New York
From arrival into Newark Liberty Airport on the Wednesday afternoon, we didn’t stop for 6 days! The last time we were there, I took a photo of the World Trade Center – the ‘Twin Towers’ and I won a local photo competition with my photo taken from the ground upwards! This time, it was a very moving experience to see the Ground zero footings where 2 huge waterfalls mark out the perimeter of the World Trade Centres.
The Empire State was our first port of call when we’d arrived and checked into our hotel, it was just going dark and the city look magical
I was very much looking forward to seeing New York and doing as much as we could in our time there. We did 2 bike rides – one from south Manhattan – over the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn then back over the Brooklyn Bridge – it was a beautiful sunny day and we thoroughly enjoyed it – a great way to see the New York way of life. On Sunday we did a cycle tour of Central Park with a guide It is a lot bigger and hillier that I remembered it and so much to see – you can really lose yourself there!
We did a couple of audio walking tours with a guide. The first one was of the Rockafeller Center Tour . It was so interesting and our guide made it fun – even though it was raining and most of the tour was outside! We also did a self - guided tour of Grand Central Station , what an amazing building you must do this! If you are ready to eat – why not start the day with breakfast at Pershing Square – just near the main entrance to Grand Central Station.
Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour was also a superb visit! We complemented this with by going to see the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City with the world famous Rockettes – what a brilliant way to start off the festive season.
A trip to New York would not be complete without a cruise round Manhattan on the Circle line 'Best of New York' – 2 hours of commentary by a very experienced guide, we got to see the Statue of Liberty close up. It was a ‘pinch me’ moment!
Top of the Rock on Saturday morning – what a beautiful day it was – clear blue skies and a nice chill in the air. This is a brilliant viewing point – I think this is the best high rised viewing point in New York. North you can see Central Park and to the South – towards Brooklyn, The One World Tower and all Manhattan has to offer.
We also found time to visit the trendy Meat Packing area, High line, this is a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. Chelsea Market and Greenwich with the funky French café’s and intimate bars.
Of course we went shopping and also enjoyed breakfast in a cool American Diner – where they feed you so well, you don’t need to eat for the rest of the day!
We loved our trip to New York, I would definitely go back and I love telling all my lovely clients about our amazing holiday and how to make theirs enjoyable and unforgettable!