NYC is so much nicer, cleaner and more enjoyable already compared to Los Angeles. Not that we didn't like it, it just is not as good as New York.
Today we have covered a lot of the city, as walking and catching trains is so easy on the island of Manhattan. We walked 10 blocks last night.. in 15 minutes. This morning we slept in after our day of travel, and left the Hotel at around 11 with the intention just to go for a wander. We walked down Broadway, all the way to Columbus Circle. Along the road, we saw lots of piles of snow left over from the storm at preveneted us coming in the first place (to which Steph had lots of fun jumping in), hot food carts and beautiful buildings. There is a fair bit of rubbish still around to be collected after Hurricane Sandy, but the locals have bagged it up well and it does't look too bad.
The roads on Manhattan Island are really easy to navigate, and they have an awesome train network that is so simple to use, and safe. We went down to a Subway on 72nd to buy a 7 day ticked, but we had left our phone at home and couldn't remember our PIN numbers for our travel cards. So we ventured back up, and along Broadway down to Columbus Circle Shops. We went in to the centre, and looked around. We got to try some free food in preparation for Thanksgiving. The Turkey and gravey with mashed potato was amazing - with both wanted more! We then went down Central Park South Avenue, and got great views of the park from the slightly higher pathway. Squirrels, much to Steph's excitement, were running all around trying to look for food. They are damn cute... wouldn't mind some as pets.
At the corner of Central Park South and 5th Avenue, Ben was at home with Apple's flagship Store. It is a glass cube, with a suspended Apple logo from the ceiling, and the store is under ground level. We went in, and it was packed. Luckily, Ben resisted and didn't buy anything.
On the way back, we walked through Central Park, full of walkers, bike riders, school excursions and many people trying to sell you bike hiring services. It was relaxing, once we figured out to hide our maps, cameras and any other signs of "tourist" and they left us alone. We then walked back to our appartment, stopping for lunch at an American/Italian diner. The food was lovely, and pretty cheap, both of us getting a burger and fries.
After a quick stop via the hotel, we got our stuff organised and due to being a clear day, wanted to go the Empire State Building. We caught the subway down, and managed to remember our PIN numbers to buy a Metcard.
We walked along 34th Street past Macey's, and made our way into the foyer of the Empire State. It is a beautifully decorated art deco building - much to Ben's liking. We didn't have to wait too long for the lines, but they were building up behind us. Could not have timed it better. We wandered around and fought for camera space at the Observation Level on the 86th Floor. The views on a clear day are simply amazing - cannot even begin to describe. You can see as far as other states in some directions. As it was late afternoon, we managed to see a sunset and the city light up. To take advantage of this awesome time, we purchased upgrade tickets ($17 each) to go to the highest vantage point, on the 102 floor. It is much smaller up there, begining to head into the spire of the Empire State Building. We took some amazing photos using the new SLR camera, and enjoyed watching the buildings flick on their lights.
On our way home, we caught the subway again which really does make Melbourne's system look like a joke. We missed our train to Uptown where we were staying.. not worry, as they run every 4 minutes. It is also safe to use the train system any time of day, making getting around so simple in the city that never sleep. With that said, it really doesn't. People walk around here all the time shopping, eating and talking. It is so relaxing and nice to see such a wonderful city operate.
We are back at the Beacon now, but not before we had a lovely Italian dinner at Patsy's Pizza on the corner of Columbus and 74thW.
New York, in our first 24 hours, has been amazing, and we look forward to keeping you all updated on our travels here. Enjoy the pictures!
Ben and Steph
