New York, New York. This glittering metropolis is one of my favourite cities because of the incredible energy that fills the air, and the never-ending list of things to see. I have visited here a few times now, and have rarely used a taxi or a bus, just the subway a few times, (unless I was going somewhere specific), because New York is the perfect place to explore on foot. Even if it is twenty blocks to your destination, I love to walk there because whether you are looking at the buildings or the people, there is always something interesting to see.
New York gets extremely cold in the winter, and I hate being cold, so I have always opted to go at other times of the year and would recommend that you do as well. A lot of people want to visit the city during Christmas because it is so romantic, but the reality is you won’t be walking around and seeing the city because it will be too cold. You will probably be diving in and out of cafes trying to warm up, and by the end of your trip you will have ended up spending $100 on coffee. Fair enough if you have seen New York, but if it is your first time going, I really believe Spring is when you want to go, to be able to really see the city, and before the sticky heat of Summer begins, or alternatively September.
I did something on my last trip to New York which probably wouldn’t be much fun in the freezing winter, but it happened to be September, so it was all good. That thing was a boat ride on the Hudson River. Having seen the city on foot, I thought it was time to try something new and see it from the water.
The company that we went with was the ‘hop on hop off’ chain. The Red boat was decked out with lots of seating so there was enough room for everyone to be able to sit if need be. We wanted to get the best view, so we made our way up the stairs to the open deck. There was seating there as well, but not a lot. I recommend getting a space at the very back of the boat like we did, as you can see the most for the longest amount of time, and that way no one gets in your camera shot.
We left the harbour and saw Ellis Island first. Over 60 years ago, Ellis Island was the gateway into NewYork for immigrants, and this is why it became famous. Although people were allowed to get off here and explore, I didn’t as we were doing a sunset cruise, so the whole point was to be able to see the sunset over the Manhattan skyline. The Statue of Liberty was next on the list. Lady liberty really is beautiful. She is 93 meters high and was completed in 1986.
We got a great view of Battery Park while heading to the next point of interest, which was none other than the Brooklyn Bridge. Sailing under it as the sunset was breathtaking. Sailing through the East River up past mid-town is where we really saw the amazing buildings, like the Empire State and the Rockefeller Building. I already thought it was the most gorgeous city but this just confirmed it. We went all around the island, so I was able to see parts of New York that I haven’t before, like the lovely parks on the edge of the city that have the interesting backdrop of skyscrapers.
We were dropped back at the harbour one and a half hours later, feeling refreshed and mesmerised. Having the breeze blow through my hair while the sunset lit up my face, really made me feel like I was in a movie, but then I always feel like I’m in a film when I’m prancing around New York, pretending I’m Serena from Gossip Girl.
The cruise is a great way to see the City for first-timers and experienced Big Apple explorers alike. I hope you will consider doing one when you are there, as I will definitely do another one next time I am back.
It was a glorious day, the sun was bouncing off the skyscrapers which only added to the city’s beauty
