Upon disembarking the tour bus at Battery Park, we walked over to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Taking the ferry is cost-effective (it's free) way to take in, albeit from a distance, three attractions: Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and Governors Island. We paused for a moment to watch young breakdancers before going inside the terminal.
Before I did my research, I had thought it would be fantastic to be able to look out the Statue of Liberty's crown, which was re-opened to the public on July 4, after being closed since the 9/11/2001 attacks. However, there arose many reasons for me not to pursue that option, all detailed in the "Most Frequently Asked Questions": the absence of restrooms, the 354-step climb, the close quarters, a temperature potentially 20 degrees higher than that of the outdoors. Last I checked, I had both claustrophobia and acrophobia, so it's best I kept my distance. To show there's no hard feelings on my part, here are some SOL fun facts. If the climb to the crown is as gruelling as it sounds, I wonder what the climb up to the arm was like prior to its 1916 closure.
Even though we wanted a round-trip back to Manhattan, we still had to exit the ferry on the St. George, Staten Island side and reboard; those are the rules. Still, the process was quick and only took approx. 50 minutes from start to finish. Back on the Manhattan side, we followed the lead of another couple from our tour group and purchased a MetroCard for the subway. The four of us then made our way through the financial district, past Trump Tower and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to the Brooklyn Bridge.
NYSE
The Brooklyn Bridge is a very long bridge, but I'm pleased to say we walked from one end to the other and back without accident or incident. It's not as easy as it sounds: a painted line divides the bridge in two, and any pedestrians who wander across the half-way mark are guaranteed to incur the wrath of bicyclists or rollerbladers.
Since the other couple had ditched us mid-bridge to seek out theatre tickets, we made our way to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) via City Hall and one extremely relaxed squirrel.
The usual $20 per adult admission fee to MoMA is waived from 4pm to 8pm on Fridays. The biggest problem is that these Target Free Friday nights draw large crowds, which pretty much rules out a leisurely, contemplative stroll through the exhibits. One recommendation, if I may be so bold: If visiting on a free night, thoroughly research the collections in advance, so you can get right to the Warhols, Lichtensteins, Pollocks, Picassos, et al., instead of wasting time looking at framed graph paper marked with lowercase m's. Unless that's your thing. And if visiting MoMA up to September 14, do participate in the performative "Measuring the Universe." I regret that we did not, since we didn't care to be caught in a line-up.
We decided to explore other NY attractions, and ended up at Rockefeller Center, first for Starbucks--where I had the best mocha in my entire life to date--then for the Top of the Rock Observation Deck. The Website offers a $2 discount for online ticket purchases, but we received the same deal by accepting a handout from a Rock employee on the street corner. He gave us one coupon which applied to both tickets.
Since the other couple had ditched us mid-bridge to seek out theatre tickets, we made our way to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) via City Hall and one extremely relaxed squirrel.
The usual $20 per adult admission fee to MoMA is waived from 4pm to 8pm on Fridays. The biggest problem is that these Target Free Friday nights draw large crowds, which pretty much rules out a leisurely, contemplative stroll through the exhibits. One recommendation, if I may be so bold: If visiting on a free night, thoroughly research the collections in advance, so you can get right to the Warhols, Lichtensteins, Pollocks, Picassos, et al., instead of wasting time looking at framed graph paper marked with lowercase m's. Unless that's your thing. And if visiting MoMA up to September 14, do participate in the performative "Measuring the Universe." I regret that we did not, since we didn't care to be caught in a line-up.
We decided to explore other NY attractions, and ended up at Rockefeller Center, first for Starbucks--where I had the best mocha in my entire life to date--then for the Top of the Rock Observation Deck. The Website offers a $2 discount for online ticket purchases, but we received the same deal by accepting a handout from a Rock employee on the street corner. He gave us one coupon which applied to both tickets.
Rockefeller Center
(Atlas, Prometheus, Top of the Rock ticket booth,
NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall)
The ceiling of the elevator to the roof plays a video promoting NBC Studios (no surprise), but through it blue lights that line the shaft are visible (surprise). The view at top the was spectacular: we could see the Hudson River, Central Park, the Chrysler Building (hiding behind MetLife), and the Empire State Building in tricolor glory, prepped for Independence Day celebrations.
We chose to eat at Planet Hollywood (Times Square) that night. James coaxed the camera to balance on the plasticized drink & dessert list holder. After dinner, James still felt a little punchy, so I encouraged him to go a round with Rocky.
Over dinner, I had remarked that we hadn't yet seen any celebrities. Don't you know it, as we were heading back to the hotel, a mob converged outside one of the theatres in front of which a limo parked. Any guesses?
If you said, "Jack Nicholson," you're right! Not that you can tell from our photos. But if you look into the other cameras' viewfinders, you might catch a glimpse.
And the morning, afternoon, and evening were the second day.
And the morning, afternoon, and evening were the second day.
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