New York - The Concret Jungle

June 27, 2018

Time Square at night - All my photos

By now, most people who have been following my blog know that I am not a city person. Give me the bush and wildlife any day of the week. I would much rather be looking for tigers or other strange animal is some strange land then visit a city. However, there is something very special about New York. I really love that city - and I am not a city person. The is a buzz and activity which is hard to explain.

Anything goes on Time Square

I have been to New York a few times now and I have loved each trip. The Standard Operating Procedure when in New York is to get a two or three day "Hop on - Hop Off" bus ticket. This can be done on line before the time, but there are also many people on the street in New York selling the tickets for the buses. The people selling these tickets are normally around the bus stops on the route. This is a really great way to see New York. There is an open top deck on the buses, to you have an unrestricted view of the New York skyline. A great way to experience this city. There are a few different companies doing this tour, but they all follow more or less the same routes. The stops are at, or at least close to any of the main sights and tourist attractions in New York. There is a person on the bus providing very entertaining commentary along the route as well. I have done these tours every time I have been in New York and I will do them again. It is also a great way to get to the different tourist sites in New York.

Another very important thing to get to make your tour worthwhile is a "New York Pass". This is quite expensive, but once you have it, you have free access to many of the main sights and places which you would like to see. Once you have done three or four of the attractions, you have covered the cost of the pass. Anything over that, and you are scoring! The New York pass includes most of the main attractions, like going up the Empire State building, going up the Rockefeller centre, admission to the Museum of natural history, the Guggenheim, Madam Tussauds Wax museum, Museum of Fine Arts, and of course the World Trade Centre Memorial, to mention a few. Another good reason for getting a New York Pass, apart from the obvious savings, is the fact that at many of the attractions, they have a "fast track" line for people with the pass, so you jump to the front of the line. Some of the lines for the attractions can be very long and having a "fast track" option, can save a lot of time.

Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge

Hotel in Manhattan are expensive, and a bit dated. We stayed in the New York Hotel, literately just round the corner from the Empire State Building. I stayed in the Hotel Pennsylvania on 5th Avenue, which is across the Road from Madison Square Garden. When we took Hardy to New York, I broke the bank and we stayed in a hotel overlooking time Square. We could literately see Time Square from our hotel room. This was the Crown Plaza on Time Square. This was really great, staying right on Time Square.

I will need to do a few posts on New York, as there was just so much to see and do.