Karl WP Beyer New York City has always fascinated us. We could spend weeks in the city without getting bored. Four hours of sightseeing in New York, like last time, is a ridiculously short time. However, there is no other way. We have four hours between an overnight stay in a hotel and check-in on a cruise ship at noon the following day in Cape Liberty/Bayonne, which we want to use sensibly.
In our case, using it sensibly means: We visit Grand Central Station, look at New York from the first viewing platform of the Empire State Building and visit Times Square and nearby Bryant Park.
Shortly before 8:00am we leave our hotel, which is only a few steps away from the Wall Street/William Street subway station. In the distance, at the end of Wall Street, we see the neo-Gothic Trinity Church. The church of the Episcopal Church seems a little lost amidst the skyscrapers towering over it.
New York - Trinity Church
Visit to Grand Central Station
Wall Street is deserted this Sunday morning. We pass Tiffany & Co., the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Hall National Memorial. For safety reasons, heavy metal barriers are embedded in the street in front of nearby Broadway, which can be hydraulically lowered if necessary. At Trinity Church we descend to the subway station, load our subway cards with enough credit for the day and head up to 42nd Street.
Our first destination is the Grand Central train station, which we always wanted to see. The terminal station, inaugurated in 1913, is the largest station in the world in terms of the number of platforms.
Grand Central Station
44 tracks end at 67 platforms. In order to accommodate the large number of tracks, the builders had the railway tracks end on two levels. Built in the Beaux Arts style, the multi-storey building is used by more than 500.000 people on weekdays. Nothing was saved, the ambience of the large hall looks classy. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Restaurants, lounges and shops are provided. The draughtiness of German train stations is completely absent. Grand Central Terminal is a train station to our liking.
Address: E 42nd Street
Our next destination - the Empire State Building
We leave the train station and walk down Park Avenue towards the NoMad district. The abbreviation stands for "North of Madison Square Park". At the 34th Street intersection, we turn right and follow this street to 5th Avenue. We've reached our destination, the Empire State Building is looming in front of us.
Empire State Building
The building, which was erected in a very short time between 1930 and 1931, measures 443 meters up to the tip of the antenna. President Hoover dedicated it on May 1, 1931. In 1986 the building was included in the list of national monuments of the United States. Our goal is the open viewing platform at a height of 320 meters.
Empire State Building - Entrance
Adults currently pay $44 admission; Seniors (62+) pay $42. Children are $38. If you want to skip the frequent queues, you can book an express ticket online for $55 beforehand, or pay an additional $10 on the normal ticket price from official mobile ticket vendors in front of the building. Credit cards are of course accepted. Expecting a longer queue, we opt for the ticket with an extra charge. As it turns out, the express ticket this morning is a bad investment. There is no queue. However, the spacious waiting area gives a bad idea.
In the waiting room, the first impression is that no expense was spared in the Empire State Building. We quickly learn that the inner steel skeleton weighs 60.000 tons and that Indians worked at dizzying heights with the riveting hammers. The building has two viewing platforms. The open, surrounding main platform is 320 meters high on the 86th level. The observation deck on the 102nd floor, which is subject to a surcharge, is 373 meters above sea level. It's closed. After going through the necessary security checks, visitors can use high-speed elevators to get to the viewing platform.
Empire State Building - Observation Deck
We circle the platform counterclockwise. We start with a view of the western Hudson River and West Village. Across the river is Jersey City in the US state of New Jersey. We overlook Chelsea Park and the almost obscured Hudson River Park. We see the entrance and exit structures of the Holland Tunnel. To the south we look out over the Financial District of Manhattan. The new One World Trade Center towers above all other buildings. Farther away in Upper Bay is Liberty Island with the Statue of Liberty and in front of it the immigration center Ellis Island.
We look out over the striking triangular Flatiron Building and Madison Square Park. Some of the buildings around the park were built in a kind of confectioner style. The Metropolitan Life Building, whose golden roof is visible from afar, is particularly impressive.
Flatiron Building
The Metropolitan Life Building
The East River separates the neighborhoods of Two Bridges and Brooklyn. The impressive Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge connect the two boroughs. To the east lies Hunters Point on the opposite side of the East River. Another eye-catching skyscraper is the Chrysler Building. The United Nations building looms somewhat hidden behind it. To the north lies the small Bryant Park below us.
Bird's-eye view of Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge
The characteristic Chrysler buildiing
Central Park, further north, is many times larger. However, the view of the park is severely restricted by the GE building. We ended our tour on the viewing platform. One last look is at Macy's department store. On the left behind is the Pennsylvania Station, almost hidden.
Central Park partially obscured by the GE Building
Macy's seen from the Empire State Building
Address: 20 W 34th Street
Open 365 days a year
Currently, a minimum of US$84 is required to purchase the Express Pass, which eliminates the need to wait in line. The Express Ticket entitles you to use the 86th floor:
Upon exiting the Empire State Building, we successfully resist the urge to visit the grand souvenir shop and cafe. Instead, we follow 34th Street west to Broadway. Macy's is on the corner of 34th Street and 6th Avenue. The largest department store in the world is around three and a half times the size of Berlin's KaDeWe.
On the way to Times Square
We now follow Broadway to Times Square (42nd street). At Herald Square, a small green area, we see the James Gordon Bennett Memorial. The monument commemorates the founder of the New York Herald and his son. – The fictional Gotham City, a synonym for New York, was previously only known to us from the comics about the superhero Batman. So we're all the more surprised to find Gotham Hall at 1356 Broadway. The former bank building was built in the style of a magnificent Roman building with columns and a dome. It is currently a representative venue.
Broadway / corner of 34th West
New York - Gotham Hall
We reach our penultimate destination of the day, Times Square. The large recruiting office of the American armed forces, an NYPD station and a Hard Rock Café in the Paramount building are located on the inconspicuous square. There are also huge illuminated advertising and ... and ... and.
New York - at Times Square
Bryant Park
On our list this morning is Bryant Park, a few hundred steps to the east. The sizeable green space was laid out between 1823 and 1840. In summer, many events take place on the spacious lawn. In winter, an ice rink is set up for skaters, a Christmas tree is set up and a Christmas market is set up. Its southeast side borders the New York Public Library.
At Bryant Park
Bryant Park
Bryant Park offers lots of greenery, a beautiful fountain, several kiosks, a children's carousel and a variety of seating options. At the park there is a hotel of the same name.
Carousel in Bryant Park
towards new goals
Four hours in New York flies by. In the end we almost have to rush. We taxi to our hotel on William Street, collect our left luggage and let a pre-booked limo take us through the Holland Tunnel Cape Liberty/Bayonne in the neighboring state of New Jersey. The cruise ship is waiting there Celebrity Summit with exciting destinations in the east of England and Canada.
Update March 2023