Mindboggled in Manhattan

 

It's odd that you can feel so confused when you step out of passport control in JFK, but it is big and we did.  The first necessity was cash.  There are cash machines dotted around, some weren't working, and there were queues at the others of equally confused tourists.  Hoever, we soon had dollars in our pockets and off we set to begin our adventure.

We had been given detailed instructions by our Airbnb host on how to get to Astoria by public transport; 2 trains and a bus, and although we had to ask for help several times, we arrived without any problems.  We were travelling with only carefully-packed hand-luggage precisely to avoid hassle on public transport.

Sightseeing

Big Apple Greeters  http://bigapplegreeter.org/   are volunteers who show people their neighbourhood,  a smashing idea, but in our case it just didn't happen. I emailed my request in spring, asking for a walk in Harlem, but never received an offer, which was disappointing but understandable.

Day 1
We took the train direct to Central Park, the ride in itself was fascinating, whizzing through neighbourhoods high up on rails before descending into the subterranean lines.  We emerged at Lexington and were immediately struck dumb by the enormity of the Manhattan skyscrapers.  We wandered the streets heading in the general direction of 5th Avenue, the Rockafella Centre and St. Patrick's cathedral. 

The Rockafella is a confusing collection of  buildings around a buzzing plaza with several entrances.  A map would have been a good idea.  I love Art Deco and there are many delights to enjoy.  The murals in the foyer are worth a look. We couldn't fathom the shops, so spent some time investigating the food market in the plaza.
I recommend studying the website and downloading the plans before you go.
https://www.rockefellercenter.com

From Rockafella, we strolled down to 42nd St to the Grand Central Station and the gorgeous Chrysler Building, before doubling back for a well-earned rest in Bryant Park. However, to our amazement, you can't sit on the grass, but there are chairs provided all around the green.  The Library is right next to the park, and is well worth a quick visit.

We then walked back up to the enormous Central Park to see what goes on there and had a beer in the Tavern. 

By now, having been walking for around 8 hours, we were exhausted, starting to suffer from jetlag, and it was starting to get dark, so we headed back home.    Our first day in Manhattan was a real eye-opener.


Day 2
All our carefully-laid plans went out the window.  We were dying to see the Statue of Liberty so headed straight there, which is miles from Astoria.  It took an hour or more to get there by subway.  It is a great boat trip though.  The river is full of life, the views are spectacular in both directions, boat trips are always

fun, and this one is free. We didn't hang around in Statin Island except to get a pizza slice, again because we couldn't contain our desire to see another of the most famous landmarks: Ground Zero.








We walked up from the South ferry station, through the business district and on the way saw Wall St., Federal Hall,  to Tiffany's, where we were invited in by the doorman despite our rather scruffy appearance.  The shop is wonderful.  Then on to Trinity Church and a short rest in the beautiful art deco lobby (see photo) of a centre whose name escapes me.

One thing we learned:  although the transport weekly pass seems pricey, it is worth it.  In the blazing heat of summer, you soon get tired of walking the streets, no matter how interesting they are.   By the time we got to Cortlandt Street, we were shattered.

Then we turned a corner and were presented with the new WTC Subway;  we were blown away by the Calatrava building.  It is stunning. Like a huge white dove. And when we could finally pull ourselves away from that, we were then mesmerised by the One World Tower, which disappears up into heaven.  We hadn't planned on going up knowing it costs 30$ each, but we succumbed.  And boy what an experience!  We went in around 530pm which meant we were able to see the views of Manhattan both in daylight and in all its illuminated beauty by night as it was dark by 730pm.  The lift is mindboggling for a start, showing a video of the history of NY while you whizz up 100 floors in a matter of seconds.  You emerge in a circular room with a cafe and gift shop in the centre, packed with tourists of course, vying for the best spot. The  9/11 museum was closed when we came out, but we wandered around Ground Zero, and yes you can feel sadness all around.   By 10pm, we were practically asleep on our feet and headed for the subway and the long ride back to Astoria.

Day 3
Baking hot day.   We headed to Times Square.  The noise. The lights. The heat. The chaos.  We couldn't take it.  We took the nearest quiet back street and slipped away.  Fortunately, we came across a great little grocery shop-cum-cafe that sold good pizza slices for less than $2.

Next stop was MOMA.  We arrived an hour before the start of the free session. There was already a bit of a queue but once the doors opened, it disappeared quickly as folk practically ran inside.  Be warned that you have to check in bags so there is another queue at the cloakroom.  The museum is huge.  There's a lot to see and a lot of people seeing it.  If you are really an art lover, I recommend paying to go at a quieter time.  If I ever go back to NY, I will. 

From here we walked back to Central Park, passing the cute Love sculpture on the way.   Exhausted by the heat, we decided to head back to Astoria where we had read there was a public open-air  swimming pool.  Well, we arrived to find a huge queue, in which we waited for almost an hour in th scorching midday sun.  The pool is huge,  the facilities old and extremely basic.  It was absolutely packed with families of all descriptions. The water was like soup, but even still, it was good to get in it. Suddenly, after half an hour of swimming, an announcement came over the tannoy ordering everyone out. Due to the heatwave, there were another couple of hundred people queueing to get in, and so the decision was made to allow them a chance to refresh themselves also.  It was frustrating to say the least, but understandable.

So we headed home for a bite to eat, then went for a stroll around the neighbourhood.  We came across Welling Court, adorned with great street art, then walked along the Queens side of the river towards Socrates Park (which was closed), and were captivated by the sun setting over the Manhattan skyline.

View of Manhattan from Astoria

And so ended another fascinating, exhausting day in the Big Apple.

Looking back,  although strolling around the cities streets means you get to see nooks and crannies you would otherwise miss, I believe it was a big mistake not to invest in the weekly transport pass.  It seems expensive, but I can tell you from experience that you will need to make many, many subway journeys.

Tune in next time for further adventures in New York state.