When we originally planned this trip we planned to spend the beginning of our trip in New York to see a couple of sites that we had not seen on our last visit. However, when Neil realised that the Dallas Cowboys were playing the New York Giants here in the middle of our trip we reorganised the entire schedule and asked Liam if he’d like to join us for our time here – Neil has always been keen to go to an American football game and Liam is a VERY keen fan of the Dallas Cowboys. So this morning we left Philadelphia for the relatively short drive to New York. We’d originally planned to stay for a night out near the stadium in New Jersey but we realised that getting to the game would actually be simpler by catching public transport from Manhattan. I had already booked two nights in lower Manhattan but we stayed for our first night in midtown, near Pennsylvania Station. We stopped off to do a little shopping at a huge Outlet Mall in New Jersey before we drove into Manhattan via the Lincoln tunnel and checked into our one night stay at the Hampton Inn Madison Square Garden. Thank goodness this was for only one night and we’d spend most of it at the game. The room was TINY!
We dropped our bags and headed out for a short walk up to Times Square and a little look at Macy’s
In the early evening we headed around the block to Penn Station to catch the train to Metlife Stadium. We knew we were going the right was as we just followed the crowd of Giants fans ( and a reasonable smattering of Cowboys fans) to the right train.
The stadium is HUGE and seems even more so as it’s out in the middle of a vast expanse of parking lots. The security to enter the ground was thorough, you can only get in with a very small bag at most. We headed up to the second level and found our seats. The pre-game show was already going on, a DJ . The crowd continued to stream in until the stadium was pretty close to full, around 80,000 people. The noise was tremendous.
I’m no judge, but Liam said the game was a good one. It was pretty tense at times when the Giants pulled ahead but in the second half the Cowboys forged ahead and won the game. A very satisfactory finish!
It was a bit nerve wracking leaving the stadium, with over 70,000 people all heading out of the same space but was very well organised. We found our train and headed back to Manhattan, ready to fall into bed at 1:00am!
Next morning we slept in a little and then walked over to the west side to take a walk along the High Line. The High Line is an elevated freight rail line transformed into a public park.. After our first visit, I was not really a big fan of New York, it just seemed like a noisy, grubby succession of congested streets and highrises. So, It was a really pleasant change to get away from the noise and dirt of mid-town to walk through the quieter, residential Chelsea area and to climb up the stairs to discover this lovely long park. It is dotted along the way with interesting sculptures and lovely seating areas and views out to the Hudson River and up to the tops of the Empire State Building etc.
WE went back to the hotel to check out at noon and collect our car. Then it took us around a half and hour to drive the 3 1/2 miles from midtown down to the Battery area where we were booked for the next two nights. Manhattan streets are a nightmare! We were very happy to have a much more spacious room at our Holiday Inn and after dropping the bag s we set out for a walk down to see if we could find some lunch at Battery Park. Again, I prefer this area so much to mid-town. There was a nice breeze blowing off the river and we enjoyed our sandwiches looking across the water to the Statue of Liberty in the distance.
After lunch we walked back up to the 9/11 Memorial at the site of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center. There are two huge “pools” with ater rushing down into them and the names of all those who died inscribed around the edge. Above it towers One World Trade center, or by it’s alternative name “The Freedom Tower”
Nearby is the Oculus, a transportation hub and shopping mall built alongside the One World Trade Center.The building houses the subway station that was destroyed at 9/11 and also houses many shops. It designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. He intended it to resemble a dove leaving a child’s hands. You can see it in the tall, crossed steel columns that make up the exterior. Together, this series of columns forms a pair of 350-foot wings. The interior is spectacular with a souaring white ceiling.
We were pretty tired after our late night so headed back to the hotel to relax before dinner, on the way we stopped briefly to take a look at the very old graveyard at Trinity Church, where Alexander Hamilton is buried. Then we detoured briefly to take a look at the New York Stock Exchange.
. Dinner was at the hotel restaurant St George Tavern. I had a really delicious Shrimp Scampi.
We had a fairly early start today for our last morning in New York. We needed to be down at the Battery by 8:30am to go through the security for our cruise out to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It’s another glorious sunny day , we have been so lucky with our weather so far. The boat trip was short and we collected our audio guides and made straight for the pedestal. They sell a limited number of pedestal tickets each day which gives you interior access up to the top of the pedestal, the Crown of the statue has been closed since 9/11 but we learned that it will be reopening in about a months time! However, I found the 215 steps to the top of the pedestal were enough for me anyway, the elevator is reserved for disabled people. The view from the top was great
WE stopped in to take a look at the Museum on the Island which describes the construction etc. They have full size replicas of her foot and her face, as well as the original torch.
After that we hopped on the next ferry that would take us the short trip across to Ellis Island, known as the ‘Island of Hope and Tears’, was the largest gateway for millions of immigrants looking for a new beginning and a new life for their families in America. Ellis Island was once America’s busiest immigration station that operated for over 62 years (1892 until 1954) and saw millions of people from around the world. Inside we saw the huge Registration Hall where all immigrants went through a health check and answeres a series of entry questions before being allowed to enter the country. Some who were unwell were cared for in a hospital on the island before being allowed to carry on. An unfortunate 2% were deemed unsuitable immigrants and were shipped back to their homeland.
WE stopped for lunch at the cafe and sat on tables that were replicas of the ones that the immigrants were fed on while they waited on the island.
back on the ferry we enjoyed the view from the roof as we cruised back to Manhattan. We went for a walk up the gardens and boardwalk that border the Hudson river and stopped in at what we remembered at the Wintergarden but has now been renamed Brookfield Place. WE rembered this space from our last trip to NYC. In 2008 we had stopped here on our City Tour and had a view down into what was then just a big pit construction zone for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. It was interesting to see how the view has changed now. Now, you look across to the Oculus. We then headed back to the hotel to rest ( my legs were pretty stuffed after all those stairs)
