up 30 floors.
On our first day in the big city we used the subway to take us everywhere. We traveled to the ABC studios, where all daytime dramas are filmed and we went to where Regis & Kelly is taped live, but they were not filming on that particular day. Then we traveled to Chinatown. Chinatown was an incredible experience. So many shops with great bargains. As most people know a lot of knock offs are sold on the streets and I have to admit I took advantage, who could pass up such great deals. Later that night we visited Times Square. A lighted up spectacle with so much to see and do. We were in New York during fleet week, when all the Navy ships are in the harbour and partying in the city. There were a lot of specials such as free coke bottles given away on the street and tons of drink specials.
As for dining my suggestion would be to eat off the beaten path. Eating in Times Square was a mistake I should not have made. I do not remember the name of the place I dined in, but I do know it was not worth the $70 bill. When we finished up at Times Square we headed to Rockefeller Center. We wanted to visit the new observatory called Top of the Rock. A new open aired roof top experience of viewing the entire city. We went at night and viewed all the beautiful lights offered from the skyscrapers and bridges North-South-East & West. A definite site to see when visiting the city.
On day two we visited a phenomenal store full of discounted goodies. Century 21 is a huge discounted department stores with everything you can possibly think of. I found some of the best deals on shoes at this store. When we left the store we realized we were right across the street from Ground Zero. Looking at all the construction you would not have known this is the site where thousands lost their lives. It is very sad to see no memorial has been set up yet. I do hope a memorial will be put in place sometime soon.
While walking near the financial district we came across an odd shaped structure. As we approached it I saw people walking on it. We entered the monument to find it was a landmark dedicated to the Irish famine. A large green meadow with tons of structures relating to Ireland and even containing stones from various towns in Ireland. A beautiful green dedication in the perfect place for photos. Set up high with beautiful blue skies and open water behind you.
After snapping some beautiful photos we eventually wound up at the Staten Island Ferry. We waited a short time to ride the Ferry and got some great views of the Statute of Liberty. On our return ride back we even saw a couple exchanging vows on the ferry. A memorable ferry ride I won’t soon forget. Later in the evening we visited Little Italy. Shopping along the way and eventually dining at an inexpensive and tasty Italian restaurant. It was a gorgeous evening so we opted for street side dining.
On our Sunday we wanted to visit a beach. I never realized there were so many to choose from. We weighed all options and choose to visit Jones Beach, which just so happened to be putting on an air show. We traveled to Jones Beach via train service from Penn Station. That was the most difficult part of the trip. The transportation was not clearly marked, and the attendants working at the station were not very friendly in helping us out. This made for a very unpleasant and confusing experience for us out of towners. Once we figured our train situation out things were relaxing from there. We had a short 45 minute train ride to Long Beach, but then we had to wait for a bus to take us direct to the beach. Unfortunately due to the high volume of visitors that day it took forever to get off the crowded bus, but once dropped off the beach was amazing. There were goodie bags being handed out by Bethpage Federal Credit Union which even included a great souvenir t-shirt free of charge. The air show featured helicopters lowering close to the water causing beach watchers to be splashed. Talented sky writers writing text in the sky and a spectacular final show by the Blue Angels.
During our last day while waiting for our flight departure we checked our luggage at our hotel and decided to explore the city a little bit more. We took the subway down to Central Park and walked the area for awhile before seeing the horse carriage rides. Knowing we would not be back for sometime we decided what better way to finish off our trip. Although expensive and on the short side it was an enjoyable way to see the park and learn about it’s history.
New York City was everything I expected and so much more. I would do a lot of research on places to dine at prior to your trip. There are abundance of places to eat and you do not want to be disappointed by the cost and taste of what you receive. It is a crowded city and the residents can be pushy, but you learn to quickly adapt and go at the same pace. There definitely is no city that compares to New York.
My reviews would be:
Red Roof Inn Manhattan – inexpensive with great location
Top of Rock – glorious views of the city, best way to see it all
Century 21 – must shop here for it’s deep discounts
Staten Island Ferry – a free ride with great views of Ms. Liberty
Jones Beach Air Show - Air show unlike any other.
Little Italy – tasty and cheap dining choices
Chinatown – variety of shopping bargains
Weather – beautiful blue skies and average temperatures
