Brooklyn Bridge & South Street Seaport

After visiting Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, we headed over to South Street Seaport to look around and to chow down on some lunch. Pier 17 is right there as well. Pier 17 is essentially a mall and we found lots of cheap places to eat on the top level. We enjoyed going out on the terrace and enjoying the view of Brooklyn Bridge and the East River. After taking in the sights there we headed to The Brooklyn Bridge and hiked across. Once in Brooklyn we got a little lost but eventually found our way to Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. After Ice Cream we grabbed dinner at Grimaldi's and headed back to the hotel to get ready for the show that night.




Picture of Pier 17 from Brooklyn Bridge



South Street Seaport view of ships and city.



South Street Seaport shops




Shopaholic posing in front of the Broolyn Bridge on Pier 17



Click to enlarge. Panoramic shot of Brooklyn Bridge. Taken at Pier 17



Brooklyn Bridge looking from Brooklyn to Manhattan. ESB visible on far right.

FAO Schwarz Toy Store

FAO Schwarz is an immense and amazing toy store for kids and adults alike. So much to look at while you are there. We both gravitated towards our intetrests. This is the store featured in the movie "Big" with Tom Hanks. The keyboard shown is the modern version and has a pretty hefty pricetag.

Rockefeller Center

Lots to see and do at Rockefeller Center. Top of the Rock, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick's Cathedral, NBC studios and store, ice-skating rink, and lots of statues and sculptures. All very close to each other. We were there grand opening weekend for the skating rink. They had just finished assembling.



Walking around "Top of the Rock". Much less crowded than ESB. Great views of Central Park, Uptown and Midtown buildings.



Zeus knows what he is talking about.



Trying to balance on a steel beam as part of the Top of the Rock experience.



St. Patrick's Cathedral- Also fun to look around inside. Across the street from Rockefeller Center.







How many skittles can you count in there?



NBC Studios to the left. NBC Store with lots of show merchandise to right.

Chinatown

We went to Chinatown first thing one morning. We found a quaint bakery and bought some fresh and delicious Chinese pastries. Nearby we found a park where we could sit down and eat. The park was filled with many elderly Chinese playing card games at picnic tables. The women were off having their own game while the men were off at other tables. Walking through Chinatown is like being transported to another country. The Bustling streets are filled with sights and smells very foreign. Many vendors are cooking or hustling their wares right on the sidewalk. From fresh produce to fresh fish Chinese are picking out their ingredients for that nights dinner. There are a lot of wonderful restaurants bakeries and souvenir shops. There are souvenir shops all over Manhattan. However, we suggest you ignore the urge to go in these shops. Just wait until you are in Chinatown and buy all of your souvenirs there. They will have everything you need. From t-shirts to baby turtles. They have it all and you can barter too! Bring cash as many shops to not take debit or credit. There are also shops for foot massage or accupuncture. There are vendors at every corner trying to sell Name Brand imitation purses.

Grand Central Terminal

The station certainly is grand and airy. A truly regal terminal for travelers. We enjoyed looking around and enjoying the architecture of the interior. Definitely a great place to people watch. Down below in the building's belly is a huge hall with many restaurants and vendors to buy lunch from. Perfect for the wary traveler. Also a subway museum can be found with many other shopping opportunities. Of special note is Junior's Restaurant. Junior's also has a special shop strictly with desserts. MMMM...cheesecake! The Grand Central link on this page has some excellent history on this magnificent building.


Click to enlarge. Panoramic shot of Grand Central



I love this shot! Gives you a feel of the "goings and comings" happening. It is fun to witness all the people in motion arriving for lunch or catching a train.




The roof is splendid with its many depictions of the constellations.

Empire State Building

Everyone that goes to New York HAS to visit the Empire State Building. We researched high and low as to when the best time of day is to visit. The answer is simple: Get there in the afternoon so you can see everything in daylight and then stay for sunset and darkness when the "nightlights" come on. We got there around 5 'oclock and waited about an hour to finally make it to the top. Its worth it. Everyone who has been up there will tell you that pics do not do the view justice. Its fun recalling such movies as "Sleepless in Seattle" and "An Affair to Remember" that were filmed there. Yes its touristy but an unforgettable and exhilrating view. On top and everywhere you go in NY, you will be amazed at how many languages and diverse cultures coexist. If you are wanting to see Uptown and Central Park from on high you can head to Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center. No, we did not see King Kong on top while we were there.






Click to enlarge. Panoramic shot of Hudson River and NJ. In the lower middle you can also pick out a section of Madison Square Garden.



Click to enlarge. Panoramic shot of downtown Manhattan. You can pick out the Brooklyn Bridge, Flatiron Building, and even the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island in the distance.



Click to enlarge. Panoramic shot of the East River Looking toward Brooklyn. You can pick out Chrysler building, United Nations, Roosevelt Island etc.




Gorgeous view of Manhattan from ESB




Inside The Empire State Building



View of the sunset over New Jersey "The Little Garden State" from ESB


"I am too high up. Don't make me look." This is the view looking from Top of the rock towards Midtown and Downtown Manhattan.



Our first sight of the Empire State Building when we left the hotel.

Our Crazy Mad Itinerary

SUNDAY
Arrive/check in am
Walk to Flatiron (Fuller Building)
Madison Square Park
Church in Chinatown Mandarin Ward
Central Park
St John the divine

MONDAY
Central Park
Central Park Zoo
Walks in Central Park
Carnegie Deli
Row Boats on pond in Central Park
59th St bridge red sky tram to Roosevelt Island
Empire State building at night

TUESDAY
Statue of Liberty
Ellis Island
Fulton St Market lunch
Financial district Wall st
Federal Hall
Brooklyn Bridge
Grimaldis Pizza
Brooklyn ice cream company
8PM Drowsy Chaperone

WEDNESDAY
Chrysler Building
Rockefeller Center (top of the rock)
Grand Central Terminal
Junior’s for lunch
Fifth Ave/Madison Ave Shopping
St Patricks Cathedral
Times Square at night
Virgil’s for dinner
8PM Mary Poppins

THURSDAY
Museum of Natural History
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Gray’s Papaya
FAO Schwartz /Tiffany
5th AVE Madison Ave Shops
Katz’s Deli

FRIDAY
China Town
Pings Seafood
Chinatown Icecream company
Lombardi's Pizza
Little Italy
SI Ferry at night
National Comedy Theatre

SATURDAY
Manhattan Temple Lincoln Center
Upper Central Park
MACY'S
Ice Skating @ Rockefeller
Pack and go home ; (

The hotel and flight are booked! Here lies the future site of our lovely trip to New York City in the Fall of 2007. Pictured is a great shot of the Flatiron building. Interestingly enough, the Flatiron building was orignianlly named the Fuller Building, but quickly received its nickname as the Flatiron Building.


WIKIPEDIA.ORG (2007) REFERENCES THE FOLLOWING:
"I found myself agape, admiring a skyscraper — the prow of the Flatiron Building, to be particular, ploughing up through the traffic of Broadway and Fifth Avenue in the late-afternoon light."
-- H.G. Wells, 1906

The building, which took its name from the triangular lot it was built on[1] (the Flatiron block, so called because it was shaped like a clothes iron), was officially named the Fuller Building after George A. Fuller, founder of the company that financed its construction two years after his death.[2] Locals took an immediate interest in the building, placing bets on how far the debris would spread when the wind knocked it down.

The building is also said to have helped coin the phrase "23 skidoo" or scram, from what cops would shout at men who tried to get glimpses of women's dresses being blown up by the winds created by the triangular building.[3] At the rounded tip, the triangular tower is only 6.5 feet (2 meters) wide. The 22-story Flatiron Building, with a height of 285 ft (87 meters), is often considered the oldest surviving skyscraper in Manhattan, though in fact the Park Row Building (1899) is both older and taller. Today the Flatiron is a popular spot for tourist photographs, a National Historic Landmark, and a functioning office building, currently home to several book publishers, most of them under the umbrella of Holtzbrinck Publishers. It is also used as the Daily Bugle building in Spider-Man. The surrounding area of Manhattan is named the Flatiron District for its signature building.