New York City, USA - Day 3
The problem with NYC is that there are just too many things to do! For travelers on a budget the Staten Island Ferry is a great way to catch a glimpse of NYC and the iconic image of Manhattan.
Also a good view can be had of the Statue of Liberty but make sure you have a decent view on the camera because otherwise you will be a bit disappointed with your shots! Of course, for money you can go Liberty Island. However, I have it on good authority that a trip to Ellis Island is far more interesting and also comparatively quiet especially on the guided tour of the island. Ellis Island, at the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor, is the location of what was until November 1954 the main entry facility for immigrants entering the United States. It is owned by the Federal government and is now part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, under the jurisdiction of the US National Park Service. At time of writing this I believe the Statue of Liberty is going to be opened up again to visitors to climb the steps to the top. So that might sway your choice!
Whilst you are in that area the financial district is always worth a wander around. It is always quite a sight seeing the New York Stock Exchange. Located at 18 Broad Street, it opened on April 22, 1903. The trading floor was one of the largest volumes of space in the city at the time. The main façade of the building features six tall Corinthien capitals, topped by a marble sculpture by John Quincy Adams Ward, called “Integrity Protecting the Works of Man”.There are also still some angry people who want their money back after the credit crunch collapse picketing outside – they are good for a chat (although they don’t seem to want to talk about anything except bankers (that’s not what they called them though))!
Every NYC trip is not complete without a trip to a Broadway show, apparently. Finding tickets can be tough especially when you want them cheap! Tickts booths are always a good starting point but you should try to get there when they open in the morning because they only have a finite number of good deals which do sell out quickly. Another option is to approach the Times Square sellers for various plays that they are advertising. They sometimes have good deals but the best we found were from the actual theatre. I am not sure whether this is true of all theatres but the Sam S Shubert theatre we went to did student and young persons tickets. A bargain at less than half price, again a finite number so you have to queue from about 6pm. We got tickets to see Blythe’s Spirit by Noel Coward starring Rupert Everett and Angela Lansbury! It was brilliant and Angela Lansbury plays an excellent old lady dancing everywhere!