We took our family with three teens to New York City for five days. This was before Coronavirus hit New York City with such fury. But now as we dream of when we can return, I’m sharing with you where we stayed, what we did, and what me might do differently on a second trip. There were some thing that we would definitely want to repeat! You can follow the progress of reopening here. As of the date of this blog, New York City is in Phase 1 of 4 reopening phases.
Midtown or Downtown
First we had to decide where to stay. We typically stay at Marriott affiliated properties simply because we take advantage of their rewards program. Of course, many hotel chains have reward programs, and a multitude of great loyalty programs out there! Sometimes when we travel, we utilize AirB&Bs or short-term rentals, but these are not encouraged in New York. For this particular trip, it was a better strategy to find a hotel. Our plan was to sight see primarily in Manhattan, and so we considered both locations in Midtown, Downtown. Midtown is where you will be near the theaters, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and 5th Avenue shopping. In Downtown you have the 911 Museum, One World Observatory, Wall Street, historic churches, and ferries to Ellis Island or Staten Island. There are a couple of brands that we particularly love when we want to have a fun experience when we travel: Aloft and Moxy. Since prices were slightly better in Downtown, we chose Moxy Downtown. This urban vibe boutique hotel has a huge glassed in video screen in the entrance and a cool neon sign. It looks more like a club than a hotel. The lobby is actually on the third floor. By day, the lobby is a gathering area with board games and skee-ball, and in the evenings it doubles as a local bar. The hotel also has a basketball court right off of the lobby. The rooms are small, but well appointed. There are storage drawers under the beds and pegs with clothes hangers on a wood plank wall instead of closets. Pegs on the wall also hold small round stools that fold out and function just as well as small tables. No matter where in Manhattan you choose to stay, it is good to stay near a subway station that has north and south running trains. We could take the subway to Midtown and didn’t have to change lines very often. Moxy Downtown is near Fulton Station, which was very convenient. The next time we plan a trip to New York, we would consider staying in Midtown, but I’d also pay attention to a hotel’s proximity to public transportation. However, chances are no matter where you stay you will be close to a subway station or bus stop.
Transportation in Manhattan
With our suitcases and bags, we took a taxi from the airport to the hotel, but while we were in Manhattan, we utilized the subway, walked and even took the bus once. Even if you are in NYC for less than seven days, I’d advise getting the unlimited 7-day subway pass. We took about 2 round-trip outings each day, and could also accommodate for extra rides during the first couple of days when we got on the wrong train and had to back-track. The unlimited 7-day passes were more economical than if we had purchased each ride individually. The subway in NYC is more difficult to navigate than the London Tube or the Paris Metro. However, in all fairness, we were getting around fairly well by day three of our trip. The biggest lessons learned were to get on, not only the correct platform, but the correct train. Some tracks run more than one train, and express trains do not make every stop. We also tried to exit at the street access that was closest to our ultimate destination. Some subway stations are large enough that there are multiple above ground entrances and exits. If you exit where you didn’t intend to exit, you must re-orient yourself. The New York City Transit app was a great resource, but I preferred Google Maps. We would map our way, and transit would tell us which train to take, in what direction to travel, and usually where to exit.
Sightseeing in New York City:
The Empire State Building
The Empire State Building was an awesome experience. In 2019, the visitor experience was updated and renovated, from the time you walk through the doors to stand in line, up to the very top floor. I am usually a believer in pre-purchasing tickets, but we arrived early on a Sunday morning and walked right in to purchase tickets without waiting. The hours are 8am to 2am, but the website has information on the best times to visit. The experience is great for kids to walk through because there is information along the way, but it is interactive and does not involve too many display signs to read. My favorite area is were where the history and construction of the building is animated. Movie screens on the walls make you feel like you are on the steel beams high in the sky during construction. You even have the chance to sit next to bronze construction workers for a photo op. Another favorite area is a room covered in screens showing clips of possibly hundreds of movies that feature the famous skyscraper. Once you reach the 82nd floor there is a nice roomy viewing area both inside and just a few feet below, outside.
The outside viewing area is open air, with the guard safety wire up above the stucco half wall. The inside viewing area of the 82nd floor is high enough above the outdoor observation area that the visitors outside do not restrict your view. We decided to splurge and pay to go all the way to the 103rd floor. This experience was definitely worth it. If I go back, I might not do it again, but it is well worth doing once. The very top is a small room of floor to ceiling glass. You feel as if you are at the very top of a lighthouse. I expected to have vertigo up there, but it is actually very secure feeling. Our time at the very top was really enjoyable.
911 Memorial and Museum
The 911 Memorial and Museum is something one should not miss on a first trip to New York City. We purchased tickets ahead of time for the museum. The benefit of doing this is that you skip the ticket line, but if you choose to do so, you must arrive at your designated entry time. You should plan to stay at the museum for at least 2 hours, but you could easily spend 3 or 4 hours inside. Upon entering the museum building, there is a movie in the auditorium that sets the stage and tells about the reaction to the attacks from the perspective of leaders at the time, including then President George W. Bush. An escalator takes down you down to the museum entrance. Installed alongside the escalator are two remaining steel tridents standing huge and tall like a grim modern art installation in the beautiful glassed atrium. Since I had watched the horrific events of 911 live on the internet and TV all of those years ago, those iconic tridents made an impression on me evoked the familiar sadness I feel when I think back to the events of that morning. They are the first artifacts the visitor sees and instantly recognizes as part of the twin towers.
To reach the main area of the museum, the visitor walks down a huge ramp with displays along the way. The heart of the museum is seven stories underground. Two indoor buildings follow the footprints of each tower. On the wall between the two tower locations is an art installation with 2,983 watercolor drawings of the sky on that day. The quote across the middle of the installation reads, “NO DAY SHALL ERASE YOU FROM THE MEMORY OF TIME.” Under the former location of the South Tower is the memorial exhibition that honors each person killed on 911, in addition to an educational exhibit, that when we were there, featured a temporary exhibit entitled K-9 Courage. The North Tower location features the main historical exhibition. Inside, you are immediately bombarded with the sights and sounds of that somber morning. There is so much information about how the attacks unfolded from the first plane strike to the crashes at the Pentagon and Arlington. There are audio recordings, video recordings and hundreds of artifacts displayed in this area. As you exit the exhibit, you see memorials created by people all across the world to remember those lost on 911. This is really the heart of the museum. Outside of this underground building you see several other huge artifacts such as the Ladder 3 firetruck and the Last Column to be removed from the site during excavation, which served as a makeshift memorial. While we were there, the museum also featured a temporary exhibit, Revealed, The Hunt for Bin Laden. We stayed for over 3 hours and did not have much time inside of the temporary exhibits. The museum is so vast that one would have to return multiple times to take in all of the information.
Outside of the museum and at ground level is the 911 Memorial. The memorial features two square black ominous caverns with water flowing down into them, each where one of the towers once stood. The memorial is somber, but it also depicts that there is beauty and remembrance from the ashes. Almost twenty years later we’ve survived the new normal. Our visit to the 911 Museum and Memorial occurred shortly before the Coronavirus hit New York and the United States with a vengeance. I’m thankful for the reminder that we made it through 911 and we will make it through this.
One World Observatory
After touring the 911 Museum, we had a 6pm reservation for One World Observatory and reservations at One Dine for 7pm. One Dine is the restaurant on the top floor, and we planned to surprise our teens with dinner reservations there. One Dine recommends making reservations for the observatory for at least 30 minutes prior to the dinner reservation, and an hour prior is even better. If you eat at One Dine, you must also have tickets to the observatory.
The One World Observatory experience was well worth it. The elevator to the top shows a 360⸰ video of the New York skyline through time from the Dutch settlement days up to present day. The video that continues at the top is very rewarding, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise for you! This experience is made to be enjoyed. The view from the tallest building in the Northern Hemisphere is spectacular!
We chose to eat at One Dine, not for the food, but for the view and the experience. But with that said, the food was good and the service was delightful. The lobster roll, hot wings, calamari, and the chocolate lava cake with ice cream and ginger crème brulée all met our expectations. Our whole family had a dinner we will always remember—on top of the world! We chose the a’la carte dining reservations, but there is also a pre fixe option. Options are listed on the website and reservations are made through Open Table.
One World Observatory vs Empire State Building Comparison
The Empire State Building is an iconic 1930s art deco building with outdoor views of Central Park to the north and Downtown to the south. The 82nd floor observation area is outdoors with only guard wire between you and the view. The 102nd floor is a small glassed room that makes you feel like you are in a lighthouse at the top of the world. The height is 1,250 feet from the 86th floor and 1,454 total feet in height.
One World Observatory is a beautiful, modern, 21st century megalith. The observatory and One Dine are on the 100, 101 and 103 floors at 1,368 feet and 1,776 feet to the top of the spire. The view from the south tip of Manhattan is of the water towards the Statue of Liberty to the south, the 911 Memorial below, and the Empire State building to the north. Since the view is through glass windows, photos may have glass glare.
Check back soon for Part 2, featuring Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the “Met” and more.
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