Who hasn’t dreamt of visiting New York City at least once in their lifetime? Catherine Zhang was in NYC for three days this summer. She shares with us her sojourn in the Big Apple.
Sunset view of New York City from the Empire State Building.
The city might seem overwhelming at first, with the raging crowds, endless skyscrapers and the plethora of attractions you can visit.
Having only three days between my summer programme in Ithaca and volunteering at an animal sanctuary in the Amazon jungle in Peru, I was spoilt for choice on which sights to see on my first visit to NYC.
The Empire State Building
My favourite sight was the Empire State Building. An iconic feature of the NYC skyline, it towers over most of the other skyscrapers in Manhattan.
Despite its popularity, I was able to easily book a timeslot online to visit the building just the day before.
Night view of the Big Apple after nightfall, from the Empire State Building.
The first few floors feature a museum commemorating the cultural importance of the building, including a gallery of the various movies – from King Kong to Superman to Independence Day – which have featured the Empire State in one way or another.
However, the highlight of the building is easily the 86th floor observatory, where I was able to catch a beautiful view of NYC at sunset.
The thing is, you might forget how beautiful NYC is when you’re down on the ground jostling with hundreds of tourists and seeing the skyscrapers stretch out endlessly above. It is so easy to feel lost in a city so big and bustling with the stories of hundreds of other people.
But when you’re up high, looking down at the lights of the city that never sleeps, then it’s easy to see why so many singers, movie makers and artists have been captivated by its fast-paced charm and charisma.
All in all, the view from atop the Empire State Building (especially at sunset!) is a sight not to be missed.
The American Museum of Natural History
My other favourite stop was the American Museum of Natural History.
Moal statue which comes alive at night as Dum Dum in the movie “Night at the Museum”.
Its exterior may be familiar from a movie that many fondly remember from their childhood – it was certainly one of my favourite movies as a child – “Night at the Museum”.
The interior of the museum in the movie was constructed on a movie set, so you won’t actually be able to see a hologram of Teddy Roosevelt in the museum reception, or dioramas of Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan as feuding cowboys and Roman gladiators.
But there are still Easter eggs from the movie scattered around. I was thrilled to find the Easter Island Head in the Margaret Mead Hall of Pacific People, a cousin of Dexter the capuchin in the Hall of Primates and most excitingly – everyone’s favourite – Rexy the T-rex skeleton in the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs.
However, the museum has so much more to offer than just being the inspiration for a movie.
About the Author
Hailing from Singapore, Catherine Zhang is a seasoned traveler who has visited many countries and sights around the world, including Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Peru, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, and the USA.
However, the place she’d recommend for everyone to visit is the Palccoyo Rainbow Mountains in Cusco, Peru.
There are plenty of large-scale exhibitions with subjects ranging from geology to astronomy, but the exhibits that stood out to me the most by far were the impressive dioramas in the Halls of African and North American Mammals.
Placed against an intricately-painted background, the stuffed animals are positioned so naturally that they seem almost ready to leap out from behind their glass walls and attack.
Just like in Night at the Museum, huh?
However, these two attractions are only a taste of what the City can offer – there’s just so much to see and so much to explore.
You could spend weeks or even months just wandering around NYC getting to grips with its rich culture and history.
I will certainly return in the future for a longer visit to this beautiful city!
What’s a good way of sightseeing in The Big Apple?
I used a New York CityPass during my visit because it enabled me to see the best of New York City for great value for money.
For just US$138 (for adults; and US$118 for youths 6-17), the New York CityPASS provides free access to some of the most popular attractions in NYC, at a discount of up to 40% on combined admissions to five attractions.
The New York CityPASS enables a tourist to enjoy the top attractions of the Big Apple with fantastic savings in admissions.
These attractions include the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History, as well as a choice of three out of six additional attractions.
Check out more details of the New York CityPASS here.
Tags: CityPASS, New York City, revue, The Travel Memoir, travel, USA
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Do I have to specify which sights I want to visit before I buy the citypass? I haven’t decided which attractions to visit for my October trip with the family.
You don’t have to decide up front which sights you want to visit when you buy the CityPASS. You can decide which attractions to visit after purchasing. But once you receive your CityPASS tickets, you should make advance reservations where possible at the attractions you then decide to visit.
Can I go back and visit an attraction again?
Tickets are valid for one-time admission to each attraction unless otherwise noted in each attraction’s admission details eg. for the Empire State Building on the New York CityPASS.