77 Journeys Oct 2015
To cover all the cities museums and art galleries you will need an extended stay. New York boasts myriad museums and art galleries. The spiral Frank Lloyd Wrightdesigned Guggenheim, the American Museum of Natural History and the Whitney Museum of American Art are three not to be missed.
Visiting New York is sure to bring out the urge to splurge and if shopping is your game a good place to start is SoHo: the perfect playing field. From major retail stores to glitzy boutiques, SoHo has it all. Then there’s Macy’s the largest department store in the world and Bloomingdale’s who each offer discount cards for international visitors .
Situated at Ground Zero is New York’s most popular attraction, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Here you will find the air heavy and the mood sombre. We spent the entire day there mostly in silence as we reflected on that horrible and fateful September’s day that changed the world forever.
5th Avenue is New York’s most famous shopping district, where the sidewalks are lined with “high end” designer labels. All the big names are here including Prada, Gucci, Saks and Tiffany’s. And if you have given your friendly bank manager a bit of a scare then pray for forgiveness at one of the many churches close by.
Regardless of whether you want to shop or just sightsee, the best way to get around is a 3-day GrayLine hop-on-hop-off bus pass. For a mere $49pp you can explore the entire city at your leisure. Included are uptown, the loop and night tours, as well as across to Brooklyn. The loop ticket also gives you entry to the Empire State Observatory, a ferry trip to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Museum.
Like all great cities, New York offers excellent restaurants. For the serious ethnic foodie, Little Italy and nearby Chinatown are both worth a visit. At the end of an evening meal, for New Yorkers the night is just beginning. So if you want to join in with a bit more glitz, venture into the bar or nightclub scene, better still take in a show on Broadway.
GETTING THERE: Air New Zealand have daily flights via Los Angeles or San Francisco with onward connections by United Airlines. CONTACT: Air New Zealand Holidays on 0800 747 222 or log onto their web-site www.airnewzealand.co.nz. TIPPING: Work on 10% for taxis and 20% for cafés and restaurants. BACKGROUND READING: Foders NYC travel guide, New York City for Dummies by Brian Silverman. FURTHER INFORMATION: NYC Tourist Board. Dennis and Rosamund Knill were assisted by NYCGO, GrayLine, Air New Zealand Parking and Southern Cross Travel Insurance