New York sightseeing part 2

The weather forecast for today is awesome. Even if it gets a few degrees colder than the last few days, the sun should shine all day. We're trying today Hotel to have breakfast, but the selection is rather modest, so there is only a coffee to go and we wait in front of the hotel entrance for Uber (How does Uber work?). This is easily the best mode of transportation in New York City at this time for this distance.

Brooklyn Bridge

My work colleague Alex gave me the tip to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan in the early morning at sunrise. It takes about 15-20 minutes to drive over the bumpy roads from our Queens hotel. The driver has a bit of trouble finding the right starting point for the pedestrians, but after a little searching we finally made it.

There are very few people on the road. We walk almost alone over the bridge and can fully enjoy the view and the tranquility over a coffee. After this experience I can only give everyone the tip to imitate it. The path is easy to walk and the view of the skyscrapers is sensational.

Staten Island Ferry

The weather is so good that we decide to take another ride on the Staten Island Ferry. On the way we stock up on Starbucks. With roasted panini, muffins and a mug of freshly brewed coffee, we are ready for the next ferry ride. The flow of visitors shows that it is still relatively early - it is shortly before nine o'clock and there is hardly anything going on. The ferry departs and the best sunshine reveals another great view of Manhattan, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The final destination Staten Island means for us to change trains again to take the next ferry back to Manhattan.

It goes through Battery Park towards the 9/11 Memorial. We make a small tourist stop at the Charging Bull. It's supposed to bring good luck if you touch your nose first and then your privates, I didn't do that. :-)

Passing the New York Stock Exchange, we return to the World Trade Center. We then move underground with the subway to 14th St. The next destination: The High Line Park.

High Line Park

The High Line Park was once a railroad track for freight trains in western Manhattan and was converted into a park in several construction phases. At almost two kilometers you can experience a unique local recreation area in the heart of New York. Old tracks among trees and shrubs confirm what the High Line used to be. Artists sell postcards, paintings and souvenirs. We continue north, past old factory buildings that now serve as exclusive lofts.

So much fresh air makes you hungry and I absolutely have to show my sister another fast food highlight. There's Five Guys nearby, which is also a burger chain, but next to Shake Shack, it's my second favorite place.

USS Intrepid

Back to my old strength, it's now time to redeem my Christmas present. We visit the USS Intrepid. An old, disused aircraft carrier serves as a museum and you can see pretty much everything in war equipment from 70 years and immerse yourself in everyday life on an aircraft carrier. It's very, very spartan, cramped and stuffy. It's hard to believe that people have lived here in a very small space for months. On the forecourt there is still a disused British Airways Concorde. Unfortunately access is closed. But this was not always the case, because Christian was still able to board the Concorde in 2011 (more on this in his Post). If you haven't achieved that yet, you're welcome to squeeze your way through a submarine. However, the line was too long for us.

Our tour of New York continues and it's time to do something "crazy". How about a lap on the bike? On many street corners there is the bike-sharer Citi Bike (citibikenyc.com/). We buy 24h access and just have to make sure to change bikes every 30 minutes. At the station we get the number codes to unlock the bikes. Let's hit the streets of Manhattan - next stop is Central Park!

New York Citi Bike und Central Park

The first bike change is imminent and we get a tip from a nice couple to make sure that the bikes engage properly in the anchorage. Only then does time end and the bikes cannot be stolen. With a new number code we get new bikes and cruise through Central Park. It's Saturday and the park is closed to cars.

We take a long walk through the park and enjoy the beautiful weather. At the height of the Guggenheim Museum we turn again and park the bikes near the MET. There is still time to take a look, but we do not buy tickets for the exhibition.

The big goal tonight is Times Square. We still have a few hours until sunset. We are still looking for a place to eat something and find a typical diner.

The candy shop on Lexington Avenue has also been featured in many films, the most famous being Woody Allen's Suddenly Gigolo. I order a milkshake and eat a really good club sandwich.

Times Square at night

On to the last round for today. We're tired and our feet are heavy, but we still make it to Times Square. An unbelievable number of people and cars are on the road. The LED walls turn night into day. Crazy people in crazy costumes can be photographed. The Naget Cowboy is said to earn $150,000 a year this way.

The train takes you back to Hotel, if you can believe the pedometer on the iPhone, we walked 16km today. The day was gigantic!

New York City Travel Guide

For the perfect city trip to New York City, we recommend you this guide. Here you will not only find a detailed city map, but also a lot of information about all the important sights. Explore New York in all its facets.