Day 6 NY Big Bus Tour, Flatiron, Grand Central Terminal and home

Our last morning!   We woke about half 7, and finished off the packing we had started last night.  We had brought a slice of New York Cheesecake last night but hadn't eaten it, so Sarah, Grandma and I had some while we were getting ready.  It was delicious but we didn't finish it!

Our flight wasn't til 9pm so after packing we walked back to the Tick Tock Diner for breakfast.  Sarah and Chloe had crepes s'mores and nutella cookie, Grandma had blueberry pancakes and I had a bowl of fruit with yoghurt and nuts.

Sarah's s'mores crepes

Feeling very full we headed back to the hotel, sorted ourselves out and took our bags down to reception to store them til later.

We still had a free attraction on our explorer pass so I had a bit of a think about what to do.  I decided on a Hop on Hop Off bus tour to hopefully see some of the sights we had missed.  We needed to pick up the bus behind the Empire State Building so we walked the few blocks to the bus stop, found a tour person and exchanged our passes for bus tickets.  A few minutes later the bus appeared.  It transpired we only wanted the next stop that was in view but oh well it saved our poor sore feet a few paces!  We hopped o at the Flatiron building as I was really interested to see it.  After a few photos we walked the couple of blocks to Klienfelds, the wedding dress shop from Say Yes to the Dress!  Not so secret guilty pleasure!

heading to the bus stop near Empire State

braving the open top deckin the cold!

Back to the Flatiron and we hopped on the next bus which took us down through Soho.  We got off again at the Little Italy stop as I hoped t find some wall art for Chloe.  To be honest I don't think our feet and hearts were in to too much more exploring.  Chloe did spot a Moma gift shop so we stopped here for a while having a look at all the home design stuff.  Back on a Hoho bus and we travelled through Chinatown, the financial district, past the Bull, Bowling Green, Customs House and Court house before taking in the Staten Island Ferry terminal and the Statue of Liberty in the distance.  Next we drove past the World Trade Centre buildings including the Little church that remained untouched by 911 despite being right beneath it.  Also the cemetery where Alexander Hamilton is buried.  The tour buses were great with guides giving a running commentary on what we passed via free headphones.

Wall Graffitti

The weather today was drastically different from yesterday having dropped nearly 40 degrees f from yesteday, so from a sunny  26°c/80°f to a very chilly 4°c/40°f.  Layers, coats, gloves and hats were the order of the day.  Grandma and Chloe opted for the warmth of downstairs on the bus, Sarah and I headed up to the open top deck!  Slightly mad especially when we headed back up Manhattan island next to the Hudson River.  It was bitter but we braved it out.  Getting off the bus near Times Square we walked one block to pick up another route to take us to Grand Central Terminal. 

What a stunning building.  The interior is cavernous and opulent.  We took some photos then headed down to the restrooms and dining area, where we got some hot food and warmed ourselves up.

We then walked back to the hotel where we collected our luggage and ordered a taxi.  The journey back to the airport was quite quick compared to our journey on arrival. 

Boarding passes and bag drop was quickly sorted but security was mental.  We were told to go up one staircase but there were so many people we ended up back at the top of another set with seemingly no end to the queue for security.  People were panicking about flights and getting stressed.  Once staff sorted out a couple of lines the queue started moving quiet quickly, they had stopped asking for shoes to be removed and electronics taken out of bags, I assume just to moved the queue quicker.

Once through we brought ourselves some drinks and settled in to wait for boarding.
We brought some food from the Bazaar food court, pizza and sub to share, both of which was nice and fresh.

Our plane board on time at ten past eight and we departed on time at 9pm.  It was a fairly quiet flight, a few minor areas of turbulence but with a tail wind we were landing half and hour earlier than planned.

It has been an exciting and very interesting week, which we have all enjoyed enormously.  It is fantastic to see all and sights and experience New York in person.

NY Day 5 The Ride and central Park

First stop this morning was breakfast at the Tick Tock diner at the New Yorker Hotel at the end of our hotel street.  Three of us had pancakes, Chloe had banana, Grandma had blueberry and I had apple cinnamon  Sarah choose the chicken and egg, a chicken burger with a fried egg! 😲

We returned to our hotel for a while before heading off for 42nd street to meet our bus for The Ride.  It was already cery warm in the sunshine and promised to be another very warm day.  We joined a large choir group that were in NY to sing at the Statue of Liberty, two bus loads of them and we were the only other tourists on there!

They were a good bunch and didn' need much encouragement to join in and sing.  The tour took us mostly around the area near times square and central park, with some information about the buildings but mostly just interaction with the outside entertainers plus those on the bus.  An I interesting and different way to spend an hr or so.

After the tour we walked up to Central Park stopping at Dunkin, Donuts to buy some munchkins and a pharmacy tho get some sunscreen.  We also grabbed some drinks.  By now it was quite hot, nudging 80 degrees again.  We sat just inside the park and ate our donuts and watch the world go by.  The park was very busy, we had very tired feet and it was hot.  After a chat about how to do the park we decided we would see more if we hired a pedicab.  There were lots of people trying to sell the tours so we picked one who said he would do two bikes for the price if one.  Grandma and I went in one and the girls in the other.  Our guides kept us together as we toured the park.  They showed us building along the edge of the park where the rich and famous have apartments along with pointing out different areas of the park.  The sunshine over the last 2 days had encouraged the blossom and magnolia to start blooming so the park looked beautiful.  Our guides stopped at the Bethesda Fountain and we were able to walk around it and take photos.  We then stopped at the fountain used in the title sequence of tv show Friends then showed us where to view the bow bridge.

Back on the pedi, dodging pedestrians, other cyclists, horse drawn carriages  and  other pedicabs we headed for strawberry fields.  Here we saw the imagine mosaic and our guides showed us the building where John Lennon lived and was shot.

Back near the park entrance we thanked our guides and found a street cart selling ice creams and sat a little long in the park relaxing.

We walked back down 8th Avenue, pausing in a couple more shops, before heading back to the hotel.  After a rest and refresh we returned to the Tick Tock diner for dinner.

The girls decided they wanted to return to Times Square for some shopping so they headed off while grandma and I went back to the hotel wherdcwe started packing for our return home tomorrow.

Leaving the girls to shop alone has resulted in some interesting items to try and pack in our suitcases!  Thanks girls! Large pictures don't easily fit into small suitcases!

NY Day 4 Moma, Top of the Rock, Harbor Lights cruise

Today was Chloe's 20th Birthday!  We had hidden her birthday cards in our cases along with some small gifts.  I think she was quite surprised to have so many to open on the day.

For breakfast we ate some muffins that we had picked up on our way back last night before heading out into the sunshine.  The forecast for today was for hot sunny weather!  It wa certainly noticeably warmer as we left the hotel than it had been.

Sarah was proving a master at navigation and she led us through Times Square and towards MoMA.  I had asked Chloe whilst planning our trip what things she would like to do, and particularly if there was anything specific she'd like to do on her Birthday.  She is currently studying photography at Uni and she found there was a Photography exhibition at MoMA that she fancied seeing.  Sarah and I aren't bothered about Art Museums so we left Grandma and Chloe to visit the museum and arranged to meet them nearby a couple of hours later.

Sarah and I returned to Times Square for a wander around the shops.  Time went really quickly and we were soon heading back to MoMA as arranged

We  found some seats to sit and people watch and were soon reunited.  We sat and had some drinks and Chloe got a Nutella Crepe from one of the street carts.

It was by now quite hot, and we headed for our next stop, Top of the Rock.  I had assumed this would be similar to other attractions but here you show your Explorer Pass and they issue you with a return time.  They offered us 1 hr later but after having a quick think we decided that 2 hrs would be better and would allow us time to get some lunch.


Another of Chloe's suggestions had been to eat at the Ellen's Stardust Diner.  I had read that lunch times were quieter but unfortunately there was quite a long queue outside the door and round the corner!  Given they were queuing in the sunshine (it was now around 80 degrees C) we didn't really feel like waiting.  A quick look on google maps showed us that there was an Applebees nearby.  This was very quiet and we ended up with a couple of main courses to share.

We walked back to TOTR but being a little early we walked round the Rockerfeller Centre, watching some skaters on the ice rink, then walked over to Tiffany's as this was another Chloe request!!  We found some seats just outside Tiffanys and it was lovely to sit in the warm sunshine and just relax for a while.

Back to the Rockerfeller Observatory entrance and we were quickly shown in and assigned one of the many lifts.  The views were again stunning, with a beautiful view over Central Park.  It was a real contrast from last nights visit to Empire State with absolutely no wind, and scorching sunshine. We wandered around looking at all the different views for about 15/20 minutes.

There was a bit of a queue for the lifts down but we were soon down and after a quick look through the gift shop we were back out onto the sunny NY streets.

We decided to head back to the Hotel for a rest and refresh before our evening boat cruise.
We walked back through Times Square, stopping at the Hershey shop.  Sarah and I had popped in earlier but didnt want to carry chocolate around with us in the sunshine, so stopped to buy our goodies to take straight back to the hotel.


Back at the hotel, we had a video chat with family at home via  Whatsapp. 

We walked to Pier 83 for the Circle Line Harbour Lights Cruise.  It was still very warm.  The traffic was horrendous.  Dont know if there had been an accident somewhere or whether this was normal Friday evening traffic trying to leave Manhattan but OMG is was awful, just as well we had decided to walk and not get a taxi!!  There were police on most junctions and traffic was at a standstill!

We found our way easily to Pier 83, about an hr before the boat trip was scheduled, and joined the queue to exchange our passes.  There was a $10 surcharge to pay per person.  We were then directed to bag search and then onto the boat.  The upper open deck was quickly filling up but we found a couple of pairs of seats nearby and settled down with some drinks (which were a bit expensive).  The sun was just starting to set as we reversed from the dock.

The guide on board was very good, funny and informative and it was a very pleasant couple of hours down the Hudson River, past the SoL and Ellis Island, then under the Brooklyn, Manhatten and Washington bridges before turning back for the return journey.  It was nice to start of in almost daylight and to return in the dark with the twinkling manhattan skyline.  Stunning!  It was a great trip, a little breezy and cold after the heat of today but only because we were on the river, could have done with a few more layers.

Empire State as the sun was setting

sunset over New Jersey and the Hudson River

We walked back through part of Hell's Kitchen and picked up some pizza slices to take back to the hotel with us.  Cup of tea and pizza eaten and we were ready for bed!!  This trip is pretty exhausting, we did discuss how lovely it would be to be heading to a Florida Villa to let our tired bodies recouperate.  Ah well, another time!!

NY Day 3 Highline, Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State

With achy feet and reluctant bodies we dragged ourselves out of bed about 8am.  Grandma had a video call with Grandad then we got ourselves sorted and headed out for breakfast at the skylight diner which Sarah had seen was on our way.  Chloe had a fruit topped waffle, Sarah had egg, sausage, potatoes and toast, grandma and I had pancakes.

With navigation left to a very able Sarah we headed for the High line.  It was tonight be a slower walk than yesterday after grandma had twisted her ankle last night and it was a bit swollen this morning.  The highline is part of an old railroad track that has been revitalised as gardens and walkway.  It was really interesting and gave a very different view of the city with lots of interesting buildings to see.  The walk took around about an hour even at our slow pace with lots of stops for photo opportunities.  Leaving at the end of the line we found our way to Chelsea Market where we wandered the shops and stalls.  Lots of quirky and interesting items to look at.

Lots of spices to choose from

So much fish and sushi!  Grandad you would have loved this! 

Shame I wasn't hungry, would have loved to try some chowder or bisque. 

Leaving the market Sarah again did a fab job navigating to the correct metro station to get to Brooklyn.  After topping up our metro card we headed down into the station.  Even grandma seems to be getting a little bit more relaxed on the metro!   Leaving high street station in Brooklyn we headed for the area know as DUMBO, district under Manhattan bridge.  There was a photo opportunity through the bridge to the empire state building.  Once we' done that we headed for the park area by the river.  We had hoped to grab some picnic stuff beore we got there but there was nothing much in the area.  Chloe and I managed to buy some overpriced average food which we ate looking back at the NY skyline.  After a wander around this area we walked back up the hill towards the steps to Brooklyn bridge.  We walked across taking in the skyline and views down the river to the Statue of Liberty.

Both the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges are very majestic and impressive in their own ways one of brick and wood, the other of steel.  Very pleasant walk if a little busy at times plus the ding of bicycle bells to remind you to walk to one side!

We brought some souvenirs from some syreet sellers on the bridge.  As we left the bridge I was fascinated watching a man doing spray paintings of the NY skyline. We stood and watched for a few minutes.  By now it was 3pm and our legs were really starting to ache.  Sarah navigated us to Fulton street station and we got another metro back to Penn Station.  We even managed to leave Penn Station on w35th street where our hotel is!  Well done Sarah!

Time for a break, we headed back to the hotel for a couple of hours to give our feet a break.  Chloe has a phone app which says we have walked 17000 steps today so far.  We did 20,000 in total yesterday.

Feeling refreshed we walked to Shake Shack for dinner but it was way too busy so we went instead to Applebees near Times Square.

Feeling very full we walked back to the Empire State Building.  We had deliberately left it til after sunset so we missed the crowds.  It worked perfectly as we walked straight through the lines, straight through security in on into the first lift to the 80th floor.  The lift goes so quickly it counts floors in 10s.  We arrived on the 80th floor in just over 30seconds.  The sight that met us was breathtaking.  It was a clear night and we could see for miles.  After spending some time here we headed to the second set of elevators to the 86th floor which is outdoors.  What we weren'  prepared for was the wind!  It really whistled on that side of the building!  Enough to make me hold my glasses on!  The other 3 sides wee more bearable.  The city was really stunning lit up at night.  We spent a while just standing looking st the view, beautiful.

We returned to the 80th floor, then through the obligatory gift shop and returned to street level.

We grabbed some breakfast snacks for tomorrow morning before heading back to the hotel completely exhausted.  Total steps today 24,000.

Not many photos today, mostly on my camera so will have to wait til I'm home.