When you plan a trip into the Big Apple there is a certain list of sites that are must-see’s; The Statue of Liberty, The Empire State Building, and The One World Observatory. Other tourist Meccas’ are the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum, Bloomingdales and Macy’s Department stores.
If there is one piece of advice I could give you it’s to get to Empire State and Liberty first thing in the morning. Leave it any later than 9am to arrive and there will be queues as far as the eye can see, plus the crowds will be ridiculous, so you won’t get that all-important billboard worthy photo.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an immaculate building as the Empire State Building; literally every surface gleamed, from the brass lift knobs to the marble walls and floors. My Mummy Bird would have serious cleaning envy if she saw it. Every inch of it looked like the film (location) star it is, and the view from it is simply breath-taking.
Macy’s is the largest store in the world with a gazillion square feet of floor space! As we stepped inside I wondered how many football pitches you could fit inside. It was no less impressive as we went into Bloomingdales, or “Bloomies” as it’s known locally; The Man Bird had an iron grip on his wallet as we strolled through section after section of luxury goods. When a lovely lady sat me down in Clarins to give my eyes a quick “pick me up” he knew his seconds were numbered before the cash would be splashed. Well, the lack of sleep and sun had taken its toll and my face needed some pampering; oh, and I’m worth it :)
Liberty is stunning in the flesh; even though her originally glowing Copper exterior is now green thanks to pollution. The ferries run like clockwork to take you over to Liberty Island to see the statue and also to Ellis Island that houses the original Immigration building where all the immigrants had to pass through before they made it into New York.
His Nibs was in boyhood heaven when we visited the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum which is housed on board a de-commissioned bona fide U.S Navy Aircraft Carrier called, you guessed it, Intrepid. Now, I’m not over-awed by this kind of thing normally, but I was mightily impressed by this beauty on the dockside.
The exhibits inside are interactive in a lot of cases and there are various cockpits, bunks, and cabins you can sit in too. His Nibs was grinning from ear-to-ear as we left having indulged in all his boyish fun.
We did an amazing walking tour of SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown with New York Tour 1 too, and seeing the city on foot gives you a totally different perspective of the streets.
Our guide, Joel, was so informative and funny as well. He is a Texan native who, like many others, came to New York to find work as an actor and ended up doing something completely different.
Joel brought the streets and their history to life; in fact so enthralled were we that Chick slipped off the kerb and jarred her ankle a little. Luckily it was nothing serious but it was a bit sore, so we cancelled another walking tour we had planned and went on a Big Bus Tour instead.
We also did the other thing that New York is famous for; shopping! More pain for The Man Birds’ wallet :) Woodbury Common is the usual haunt for bargain-hungry tourists and I’m sure it’s great, but it is designer-heavy so if you’re particularly budget conscious like me maybe give it a miss and head over to the (in my opinion) equally fabulous Mills at Jersey Gardens outlet. This is a tax-free shopping paradise that is a cinch to get to from Times Square. We only rode for two stops on the subway to the Port Authority Bus Terminal where we caught the 111 bus directly to the outlet.
There are still plenty of designers there including Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Coach, Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, but there are also loads of high street names too. We spend a wad of cash in Hollister and Gap as well as Forever 21, Adidas, Under Armour and Nike; Victorias Secret Outlet had some good stuff in, but you do have to rummage for it.
Food highlights of our stay in New York include Rosie O’Grady’s for dinner; a bit pricier because of its location but great food nonetheless and great service from the staff too. Those of a certain age will remember the film “When Harry met Sally” starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal; most notably for Megs’ “enthusiasm” when making the point that ladies can fake certain things.
This iconic scene was filmed in Katz’s Deli and their sandwiches are famous the world over, so The Flock popped in for lunch one day. It is well worth the trip; fantastic atmosphere, the biggest belly-busting sandwiches you will ever eat in your lives, and photos on the walls of famous customers. Whatever you do, don’t ask for Mayo on your sandwich, or do so at your peril! Black Barn Restaurant was recommended to us by Chef Johnny Hernandez and I have to say we were blown away by it. The food is amazing and a heck of a lot cheaper than in restaurants in Times Square.
M and M World is well worth a visit if only to gawk at the three floors of merchandise covering all the colour characters including Red, Blue and Ms Brown. I had to do a double take at the price of the sweets; much as I love M and M’s I refuse to be shafted, but there were bucket-loads of people buying them up.
The Big Bus Tour was as useful in New York as it was in Washington D.C so I would totally recommend this as a way to see the sights, either at night or during the day; or even both if you fancy. Remember to take your camera with you; there are some great photo opportunities.
New Yorkers are, in the main, a friendly bunch and they tend to take as they find; if you’re polite to them, they reciprocate. If you’re in a pickle over directions they will take some time to stop and point you in the right direction.
Whilst in the city you have to take a ride in a yellow cab, not only are they an iconic part of the city but the entertainment value of a rush-hour ride is not to be missed.
The last thing I’m going to mention is the Hot-Dog street vendors. My Daddy Bird has always wanted to taste one of these for himself, so I said I would grab one on his behalf and tell him what they’re like. Now they’re never going to win any gourmet food contests, but there’s certainly nothing like them that’s for sure. I had the typical hotdog with ketchup and mustard, and blimey that mustard kicks like a mule! I like spice but I couldn’t handle this wee beastie, so a couple of bites were all I managed before my tongue was begging to surrender.
Thanks for the memories New York, it’s been a blast.
