This past week, I had a five day weekend and a seven day New York Pass. Cue the busiest, craziest week of my life. Even though I’ve been in New York for almost six weeks, I’ve been waiting to have a long weekend off to do all the typical tourist things that I’ve always wanted to do. And finally the time came.
Day One
On the first day, I did the Liberty Cruise to the Statue of Liberty and then to Ellis Island. I feel like this was the perfect way to begin my New York City tourist week; how do you get more New York than the Statue of Liberty? It was also an incredible experience visiting Ellis Island and learning about the history of immigration to New York. The amount of deep, complex history this city has will never cease to amaze me.
Later in the day I visited the 9/11 Tribute Center and then the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. The afternoon was intense and emotional. It made me see the city in a new light. While I’ve studied 9/11 in high school, it was an entirely different experience being there, seeing parts of the towers, looking at found objects and clothes. And by far the most emotional experience, was seeing photographs of the victims. Hearing a number is one thing, but seeing walls covered with images of real people is indescribable.
Day Two
For the second day of my week, I went to the Top of the Rock. Even though it was raining, the city still looked as breathtaking as ever. It was an incredible view and so odd seeing New York from above, rather than being in the middle of everything. From all the way up there, the city almost looked peaceful. Almost. Next, I did the Rockefeller Center Tour, which was amazing. It’s fascinating how much history a group of buildings hold and how important they are to the city.
Later in the day I did the Radio City Music Hall Stage Door tour. Getting to walk on stage at Radio City and then meet a real Rockette was an unbelievable experience. It blows my mind that I got to do that. Again, it was crazy learning just how much history is packed into one building. I was beginning to learn that in a city as old and as ever changing as New York, every brick has a story to tell.
Day Three
Day three kept me in and around Times Square. I started the day at Madame Tussauds, which is somewhere I’ve never been but have always wanted to go. I took a lot of selfies with my favorite stars and must have annoyed all my friends on Snapchat, but it was a fun way to spend the morning.
Later, I did the Madison Square Garden tour which was amazing. We went up to the top balcony and right down to the floor. We saw the arena from every possible angle. I’d love to go back and see a game or a show!
I finished off the day doing an Inside Broadway tour, where I learned about the history of various Broadway theaters. I heard stories and inside gossip of the lives of Broadway actors, past and present, which was a lot of fun for someone who loves the theatre.
Day Four
This day was dedicated to art and culture. Beginning at the American Museum of Natural History, the morning started off wonderfully. I even had to drag myself away from the museum to make time for the other two on the itinerary, which wasn’t easy to do. I spent two hours there but could have easily spend longer! However, there was more to do and more to see. So next up was The Metropolitan Museum of Art. While it is an incredible building, it is so huge that you could spend the entire day there and not see everything, especially if you keep getting lost like I did. I loved the modern art section at the Met and could spend all day in that area alone. Lastly, I went to the Guggenheim Museum, which was a let down. The building itself is wonderful and the permanent collection is not bad. However, the current collection by Agnes Martin was awful. It was the first time I felt disappointed all week and it made me glad I hadn’t spent my money. Maybe I just don’t understand or appreciate abstract art, but I’d wait until January to visit again, if I were you.
Day Five
On day five I did an NYC Slavery and Underground Railroad tour, around the lower East Side. The tour allowed me to see places I wouldn’t have otherwise and more importantly, learn about an aspect of New York’s history that I wasn’t really aware of before. It also made me realize that in this city, we pass by historical buildings and significant places every day, without every realizing what they are. In the afternoon I visited the Brooklyn Museum. While the exhibits were okay, I wouldn’t say it’s worth the subway ride there.
Day Six
This was the day I finally did The Ride. After trying and failing to get tickets twice, on this morning I was determined. I got up at 7 a.m. and was at Times Square by 8 a.m., and I managed to get a ticket. Fast forward to 7 p.m. and we were off! It was such a bizarre experience, riding around the Times Square area in a bus with seats that felt like I was at the theatre, while "random" people stopped by to dance and rap for us. Perhaps the funniest thing about the tour was how uninterested the New Yorkers on the streets were. It became immediately clear who was a tourist and who was a New Yorker, judging by who smiled at us and who didn’t even look up from their phones.
Day Seven
I saved the best for last. On my final day of the week I went to the Empire State Building. I went to the observation deck on floor 86 and it took my breath away. Seeing New York from that height, especially at night, was like being in a dream. It was the first time I truly understood the sheer amount of buildings, people and lives that exist on this island. It's the New York you see in films; it feels unreal that I'm here. Even after a week of doing some of the most exciting things New York has to offer, I will never stop falling in love with this city.
Total entry fees: $460.90
Cost of pass: $271.20
