Happy to be back to the city that never sleeps! The City where I once lived for almost three years. More than a year since I left New York and moved to Wisconsin. I thought I wouldn't see New York ever again, but a special occasion brought me back to the city that gave me a great opportunity to start my career while in the "Big Apple".
One day, I received a wedding invitation from my cousin who lives in NYC, she was getting married to her longtime boyfriend and she wanted me to be there with my husband. I told my husband that we were invited to the wedding and he willingly accepted the invitation. So I filed for a vacation leave from my job right away for 3 days. Yay, I'm going back to New York City!
We flew all the way to New York and landed at LaGuardia Airport where I used to work. The memories were still fresh in my mind. I missed my job so much and so as the airport itself and most especially all of my co-workers. I remember so well, the times when I was still working at this airport, I had a lot of fond memories here because that became a part of my life for two years.
When we arrived at the airport, I tried to look for my co-workers and I saw some of them, I was glad that they were still working there, they were on duty, busy assisting passengers, I really miss doing that. At first, I was so reluctant to get closer to them and interrupt them from working because I know the rules and regulations of the airport while the employees are on duty. But I couldn't help myself and approached them anyway, and besides I'm no longer their employee I'm now a passenger so I supposed it's okay to just say hello to them.
They were surprised and delighted when they spotted me, I told them how much I missed them all. However, it has been just a short conversation, I didn't want to interrupt them completely as they needed to assist some passengers. Thus, after I greeted them, my husband and I went straight to the hotel and rested for a while. My cousin's wedding would be on the following day, therefore, we had enough time to stroll around and re-visit the places that I have missed the most.
From the hotel, we went straight to the subway station and we bought a Metro Card that will be good for 1 week, even though we would just stay there for 3 days, the 1 week unlimited card would definitely worth the cost because we were planning to wander around the city for the whole 3 days of our stay there. Because of that, we had an unlimited access to the bus and subway as many times as we could.
Firstly, we decided to walk around Times Square and took some photos in this busy street. That was my husband's first time in New York as well, hence, I brought him in some parts of Manhattan, I somehow became familiar with that place during my stay there. Manhattan is one of my favorite places in NY, especially the Times Square.
Trivia: Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment center and neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue. Brightly adorned with billboards and advertisements, Times Square is sometimes referred to as "The Crossroads of the World","The Center of the Universe","the heart of The Great White Way", and the "heart of the world". One of the world's busiest pedestrian areas, it is also the hub of the Broadway Theater District and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Times Square is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions.
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While walking around Times Square, we would go visit some shops in the area and bought some stuff, like sweater and memorabilia, also tried a few street foods. There was this particular street food that I would always buy whenever I have gotten off the bus in Queens when I was still living in NY, the Indian food called "Halal", with mayonnaise..ooh I'm drooling right now! I was always craving for that particular food, I loved it! And I miss it so much!
Anyway, as we walked out of the store we immediately spotted a Hop on, Hop off bus tour right across the street and we tempted to try it once, in that way, we don't need to take a walk or to take a subway in order for us to wander around Manhattan, although it was pretty expensive, we wouldn't mind and we didn't let that opportunity to pass by.
Aside from the fact that it would really be so much fun to ride the hop on, hop off bus tour for you will be able to see what Manhattan has to offer, that would as well spare your feet from walking too far, moving from one place to another. There were plenty of bus tour companies to choose from but we opt for the one that was already in front of us, the New York Sightseeing hop on, hop off bus tour.
When you walk around Times Square, you will definitely come across some people giving away flyers, trying to convince you to choose their package tours. But it doesn't really matter which bus you take, because any bus tour is worth a ride anyway, you just need to choose what route the bus will take. Click this link to find out which bus tour you should opt for, you may pick one according to your own preference and you can also choose a package that fits your budget.
We would just hop on and hop off the bus tour anywhere we wanted to. That was an awesome sightseeing medium! After we wandered around Downtown Manhattan we then decided to visit the Rockefeller Center's Top of the Rock in Midtown Manhattan. The Top of the Rock Observation Deck showcase the City’s spectacular skyline, the view from the observation deck was phenomenal! You could see the whole Manhattan, and you could even perceive how big the Central Park is.
When I was still living in New York, my friend and I went to the Empire State Building. New York can look pretty tiny from all the way up here, and on a clear day, you can see five states from the Observation Deck - New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The Empire State Building is also located in the center of Midtown Manhattan. Their 86th and 102nd-floor observatories provide unforgettable 360° views of New York City. No visit to NYC is complete without experiencing the top of the Empire State Building.
The biggest difference between the views from each building's respective observation deck is the view of the actual buildings themselves; if you want one of the best views of the Empire State Building, head up to the Top of the Rock, and if you want one of the best views of Rockefeller Plaza, head to the top of the Empire State Building. But nevertheless, both Top of the Rock Observation Deck and Empire State Building are equally amazing and worth a visit.
Central Park
On our 2nd day in New York. It was my cousin's wedding day, we started to dress up according to the occasion and prepared for the Big day. And because their wedding would take place in the afternoon, thus, we still have the time to stroll around the place, take some more photos, as well as to kill the time. We decided to go to the Central Park this time, although I've been to this park many times before, I would still love to go back there time and time again. As a matter of fact, yes, I've been to Central Park before, like constantly, but I have never seen the entire park in spite of my frequent visit.
It was impossible for me to do that knowing the fact that the Central Park is an enormous place, there is no way for you to stroll around the entire park in just one or two days through walking. This park is a colossal site, as big as one city if not one state. Therefore, you need to go back there repeatedly, as many times as you should in order for you to roam around the entire Central Park. Moreover, you also need to enter into a different entryway each visit if you really wish to look at the whole place.
Trivia: Central Park is an urban park in Manhattan, New York City. It comprises 843 acres between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side, roughly bounded by Fifth Avenue on the east, Central Park West (Eighth Avenue) on the west, Central Park South (59th Street) on the south, and Central Park North (110th Street) on the north. Central Park is the most visited urban park in the United States, with 40 million visitors in 2013, and one of the most filmed locations in the world.
Meanwhile, the time has come for the Big day, after we wandered around Central Park we later proceeded to the church where the wedding would take place. In the church, I was able to see my relatives in New York once again and I had a chance to introduce them to my husband, that was the first time they met Cal.
I was happy to see my first cousins once more! It's been a while since I moved to Wisconsin, I somehow lost contact with them as we were all busy with our own lives and careers.
When the wedding reception was over. Hubby and I went back to the hotel to change and to plan for our next destination. We still have plenty of time left to roam around the city, so might as well make the most of it.
South Street Seaport
Since our hotel is in Manhattan I decided to take my husband to South Street Seaport, that was one of my favorite destinations in New York. I used to go to this place a few times, I felt peace and serenity whenever I visit this site, overlooking the three bridges, I called them (BMW) Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, and Williamsburg Bridge. We stayed there until sunset and had dinner at the restaurant and headed back to the hotel after dark.
On our last day in New York City, I asked my husband to visit the Statue of Liberty before we head back to Wisconsin. I wanted to catch a glimpse of that wonderful place again, and besides, Cal hasn't seen it yet, I wanted him to catch sight of my favorite monument in the Big Apple.
That would be my 5th time to visit Lady Liberty, and as I said before, I will never get tired of going back to this place over and over again. I don't know why, but for some reason, I take pleasure in doing this thing. In all honesty, I totally enjoyed all my previous visits to this island.
After visiting Lady Liberty we then proceeded to Ellis Island. Actually, I never got a chance to visit this island before, so this time we bought a tour package for the two islands and I'm glad we did! Because of that, we got to know the actual story and were enlightened about the history behind this intriguing island. That was interesting!
Trivia: Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, was the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the U.S. as the United States' busiest immigrant inspection station for over 60 years from 1892 until 1954. Ellis Island was opened January 1, 1892.
Sadly, our island tour had to end, we left the island filled with new knowledge. We had so much fun with this enlightening trip, I am the type of person who actually enjoys and loves hearing the history and culture of any nation and visiting historical places. And then we headed back to the city to have lunch afterward.
In the afternoon, I called Rizza my previous roommate in NY to meet up in one place, I wanted to see her and introduce her to my husband. That was our last day and our flight was not until 8 pm, so we still have enough time to walk around Central Park, she arrived and handed me a big piece of cake.
We went to Central Park Zoo, to be honest, I never knew that there is a mini zoo inside the park. Like I said, the Central Park is a huge place, no wonder that the park has a lot to offer. I was thankful that Rizza brought us there, that's also a nice place to visit while you're in New York.
After strolling around the zoo, and before going back to the hotel to pick up our stuff, we stopped by the food court to eat and we passed by the Trump Tower to find out what's inside. Trump Tower is located on New York City’s prestigious Fifth Avenue, it is a truly iconic New York destination. Trump Tower is a world-class shopping destination for both locals and tourists, home to the Gucci and Nike Town flagship stores located within the tower and the Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry Boutique located just inside on the ground floor.
The exterior looks extremely modern compared to the other buildings in the surrounding area. The doorman was all smiles and seemed genuinely happy to be working there. As soon as we entered the building, the golden tile texture walls, floor, and railings welcomed us to this amazing structure. I was totally surprised as soon as I entered the golden restroom with the dazzling mirror, I thought I entered the room of the emperor.
The bright yellow colored rounded lights inside the building adorned the high ceiling, illuminate the glass doors and windows, that magically transform them into shining shimmering crystals. With the relaxing sounds of the waterfall. And the golden lights inserted in the slick and glossy walls that makes them sparkle like diamonds. Anywhere you look at has a touch of gold. Such an impressive architecture!
And sadly, the time has come and our very short trip to New York had to end. Before the sun would set, we left the hotel and we then proceeded to Laguardia Airport for our flight back to Wisconsin. At the airport, we have given away our Metro Cards to random passengers who just arrived at the airport so that they can use the remaining balance as a payment method for the subway and buses.
Unfortunately, our flight that time was canceled for some reason. However, the airport representatives sent the passengers to their accredited hotel and it was for free, that's why it never became a problem for us because everything was free, even the food and transportation. And the next morning, they picked us up and took us back to the airport for our early flight.