I celebrated Thanksgiving (American) in New York - both Thursday and Friday were spent in Manhattan - then Friday night and Saturday in Boston.
Thursday morning, I left my apartment with my roommate (since she was also headed to New York, but for different reasons) and we drove down to Boston and took a bus to New York from South Station. Surprisingly, it only took 3.5 hours to reach Chinatown in New York as opposed to 4.5. That left me with plenty of time to explore the southern part of the city.
I hailed a cab and was whisked to Ground Zero - the site of the World Trade Center. There were warning signs everywhere because of the ongoing construction, but there was a memorial/tribute created for the public as well. It was quiet at that time since most of the population was uptown for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, so I was able to reflect on the events in peace. Though it's been 4 years since the attacks, there remains a solemn atmosphere surrounding the area.
I strolled through Wall Street next, which was nothing like the bustling business center I imagined it to be. Yes, I realize I visited during a holiday, but even when I returned the next day there was no one except police officers around. In vain, I tried to find the visitor's center for the New York Stock Exchange, but apparently that ceased operation since 9/11.
From the financial district, I continued southwards to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Originally, I had planned to omit the ferry ride from my agenda, but the time it took to cross New York Harbor was shorter than I thought - only half an hour each way. The vessel didn't pass the Statue of Liberty quite as close as I'd hoped, but I managed to get a couple of good shots of the Lady and the New York skyscrapers. If you plan on going to the city and want to get a good shot of Lady Liberty, I'd definitely recommend the ferry simply because it's free admission!
I then took the subway to Times Square, swarming with Thanksgiving activity. Luckily, I was able to check into my hotel early, so I dumped my baggage and was able to walk freely for the rest of the day. As I walked along Broadway, I couldn't believe that I was actually there - the bright lights, the crowds, the theatres - I reveled in every sight. Also, I couldn't have picked a safer time to visit the city by myself - there were NYPD jackets at every corner because of the Parade!
One of the many truths I confirmed came when I decided to grab a bite to eat at T.G.I. Friday's located in the heart of Times Square. My coworkers had recommended the restaurant for its reasonable prices and good food - but while that may be true in New Hampshire, it was certainly not the case in Manhattan. Good food there may have been, but prices were anything but reasonable. For a glass of iced tea and an appetizer of tortilla chips and dip, I paid more than twenty dollars. There's a reason why McDonald's is always full!
I was determined to see a Broadway musical, but those only played at 8 o'clock, and I was set on trying my luck at buying last-minute tickets from scalpers. To kill some time, I headed for the Empire State Building.
It took at least an hour and a half of waiting in lines (there were 3 in total: one for security, one for tickets, and the last to go up the elevator) before I reached the 86th floor. Boy, was it cold - it hadn't been a particularly pleasant day with the clouds and scattered showers, but the winds at the higher altitude were awful. I stayed on the observation deck long enough to take pictures from every angle, hurrying inside when my fingers started going numb. The views were pretty spectacular though - despite the fact that the sun had set, the infinite lights brightened the city so much it seemed to emanate light from within the concrete.
Heading back to Times Square, I decided to pop into the Virgin Megastore. As with all other locations, it was huge, but I was most surprised at the sales! Yes, sales in New York City! Fairly recent DVDs were going for as low as $7.99, with CDs sporting similar deals - it was an entertainment buff's heaven. I can't imagine what it was like the next day, on Black Friday.
Pretty soon, the clock chimed 7, which was my cue to start searching for musical tickets. Since it was a holiday, only a few select shows were playing - of which, I found 4 to my liking: Chicago, The Woman in White, Movin' Out, and Sweet Charity. Unfortunately, after a fruitless 30 minutes, I decided that my best bet would be the TKTS counter at Duffy Square. For half price, I secured a ticket for Movin' Out - featuring music by Billy Joel.
I could hardly contain my excitement - a musical on Broadway! Of course, my expectations were sky-high, thus setting the stage for initial disappointment. To me, a musical is a collaboration between an orchestra and a cast - the cast is responsible for singing, acting, and dancing while the orchestra provides accompaniment. Movin' Out shattered those boundaries.
Instead of a pit orchestra, there was a jazz band located on the upper level of a 2-level stage. The vocals were lead by the pianist, with support from 3 other singers - these members sang through the entire performance! Instead of a singing cast, emotionally-infused dancing ensued on the lower level of the stage. At first, I was taken aback - had I just paid for a Broadway ballet? Eventually, the dancing won me over - not a note was sung by the "cast", but the entire plot was communicated beautifully and passionately through movement. Not to mention the musicians - who were frightfully talented and proved to be vocally supreme.
I fell asleep completely sated and exhausted.
The next morning, I hit Central Park first, only staying for a few minutes as it was quite chilly. I sought warmth in the nearby Time Warner Center, where I discovered the outrageous prices New Yorkers are paying for their groceries! I would list a few examples, but the sight might be too shocking.
I spent the rest of the morning exploring various stores and landmarks - Sak's Fifth Avenue (Louis Vuitton bags!), Hershey's Times Square Store, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall - but avoided Macy's. (I had no desire to be crammed into a building with frenzied Black Friday shoppers!) For my last meal in the city, I headed to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Forrest Gump fans, you heard right - there's a restaurant chain created from the movie, much like Planet Hollywood or Hard Rock Cafe, but with exceptional service and yummy shrimp!
After eating to my heart's content, I headed down 42nd Street to Grand Central Station, passing the New York Public Library. I found a store called Papyrus that specializes in all things paper - I must say, their "hand-crafted" products were elegantly intricate. I indulged in a couple of cards, but couldn't afford much more.
The United Nations was my next destination - taking the guided tour was pretty fun and allowed plenty of great photo opportunities. I saw the chambers for the Security Council, Trusteeship Council, Economic and Social Council, and the General Assembly. One huge coincidence was that some students from Raffles Institution in Singapore (one of the country's most prestigious secondary schools) were there on tour as well - what are the odds of me visiting the UN the same day as some students from my cousin's school? No, I didn't see my cousin, but it was cool nonetheless.
I headed back to the financial district, then to Chinatown for my bus back to Boston. This time around, the trip was about 4 hours or so - allowing my arrival back at South Station around 9:30 pm. From there, I took the subway to MIT and spent the night in the Stratton Student Center - the layout of which was remarkably similar to the University of Waterloo's Student Life Centre. Fortunately, security didn't kick me out for not possessing an MIT student ID!
In the morning, I wandered around Boston's Chinatown for a bit before heading back to Nashua. There's nothing like a hot bath to welcome you home.
Thursday morning, I left my apartment with my roommate (since she was also headed to New York, but for different reasons) and we drove down to Boston and took a bus to New York from South Station. Surprisingly, it only took 3.5 hours to reach Chinatown in New York as opposed to 4.5. That left me with plenty of time to explore the southern part of the city.
I hailed a cab and was whisked to Ground Zero - the site of the World Trade Center. There were warning signs everywhere because of the ongoing construction, but there was a memorial/tribute created for the public as well. It was quiet at that time since most of the population was uptown for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, so I was able to reflect on the events in peace. Though it's been 4 years since the attacks, there remains a solemn atmosphere surrounding the area.
I strolled through Wall Street next, which was nothing like the bustling business center I imagined it to be. Yes, I realize I visited during a holiday, but even when I returned the next day there was no one except police officers around. In vain, I tried to find the visitor's center for the New York Stock Exchange, but apparently that ceased operation since 9/11.
From the financial district, I continued southwards to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Originally, I had planned to omit the ferry ride from my agenda, but the time it took to cross New York Harbor was shorter than I thought - only half an hour each way. The vessel didn't pass the Statue of Liberty quite as close as I'd hoped, but I managed to get a couple of good shots of the Lady and the New York skyscrapers. If you plan on going to the city and want to get a good shot of Lady Liberty, I'd definitely recommend the ferry simply because it's free admission!
I then took the subway to Times Square, swarming with Thanksgiving activity. Luckily, I was able to check into my hotel early, so I dumped my baggage and was able to walk freely for the rest of the day. As I walked along Broadway, I couldn't believe that I was actually there - the bright lights, the crowds, the theatres - I reveled in every sight. Also, I couldn't have picked a safer time to visit the city by myself - there were NYPD jackets at every corner because of the Parade!
One of the many truths I confirmed came when I decided to grab a bite to eat at T.G.I. Friday's located in the heart of Times Square. My coworkers had recommended the restaurant for its reasonable prices and good food - but while that may be true in New Hampshire, it was certainly not the case in Manhattan. Good food there may have been, but prices were anything but reasonable. For a glass of iced tea and an appetizer of tortilla chips and dip, I paid more than twenty dollars. There's a reason why McDonald's is always full!
I was determined to see a Broadway musical, but those only played at 8 o'clock, and I was set on trying my luck at buying last-minute tickets from scalpers. To kill some time, I headed for the Empire State Building.
It took at least an hour and a half of waiting in lines (there were 3 in total: one for security, one for tickets, and the last to go up the elevator) before I reached the 86th floor. Boy, was it cold - it hadn't been a particularly pleasant day with the clouds and scattered showers, but the winds at the higher altitude were awful. I stayed on the observation deck long enough to take pictures from every angle, hurrying inside when my fingers started going numb. The views were pretty spectacular though - despite the fact that the sun had set, the infinite lights brightened the city so much it seemed to emanate light from within the concrete.
Heading back to Times Square, I decided to pop into the Virgin Megastore. As with all other locations, it was huge, but I was most surprised at the sales! Yes, sales in New York City! Fairly recent DVDs were going for as low as $7.99, with CDs sporting similar deals - it was an entertainment buff's heaven. I can't imagine what it was like the next day, on Black Friday.
Pretty soon, the clock chimed 7, which was my cue to start searching for musical tickets. Since it was a holiday, only a few select shows were playing - of which, I found 4 to my liking: Chicago, The Woman in White, Movin' Out, and Sweet Charity. Unfortunately, after a fruitless 30 minutes, I decided that my best bet would be the TKTS counter at Duffy Square. For half price, I secured a ticket for Movin' Out - featuring music by Billy Joel.
I could hardly contain my excitement - a musical on Broadway! Of course, my expectations were sky-high, thus setting the stage for initial disappointment. To me, a musical is a collaboration between an orchestra and a cast - the cast is responsible for singing, acting, and dancing while the orchestra provides accompaniment. Movin' Out shattered those boundaries.
Instead of a pit orchestra, there was a jazz band located on the upper level of a 2-level stage. The vocals were lead by the pianist, with support from 3 other singers - these members sang through the entire performance! Instead of a singing cast, emotionally-infused dancing ensued on the lower level of the stage. At first, I was taken aback - had I just paid for a Broadway ballet? Eventually, the dancing won me over - not a note was sung by the "cast", but the entire plot was communicated beautifully and passionately through movement. Not to mention the musicians - who were frightfully talented and proved to be vocally supreme.
I fell asleep completely sated and exhausted.
The next morning, I hit Central Park first, only staying for a few minutes as it was quite chilly. I sought warmth in the nearby Time Warner Center, where I discovered the outrageous prices New Yorkers are paying for their groceries! I would list a few examples, but the sight might be too shocking.
I spent the rest of the morning exploring various stores and landmarks - Sak's Fifth Avenue (Louis Vuitton bags!), Hershey's Times Square Store, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall - but avoided Macy's. (I had no desire to be crammed into a building with frenzied Black Friday shoppers!) For my last meal in the city, I headed to Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Forrest Gump fans, you heard right - there's a restaurant chain created from the movie, much like Planet Hollywood or Hard Rock Cafe, but with exceptional service and yummy shrimp!
After eating to my heart's content, I headed down 42nd Street to Grand Central Station, passing the New York Public Library. I found a store called Papyrus that specializes in all things paper - I must say, their "hand-crafted" products were elegantly intricate. I indulged in a couple of cards, but couldn't afford much more.
The United Nations was my next destination - taking the guided tour was pretty fun and allowed plenty of great photo opportunities. I saw the chambers for the Security Council, Trusteeship Council, Economic and Social Council, and the General Assembly. One huge coincidence was that some students from Raffles Institution in Singapore (one of the country's most prestigious secondary schools) were there on tour as well - what are the odds of me visiting the UN the same day as some students from my cousin's school? No, I didn't see my cousin, but it was cool nonetheless.
I headed back to the financial district, then to Chinatown for my bus back to Boston. This time around, the trip was about 4 hours or so - allowing my arrival back at South Station around 9:30 pm. From there, I took the subway to MIT and spent the night in the Stratton Student Center - the layout of which was remarkably similar to the University of Waterloo's Student Life Centre. Fortunately, security didn't kick me out for not possessing an MIT student ID!
In the morning, I wandered around Boston's Chinatown for a bit before heading back to Nashua. There's nothing like a hot bath to welcome you home.
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