The Big Apple
After Vancouver Milos and I hopped a bus across the border to Seattle where we we met up with Mike. Together we caught the red-eye from Seattle to New York on JetBlue (who I would recommend as the cheapest US domestic airline but who didn't suck at service or comfort). Once we got to the hostel on the Upper East Side we were pretty tired but it was too early to checkin. So rather than sit around all day we headed to the Guggenheim Art Museum and absorbed some culture.
Mike and Milos and the Guggenheim.
Then Milos and I headed down to Midtown via the subway. We purchased 7 day unlimited passes for $24 USD each and they turned out to be excellent value because we used the subway at least 5-6 times a day. In the Midtown area we checked out Times Square and Grand Central. It was at this point that we realised just how huge Manhattan is, walking 2-3 blocks east to west took about 10 minutes at a brisk pace.
Milos in Times Square
Chilling in Grand Central Station
The next few days were very relaxed. We saw more museums, including the MET which is just so huge that it took about 6 hours at a fast pace to see 80% of the exhibits. We also spent a large amount of time walking through the different areas of New York. Places like Greenwich Village, Soho, Tribeca, East Village, Wall Street, Central Park.
Mike and Milos in Central Park. No I don't know why they're holding hands either.
The boys showing that they're actually really really ridiculously good looking.
Pretty hard to believe this is in the middle of the crazyness that is New York.
At Wall Street we tried to fit in with the rest of the crowd.
Taken from a top the Empire State Building.
The Cloisters is a branch of the MET and houses the Medieval Art collection.
Which is mostly religious, but in the settings of an old monastery it's pretty cool.
Getting to the Cloisters involves a drive through a very different part of town called Washington Heights.
On my last night in town I took the Statten Island Ferry and tried to get some night-time shots of the tip of Manhattan and the State of Liberty. Unfortunately the view from the ferry was pretty atrocious at the best of times and very bumpy so my efforts were largely in vain. I think I got some that don't completely suck though.
Statue of Liberty.
And again.
Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge from afar.
Manhattan on the way back from Statten Island.
On the last morning in town Milos and I headed in to the UN and took the guided tour.
This is the Security Council where thousands of lives are almost saved. World peace!
We were allowed to enter the General Assembly while someone was talking. I'm sure it was a very productive meeting.
Well there you go. I didn't take that many photos in New York because to be honest there wasn't that much to see. What I felt I got out of the week was absorbing the flavour of the city. Seeing places that I've heard about in Law and Order and getting a feel for the New Yorker culture of expensive pizza and inexpensive hot dogs. I saw Rent while there and would recommend it to anyone going through town. If you turn up 2 hours before the show begins you can go in for the front-row lottery, doing this scored us 20 dollar front row tickets.
You might notice there isn't much mention of clubbing here. Well though we did go out two nights they weren't very eventful. To be honest I think you need more insider knowledge and a lot of cash to have a good night on the booze in New York, and I had neither. I did enjoy myself though.
Right now I'm relaxing in New Haven and will be for the next few weeks notwithstanding a short sojourn to Boston with the boys.
Mike and Milos and the Guggenheim.
Then Milos and I headed down to Midtown via the subway. We purchased 7 day unlimited passes for $24 USD each and they turned out to be excellent value because we used the subway at least 5-6 times a day. In the Midtown area we checked out Times Square and Grand Central. It was at this point that we realised just how huge Manhattan is, walking 2-3 blocks east to west took about 10 minutes at a brisk pace.
Milos in Times Square
Chilling in Grand Central Station
The next few days were very relaxed. We saw more museums, including the MET which is just so huge that it took about 6 hours at a fast pace to see 80% of the exhibits. We also spent a large amount of time walking through the different areas of New York. Places like Greenwich Village, Soho, Tribeca, East Village, Wall Street, Central Park.
Mike and Milos in Central Park. No I don't know why they're holding hands either.
The boys showing that they're actually really really ridiculously good looking.
Pretty hard to believe this is in the middle of the crazyness that is New York.
At Wall Street we tried to fit in with the rest of the crowd.
Taken from a top the Empire State Building.
The Cloisters is a branch of the MET and houses the Medieval Art collection.
Which is mostly religious, but in the settings of an old monastery it's pretty cool.
Getting to the Cloisters involves a drive through a very different part of town called Washington Heights.
On my last night in town I took the Statten Island Ferry and tried to get some night-time shots of the tip of Manhattan and the State of Liberty. Unfortunately the view from the ferry was pretty atrocious at the best of times and very bumpy so my efforts were largely in vain. I think I got some that don't completely suck though.
Statue of Liberty.
And again.
Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge from afar.
Manhattan on the way back from Statten Island.
On the last morning in town Milos and I headed in to the UN and took the guided tour.
This is the Security Council where thousands of lives are almost saved. World peace!
We were allowed to enter the General Assembly while someone was talking. I'm sure it was a very productive meeting.
Well there you go. I didn't take that many photos in New York because to be honest there wasn't that much to see. What I felt I got out of the week was absorbing the flavour of the city. Seeing places that I've heard about in Law and Order and getting a feel for the New Yorker culture of expensive pizza and inexpensive hot dogs. I saw Rent while there and would recommend it to anyone going through town. If you turn up 2 hours before the show begins you can go in for the front-row lottery, doing this scored us 20 dollar front row tickets.
You might notice there isn't much mention of clubbing here. Well though we did go out two nights they weren't very eventful. To be honest I think you need more insider knowledge and a lot of cash to have a good night on the booze in New York, and I had neither. I did enjoy myself though.
Right now I'm relaxing in New Haven and will be for the next few weeks notwithstanding a short sojourn to Boston with the boys.
posted by denny at 8:12 AM
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