America||The best sights in New York City (and how to get there) Part 1.
NYC, New York, New York, The Big Apple (or whatever you want to call it). It can be a very daunting place to travel, especially for solo first time travellers. It really doesn't have to be scary though, and navigating your way around New York is easy and exciting with a little pre-trip planning. I am off to New York City (don't think I've mentioned that yet..not) in November and I couldn't be anymore excited if I tried. I thought I would put all my excited energy into planning the trip.
So the main aim of today's post is to give you all the low down on where the best tourist places are to visit in the city, AND more importantly how to get there via public transport. My main source of transport will be the Subway as I think it is easier and cheaper for everyone, for those who have been to New York you will know that Taxi's are extortionately priced and not always the quickest way of getting to each destination. The Subway's are much more efficient and cost effective, they are also quite fun (providing you don't get lost). As there are SO many sights I would like to see on my trip I have split this post up into two parts, so look out for part 2 coming shortly.
So of course we are starting off with one of (if not THE) most iconic statue in the world, and that is The Statue of Liberty. Located on Liberty Island in New York Harbour, this is one of the most visited landmarks in the city approximately 4 million people visit a year. The statue was built in 1886 (It was given as a gift from France) and it's full name is Liberty Enlightening the world. It actually represents the Roman goddess of freedom. The statue is an impressive 93 metres and if you want to get to the top be prepared to climb the 354 stairs inside!
The statue is technically free to view but not free if you want to climb to the crown, and you will also have to pay for a ferry which will take you over to the island. Here is a recommended website to visit in order to do this, with all the prices.
How to get here: Getting to the harbour where you catch the Ferry to the Statue is easily done on The Subway. The nearest Subway Stations to Ellis & Liberty Island are South Ferry Station (on the Red Line, number 1- this is the closest to the Ferry Port), Whitehall Street Station (on the Yellow Line, R) & Bowling Green Station (on the Green Line, number 5).
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| South Ferry Subway Station, 1 (The Station to take to the ferry for Statue of Liberty) Photo Credit: wiki |
Times Square
Times Square, New York is one of the busiest Squares in the whole world, it is often compared to Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, because SO many people visit it daily so it is always packed to the brim with people, especially at night time when the whole place comes alive. You absolutely have to visit this place in Midtown Manhattan, even if it is to just people watch (something I find very interesting not only here but in the whole of New York City). There is so much to see and do here and it is right near the main intersecting streets in the city (at the junction of Broadway and 7th Avenue) the square stretches from West 42nd to West 47th Streets.
How to get here: To see this place via the Subway you will need to get of at Times Square 42nd Street Station (On the Purple Line, number 7, the stop is in between 34th St, Hudson Yards and 5th Avenue stops).
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| Times Square- 42nd Street Subway Station, N,Q,R,S,1,2,3,7 Photo Credit: Wiki |
9/11 Memorial
This is somewhere I think everyone should visit whilst in New York, it is such an important part of American History and should be seen. The memorial itself was set up in honour to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Centre, and Pentagon, as well as the 6 people killed in the World Trader Centre bombing February 1993.
As you can see in the photo the site has two reflecting pools which are nearly an acre in size, they both feature the largest man made waterfall in North America. They sit where The Twin Towers Building once stood. The names of every person who died in 2001 & 1993 are inscribed into the panels to the side of the memorial pools. This is a very quiet and tranquil place and of course very melancholic, it is a place people come to remember the horrific events of that day in 2001 and 1993 and the scale of the tragedy which shook not just America but the entire world.
To visit the memorial you will need to queue and book tickets.
How to get here: The nearest Subway Stations to the venue are Cortlandt Street Station (Yellow line, R) Chambers Street Station (Red line, 1,2,3) and Rector Street Station (Red line,1).
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| Cortlandt Street Station, R,W Photo Credit: secondvenuessaga |
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| Chambers Street, 1,2,3 Photo Credit: Wiki |
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| Rector Street Station,1 Photo Credit: nycsubway [Statue of Liberty to 9/11 Memorial Route: Approx 5 minutes. |
[Times Square to 9/11 Memorial Route: approx 17 minutes.
Take the 2 Train (Red line) from Times Sq, 42nd St and get off at Fulton Street Station No changes.]
Empire State Building
Another big tourist destination I want to tick off my list is the famous Empire State Building located in the centre of Midtown Manhattan, 5th Avenue and was built in 1931. This is THE place to go if you want to get some amazing views of the city, it offers a 360 degree panoramic view. It is open every single day of the year from 8am to 2am. The Building features observation decks (main deck 86th floor and top deck 102nd floor), a lobby, visitors centre and exhibits (Sustainability Exhibit & Dare to Dream Exhibit) as well as restaurants.
The ticket structure is quite different depending on how many their are of you, and if you want to purchase express passes (beat the queue tickets) all pricing info can be found here on their website. Children under 6 go free. A standard pass to the main observation deck is $32 per adult and $52 for both decks. VIP Express pass is $60 per adult or $80.
How to get here: The nearest Subway stations to the Building are 34th Street-Herald Sq Station (Yellow line, R,N,Q- the nearest), 33rd Street (Green Line, 6) and 28th Street (Green line, 6).
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| 34th Street- Herald Square Station, B,D,F,M,N,Q,R Photo Credit: citysar |
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| 33rd Street Subway Station,6 Photo Credit: alamy.com |
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| 28th Street,N,R,W Subway Station Photo Credit:wikimapia |
[The Statue of Liberty to Empire State Building Route:
approx 5 mins.
Take the 1 Train (Red line) from South Ferry get off at Rector St Station.No Changes.]
[Times Square to Empire State Building Route:approx 9 mins.
Take the Q train (Yellow line) from Times Square- 42nd Street, get off at 34th Street Herald Sq (Downtown) (N,Q,R). No Changes.]
[9/11 Memorial to Empire State Building Route: approx 19 minutes.
Take the R train (Yellow line) from 9/11 Memorial and get off at 34th Street Herald Sq (Downtown) (N,Q,R). No Changes.]
Central Park
Central Park is the biggest City park in the world (843 acres). So is it any wonder it attracts million each year? Not really no. Located in the middle-upper area of Manhattan this place has it all. One of the most popular things to do is to take a tour round the park. You can do this in one of the following ways, Horse and carriage tour, Bike tour, Pedicab tour or by simply walking round (which of course is free). Not only this but it also holds concerts and other special events throughout the year. One thing I particularly love the idea of is that you can actually get married here. They can hold fully licensed wedding ceremonies in the park- sounds like a fairy tale dream doesn't it? It is very centrally located (not called Central Park for a reason) so the park attracts people from all angles of the city, expect it to be busy especially during the sunshine.
How to get here: The nearest Subway Stations to the park are 86th Street (Green line, 4,5,6) 81st Street- Museum of Natural History (Blue line,C) and 86th Street (Blue line, C). I would suggest using 81st Street- Museum of Natural History as this will be the closet station to Central Park, it brings you out onto Central Park West!.
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| 86th Street Subway Station, 4,5,6 Photo Credit: dukelong |
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| 81st Street- Museum of Natural History, B,C Photo Credit: youtube |
Start at South Ferry Station take the 1 Train (red line) and get off at 79th Street Station. Walk for 10 minutes East. No Changes.]
[Times Square to Central Park Route: approx 9 mins.
Start at Times Sq 42nd Street take the C Train (blue line) to 81st Street- Museum of Natural History. No Changes.]
[9/11 Memorial to Central Park Route: approx 25 mins.
Walk 4 minutes to Fulton St Station get the C Train (blue line) to 81st Street- Museum of Natural History. No Changes.]
[Empire State Building to Central Park Route: approx 13 mins.
Walk 4 minutes to 34th St-Herald Sq. Station take the B Train (Orange line) to 81st Street- Museum of Natural History. No Changes.]
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge is the NYC landmark which concludes my post for today. It is another one of those iconic American symbols you can only dream about visiting, and its not until you see it up close and personal do you realise just how vast it really is. The bridge is one of the oldest in the United States and was completed in 1883 and is approximately 84 metres long. Construction of the bridge took approximately 14 years and cost a whopping $15 million. The sole purpose of the bridge is to connect the two borough's Manhattan and Brooklyn.
How to get there: If you are coming from Manhattan there are two stations which are near 1. Fulton Street Station (Red line,A,C,J,Z,2,3,4,5) or 2. Chambers Street Station (Red line, 1,2,3). If you are coming from the Brooklyn side of the bridge your only nearest station is High Street (Blue line, A-C).
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| Fulton Street Station, A,C,J,Z,R,2,3,4,5 Photo Credit: nymag.com |
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| High Street Subway Station, A,C Photo Credit: depositphotos |
[The Statue of Liberty to Brooklyn Bridge Route: approx 5 mins. Take the 1 train (Red line) from South Ferry and get off at Chambers Street Station. No Changes.]
[Times Square to Brooklyn Bridge Route: approx 11 mins.
Take the 3 train (Red line) to Chambers Street Station. No Changes.]
[9/11 Memorial to Brooklyn Bridge Route: approx 5 mins.
Walk 2 minutes to Rector Street Station. Take the 1 Train (Red train) and get off Chambers Street Station. No Changes.]
[Empire State Building to Brooklyn Bridge Route: approx 15 mins.
Walk 8 minutes to 34th St-Penn Station take the 2 Train (Red line) to Chambers Street Station.]
[Central Park to Brooklyn Bridge Route: approx 20 mins.
Take the C Train (Blue line) from 81st Street-Museum of natural history to Chambers Street Station.]
UNDERSTANDING THE NYC SUBWAY:
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| NYC Subway Lines, Photo Credit: nycsubwayguide.co.uk |
Okay so you've read all about the attractions and HOW to get to them, no you are wanting to know more about the Subway itself right? Well look no further. Above you will see the chart of the different subway lines.
NB. New Yorker's do not refer to the subway trains by their colours, they use the numbers instead. So if you were for example going to Rector Street Station you wouldn't call it the red line you would call it the 1 Train (I only used the colours in my post to make it easy if you aren't familiar with the NYC subway system).
In order to ride the subway in New York you will need to purchase a Metro Card found below:-
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| Photo Credit: travelorg |
Pricing:
Regular Card (pay per ride)
The regular metro card as mentioned above (aka the pay per ride card) is the most popular way of paying for your travel on the subway. You top this card up with $'s and it deducts the money off each time you travel. With this card the cost of a single ride is $2.75 (regardless of destination or length of ride), the cost to buy the card is just $1 and can be shared by up to 4 people (must be swiped at barriers individually though).
If you top up more than $5.50 you are eligible for an 11% discount.
Unlimited Ride Card
Another option is to buy the unlimited card which allows you to ride the subway as often as you like within a certain time period. At the moment there are two periods to choose from a) 7 day pass and b) 30 day pass. The 7 day pass allows you travel the entire week for as many times as you want for $31 (and must pay $1 for the card itself) the 30 day pass allows you to do exactly the same but for $116.50 (again must pay for the card itself $1). This only applies to travel on a weekday, and this card cannot be shared with anyone unlike the regular card.
So that brings me to the end of my first post. I am hoping you will now feel a bit more confident about riding New York City's Subway after reading this, if not make sure you read this website here. It was such a good website for a novice like myself understand where I am going and it is actually really interesting too, make sure you come back again for part 2 of my NYC tour very soon.
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