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It's cheap and covers some amazing scenery in a comfy environment, even the Amtrak food and drink is cheap. I accidentally booked a hotel in Canada, forgetting when I set it up to check which side of the falls I was on. Check it out at: writeronthestorm.wordpress.com
from Penn station to Niagara Falls
The viewing platform at the Rockefeller Center is less crowded that that at the Empire State and as a bonus you get to have the Empire State as part of your view. Go at dusk. Also you do not have to peer through wire mesh for the view.
For the best free view in the world go on this 25 minute commuter ferry to Staten Island and back again. Best views of lower Manhattan, and the Statue of Liberty. Before going, walk around Battery Park which has nice cafes and walks.
Battery Park, South Street, at Whitehall Street. Nearest subways: South Ferry and Bowling Green
The Circle Line is wonderful for a tour around Manhattan Island. It should not be missed. But much more exciting was our cruise on the Schooner Adirondack. There are some four sailings a day and we chose the sunset one.
You board at Chelsea Piers (on the Hudson near West 23rd). The two-hour cruise goes to the Statue of Liberty and returns, with champagne served by the crew.
The sunset cruise is particularly beautiful because you see the sunset to the west over New Jersey and to the east looms the skyline of lower Manhattan which is lit up brilliantly by the time you turn around and head back.
Unfortunately the cruise only runs from the end of April through the end of October. Cost is around $50, champagne included. We will never forget it!
A running track (1.58 miles) follows the edge of the reservoir (now officially the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir) and lets you experience the same views as Dustin Hoffman in the opening sequences of Marathon Man - the skyline of buildings that surround the park.
No worries about muggers - forget those scenes from Death Wish - you'll always have the company of other runners, even in the snow.
The reservoir is located in Central Park between 86th and 96th
70 floors above Rockefeller Center is the best observation deck in New York City. A 360' outdoor experience is possible from the 'Top of the Rock' terrace. Go to 50th Street entrance off 5th Avenue for ticket windows or buy online. Check out the great website: www.topoftherocknyc.com.
Rockefeller Center, 50th Street entrance off 5th Avenue
A rooftop bar with a spectacular view of the Empire State Building. Drinks are expensive, but worth it for the view!
230, Fifth Avenue, at 27th St. www.230-fifth.com
Staten Island Yankees are a minor-league baseball affiliate of the New York Yankees.
Admittedly, the standard of baseball is not as high as the NY Yankees or NY Mets, but they have a super ballpark.
Take the free Staten Island ferry from lower Manhattan, giving you a perfect view of the Statue of Liberty. 30 minutes later you arrive at Staten Island, right beside the ballpark. From your seat in the ballpark there are fantastic views to Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.
The most expensive ticket is $13, while a draught beer is $5. A community atmosphere IS New York City.
Richmond County Ballpark, Staten Island. www.siyanks.com
Try 'top of the rock' on the 69th floor. It's got the one thing the Empire State doesn't have - a view of the Empire State!
Queues are infrequent at the Rockefeller, even on the sunset trip which was very popular.
You get great panoramic views right across the whole area and can stay for as long, or as little as you like. Doesn't get packed at the top and most people are courteous enough to keep moving so that everyone has the chance to snap good photos. The only downside is that the Chrysler Building is partially blocked by the horrible Met Life carbuncle.
At ground level, the whole plaza is a good place to chill out/ have a drink or food.
49th and 5th Ave, Midtown Manhattan
The Empire State Building has one of the best views of NYC. To avoid the (long queues) I suggest going at 8.30/9 am.
Read more of my tips:
www.alib.co.uk/guides/index.htm
Take a taxi or walk - You can't miss it.
Get a rickshaw ride round Times Square. If you've never been to Times Square before you'll come out of the subway and be overwhelmed by it all. We found this a great way to soak it all up and it was definitely one of the funniest experiences we had in NY. We managed to get a 15-minute tour for $20, which I thought was a bargain (about £6 each between two people). You're bound to get a cool guy or girl with a story to tell who will give you a individual and real tour of the city - they live there after all. A lovely Israeli guy picked us up. Revel in being a proper tourist for a bit, being ferried round in the open air. You won't feel overly secure dodging in and out of the Times Square traffic but that was all part of it. If you don't take it too seriously, like a gondola ride in Venice, you will love it, laugh a lot and be glad you did it.
Just hail one down. Preferably choose the best looking one because you will have a view of their arse the whole time.
Take the A and C lines of the subway to the first stop beyond the East River, which is High Street. Then walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge, keeping in the pedestrian lane - the cyclists come fast! You'll have a splendid view of the Manhattan skyline, though little is left of the tenements of Miller's View from the Bridge.
Likewise the free (yes, free) Staten Island Ferry will delight with this cityscape.
Not as crowded as the Empire State. Travel to the top is more interesting and the balconies at the top are better and the views are just as enthralling.
Plus you get a good sighting of the Empire State.
Rockefeller Centre
The Bridge Cafe is one of Manhattan's oldest boozers - and, thankfully, one of the least known. It sits beneath the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge and gives you good honest food and good draft beer at its long bar.
Walk down Water Street to get there - it's one of the city's last remaining cobble stoned streets and is a small shout away from the touristy South Street Seaport. Have a pint of Brooklyn Brewery white beer - made just across the East River - and then wobble up to the bridge, walk halfway across, turn around and take in Manhattan- it's just like the movies.
You'll never forget the view and to reacquaint yourself with the Bridge Cafe - right down below- totter back to the long bar for another Brooklyn.
279 Water Street, Manhattan; nearest subway: Chambers Street and City Hall
New obsesrvatory deck (opened November 1 2005) on the top of the Rockefeller Center. Amazing views of the park, bridges and, of course, the Empire State building! Well worth it and wait times to get in are currently considerably shorter than the Empire State as it's new and still being publicised.
Rockerfeller Center (nearest station is 47-50 Rockefeller Center)
Lasted three hours, costs about the same as the Statue of Liberty trip. We had the same views of the statue plus toured the rest of Manhattan. No x-ray/search as per Statue of Liberty and Empire State so much more enjoyable and relaxed.
It leaves from pier 83, which is right next to the air and space display and concorde so all in all great value plus you don't get the disappointment of finding out after the security etc to get to the Statue of Liberty that you can now only go up the base not the actual statue.
To get a great experience of NY, jump on the Staten Island Ferry. It gives you a great view of the downtown skyline, Brooklyn and the Statue of Liberty. Also, it's free, runs every few minutes, and real New Yorkers will be alongside you. Once you get to Staten Island, get right back on a return ferry and enjoy the fab experience again.
To get a similar view, you could take the Statue of Liberty Ferry, which is not cheap and usually has a long queue. Only take that if you want to tour the Statue of Liberty, which is usually full of kids and queues.
Battery Park, which is very downtown; the end of Manhattan. The park and ferry terminal are very well sign posted.
Empire/ Fulton ferry state park - The most dramatic views in the city, situated on the waterfront underneath the coming together of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges in DUMBO, Brooklyn - surrounded by old industrial buildings - The drama is heightened by the subways rolling over the Manhattan bridge - used in numerous films eg The French connection
York St subway station on the F line
It is the best place for completely chilling out and people watching. I've been there in the summer and in the fall and both those times of year it is beautiful. I would now love to see it in covered in snow. It's a great place to sit with a book or your journal on a sunny day and it's a great place just to wander around and watch people rollerblading and seeing some of the strangest buskers I have ever seen. You forget you are in the city, but there are some fantastic views of the skyscrapers of New York from the park reminding you that, as peaceful as it is, you are still in one of the busiest cities in the world. Check out the fantastic view from the Wollman Ice Rink. It is very easy to lose yourself for an entire day just chilling out in Central Park.
Head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art just before it closes and go straight up to the rooftop; when we went there was a bar on the rooftop and we had a glass of wine and watched the sun go down over the city - the views are amazing.
Metropolitan Museum of Art in Central Park
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