New York
Three days in the Big Apple on our way to the UK – 9th to 11th January 2026.
The cheapest way to get back to the UK after being in Mexico was via New York.
And, as I hadn’t been before, a couple of days seeing the sights of Manhattan seemed like a nice idea!
We arrived just before midnight but didn’t waste any time – went straight out to see the lights in Times Square.
In the city that never sleeps there’s so much going on anytime of day.
The whole place is lit up at night and has a thrilling atmosphere.
There is also a big Art Deco influence on a lot of the buildings in this area. Lots of marble and brass… love it 😁
Next morning, first stop Grand Central Station…
which has featured in so many films over the years, and was bustling.
So soon after Christmas everywhere was still very festive looking.
This domed ceiling has unique acoustic properties. The Whispering Gallery in Grand Central Terminal is an arched, tiled walkway on the lower level. Its unique, whispering-gallery effect means that if 2 people stand diagonally opposite each other and one whispers in one corner the other person can hear it in their corner clearly. This is due to the precision of the Guastavino tiled dome. We tried it – it works.
Next stop the famous art deco foyer of the Chrysler building.
We were only allowed to walk around the outside edge of the foyer.
Passed a few more notable streets…
We then made our way to the Empire State Building, and did the tour of the construction and historical heritage.
Built in 1931 and with 102 floors it has iconic status, starring in over 250 films including King Kong.
This appeared on the lift ceiling as we ascended.
86th floor
View from floor 102 viewing platform.
Part of the iconic entrance hall 👏
We had a cream tea for brunch at Prince Tea House on fifth avenue. It was not your usual scone – more like a traditional Rock cake but was still good – we were hungry! Note the giraffe lights on the wall 😁
Hop on, hop off bus to the World Trade Centre Museum.
The September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center is a profound, below-ground museum dedicated to commemorating the 2,977 victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks and the 1993 bombing.
It preserves the history of the events through authentic artifacts, along with personal stories of loss, recovery, and resilience.
We spent around 2 hours looking around.
The 9/11 Memorial fountains, officially known as “Reflecting Absence,” are two massive, acre-sized waterfalls set within the exact footprints of the original Twin Towers in New York City.
The museum is an unusual building, the majority of it below ground.
Back on the bus to our stop at Times Square.
Dinner at Lagos – a Nigerian restaurant – also burgers and cocktails 🍸 👌
The raging bull at Wall Street on our way to the ferry next morning.
It was a really cold, grey morning when we joined lots of others dodging the fake ticket sellers and queueing for the Statten Island Ferry.
Great view of the Statue of Liberty.
Quick coffee stop on Statten then straight onto the ferry back again.
Even colder on the way back…
Brunch is a world famous chilli dog – gotta be done!
View from the top of the new ‘Freedom Tower’.
The lift going back down travels 1200 feet in less than 60 seconds!
We weren’t actually that impressed by the Rockefeller shopping centre – but we only went there to escape the cold and rain!
The Regal Cinema, Times Square, has plush, reclining seating with built in swing table and cup holders. Perfect for watching Avatar 3 over three hours!!
Walk back through Times Square any time of night and it’s packed with people, street entertainers, policemen…
Breakfast bagel on our last day
Quick trip round the Museum of Modern Art…
Before walking to Central Park…
and getting a very good deal with a guy on a rickshaw.
Who was also keen to tell us everything he knew about the park and surrounding millionnaire’s apartments – including where John and Yoko used to live.
We’d packed a fair bit into our 3 days – but it was suddenly time to leave for London.
Three weeks back home before our next adventure in South Africa 🇿🇦
