So two days ago I wrote about my first impressions about NYC. They still remain true, although I have visited so many more places since then. And for this reason I would like to share some of the things I learned in the process.
So, here is a list of some things I observed:
- If you wish to go to the 9/11 Memorial right next to the World Trade Center, make sure you get a ticket first. Until the new WTC is completed, you can only get into the memorial with these tickets. There are two ways to get them: go to the http://www.911memorial.org/ website and book your ticket there, OR physically go to the Preview Site store (http://www.911memorial.org/preview-site) and get yours there. I used the Preview Site and there was a line of about 50 people, but it went really fast and I got my pass in less than 5 minutes;
- If you wish to visit the Empire State Building, make sure you get your ticket online and arrive early. I got there without tickets at 11:30 and guess what: the place was PACKED. The line for the ticket office had over 100 people, and was going VERY slow. The line to get in the elevators was big too. They even have a "premium/express" ticket that allows you to avoid all lines, but it costs an unbelievable USD 47.50, whereas the standard fare is "just" USD 25. So book online and get there early;
- Provided that you are in NY strictly for sightseeing (and not shopping!) if you can cycle and have experience in riding in cities, I strongly recommend you get a bike. It is by far the best way to go around Manhattan and you can always find easy parking for it. There are some services that actually deliver the bike anywhere in NY (http://deliverabike.com/) and the prices are the best I have found: USD 30 per day or USD 80 for a week. They also pick the bikes up when the rental period is due. There are bike lanes in some avenues (they cut Manhattan vertically, so you can go North-South very easily) and going West-East is also possible using the streets, where the average speed is usually slower than in the avenues, and therefore more bike-friendly. Bikes are better than the subway because you don't have to wait and even when taking the subway, sometimes you have to walk quite a while to get to the specific place you need to. I don't know bikes are very good at night, but while there is daylight, it's the ultimate commuting way;
- There are bike lanes that border the Manhattan island and go almost entirely around it. So if in addition to commuting by bike you're also in for a pleasant ride, taking these bike paths is a great way to spend some quality time in NY;
- Museums: check online the operating times of museums before simply showing up at them. Some only operate in some days of the week, and most of them close at 5pm. But they open at different times, so in order to be sure, always check online first before spending time (and maybe money) and facing a closed door;
- It is possible to physically enter the FED building, located in the financial district. But you must book in advance though their website. They let you in their underground safe where they store over 17,000 tons of gold! It must be pretty nice to see this kind of stuff, but because I only found this out that one day before I came to NY, they were all booked and I couldn't get it. Use this website for booking your tour if you wish to go to the FED: http://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/visiting.html. Oh, did I mention that it is free? :)
- NY is a fairly noisy city, so if you need a quiet place to sleep, try to get rooms not facing the streets or the highest possible in the building. Or make sure your hotel has double layered windows;
That's it for now. If I find out more things that are worth writing, I'll update this post.
Cheers! And enjoy this fabulous city!
