Quote:
Originally posted by dzsaigirl
I know that I want to see Times Square and the Empire State Bldg., Statue of Liberty, WTC site, etc. I do not know how much is possible in one day.
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The PA bus terminal is at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue.
Times Square starts at 42nd Street and 7th Avenue. That's a 5 minute walk. You'll want to walk around Times Square for maybe 20-30 minutes.
The
Empire State Building is at 34th Street and 5th Avenue. That's about a 10 minute walk from Times Square. Buy tickets in advance.
By now you two will probably be starving. I'll have to think about a restaurant, and some of the New Yorkers may have an idea, but there are some decent ones on Madison Avenue in the 30s. Madison is one avenue east of 5th.
At this point, the WTC site is just an open pit. All of the ad hoc memorials, that many found moving, have been removed. It is in Lower Manhattan, which is pretty dead on weekends. The
Statue of Liberty has been closed since 9-11, so that's pretty much out also. I would save those for a future trip, but you can still visit Lower Manhattan if you want.
If you want to visit Lower Manhattan, you'll take the 6 train to Brooklyn Bridge, walk past City Hall, and cross Broadway to get to
St. Paul's church, which is across the street from the WTC site. They were heavily involved in the recovery, and I believe that they have a public exhibit about how they served during that time.
After St. Paul's, you'll walk west one block to the WTC site. Look west at the tallest building around, in the World Financial Center. The WTC was twice as tall. After a few minutes of looking at the pit, it will be time to move on.
On to the
World Financial Center in
Battery Park City. You want to get inside, because it is a nice, small mall. Also, there is the Winter Garden, part of the WFC, which is one of the finest public indoor spaces around. If you haven't had a bite to eat yet, either eat inside by the food court (real restaurants,) or outside next to North Cove.
Walk west through the Winter Garden, and you'll be outside at North Cove. This is probably the nicest marina in the city. Walk north through the park (along the Hudson River), and you should see the
Irish Hunger Memorial. That'll take 5-10 minutes of your time, but its worth it. After you walk up the park, walk back south, around North Cove, and down the river. The Statue of Liberty should be in view most of the time that you are outside in Battery Park City.
As you walk down, you'll get to South Cove. Just south of that inlet is the
Museum of Jewish Heritage. This is closed on Saturdays. Keep walking down, and you'll be forced to walk east. You'll be at Battery Park. This park contains a lot of war memorials, as well as
Castle Clinton, the War of 1812 battery for which the park is named.
After this, you can walk to Wall Street, but the stock exchange is closed on Saturdays. There is
Federal Hall, a former capital of the US, and where President Washington was inaugurated. New York was supposed to be this nation's capital, but Hamilton struck a deal with Jefferson to get rid of New York's Revolutionary War dept, and the price was moving the capital to D.C.
By now its probably 4-5:00. Shows are out, as well as museums, unless we bump the whole Lower Manhattan thing back a few hours. That way you can squeeze in 1 good small museum. I would go to the
Frick Collection. That would mean taking the 6 train uptown, after the Empire State Building, to 68th Street, and walking to 5th Avenue, then up to the museum. That'll kill two hours of your time, but its a really good museum, and its in an amazing turn of the century mansion. While you're in that neighborhood, you can visit the Polo store at Madison and 72nd. Its also in a former mansion. After that, walk to Lexington Avenue, down to 68th Street, and take the 6 train to City Hall.
After you are done with Lower Manhattan, Take the 1 train up to 42nd Street, and walk back to the Bus Terminal.
Also, when you are dealing with numbered streets, 20 blocks = 1 mile. Numbered avenues from 5th Ave. on west are about 4 to a mile, and from Fifth Ave. east, about half as long.
If you have any more questions, yell.
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