New York, New York

This was, by some margin, the longest trip I’d made for a few days away. A city which sums up Western culture, New York was next on the list of travels.

Sat in Newcastle Airport at 4:30 AM, I can tell you that the excitement was there on the inside even if we looked half asleep on the surface. The two and a half hour wait for our first flight to London Heathrow didn’t help this either.

This first flight only took 50 minutes; therefore it felt as though we were barely in the air. The sun had fully risen by the time we touched down in London; at this point we had plenty of time to make our connecting flight. This time was shortened a fair bit when our plane was stuck outside the terminal waiting for a place to park up. Slightly frustrating, but we didn’t need to fret, even if the gate for the second flight was some distance away.

A shuttle train goes between the gates at Terminal 5. We needed to stay on for the two stops, once at the gate we noticed we’d arrived just before the boarding announcement was made. Once on board, we made our way through the enormous Boeing 747 to our seats. Getting comfy for the seven hour flight was the next main task.

Not to sound too easily pleased, but thundering down the runway was something pretty special. It was phenomenal to think how something this big could even get off the ground, but there we were on our way over to North America. The journey was smooth enough to continue writing with very little turbulence. A novelty in these aircraft is being able to follow the 5500 kilometre journey on a map in the small screens in front of each seat. The route took us over the Atlantic Ocean, over Canada then down to Portland, Boston before landing at John F. Kennedy Airport at 11 AM local time.

The travelling took its toll on me; if the hour long transfer to the city was any longer then I’d have been out for the count. Fortunately we arrived at our hotel just in time. Located in Times Square and with two subway stations within a ten minute walking radius, we were in a prime location to get around the city. Our first walk out was for dinner at the famous Hard Rock Cafe. It feels as though I’ve been to a branch in practically every new destination; I’ve got the shirts to prove it.

We weren’t to be out late, but it was nice to take in New York, even if it was only the smallest of glimpses.

A nine hour sleep in the comfiest beds ever was desperately needed after the tiredness had beaten us the day before. it was an early start in order to get as much done as we could, by 8:30 AM we were soaring through the subway destined for Battery Park. This was the meeting place of a tour which would take us over to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a three hour excursion neither of us could wait for. The meeting point specifically was outside of Starbucks, a place which I later found out were ten a penny in the Big Apple, where we met our guide, handed a speaker and headphones before being whisked over to the ferry.

The first of many airport style security checks occurred before getting on board, but safety is the top priority these days. Once on board it was just minutes before we swung around in front of Lady Liberty herself, a sight which I wasn’t counting on seeing this early in my life. Surprisingly, she’s smaller than you might think. Yet i just pictured those millions of immigrants from Europe who must have been star struck upon seeing her on their arrival in their new country. She’s an almighty structure, to say the least.

The ferry drops you off at the back of the statue then, after a second security search, you get the chance to walk up to the top of the pedestal which places you right under the feet. We got a cracking view back towards Manhattan all the way across to the far end of the harbour and towards the Atlantic Ocean. There is also a small museum within the pedestal where you can see the original lantern the statue held as well as a life size replica of her face. Pretty neat stuff.

Once we’d been up close and personal with Lady Liberty, if was time to hop back on the ferry and head over to Ellis Island. Here, we were able to walk in the footsteps of those people over a century ago who moved everything and everyone they loved to the United States. The museum and buildings of the island are immense and also very beautiful, reminding us of how New York came to be so culturally diverse. The main reception building feels as though it’s hardly been touched in well over a century, the whole structure is quite basic but it would have been a rich beacon of hope for millions back in the day.

An extra part of the tour which we unfortunately were unable to take part in was a hard hat tour of the islands old hospital and mental institution, this undoubtedly not being something for the faint hearted.

The third and final ferry trip took us back to mainland Manhattan. From here, we headed up Broadway to find a place for lunch. We found a pizza place down a fairly secluded street just past Wall Street. The pizza pie at the top of the menu grabbed my attention; for 30 dollars we split a huge pizza which went down an absolute treat (especially as it was washed down with some real Brooklyn beer). With all the walking we needed to make the most of our breaks; pizza and beer helped us enjoy them so much more.

Our plans for the evening focused on a tour by night of the city. Starting in Times Square, we passed many of the unique structures. The Flatiron building was one of these buildings. Built in 1902, it is a bizarre piece of work. This is mainly due to the fact it only has three sides. It dominates Fifth Avenue with its 20 stories and it feels as though it could be an optical illusion from some angles.

The open top bus was a great idea which I thoroughly recommend, perhaps for when the temperature is a bit higher than it is in late March. If you do make the plunge you will be able to witness a phenomenal view of Manhattan whilst heading over one of the many bridges which stretch the Hudson River. I’ve said this many, many times before but this view of the towering structures is one which the pictures do not do justice. The night tour is great for this; you leave the city at dusk and return to the sensory tsunami which is Times Square at night. It feels like the middle of the day when you’re surrounded by hundreds of bombarding advertising boards. The smells of street food and the sounds of bustling crowds and vehicle horns make the whole experience incredibly intoxicating. When you’re wiped out from a day of walking, Times Square feels like a dream.