New York, New York

New York is one of my favorite places in the world, because there are so many things to do that, regardless of how many times I visit, I don’t have to repeat anything twice. Central Park is one of my favorite places to go. It is worth a trip all of its own. During this trip I spent almost a full day there and only covered a third of the park and still didn’t fully explore everything in this area. Visit Strawberry Fields for a tribute to the Late John Lennon, and be sure not to miss the Central Park Zoo. It’s small, but well thought out. The rainforest exhibit is amazing and not to be missed. In the penguin habitat, the penguins will swim up to people who are lining the windows looking into their tank. This is also a great area to cool off on a hot day.
Battery park is also a nice way to spend an hour. This is where tickets can be purchased for the ferry to Liberty and Ellis Island. There are also street performers, souvenirs to purchase, pictures for New York, and a sculpture that use to stand in front of the Twin Towers, as well as a fire that was lit when the plane hit the towers. This is definitely more of a tourist’s park then anything else.
Just a brief walk from Battery Park is the New York Stock Exchange and Wall Street (one of the most expensive areas of New York due to the architecture). A few blocks down is Ground Zero. This is easy to find due to the large cranes that are still clearing out the area and building. A fence surrounds most of the area. If you walk across the street you’ll see steps. At the top of the steps, there is a little decorative platform. Standing on this will give you about a three-foot lift and a better view of what is beyond the fence.

Quick Tips:

Suggestions for things to do:
1. Start early, this way you can beat the crowd and the heat.
2. Hit Central Park in the afternoon, this way the heat of the day can be avoided by covering of trees.
3. Get an all-day Metrocard for at the subway station.
4. If you want to visit a museum, check the day and times that it is opened. Sometimes activities take longer then expected so things get pushed off to the next day. Museums keep strange hours,
5. Treat yourself to an ice cream at Serendipity. The dessert is delicious and worth enough for two people.
6. Head out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island early. Lines are short of both tickets and security (think airport-like security). The amount of people on the ferry is also less allowing for better photo ops.
7. Visit the stores in Time Square
8. Toys R Us isn’t just for kids, in New York anyway. This was one my 70-year-old grandmother's favorite parts of the trip. The store is three floors and has a full-sized Ferris wheel; Lego sculptures; and a two-floor, life-sized Barbie house.

Best Way To Get Around:

Getting around is easy because there are so many options. First is to drive; however I don’t suggest this. Unless you are familiar with the city or have a ton of extra cash floating around to pay for parking then this is the way to go. Taxis are another option, but only if you are going a short distance. Taxis are expensive. The best way that I have found to catch a taxi is to find a hotel or a store with a doorman and have him flag down a taxi. Usually they don’t even have to flag them down because the taxis are lined up waiting for people as is.
Then there is the subway. Maps can be found in every station and maps are usually available at hotels, but my favorite way to get around is the bus. The bus goes to the same places as the subway, but you actually get to see where you are. This way you can get on and off at will; however, be sure to ask the driver where to pick up the bus to get back because it isn’t always obvious. Also the drivers are a great source of knowledge as well as other riders. They are more willing to help, even when you don’t ask. Tell the driver where you want to get off and he’ll let you know when you get there. The bus is a ride, but if you go to any subway station, an all-day ticket can be purchased for all the all buses and subways. This allows you to get on and off as much as you want without paying.

The Broadway Hostel n' Hotel. Wow, what to say? I picked this hostel over a nice one that I stayed at only a few blocks away because it was rated one of the top 10 hostels in the world. After staying there, I have to question if the reviewers went to the same hostel as I did.

For $30 a person I got a room with two bunk beds for the night. The lobby was dark and dank, but the people at the front desk seemed genuinely nice. I should have suspected something was wrong when I realized that they didn’t have a cash register, but instead all of the money was kept in an envelope.

The hallways to the rooms were tiny and the walls were warped. All I could think while walking down it was that I was happy that I wasn’t in a wheelchair, because I wouldn’t have gotten far. The rooms were bad. First they were tiny and painted white, not red and spacious like the pictures showed. I couldn’t imagine four people staying there. The floor also had holes torn into it with pieces of jagged linoleum sticking up (one that I tripped over and gave myself a nasty bruise). The wholes weren’t confined to just one area either. They were all over with the biggest in the middle of the room. The room also had an a/c, but it barely worked. The only plus side to the room was that there was a sink randomly in the sitting in the corner.

The bathrooms, god, I don’t even want to describe them. First the toilets had some strange things floating in them. The floor was nasty, and the tub/shower—I couldn’t be paid enough to shower there. The shower was covered in dirt and it looked like the paint was peeling around the tub. I think it was a while since it was cleaned. Unlike other hostels which have a large public bathroom this one had two private bathrooms. A nice idea at first, but I soon realized that they were always full. Even at 2am.

At the end of the hallway were a small room with two computers, (to access the Internet you swipe your credit card for access), a vending machine, and lockers (which are usually located in the rooms).

Upon check-out we were more than happy to leave; however, we weren’t the only one with complaints. There were two British boys talking to the person at the desk about problems with the beds, walls, and a whole in the ceiling which was leaking onto them during the nigh. I didn’t catch the whole conversation, but as they walked away one yelled, "let’s return to our dream!" Apparently it wasn’t resolved to their satisfaction.

In short I wasn’t expecting the Plaza by any means, but this was far below any hostels standards that I’ve ever been to.

There is a trick to getting service at Serendipity 3; don’t wait outside. The inside waiting is small so most people wait outside. The host tells everyone that there is an hour wait time, but she never goes outside to call people in. If you stay inside you can cut that hour down to about 10-20 minutes.
Although the name may seem odd (it pays homage to the three people who started the restaurant also known as the Serendipity 3) this isn’t your average popsicle stand. Located in a basement on East Fifty-Eighth Street everyone from Bill Clinton to Andy Warhol has eaten here.

Serendipity is a hodge podge of items. The inside looked appropriate for the Mad Hatter to have his tea party there. Stain glass lamps hung from the ceiling and white marble taps were crammed into the building. Shelves near the register are packed with interesting knickknacks such as cookie monster cookie jars, action figure dolls, and books of all kinds.

It isn’t just the interior that people come for but the food. After being seated the host will hand you a menu over a 1-½ foot high. Most people come for the ice cream, which are more than enough to feed two people. Their drug store sundaes are three huge scoops. I split the Forbidden Broadway Sundae with my grandmother, and we both agreeded that it was one of the best sundaes we had ever had. It consisted of chocolate Blackout cake, which was still warm, next to vinella ice cream and topped with hot fudge. The only complaint was the whipped cream. It was very sour. Almost like it went bad. We weren’t the only table taking it off. The sundae cost $13.50. We also decided to split an entrée, The Alamo. I had some reservations about this black beam burger, but it was a wonderful pleasant surprise. The burger tasted unlike anything that I had before. It was almost like a cross between a hamburger and refried beans. I also highly recommend adding the picante salsa and the sour cream. The Alamo was only $10.
Serendipity 3 offers a wide variety of food besides the ice cream that is famous for, such as Lemon Chicken, Cheddarburger, and Chicken Nachos. Regardless of what you get you’re guaranteed a delicious twist on old favorite.

The idea of the Statute of Liberty conjures up many different ideas of what it is, but almost everyone’s first though when they see it is "wow, it’s small." The Statue is 152 feet tall and weights 225 tons. France gave the statue to the US in 1865 as a sign of friendship and close historical ties between the two countries (France helped the US win their independence from Britain during the Revolutionary War). The ferry for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island leaves every 15 minutes from Battery Park starting at 8:30am. Tickets ate $12 more if you want an audio tour. If you want to go into the Statute then order the monument time passes online. They sell out quickly, and when you get to the Statue the lines are LONG to get inside, even with the pass. Get to the park early, because you need to pass through security. The ride to the Statue of Liberty takes about 15 minutes.

There isn’t much to do on Liberty Island. There is a gift shop and usually a park ranger giving talks about the history of the Statue. When getting back onto the ferry to the Ellis Island is careful of which ferry you board; one heads to Ellis Island and then back to New York and the other goes to New Jersey. Ellis Island was my favorite of the two destinations. The space in the complex is devoted to the history of the island and the immigrants who passed though it. Tourist can learn about the whole process that the immigrants went thought once they arrived in New York through photographs, documents, and even quotes from the people who were there. Other exhibits such as "Treasures from Home" show off items that immigrants brought with them from home, and "Ellis Island Chronicles" tells the history of the island itself. How it started as fishing to how it grew in size from 3 acres to 27 acres. There is also a show for an extra $6. The show Island of Hope/Island of Tears is decent. It lasts 25 minutes and tells the story of a few immigrants and their journey to Ellis Island. It was decent but reminded me more of a bad High School play then a professional production.

There is even the American Family Immigration History Center, where for $5 you can research your family. All you need to know is the name of the person who came through island and you can find a wealth of info. My search lead me to a manifest of two people who could possibly be my great-great grandfather, but what I didn’t know is that they both came over with family members that I never knew about.

I’ve taken several trips into New York since September 11th, but have managed to avoid this area. Like most people that day fills me with more emotions then I can put into words. I lived in Pennsylvania and remember listening for the sound of the lost plane that was lost over my state. I remember sitting in graphic design when the department secretary came in to tell us that a plane hit the World Trade Center. I remember when it wasn’t an accident and it became an attack. I remember trying to track down friends who were to be in the towers that day. I remember sitting with my career counselor as she got the call that her son missed his flight earlier that day and wasn’t on Flight 93. I listened to my teacher describe the sight he saw as he stood nearby the towers. I remember being in New York a month later and witnessing a funeral for three police officers who were never found. I remember as the limos drove to the church a small toddler hanging out the back holding a picture of his father. I remember the street was so quiet that I could hear a conversation on the other side of the road. I remember my friends telling me the ground zero was still full of smoke. During this trip to New York I realized that I needed to put my demons to rest.

Once the tallest buildings on Earth after they were built in 1972, the Twin Towers were built to bring back companies to the financial district. It worked. On any given day 50,000 people came to work at the World Trade Center and 200,000 visitors were in the building making a grand total of 250,000 people on any given day.

Today the sight of ground zero is nothing more then a dozen cranes rebuilding the area. A fence surrounds the construction sight leaving very little to be seen. A few holes in the tarp give a view of what is happening on the other side. If you cross the street and go up the stairs to the building on the other side there is a small, decorative platform about three feet tall. Standing on this platform gives a great view into the construction area. Other then that there isn’t much to see. People walk by with only a few tourists stopping to look. When leaving my grandmother commented on how she was surprised that nothing was built there yet. I know that they are working to finalize plans, but what memorial can be placed there to properly pay tribute to the events that happened? Ground Zero isn’t a site to go see to say you were there. It is a place to reflect; a place to let go. A place where life can be put into perspective and leave everyone with a new understanding of the world that we live and a reason to look for the good.

It’s not a large zoo, but somehow they have managed to create a beautiful environment and pack quit a few animals into Manhattan. Admission is $6 for adults and $1 for children. The entrance costs covers the zoo as well as the separate children’s zoo. In the middle of the zoo is the sea lion tank, where very social sea lions swim near the glass sides of the tank and even pop up to the top and swim around to the delight of everyone.

Past the seal lions is the cold climate animals, penguins, polar bears, and puffins. The penguin habitat is a breath of fresh air on hot city days. While there I found that several of penguins were awaiting the hatching of their eggs and the guide in the habitat was more than happy to answer any questions on when the babies were expected to be born as well as any other penguin related question. This building was build so that there are huge glass windows that allow for viewing of the penguins on land as well as under the water, and the penguins seem to love to swim right next to the glass. In the same building, across from the penguins is where the puffins are and a few ducks. The ducks are extremely friendly and would follow me from one side of the tank to the other. Outside of the penguins habitat is where the polar bears are. There are several great viewing places in various areas around the cage to get up close with the bears.

On the other side of the zoo was my grandmother’s favorite attraction: the rainforest. This is a walk in exhibit that recreates the rainforest and actually puts you in the exhibit with the birds flying around you. One the second floor there is a separate room with glass cages to view small monkeys and snakes. Although very interesting this room is very humid, smells, and feels like there is very poor ventilation making me want to move though there very quickly.

Besides the animals the park is a sight to see in itself. Beautifully manicured and well taken care of I would say it is not only of the best zoos I’ve been to, but also one of the most aesthetically pleasing. Throughout the zoo are various poems that go from one exhibit to the other. Most are about the animals that are housed in the area, but others just speak to the beauty of nature. I had reservations about visiting another city zoo, especially after my experience at the LA zoo, which offered poor viewing of the animals, less than stellar looking grounds, and graffiti everywhere; the Central Park zoo was its opposite in every way.

Although they don’t offer crowd favorites such as elephants, giraffes, and other large animals I do have to compliment them on not trying to force these favorites into a small space.

I’ve visited New York several times, but never spent much time in Central Park, what a mistake. I never realized how beautiful or expansive this park was. Covering 843 acres the park includes a zoo, restaurants, a castle, several statues, a museum, as well as two ponds. There is so much to do here that Central Park could be a trip in itself.
The park isn’t hard to find either. Look for the first sign of trees; the park is full of them. Being in Central Park truly makes me feel like I left the city and was back home in Pennsylvania. Throughout the park there are directories of where to find specific sights in the park; however it is almost better to print out a map of the park before you go because finding these directories is almost as hard as finding what you are look for. Besides that they don’t list several of the statues that I was looking for that I found on Central Park’s website.

My main goal for visiting the park was to find Strawberry Fields. It took hours, a side trip to the zoo, several confused conversations with other lost tourists looking for the memorial, a run in with a renegade sprinkler, and a sighting of the Dekota before finding it. The memorial was created in 1981 in memorial for John Lennon by his wife. It’s across the street from the Dekota on West 72nd street. One of the paths leading to the sight has a plaque stating “Imagine all the people living life in peace” and lists all of the countries in the world. At this point I put on my I-pod, put on the song Imagine, and proceeded to the memorial. The black and white memorial has a circle in the middle with the word “Imagine” written in it. A group of hippies keep constant vigil, rearranging flowers left there into peace signs and taking pictures with tourists while holding signs that say, “adopt a hippie.”

Crossing the park near the great lawn is Belvedere Castle. It has been turned into a nature museum, but I find that truly just a beautiful piece of architecture just to stop and look at. It’s even more impressing when you don’t expect to see it and round a corner only to find an amazing castle standing in front of you.

Keep going past that is the Met, and in the museums back yard it an Obelisk. Brought to New York from Egypt this is another unexpected site to see however it somehow fits. On the sides of the Obelisk are hieroglyphics. At the base are plagues that translate the story; however several sections have been worn off though time and it is reflected on the plagues below because huge sections are left blank.

My only regret was not finding a good book, packing a picnic lunch, and find a boulder to sit on under the shade of trees, and enjoy people-watching.

When I told my grandmother that I had to take her into Toys R Us she though I was nuts, but just stepping into the store converted her. This is a Toys R Us unlike anything before, a child’s paradise. The store can only be described as a cross between Charlie’s Chocolate Factory, Disneyland, and Santa’s Work Shop.

Once inside the doors employees will ask if you want a commemorative picture taken, but they are almost invisible amongst the colors, sounds, and the ferris wheel that is staring at you. This store houses a three-story ferris wheel that is decorated each car with a different theme such as My Little Ponies, Toy Story characters, and Scooby Doo.
The Lego section of the store makes larger than life replicas of dinosaurs, Captain Jack Sparrow, and my personal favorite King Kong climbing the empire state building. In the action figure section Superman is holding back a truck that has crashed though the ceiling and thereby saving all of the shoppers below. There is even a GI Joe or two parachuting from the ceiling as well. Barbie fans won't be disappointed either. There is a two-story, walk-in Barbie dollhouse where everything and anything Barbie can be had.

I also found toys here that aren’t anywhere else such as dolls with the NYC logo on them, but the best was the Mr. Potato head, where for $18 his box can be stuffed with all accessories you can fit into it. The attachments aren’t the usual sort either. They range from Star Wars paraphernalia to Statue of Liberty Hats.

However, the best section is where all of the candy is. The area is decorated with life-sized Candy land characters and oversized gumdrops. There is an area where you can mix and match your own colorful bag of M&M’s. Upon leaving the store my grandmother was converted to a believer and keep on remarking about how there were more people in there taking pictures than actually shopping.