New York City

Have you ever had that feeling when you know you only been in one place for a few days or a week but it feels like you’ve been there for a lifetime? That’s the feeling I got when I had to leave New York, because I had done so much in the space of a week that it felt like I had been there for months and I still didn’t visit all the most popular landmarks the 1st time I went. As you can see my alias is AshNYC so I thought I should write a review on New York.

We all know New York from comics like Spider-Man and Television programmes like Friends but I want to put across the real New York the New York that is a thriving metropolis bursting full of life New York is truly ‘The City That Never Sleeps’. So far I’ve been to New York twice and I plan to go again because it’s just that sort of place that you can keep going to and never get board of it.

A City with so many attractions and landmarks it is hard to know where to start. I tried to highlight most of the must see sights and landmarks of New York City that you wouldn’t want to miss.

+++City Sights+++

++Empire State Building++

The Empire State Building is a must see in New York it is located in the heart of Manhattan convenient to all public transportation, at 350 5th Avenue it is virtually un-miss able when I 1st look up at it I it made me feel dizzy and I nearly fell over if my mum hadn’t grabbed onto me but New York is that sort of place when I first went I was always looking up and at the end of the day my neck was sore, the total height is 1,454 feet (1,453 feet, 8 9/16th inches) or 443.2 meters to top of lightning rod.
To 86th Floor Observatory:
1,050 feet (320 meters)
To 102nd Floor Tower:
1,224 feet (373 meters)
102nd Floor to Tip:
230 feet

The Observatory Deck – It is open daily all year round from 9:30 AM to Midnight with last ticket sales at 11:15 PM. The ticket office is located on the Concourse one level below the Main Lobby. On weekends and national holidays the Ticket Office opens at 9:00 AM. The view from the observation deck is breath taking its awesome, amazing you cant sum it up in 1 word, if your afraid of heights I wouldn’t recommend this but you have to see the view it’s one of the best experiences it’s a beautiful sight especially at night.

The view from the:

North – To the right stands the shimmering Chrysler Building, the impressive MetLife Building formerly the Pan Am Building bordering nearby. Moving north along 5th Avenue you will spot the GE building formerly RCA Building highlighting the Rockerfeller Centre complex, and directly to its right is the great St. Patrick Cathedral. Beyond lie 57th street one of New York’s greatest shopping districts, and the Plaza Hotel, which faces the vast Central Park. To the left flows the Hudson River, which flows underneath the majestic George Washington Bridge, which joins New York and New Jersey. On a clear day you can see the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

East – Directly east lies the borough of Queens. At the waters edge to the northeast stands the United Nations Headquarters. Obviously visible is the CitiCorp building, which dominates the Queens Skyline; across the river onto Long Island are the Triboro, Whitestone and Throngs Neck Bridges, providing access to LaGuardia and JFK International Airports and 100 miles of Long Island Beachfronts. To the southeast the Williamsburg Bridge leads to Brooklyn.

South – The south of the city is where most of New York’s historical buildings are located but they are dwarfed by the Wall Street structures. In the centre of this beautiful skyline is the appropriately named Flat Iron building, and south from there the Woolworth building once the tallest building in the world at just 60 floors. To the right stands the great, beautiful, one and only wonder herself Lady Liberty on of course Liberty Island and the adjoining Ellis Island and to the further left is the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.

West – The westward foreground is building on the dominating black spike of One Penn Plaza rising above Madison Square garden and to the right is Jacob Javits Convention Centre. Just next to it is the retired World War II aircraft carrier houses the Air and Space museum. Ferry service from the waters edge here link Manhattan with New Jersey. The landscape stretches past Newark Airport.

++Ground Zero++

On September 11 2001 the World Trade Centre was attacked by hijacked planes that caused them to collapse my heart goes out to the thousands of peoples relatives who were murdered on that fateful day. Terrorists destroyed the World Trade Centre that once soared over Manhattan belittling the other buildings and completed the Finical District’s skyline. When I went to New York there was a memorial there it was very upsetting, if you read newspapers you will know that they are building a new skyscraper next to ground zero called the “freedom tower” the computer images of it looks beautiful here’s an article on it,
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/12/19/wtc.plan/

++Statue Of Liberty & Ellis Island+++

The Statue Of Liberty is New York’s oldest landmark given to America from the French over one hundred years ago in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Next to Lady Liberty is Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants first stood on American soil the Statue of Liberty welcomed them as the entered American as a beacon of liberty and unity. These to Islands share amazing history. She is 305’ tall from ground to torch

The 2 Islands are accessible by Ferries from the famous Battery Park, if you’ve been watching the news you’ll know that she has been opened to the public to visit but the touch has been closed up for ages because a man fell out and tragically died. For more info and pricing visit:
http://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm

++ Crysler Building+++

The beautifully crafted and shaped Chrysler Building a truly unique structure situated on 405 Lexington Ave. (between 42nd and 43rd streets). The Chrysler Building is recognized as New York City's greatest display of Art Deco built by Automobile tycoon Walter Chrysler, it is a decorative style characterized by its sharp angular or zigzag surface forms and ornaments. Only four months after the completion of the Chrysler Building, the world's tallest championship title would be claimed by a new structure, the Empire State Building. Its height is 1,046 feet.

++Times Square++

New York’s Times Square on 43rd Street is a burst of light at night and erm well advertisements and shops it is a very busy street which really illustrates New York there loads of famous shops to visit. There’s a massive un-miss able MacDonald’s and a Planet Hollywood and the famous MTV Studio.

++Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges++

Well obviously the Brooklyn Bridge links Brooklyn to Manhattan over the east river and the Manhattan Bridge link Manhattan to Brooklyn. They are beautifully constructed the Brooklyn Bridge is the first suspension bridge in the World from the bridges you get amazing views of nearly the whole Island its breath taking.

++Central Park++

Central Park well what can you say when I went to central park we walked round for a long time and got lost, in the lakes people were having boat races and stuff but I just kicked back relaxed and climbed a giant rock, One of the great pleasures New Yorkers and tourists enjoy is getting away from it all in Central Park.
Stretching 51 blocks between 59th and 110th streets, this 843-acre, green rectangle has served New York well since 1859. There are all sorts of things to do like skating rowing boats along the canals visiting famous statues and castles within this great landmark and there’s a great zoo.

++Coney Island++

Coney Island is referred to as “Brooklyn’s Playground by the Sea" On Coney Island there are some great things to do like go on rides and its just an hour by subway from midtown Manhattan. Coney Island offers an abundance of sun, sand and surf, there is a massive aquarium and a 3-mile boardwalk, with the sea to the left and rides and amusement arcades to the right if you head down it north. When I went I went on a massive Ferris wheel, which at the top revealed an amazing view.
++Shops++

New York is the best place on earth to shop I would rather see sight then shop but its almost unavoidable because you can get clothes cheaper out there, with great makes like Old Navy, Fubu, Phat Farm ect. I mostly brought clothes from Macy’s and Sports shop. But there are many other girly shops lilke Bloomingdale’s, Tiffany’s and JCPenny.

++Food++

Well New York is about fast food so if you go there’s always a McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Burger King, Popeye’s, Pizzeria and Star Bucks round the corner.

++Transport++

When I went I mostly travelled by Subway that the best way because it cheap its fast and it always take you direct.

Subway – Metro cards are the best you can use them on buses as well they are easy to buy and you can top them up. Always get a map and keep it.

Buses – You are best off getting a map to check routes but buses aren’t really best.

Cabs – Yellow cabs aren’t cheap especially in New York traffic but if you have lots of money they are good.

Taxi Fare:
$1.50 Initial Charge
25c Per 1/5 Mile
20c Per Minute Stopped
50c Night Surcharge

++Money++

If your going to New York your going to need some serious money the current exchange rate is --£-$ 1.83-- you need money because most sights you have to get tickets to enter or to use transport obviously on average I spent about 20+ GBP per day but that was just me not including my other family members.
++Flights++

I flew with BA when I went but there are other airlines and travel agents to go through like:

http://www.britishairways.com/
http://www.americanairlines.com
http://www.thomascook.co.uk/
http://www.travelocity.co.uk
http://www.virgin.com/uk/
http://www.expedia.co.uk

Always check different site and travel agents for cheaper deal and package flights.

++Accommodation++

If you don’t pick a package holiday New York has tonnes of 3,4 and 5 star hotel that would be more than happy to house you for your stay.

Look at this link

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&ie=​UTF8&q=New+York+Hotels&meta=

++Tours & Sky Rides++

Tours and sky rides are very easy to find if you just take a trip to the Empire State Build or any other big landmarks there an array of Helicopter Tours, Boat Tours and Coach/Open Roof Bus Tours.

++Amazing NY SkyRide Info++

Movie.
Motion.
Sites.

NYSKYRIDE is an awesome movie motion picture ride that take you above and beyond NYC’s best sights and wildest imaginations. Actor and native New Yorker, Kevin Bacon, guides you through NYC’s most famous site. NY skyride allows you to lift off from atop the Empire State Building, soar through the Manhattan skyline, rise above Yankee Stadium, glide past the Statue Of Liberty, scale the Brooklyn Bridge, and even ride the stomach-churning Coney Island Cyclone – all while remaining on the second floor of the Empire State Building.

The NY Skyride experience includes “I am ny”, a tribute to NY heroes, the World Trade Towers and the Empire State Building, and “NY’s Hot Top Ten”, a countdown of NYC’s most exciting things to see and do.

“The NY Skyride is a great example of how to use NYC as a stage. Both New Yorkers and city visitor get a great orientation to the city’s myriad of offerings and entertainment, history and tourism.”
- Katherine Oliver
- Commissioners, NYC Mayor’s Office Of Film.

The NY Skyride is like a feel motion picture. Visit http://www.SKYRIDE.com

Thanks for reading my review I took me a while to write but that comes with the category so I hope you enjoy it sorry its so long there was just so much to say and read, comment and rate it properly thanks AshNYC.