New York City or NYC is a state popular in the world and therefore I do not think that there is a need for any introduction here. But I was never excited about exploring this place until I started watching international TVshows like “Friends” and the “Sex and the City”. These shows inspired me to walk along the streets of the city and feel the vibe.
There is a big difference between loving living and loving exploring. I have loved living in a city and Delhi was my second home. Now it is Berlin and I just love walking along its streets and its excellent transportation. But I love exploring nature. As we were in the New Jersey area for a cousin’s wedding, we decided to explore the city for one day. But flying especially to explore New York is a little unconvincing for me. I am going to describe here how I planned this short trip.
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Transport-Reaching New York City
We took an NJ transit train from New Jersey to New York. It took us around half an hour to reach. The cost was very less, approximately 10$ per person On our way back, we took a bus this time but we reached home after an hour. Otherwise, flights are the best option if you are not living in any nearby state. You can take some rest and leave the luggage somewhere, then you can opt for the subway or taxi.
One-day Itinerary
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, New York City
You cannot miss exploring this place whenever you are visiting. It represents the independence of the United States and its people. But to explore the islands, you need to take a Ferry. It was not my first time as I have been on a ferry in Kanyakumari (Kerala). But the thing that I liked about this Ferry was there were multiple options to enjoy the ride. You can enjoy standing near the waters or you can sit in the interior. You can also sit on the upper deck completely enjoying the vibe.
Here, there are two types of ferries, the ones which are legal to land on the Island (Statue Cruises) and the ones which are not. We chose the first option and bought the normal tickets from Battery Park, and it was 30$ per person for a ride. There are New York Day and night passes also available which covers this spot just like the Las Vegas pass in my blog. There are separate tickets for the pedestal and crown tour including a cruise to the Statue of Liberty.
Then we landed where the Statue of Liberty is but skipped landing on the Ellis Island due to a shortage of time. I believe the best part of this place is the ferry ride. I enjoyed the views; we had some food at the restaurant there and I remember there were a lot of birds everywhere. There is a museum also where the people visiting can capture their photos along with the country tag and those photos were shown merging into the Statue of Liberty on the big screen. It was fun. You can buy the city Souvenirs from here. You can book one full day for exploring this completely as it needs time.
Check out this official link for more information https://www.statueofliberty.org/visit/
Wall Street
We decided to explore the nearby popular spots as we did not want just to hop from one area to another. The next thing that we visited was the famous “Wall Street”, the origin of stock markets. The building was under construction, so it didn’t look fancy though we took some photos near the Bull statue. Yes, this statue is also called the “Charging Bull”, a symbol of the rising market. You will find a lot of people standing in lines just to get a picture near the bull. Some of them tried to capture near its butt also.
9/11 Memorial and Museum
I know there are a lot of itineraries of New York City, and it is difficult to choose one. I just decided on these spots because the first spot, the Island was a must for me, and these were all nearby. Also exploring the area by foot completed the goal of walking along the streets. So, this is another spot where after the famous Twin Tower attack, they build a memorial where the victims’ names are engraved (nearby 3000). There is no ticket or cost involved. You will see a beautiful waterfall with a pool in the middle giving a vibe of peace and grief altogether.
There is a museum also to know more about the memorial and you can take a guided tour, but this is a paid spot. If you are a history lover, you will love exploring the museum. There is a beautiful World Trade Center building just near the memorial and its architecture is unique. It is good for photography. But we need to skip some to save time.
Brooklyn Bridge
It was already dark. This is the second spot I loved a lot because the night views were spectacular. The bridge connects Manhattan to Brooklyn and is itself a tourist attraction. You can view the buildings with dazzling lights and their reflection in the water. You can see the boats floating around. There were a lot of street shops at the entry and the exit of the bridge. It looked like magic. The vibe was similar to the vibe at India Gate(Delhi) in the night with vendors selling the candies, balloons, and people walking and enjoying.
Times Square, New York City
We were already tired from the day trip, and we just came here to view how it feels like to be at Times Square. If you are not aware by any chance, this is the place where the famous ball drop happens on New Year’s Eve. There were a lot of big screens with advertisements around, the whole place is illuminated. A lot of artists display their art there. You can buy a ticket for the famous TV shows displayed in their local theatres. But again, we did not have sufficient time to explore it this time.
But I visited the Disney Store as it was near to the ball drop spot, and I loved it. This is when your childhood memories just pop up. But really, we were not left in the state of exploring Times Square more, maybe next time if possible.
It was not like I was not happy that I had just one day to explore this city. I think I explored it as much I wanted to and would ever want. Because it feels good to live in a city with tall buildings but for a trip, I prefer visiting natural places more as you must have observed reading my blogs. Though still managed to find two of them on this trip. I rarely enjoy visiting museums.
Read my other USA itinerary’s
Death Valley https://www.theexplorerdiary.com/plan-a-trip-to-death-valley/(opens in a new tab)
Los Angeleshttps://www.theexplorerdiary.com/travel-to-la/(opens in a new tab)
Smokey Mountains https://www.theexplorerdiary.com/smokey-mountains/(opens in a new tab)
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