Advertisement
Published: December 8th 2007
Edit Blog Post
NYC bound leaving December 29th thru January 5th 2008! As the day approches my mind fills with excitement of all the things we are going to see and do in the BIG APPLE. ahhh the East Coast only from movies or TV shows and soon I will be there.. We have so many things to see and do in 8 days, here are just a few below:
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise-- By starting your day on the water on this 2-hour half-island cruise, you'll get a very good overview of Manhattan. On the cruise you'll pass by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, see the Lower Manhattan skyline, proceed up the East River where you will cruise under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges, and view the United Nations and the east side skyline, including the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building. Take the M42 42nd Street crosstown bus to Fifth Avenue.
The Dakota -- We'll start our day in front of this 1884-built apartment building. This was standing when the only thing around it was greenery. The building has a dubious past; it was here where Beatle great John Lennon lived (and where Yoko Ono still lives)
and where he was shot and killed. Across the street in Central Park is a small patch of grass called Strawberry Fields, named in honor of the former Beatle; fans still gather here on the anniversary of his death, December 8.
American Museum of Natural History -- Don't try to cover too much ground at this 4-square-block museum; you'll be here all day. Pick a few of the highlights like the Fossils Halls where the dinosaurs reside, the Hall of Biodiversity, and the Culture Halls. On the 81st Street side of the building you'll find the Rose Center for Earth and Space where you can marvel at the beauty of the cosmos in the grand Hayden Planetarium.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine -- On the east side of Amsterdam, you will see the world's largest Gothic cathedral. Construction began in 1892 and is still not yet finished. You can explore the inside of the huge cathedral on your own or opt for a public tour. If you're here at Easter time or during the Feast of St. Francis in October, don't miss the blessing of animals -- where the creature congregation has been known to include an elephant
or camel.
Central Park -- From the Museum of Natural History, cross the street to Central Park and enter at 81st Street. Follow the path east, and just south of the Delacorte Theater you'll see Belvedere Castle. Climb to the top and soak in the view of the Park. To the north, you'll see the Great Lawn, sight of so many big concerts, and beyond that the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. To the south, you'll see the Lake with its rowboats (rent one if you have time) and the skyline of Manhattan.
CENTRAL PARK ZOO - Here is a pleasant refuge within a refuge where lithe sea lions frolic in the central pool area with beguiling style, gigantic but graceful polar bears glide back and forth across a watery pool that has glass walls through which you can observe very large paws doing very smooth strokes, monkeys seem to regard those on the other side of the fence with knowing disdain, and in the hot and humid Tropic Zone, large colorful birds swoop around in freedom, sometimes landing next to nonplused visitors.
Because of its small size, the zoo is at its best with its displays of smaller animals.
The indoor multilevel Tropic Zone is a real highlight, its steamy rainforest home to everything from black-and-white colobus monkeys to Emerald tree boa constrictors to a leaf-cutter ant farm; look for the new dart poison frog exhibit, which is very cool. So is the large penguin enclosure in the Polar Circle, which is better than the one at San Diego's SeaWorld. In the Temperate Territory, look for the Asian red pandas (cousins to the big black-and-white ones), which look like the world's most beautiful raccoons. Despite their pool and piles of ice, however, the polar bears still look sad.
The entire zoo is good for short attention spans; you can cover the whole thing in 1 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the crowds and how long you like to linger.
TIMES SQUARE - NYE
Empire State Building-- It's an 8-block walk down Fifth Avenue from Grand Central Station to the Empire State Building. Let's hope it's a beautiful day because I want your view from the top of this historic structure, the tallest building in New York, to be pristine. You already have your tickets (don't you?), so you don't have to wait at
the ticket booth. The elevator will zip you up to the 86th story observatory where you will get a panoramic view of Manhattan. Take the B or D train uptown to Seventh Avenue. Walk east across 53rd St.
Rockefeller Center-- Just a short walk from MoMA is the famous Rockefeller Center complex. If you are here during the Christmas holidays, you'll fight the crowds for a glimpse of the famous Christmas tree and the skaters in the small rink below. If your timing is right, you might just be able to squeeze in the 70-minute NBC Studio Tour. If not, you'll see famous Radio City Music Hall and 30 Rockefeller Center where, by the time you read this, you will be allowed to visit the newly opened observation deck on the 70th floor. Across the street you'll see the city's biggest Catholic church, St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Fifth Avenue--Is a street an attraction? When it's one of the most famous in the world, it is. Walk north up Fifth Avenue from Rock Center and pass big name stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, the NBA Store, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Bergdorf Goodman, and FAO Schwarz, reopened after being
closed for nearly a year. You'll also see the recognizable Trump Tower from the popular The Apprentice series. At 59th Street you'll see the ornate Plaza Hotel, which, at press time, was fated to become part condominium, part hotel. Across the street, you'll see the southern end of Central Park.
Grand Central Terminal-- Before stepping into this magnificent, working train station, take a look east toward Lexington Avenue and then crane your neck up. You'll see my favorite skyscraper, the Chrysler Building. Okay, now enter Grand Central, where approximately 500,000 commuters and subway riders dash through daily. I hope it's not rush hour . . . but even if it is, you really won't have to worry about colliding with a commuter; the building and the stupendous main concourse was constructed so cleverly that despite the perceived chaos, people rarely bump into each other. You'll want to spend hours examining the beautiful detail throughout the terminal, but you don't have hours to spare. A walk through the main concourse and a look at the sky ceiling will be evidence enough. You're hungry now and the choices in the Grand Central Terminal dining concourse are plentiful and very good.
Chow down on everything from Indian food to pizza. Or opt for a heartier lunch at the legendary Oyster Bar & Restaurant or upstairs overlooking the concourse, a steak at Michael Jordan's -- The Steakhouse.
Take the A or C at Broadway-Nassau Street toward Brooklyn and get off at High Street, the first stop in Brooklyn.
Grimaldi's Pizzeria -- You are now in Brooklyn, and probably very hungry. You'll need nourishment for your next adventure, and where better than this famed pizzeria, in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge? 19 Old Fulton St., between Front and Water streets. tel. 718/858-4300.
Brooklyn Bridge -- You have been well fed, so now you have the energy to make the approximately half-hour stroll back to Manhattan across one of the greatest suspended bridges in the world. The view of the Manhattan skyline is spectacular -- make sure you have plenty of room in the card of your digital camera.
Now those are just a few things on our agenda!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.058s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 5; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0338s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb