My stay in New York City was intense. Since my trip was more about Canada, the United States were some kind of short bonus. But, at the same time, I wanted to do a lot. On my first day, I visited the Statue of Liberty and on my second day, I walked in Greenwich and did short cruises. On my last day in the city, I organized a full day of visits with views from the tallest buildings.
A Tight Schedule To See All Of New York City
My plan was: Rockefeller Center, then a walking tour, then Empire State Building, Fifth avenue, maybe the MoMa, Central Park, Time Square and, finally, Empire State Building by night (included in the day ticket). Then (yes, that’s not all), back to the hostel to prepare my bag for Washington because I was leaving at 8.30 for Washington.
Honestly, when I look at that schedule, I’m stunned. Stunned that I wanted to do all that, stunned that I managed to do it. When I think about New York City, I have a memory of being stressed and tired, too many people, too many lights, too much noise. My brain was constantly on. I always thought that the city was too much for me, but maybe, I would have experienced it differently if I had done less.
However, since I haven’t been back to the U.S. since that time and since it was New York City, I’m kind of glad that I made the most of it.
At The Top Of The Rockefeller Center
The Rockefeller Center is massive. It’s a commercial center, not just a tower. To give you an idea, the Rockefeller Center includes 19 buildings! This is where you see the giant Christmas tree in American movies.
When you “visit” the Rockefeller Center, you usually mean that you visit the Top of the Rock, which is the observation deck of the center. From the 70th floor of the tower, you get an incredible 360° view on New York City.
I had booked my ticket for 8.00 am (crazy me!). Despite a few clouds and some wind (it was October), I had great weather and felt like the queen of the world. This is one of those moments when I told myself that I could really do anything I wanted. After all, I was in New York. New York! The place you see in movies! It doesn’t even feel like it’s real. And yet, there I was at the top of New York City, by myself. What a feeling!
At The Top Of The Empire State Building
In the afternoon, I went to the Empire State Building. The ceilings were super high, there was a lot of gold everywhere and the style reminded me of the Disney movie Hercules. I was very impressed by the elevator. It felt a little bit like taking an elevator to see the Gods. But also very business-like. Not exactly the type of place where I would imagine myself going every day.
During your visit of the Empire State Building, you see an exhibition about the construction, and you have a 360° view of New York City. You go to the 86th and 102nd floor. Once again, I was very impressed by how smooth the elevator is. It feels like a second and poof! You’re there!
Unlike in the morning, the weather was not so nice. The clouds were covering the skies, and so, my photos are a bit grey. Still, it was once again amazing to see New York City from up there!
Which One Did I Prefer?
It’s hard to say because the two buildings offer similar views and are both very impressive (especially if you come from a small city like me). However, I think the Empire State Building’s tour was a bit more complete. The exhibition was nice. Black and white photos showed the dangerous working conditions of men during the construction. It was interesting to have some background information on the building.
Plus, the AM/PM option to see the view during the day and at night was pretty cool!
New York City By Night
After going to the MoMa and walking in Central Park, I came back to the Empire State Building. My ticket included an entrance during the day, but also an entrance to see the city lights at night. I wasn’t going to miss that!
I tried finding the same buildings I had seen in the afternoon, but for some of them, I could only guess. The bridge looked really nice. I think it’s good to see the views at night too, because it is a different experience. The night makes it calmer, I think.
This was a great way to conclude my stay in New York. The next day, I traveled to Washington.
To see more photos of the United States, you can visit the gallery United States of America.
