An early summer trip to New York to meet up with friends, enjoy the city, and experience cooler weather (daytime temperatures in the 60s and 70s compared to 90s in Texas).
June 1
Arrived in Newark airport. On the flight, I sat next to a woman who has done lots of world travel - many European countries and in Caribbean region. I hope to travel like her in the future. I checked into the 70 Park Avenue, my hotel for this trip. The hotel is located a few blocks south of Grand Central station in a mostly residential area. After dinner at Black Shack I went for an evening walk in Times Square.
June 2
My friends Dan and Melody came from Hartford and we went to Chinatown for a dim-sum lunch at Golden Unicorn. Great food and the restaurant had a good atmosphere. A bit pricy since a lot of the dishes looked good and we tried a bunch. After lunch we went to Central Park and walked around the Jacqueline Kennedy Reservoir then rested in the park. We had dinner in Koreatown, at Pocha 32. After my friends went to catch their train home, I ended the evening at the Empire State Building. I went up to the observation deck where I enjoyed the panoramic views of Manhattan, including views of the new World Trade Center, Chrysler building, and the Top of the Rock (building with GE in front) where we could see camera flashes from the Top of the Rock. In addition to the observation deck on the 86th floor, I also went to the 102nd floor inside the spire - the highest point in NYC. The views in the spire are mostly the same as the main observation deck except it is indoor and glass enclosed, while the 86th floor is open-air. I recommend going up to the 102nd floor on cold, windy days as you will be protected from the elements.
June 3
I went to downtown Manhattan and visited the 9/11 Memorial. The memorial pays tribute to those who died in the attacks. The memorial consists of 2 pools with waterfalls, placed where the twin towers once stood. The new World Trade Center is currently under construction and when complete will consist of several skyscrapers including 1 World Trade Center (also known as Freedom Tower) and a museum, all surrounding the memorial.
Afterwords, I went to the skyscraper museum which has information on the evolution of skyscrapers in New York and also around the world. The Tribune building, built in 1875, was New York's tallest building at 270 feet. This building was the first of many skyscrapers that would be built in New York in the coming years. The museum also shows the world's tallest skyscrapers. The height of skyscrapers are measured by
1) Ground to highest occupied floor
2) Ground to roof
3) Ground to highest point (this includes antennas, spires, etc)
The Burj tower in Dubai is the world's tallest building in all 3 criteria. The 1 WTC (or Freedom Tower) will be 1776 feet tall which would make it the tallest building in the United States (by criteria 1 and 3), and the world's third tallest building.
I then walked around lower Manhattan and saw views of Jersey City and the Statue of Liberty.
I had a fancy dinner with 20 other frequent fliers from all over the country. We all met up at North Square where we enjoyed gourmet food and many different choices of wine. I had grilled shrimp, steak with french fries, and key lime pie. I love meeting other travelers.
June 4
I spent today in Midtown Manhattan. I went to the New York Fire department museum in Rockefeller Center. Not much to see - just a fire truck replica and firefighting equipment. I then went to the Lego store. Today's Lego sets have more elaborate pieces and designs compared to when I was a kid. I love the Lego representation of Rockefeller Center including the big dragon. I had lunch in Koreatown, at Kunjip. I preferred Kunjip over Pocha 32 - better side dishes and also a nicer atmosphere. After lunch I made my way to JFK airport for my flight home.
