One of my dreams is to get to travel for work. Last weekend, I was given the opportunity to do just that. This summer, I’m working with international students who have come to my home city to learn and improve their English. Part of their program was a 4-day trip to New York City. It had been eleven years since I last went to New York. Fun and chaos ensued.
Times Square
We were dumped into Times Square after seven hours on a bus. Even when it’s not completely dark, the bright city lights are almost mesmerizing. They are just normal ads, some that we see every day on TV or online, but their enormity on the screens makes them feel larger than life.
I had never truly experienced Times Square, but this time around, it was our meeting point for nearly everything. There’s so much to do: see a Broadway show, go shopping, eat an overpriced meal. You won’t be bored.
Shop ‘Til You Drop
There is so much shopping to do. I mean, New York is practically a giant shopping center. But in the heart of Times Square, you can find almost anything. H&M, Disney Store, Adidas, souvenir shops … the list goes on and on. Most of the stores are several levels high. Even though the stores are about the same size as the ones back home, the extra floors make them look bigger.
See a Broadway Show
Unfortunately for me, I didn’t get to experience this myself. My dream is to see Aladdin on Broadway. Every time I passed the New Amsterdam Theater (where Aladdin is being performed), I felt like it was inviting me inside. There are so many shows to choose from. I was amazed at the famous people who perform on Broadway, too. I saw one show advertised with Chris Evans and Michael Cera, and Bette Middler is in Hello Dolly right now.
Madame Tussaud’s
I was really excited to go to Madame Tussaud’s. I went to the one in London and loved it. This one even had two people from my home town enshrined in wax. But I’m going to be honest: this is one place you can skip. The cheapest ticket you’re going to be able to purchase is $35 for adults. Many of the figures are outdated. Denzel Washington and Stevie Wonder looked nothing like they do today. Will Smith’s figure was from the first Men in Black movie!
They tried to make it more modern with Ghostbusters and King Kong exhibits. I was disappointed that they exclusively put in the new female Ghostbusters and made no mention of the original. You can also buy a wax version of your hand for $18. I was tempted, but it wasn’t worth it to me.
This was the biggest disappointment on my trip. It took less than an hour to go through. Some people in our group made it out in thirty minutes. Go see a Broadway show instead.
Empire State Building
I was so excited to see the Empire State Building. It’s been the subject of Gossip Girl and Doctor Who plot lines and is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It used to be the tallest building in the world, but now it’s not even the tallest building in New York (it’s the second tallest).
I really loved the feel of the building. From the moment you walk inside, you get that 1920s feeling and I loved it. Even the workers are dressed in 1920s bellhop garb. I was so tempted to buy a nutcracker dressed like that in the gift shop, but I didn’t feel like spending $50 on that.
Unfortunately, it was chilly and cloudy that day. It was raining off and on. After getting into the elevator (which goes super fast, by the way!), and stepping off on the 80th floor, you can look out the windows and get a look at the city. The windows were white with clouds. So we went up into another elevator to the 86th floor. On the 86th floor, there’s an outdoor observatory. You can look through powerful binoculars into the city. It was still very hard to see much. Sometimes the clouds would float away and would reveal a part of the city.
There is a 102nd floor, but you have to pay extra for that. I think it would be really cool to visit on a bright, sunny day. After spending some time on the 86th floor, I made my way down to ground level. Hopefully I’ll get to experience it again!
Eating Around the Empire State Building
We wanted to find some places for our students to eat not far from the Empire State Building that were quick. I took some students to Xi’an Famous Foods. It’s a Chinese noodle restaurant right around the corner. They make the noodles by hand and you can watch them doing it.
They have a varied menu: noodles, dumplings, and more. All items are around $10 and they give big portions. It looked like I didn’t eat anything off my plate because the servings were so big. Be careful with the spice level! I got the first spicy option and it was incredibly hot for me. I am a baby though when it comes to spice.
Our students kept telling us all day how much they liked the restaurant. When we left, there was a huge line waiting for the food. There were even real Asian people eating there, so you know it’s good!
Central Park
Central Park is huge. You could probably spend days exploring this area. I had never been before and I was really excited to finally see it. We first went to the Strawberry Fields portion. It’s a memorial dedicated to John Lennon. He lived and was shot outside the apartments on the side of Central Park. There’s a mosaic that reads “IMAGINE” in the middle of the area. There are people there playing John Lennon and Beatles songs on guitars and everyone wants to take a picture with the mosaic.
My number one priority was Bethesda Fountain and Bridge. That’s where Chuck and Blair were married in Gossip Girl, so of course it had the most importance. It was so magical to visit. There’s a fountain that is quite majestic, and the bridge looks like it’s been standing there for thousands of years. Many people come to take professional pictures here. We saw some people taking pregnancy and engagement announcement pictures.
We also took a trip outside of Central Park to find the Empire Hotel, the real hotel that was the fictional living space of Chuck Bass on Gossip Girl. On our way, we got to see a lot of the greenery and beautiful spaces that Central Park has to offer. To end our short time, we found Bow Bridge. It’s a nice, quiet place to take some amazing pictures.
Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Plaza
We spent a lot of the trip shopping. One afternoon, we had the opportunity to shop down Fifth Avenue. It may be known for Tiffany’s and Saks, but there are also many affordable shops, too. I can officially say I have some things from Fifth Avenue! I bought a pair for sandals from Zara and I splurged on a new wallet from Michael Kors. For a moment, I considered buying something from Tiffany’s, but I didn’t want to be the person to ask how much things cost.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral is also located next to Saks on Fifth Avenue. It’s rather new, just barely over a 100 years old, but it looks like any cathedral you could find in Europe. Even the Italians girls was with were amazed. It’s been the place of many famous weddings and funerals. It’s a must-see in New York!
A short walk from Fifth Avenue is Rockefeller Plaza. Right now, there is an art installation by Jeff Koons sitting outside 30 Rock called “Seated Ballerina“. It’s a 45-foot balloon and it looks amazing! I walked around inside 30 Rock and found a store. I only intended to walk out with a Tonight Show shirt, but I couldn’t resist the Ron Swanson mug! There were so many funny things there from the range of NBC shows, from Law and Order to The Office.
The 9/11 Memorial
The most emotional thing I experienced was The 9/11 Memorial. When I came in 2004, rubble and debris still stood in a hole in the ground. Now, the area is completely changed. The Freedom Tower was built and has become the tallest building in the western hemisphere. In front of the Freedom Tower stands the Oculus. It was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Now it serves as a transportation hub and it has some stores as well.
Around the corner is the 9/11 Memorial Museum and water fountains. I didn’t get a chance to go inside the museum, but the water fountains were so powerful and beautiful. The fountains stand in the base of the Twin Towers. The names of those who died line the fountain. Every day, the National Parks service places a white rose in the names of people who would be celebrating a birthday that day.
This was my favorite thing to see in New York. I still remember that day so well, and it’s great to see how we united as a country and recovered from the horrible thing that happened on American soil.
Lady Liberty
On our last day, we took a trip to Ellis and Liberty Islands. Warning: You need almost a full day to get everything out of these places. We only got to spend an hour on Ellis Island and thirty minutes on Liberty Island. Luckily, I had been there before, but I felt bad for the students who didn’t get much time.
I really wanted to go to the crown, but you have to reserve tickets six months ahead. How crazy is that? The crown was closed the last time I went there. Hopefully one day I’ll make it up there. I also really wanted to look at the registration for my family that came over to Ellis Island, but you have to reserve a 30-minute session for $7.
Goodbye, New York!
I could have spent several more days in New York. I wanted to find the Woolworth Building (Fantastic Beasts reference), see a broadway show, and just do so much more. Our trip was chaotic with fifty-two students and five monitors, but really, it was also a lot of fun. I even got to ride the subway for my first time and take a short trip to Brooklyn.
So for now, it’s goodbye, but hopefully, I’ll be back soon.
Is New York a dream destination? What have you done or would like to do?
