NYC Day 3: The Final Day!

It was my Final Day 3 in Big Apple and had to explore gazillions of attractions as per my NYC checklist. My last two days had been outstanding in the city of skyscrapers. If you haven’t checked my Day 1 & Day 2, you can check it out. New York has such positive energy and persona like no other city in the world. New York City has been pictured in so many movies and TV series that Yellow cabs,  steam coming up through subway grilles, hot-dog stalls, neon lights in Times Square and concrete jungle looks so familiar and gives you the feeling that you have visited the city very often.

As we had already taken city sightseeing hop-on, hop-off bus tour for two days, we completed the loops of Manhattan’s Uptown, Midtown and Downtown and got down at  Empire State Building located at Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets.

Empire State building

If you have been to New York City and not visited the Empire State building, then you have missed one of the biggest attractions of the city. This is the second tallest building in New York City after the Freedom Tower. Movies like ‘An Affair to Remember’, ‘Sleepless in Seattle’, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and many more have been shot here. The Empire State building is 102 story and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. The Empire State building has an observatory deck at 102 and 86th floors which provide unforgettable 360° views of New York City and beyond. 

There are two types of tickets available- The Regular and Fast Pass. We bought the Fast Pass that claims that you don’t have to wait much but we waited for 35 minutes. Also in Fast Pass, you will get to watch two movies about NYC and the making of the Empire State Building, then they put you on a ride simulator that is narrated by Kevin Bacon.

Empire State building is worth to visit for any NYC visitor. The only annoying part is it’s always too crowded. The best time to visit is early morning or late night to avoid long queues.

Times Square

Our next stop was checking out the most famous square in the whole world – Times Square during the daytime. It’s certainly been estimated that Times Square is the world’s most visited tourist attraction. When you visit Times Square in Midtown Manhattan, you will find an answer why tourists from all over the globe come to marvel at the neon billboard? There are plenty of things to explore, from Broadway Theaters to live street entertainments. You can go shopping in the area and soak up the unique Times Square vibe.

This is the most famous Revlon iconic digital billboard in Time Square where you can always see crowd flocking and snapping.  With just a drawn heart and a hashtag #loveison, the crowd begins to buzz and pose and photograph. Then a countdown begins, 3, 2, 1! Flash!  The folks who made it inside the heart are shown on the screen.

This sounds crazy but it’s really overwhelming to see oneself on a big screen at Time Square. 😉

We also saw a very popular character of Time Square- ‘The Naked Cowboy’. He wears only cowboy boots, a hat, and briefs, with a guitar strategically placed to give the illusion of nudity. Through Wikipedia, I got to know that his real name is Robert John Burck and On October 6, 2010, Burck formally announced that he was running for President of the United States in the 2012 U.S. election as a candidate representing the U.S. Tea Party movement. I was quite amazed by this fact.

If you are at Time Square, you must visit world-class musical Broadway shows like The Lion King, Billy Elliot, Les Misérables, Spider-Man and Mary Poppins etc. I went for Mary Poppins and really enjoyed the show.

I had my first subway ride while returning from the Time Square 42nd street to Wall Street. I found the subway little suffocating but inside the train, it was a nice experience.

Freedom Tower / One World Trade Center

Our next stop was Freedom Tower / One World Center which is located next to our World Center Hotel. One World Trade Center or “Freedom Tower” refers to the main building of the new World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan. It is the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth-tallest in the world.

We reached there at around 10:30 PM and there were only 6-7 people present at observatory deck made on 100, 101, and 102 floors of the building. The 47-second elevator ride is thrilling and worth the trip by itself. No feeling of movement. While reaching upstairs, you will see a historical movie about how NYC looked like as it evolved over 300 years and then  the screens going up at the end to reveal the breathtaking view of NEW YORK city which was absolutely amazing and spectacular.

There is also a dining restaurant with a bar on the 101st floor that serves American cuisine but it’s pretty expensive. Overall it’s an amazing and astounding experience worth to watch for any NYC visitor. You can get stunning  views of Manhattan, New Jersey, Brooklyn, Queens and anything around.

Our long day was about to end and we could witness only a few main attractions of NYC. We couldn’t go to Central Park, MET,  Bryant Park, the Public Library, Brooklyn bridge etc, which is pending for my next NYC visit. I had an amazing trip and was high with NYC fever. Next morning, we got up to catch our early morning flight from LaGuardia Airport.

As it is rightly referred that ‘New York is not a city but a world itself.’   Trust me, It is true. There are enormous things to explore and I bet even a week is not enough to explore each and every attraction of Manhattan’s itself. I can only suggest you plan your checklist in an advance depending upon the number of days you are going to spend out there and places you want to see, else it would be very stressful for you.

Which is your favorite attraction in the New York City? Do share in the comments below?

Happy Traveling!
Ana