From the sun rising over the Brooklyn Bridge to the bright lights of Times Square’s night life, New York City runs at a pace all its own.
It is estimated that 39 million tourists visit Times Square annually, and on average, 300,000 people, residents and tourists pass through the streets each day. For a mere four days, I was one of those individuals.
I went to NYC to visit the New York Times and decided to stay a little longer to explore one of the historical cities this nation was founded on, and I’ll tell you, I wasn’t disappointed.
The New York City Pass I purchased provided me entry to more than 80 attractions throughout NYC, which encompasses the five boroughs (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx). I spent the majority of my time in Manhattan and Queens, but only because that is where I slept each evening. It’s too bad I didn’t have time to explore all the boroughs more, but with only a few day, I took advantage of the obvious tourist attractions everyone comes to see because they are AMAZING!
In the heart of NYC sits the iconic Empire State Building. Finished in 1930, the Empire State Building reaches a height of 1,454 feet with 102 stories and gives visitors an overwhelming view of the city and beyond. What I thought was so impressive was that it only took the 3,400 hard working, blue collar men 15 months and eight days to erect the building. Although today’s standards are much higher and innovations in construction have grown, the red tape of our current system make a pace like that impossible.
I went on a Circle Line Cruise around the island, under all the fantastic bridges, and passed the Statue of Liberty. I toured the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. I ventured into the subway and traveled from place to place on the City Sights double-decker bus. I stood on the steps of One World Trade Center and was entertained by a theatrical The Ride. With all the many things I did in NYC, it wasn’t until I went to Rockefeller Center that I found my favorite piece of the city.
Rockefeller Center is the epitome of New York City. For me, this was such a delight. From the intricate architecture to the elaborate art and history behind it to Top of the Rock observatory, Rockefeller Center was an experience I will never forget.
The Center encompasses 22 acres and 19 buildings, which take up 8 million square feet of space in the middle of Midtown Manhattan. It is an art museum all on its own, not to mention the home of Radio City Music Hall, NBC headquarters and until recently the Associated Press. The sculptures that stand above the entrances of 50 Rockefeller Plaza honor News by depicting the various forms of communication by journalists. As a journalism and history major, this tour provided me with an enormous amount of pride in my knowledge and interests.
The hustle and bustle of NYC is an experience everyone should have at least once. I promise you won’t be disappointed. I am grateful I got to see this incredible city and got to live and understand the meaning of a New York minute. Mine came and went with a quickness that I will be talking about for the rest of my life.
