A first trip to New York

Where to start – we enjoyed it all!

Wandering around Broadway at night was a delight. There was an electric excitement about the place with people preparing for their trip to the theatre or discussing animatedly the experience that they’d just enjoyed. We went to see Cabaret in a small theatre set out like a nightclub. It was a fantastically well produced show (a little pricey I have to say) and is etched on our memories for life. As we left the theatre the whole of the city had transformed with neon lights flashing - Times Square was exactly as “it should be”; bright, vibrant and full of people.

New York was a food lover’s delight with all manner of restaurants, cafés, fast food joints, sandwich bars and delis that you can imagine. The smells were invariably inviting and interesting, but we could only sample a few. China Town is a place not to miss and it has a thriving and energetic feel to it. You still get the sense that dodgy dealing is not far away but in real terms I suspect it’s geared towards tourists and business is efficient and organised. You need to dive down some of the side alleyways to begin to get a sense of the ethnicity of the place. Wouldn’t advise it after dark.

New York was just crammed with high rise some of them spectacular others far more ordinary. We visited the city before 911 and viewed the buildings below from the heights of the twin towers. It was awesome at the time and we cannot pretend to understand the panic and carnage that hit the city on that awful day. Looking back at our photos and recounting our visit confirms that buildings can stir real emotions.

We caught a glimpse of the Yankee stadium as we travelled in on the train, strolled past the Rockefeller Center, and strutted down Wall Street.

New York in the day-time is amazing but nothing will ever take away our memories of the city as it transformed from a place of work to a place of bright lights and fun. The amazing part of our journey is that places we knew from books or TV were now spread out in front of us and we often heard ourselves “wowing out loud.”

Quick Tips:

There’s a lot of talk about safety in the City and I have to say we found it very safe and friendly. Obviously you have to be vigilant and we never did go on the tube at night, but if you take good care of your possessions and keep aware of your surroundings you’re in no greater danger here than any other city in the world. Don’t let people hype you out of exploring this great vibrant City

I would not, however recommend that you attempt to drive yourself around the place. We’d done it on a Sunday but the rest of the week is so hectic. I don’t reckon a visitor would stand a chance to navigate around the metropolis.

It really goes without saying but New York is a place that requires a carefully planned itinerary. There are the “obvious sights”, the need (as my wife would say) to give proper time for shopping and the theatrical shows on Broadway.

Don’t be afraid to ask for directions – generally we found everyone willing to help and often spent time pouring over a city map with a fellow tourist!

Always “have a nice day!”

Best Way To Get Around:

I reckon the best way to get around New York City quickly is on the subway and you’ll either need a token, available from booths, or a metro card. The latter is the most economical way of buying your credits and it does allow travel on both the subway and the buses. I think the bus is the less confusing way of getting about (the route maps are a lot clearer) and at last you can see the sights as you travel. But buses will not give you fast travel round the City!

If you’ve got the stamina you can’t, of course beat walking your way round New York. Not only will you see the sights better, but you’ll get a real sense of the way the City operates, the interaction of the people and the general bustle of the streets as pedestrians wait their time to dash across the roads avoiding the lines of yellow cabs. It’s worth experiencing a yellow cab – just to say you’ve done it and I reckon the cabbies banter is probably unique for New York.

Apparently there are guided walking tours – guess we’ll give them a whirl when we return.

The entrance to the Empire State Building was a little difficult to find despite the fact that it is still the tallest building in New York. It almost seemed to be tucked away and hidden from view as it is surrounding by other large and impressive buildings. As we made our way in the direction of the Empire State Building wafts of steam rose from the pavements and cabbies honked aggressively at others as they battled to position their cabs. But this building has history and we were not too disappointed to find that the mighty King Kong was not beating his chest from the very top of the building.

It was one of those buildings that was built during the depression and with huge numbers of unemployed a willing workforce completed the build in just eighteen months. It was not without loss as during the planning stages over 100 workers died. A few more facts and figures – its 102 floors reach almost 450 metres; the whole construction used 10 million bricks; it weighs in at 365,000 tons and its came in (under budget) at almost 41 million dollars.

When opened in May 1931, it became the world’s largest building and although the world trade centre assumed the title in 1973 it reverted to the Empire State Building after 911.

The lobby is a superb example of Art Deco art and design with the sleek stylish lines and bold contrasts of colour. I guess it can’t be accused of being subtle, but it is impressive and somewhat confrontational in its motif features. We patiently queued for lift tickets to take us to the viewing station and then a fairly quick journey up the eight-six floors to the observational floor. We got there in daylight and we’re lucky enough to have timed our visit to coincide with dusk and the transformation of the city into a bright array of lights. I’d certainly recommend that you aim for late afternoon to catch this conversion from natural light to artificial – it’s a veritable treat.

The only downside was that it was exceedingly cold (I’m being polite!), and a ferocious wind penetrated our coats as we ventured around the outdoor viewing platform. There are indescribably sensational views across the whole of the city and we had a superbly clear night to enjoy the sight of boats chugging down and across the Hudson and East Rivers. All New York’s bridges were in view and with a set of binoculars its possible to watch the traffic flow across the Brooklyn Bridge. We looked down on the Chrysler Building (which had been the tallest building until Empire State was erected) and spotted the tiny statue of liberty in the distance.

This really is a great place to orient yourself - Central Park (a splash of green amongst the concrete) to the north, Chinatown to the south, and Madison Square Gardens to the west. A great visit.

Almost first on our visiting agenda was the Statue of Liberty – the statue that "is America" and symbolizes hope and freedom. Liberty was the dream of French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi and was partially gifted to America by the French Government as a sign of their friendship with America and a commitment to an American styled constitution. The project was not without controversy but despite the lack of American government funding the American money was found following an appeal from Joseph Pulitzer and some amazing donations from individual American citizens. It was finally assembled, on site, having being delivered in separate containers, in October 1886.

It was a superb day when we visited with clear skies and we weren’t too surprised when we met a large queue at the ferry terminal. We stood in line for our tickets and then again for access to the ferry, but our wait was not boring as there were a variety of street entertainers and a number of souvenir stalls to peruse.

The journey was exciting – this after all was our first visit to the "big country" – and as liberty loomed closer we began to realise the vastness of the figure. It must have been an awesome sight for immigrants as they, fatigued from their long ocean crossing, saw this vast symbol of hope towering before them. I guess they’d feel relief alongside nervous excitement as they prepared for their new life.

I was a little surprised at the scale of the statue and was intrigued to hear that her index finger is 8 feet long, her nose 4½ feet, and the overall height a staggering 151 feet. "Liberty enlightening the world", to give her full title, commandeers the eponymously named island and dwarfs the hundreds of tourists that poured off the ferry to frantically explore her innermost sanctuaries.

There are some superb views across the Hudson River to Manhattan and tidy gardens around the statue, but the main attraction is the statue itself. So we climb the steep staircase up the massive plinth and make our way inside. There’s a superb exhibition explaining the history of the statue with some of the original moulds and first casts in plaster. The explanations and historical notations are short making for an easy but explicit read of the progress of this impressive work of art.

The original lantern is on display in the middle of the statue. It’s impressively large when you’re standing up close and personal with it. It was given a rest after being at the top of the statue for just over a century. Some routes around the statues innards become quite congested with visitors and you’ll need to be patient as you weave your way around the narrow staircases that give you access to different levels of Liberty.

But nothing beats the experience of approaching by ferry and seeing one of the world’s most famous statues for the first time.

Having viewed "Liberty," our next ferry stop was Ellis Island, about a 15-minute ferry ride. From my family history research, I knew relatives had emigrated to America, and as the ferry approached the pier, I speculated what they must have thought as they disembarked in front of the impressively ornate reception building. Certainly as “country folk,” this would have been somewhat of a culture shock for them but no doubt a great relief to reach dry land after a long time at sea. However, if they thought that they’d achieved their goal, they may well have been mistaken, because admission to the “land of plenty” was not automatic and the staff in immigration control would scrutinise these would-be citizens for any telltale signs of frailty, insanity, or work shyness. If there were any hints of problems, the traveller would either be held in the hospital block (a large isolation block on the opposite side of the port from the reception hall) or separately pending being deported. Indeed, it is reported that many hundreds died in isolation or on the return journey to Europe.

As we were making our way to the reception hall, we got chatting to one of the guards about the history of Ellis Island. He “confidentially” told us that may immigrants did not get fair and efficient treatment from immigration officers who were prone to bribery (to ensure “fast-tracking”) and did a good service in selling overpriced travel tickets to the vulnerable and naive visitor. This was not, he told me in a hushed whisper, “what our government wants you to hear” (interestingly, I have since read this “confidential” information in a standard guidebook!).

The entrance hall to the reception building was a large open space, and it must have been awe-inspiring to the weary traveller who would then have been forced into line to jump through a wide variety of interviews and checks. I guess they would have been totally intimidated and some would have answered incorrectly with the resultant deportation. There’s a large display of “abandoned” luggage in the refurbished building (it cost £160 million to carry out the work to re-open as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum in 1990), and there’s loads of plaques, some recorded oral histories, and statues recounting the fascinating story behind the island and its 100 million anxious visitors.

Outside, the “American immigrant Wall of Honour” weaves its way around the footpaths overlooking the island of Manhattan. On our visit the setting sun cast eerie shadows on this copper wall engraved with over 600,000 names. We recognised the odd one as our distant relatives, a spooky experience.

On the ferry journey back, the skyline appeared to be on fire with the most superb red sunset that I’ve ever seen. The moon was as low as it could get, nestling between the high-rise buildings, and passengers were heard to shout, “That’s a true Kodak moment.” Indeed it was!

This was our first visit to the States and our first long-haul flight, so it was with some trepidation that we landed at JFK Airport. My cousin had arranged most of this trip for us and was driving up from Atlanta to meet us at the airport. We’d managed the plane journey with no real problems, but as we came in to land, the anxiety set in. The airport was massive, and as we walked through to the arrivals lounge with our luggage, there was no sign of my relatives. We didn’t think for one moment that he had abandoned us, but after 20 minutes or so, we did begin to wonder why we hadn’t ascertained the name of the hotel or obtained a telephone contact number. Just as the anxiety levels were reaching their peak (just short of palpitations!), my cousin and his wife strolled into the airport lounge grinning from ear to ear. Typical - they’d been sitting outside in the car, believing that the plane had been delayed!

We had an enlightening tour of the area while trying to find a diner. This was our first American meal, and we disregarded our cousin’s advice to “split a meal” and opted for two separate helpings. Wrong! The portions were huge, and we really struggled with our meal, leaving the vast majority still untouched on the plate. After a few knowing looks from the American branch of the family, we headed off to the suburbs to find the hotel that they’d booked us all in. It seemed miles away, but they explained it was probably as easy, and far more economical, to board outside of the city.

I have to say, I did begin to question this logic, because it was a fair train journey into New York. However, the first full day being a Sunday, my cousin felt confident to drive into the very heart of the city. On-street parking was available, and there seemed to be an absence of parking metres (guess it’s a bit different in the week). My son had put in a special request for some specific clothes from a very specific shop – Xlarge. We had the address, but no idea where we were going. My cousin had already asked the police for directions to a toilet (they had been unable to help), and now he strode back in their direction with the opening line of “Here’s another one you won’t be able to answer”. “Whoops,” thinks I, “not the best way for a law-abiding citizen to approach a couple of gun-laden police officers." But they responded with good humour and pointed us towards the tube with very clear instructions, including “and don’t bother us again, sir!”

Our most bizarre experience was to take place the following day. We’d booked for Cabaret in New York’s theatre district and planned to have the whole day in the city. The reception staff at the hotel recommended that we park the car next to a shopping mall, and we found a nearby street and walked the short distance to the train station. Straight onto the platform at Hicksville and wait for the next commuter train. The journey was interesting (it was all new to us), and about half-hour later, we were beginning to enjoy the delights of New York. A couple of meals later, a day's sightseeing, and a great show, and we’re heading back to our hotel.

Now we all feel fairly confident with the train service, and we hop on a train heading to Hicksville – lucky it arrived within seconds of us getting to the station – and settle down for the journey back. We “rest our eyes” on the train... and then my cousin is urgently telling us to wake up, as our station is in sight. We all pile off the train and walk along a long platform, down a couple of flights of stairs to the street below. But wait - the station at Hicksville was a simple platform. Our wives were “corpsed” – tears of laughter running down their faces. We were mystified. There was no one around, and although the station said Hicksville, this was not where we wanted to be. I speculated that it was like one of Stephen King’s dead zones – and now we’re all confused and laughing hysterically. We had no idea where we were, where the car was, or, more basically, the address of the hotel (all those details had been left in the car).

Our American cousins assumed some responsibility (after all, it is their country!), and they strode off in the direction of a light in small circular building. It turned out to be a taxi office, and a small, rotund “director” sat high in the centre directing taxicabs on the radio and taking bookings. The atmosphere hung heavy with cigarette smoke, and my cousin, who miraculously remembered the name of the shopping mall in Hicksville, requested a cab to take us to the car. It was a fair journey, and it turned out that Hicksville had two stations on different routes from New York, and we’d clearly taken the wrong one!

But our day’s experience was not quite complete! As we turned the corner, a police officer stood near our car. As we approached, having paid off the taxi, the officer called my cousin by name. “Do I know you?” asked my cousin in a overly familiar tone. “Not yet,” responded the officer, “but a few seconds longer and you’d have had my autograph on a bit of paper!” It turns out that we were facing in the wrong direction and the local residents had complained about “an abandoned vehicle parked on their road.” A close call - the officer took pity on us, cautioned my cousin, asked us about England, and then waved us a cheery goodbye.

What a great initial 24 hours on our first visit to the US of A! Surely things couldn’t get worse! Well, in fairness, they didn’t! The rest of our month’s trip to the States was full of adventure and some incredibly refreshing experiences. We were enchanted by the cosmopolitan nature of New York, the friendliness of the people, and how thoroughly safe we felt as we explored the mighty metropolis. This town positively buzzed, and yet we never felt hassled or rushed. Despite the hordes of people milling around, it was surprisingly laid-back and relaxed, and the pace of life didn’t seem rushed – sectors of the city even seemed to have a “small-town environment”. There was a level of politeness that is often not present in large towns, although I was disappointed to only hear the American greeting “have a nice day” on the odd occasion. What did surprise me was the real warmth that greeted us as visitors from the U.K. and the apparent admiration that people seemed to pile upon my cousin when they picked up that he had an English cousin.

New York was perishingly cold, and we’d taken the advice of my cousin to travel light. By the time we’d got to Boston, we needed additional “winter clothes,” and stopping off in a mall, purchased a set of suitcases, an overcoat, sweaters, shirts, trousers, and shoes. Struggling to the checkout with our bargains (there was a “serious sale” taking place at Macy’s), we were asked if we wanted to participate in the free roulette draw. It was free – what did we have to lose? The electronic wheel spun and we earned a further 50% off our purchases. What a great country – cheap clothes and then a massive discount! My cousin virtually exploded with delight, and we happily left the store with broad smiles. Within moments, we were approached by a couple asking us if we were the English couple who'd just earned 50% off our purchase. “Yes,” we said with some apprehension, waiting for the catch with our win. “Well done," they said with real conviction. “I don’t suppose you know how we’d get to Lincoln from London?” What a coincidence - their son was attending the newly opened university in my hometown, and they were about to “go visiting.” We were happy to advise. It’s a small world, ain’t it?

As an appetiser for our first visit to the States, New York was just the trick, and you may not be surprised to read that we enjoyed our experience so much that we intend to return – after, that is, we’ve explored a bit more of the country.