Posts Tagged ‘New York City’

Travel: Visiting The Big Apple with a New York CityPASS

Saturday, September 16th, 2023

Catherine Zhang visited New York City this summer. During her time in the Big Apple, she used a New York CityPASS to visit five of the most popular sights in the City, saving some 40% in admissions.

The New York CityPASS provides great value-for-money for checking out the top attractions in the Big Apple.

The New York CityPASS provides great value-for-money for checking out the top attractions in the Big Apple.

For those planning to sightsee in New York City, there are three CityPASS tickets which cater to different budgets and itineraries:

  1. New York CityPASS
    • Adults: US$138
    • Child 6-17: US$118
  2. New York C3
    • Adults: US$96
    • Child 6-12: US$74
  3. New York C-All
    • Adults: US$194
    • Child 6-12: US$144

All three tickets are valid for nine days (starting from first use) and have a 365-day full refund policy (from date of purchase) for non-activated tickets in case travel plans change.

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Travel: First Visit to New York City – the City that Never Sleeps

Friday, September 15th, 2023

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.

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.

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.

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