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Uncover Travel’s guide to three nights in New York covers all of the must-see sights with recommended places to eat and a suggested hotel in a great location.
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UNCOVER.TRAVEL
New York is the nerve centre of the nation, leading in manufacturing, foreign trade, commerce and banking, book and magazine publishing and theatrical production. New York City is home to three airports, one of which (John F. Kennedy International Airport) is one of the busiest airports in the world. With incomparable museums, attractions, restaurants, hotels, theatres and shopping venues, New York City attracts visitors from all over the world. It is estimated that 56.5 million people visited New York City in 2014.
Uncover Travel’s guide to three nights in New York covers all of the must-see sights with recommended places to eat and a suggested hotel in a great location.
NEW YORK
Day One - Check in to the Yotel. Walk to Times Square, New York’s busiest intersection to take in the ambiance and the billboards spectacle. Have lunch at Toni’s di Napoli and then walk to the Empire State Building (approx. 15 minutes) to visit the observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors. In the evening head to BB King's Blues Club and Grill for dinner and live entertainment.
Day Two - Hop on the Big Bus Tour’s Downtown route, which will take you through Chinatown and Little Italy. Get off at Battery Park and take the Liberty Island Ferry to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. From Battery Park take the Big Bus to the next stop and have lunch at Don Giovanni Ristorante and then walk along the High Line. Have an early dinner at the Playwright Irish Pub near Times Square and then take the Big Bus Tour's Night Tour, a non-stop route that will take you across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Day Three - Hop on the Big Bus Tour's Uptown Route. Get off at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and spend some time enjoying the wonderful exhibitions. The entrance fee is a recommended fee and you can pay as much or as little as you like. Get back on the Big Bus to the Central Park South, have lunch in one of the many nearby restaurants and then wander through Central Park. In the evening have a slice of the world's most fabulous cheesecake at Junior's and then catch a show on Broadway.
Day Four - Store your bags with the Yotel’s luggage-storing robot and get a taxi or the subway to the heliport in Down-town Manhattan for a helicopter tour. Walk to Ground Zero and One World Trade Centre (approx. 20 minutes) and then return to the Yotel to pick up your bags and head to the airport.
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Three Nights in New York
Plan your trip to NYC and book tickets online before you go to save waiting in long queues and to ensure that you can see all of the sights.
Buy tickets for the Big Bus Tour online before you go. We rec-ommend the Liberty Package, which includes the Uptown and Downtown Routes, Brooklyn and Night Tours and the ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.
If you would like to visit the Statue of Liberty Pedestal or Crown you will need to purchase those tickets too as the Big Bus Tour tickets will only give you access to Liberty Island (if included in the Big Bus package). Be sure to book well in ad-vance, as crown tickets sell out weeks in advance. You can also purchase Priority Entrance tickets to skip the long queue for the ferry and tickets for the Hard Hat Tour of Ellis Island.
We recommend the VIP Main Deck + Top Deck Express Ex-perience tickets for the Empire State Building. This will allow you to skip the long queue for the elevators and to access the main observatory on the 86th floor and the observatory on the 102nd floor.
Purchase your Broadway tickets in advance to get the best seats. We recommend Les Miserables, which is playing at the Imperial Theatre until 4th of September 2016.
Book your helicopter your online with Zip Aviation; we rec-ommend the Big City Tour. You can also purchase a personal-ised, high definition video to remember your experience.
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Book in Advance
Until 1956 Liberty Island was known as Bedloe’s Island after Isaac Bedloe, a Dutch colonist, merchant and ship owner, who bought the island in 1667. The 12 acre island has had many names and was originally known to the Delaware Indians as Minnissais (meaning ‘Lesser Island’) and to early colonials as Great Oyster. For a short period following Bedloe’s death in 1673 the island was known as ‘Love Island’ after then Governor, Colonel Francis Lovelace, who wanted to allow people facing civil charges to live there safely.
Throughout the times during which it was known as Great Oyster (one of the Oysters Islands), it was inhabited by the Native Americans who harvested shellfish and hunted small animals there.
Following the death of Isaac Bedloe, in 1732, the City of New York took control of the island and used it as a quarantine station, inspecting incoming ships for smallpox. In 1746 it was purchased by Archibald Kennedy, who built a house and a
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Liberty Island
You will have to purchase specific tickets to visit the pedestal or the crown - make sure to buy them well in advance
lighthouse and tried to rename it ‘Kennedy Island’. Just two years later it was once again used as a quarantine station and in 1758 it was sold to the City of New York.
The city erected a hospital, known as a ‘pest house’ for patients who were suffering from infectious diseases. During the American Revolution it became an asylum for Tory refugees (American colonists loyal to Great Britain) and then in 1776 colonial forces attacked the island and burned down the houses. After the American Revolution the French were ceded control of the island and the American government realised the true value of this island with its strategic position giving a clear view of the entrance to New York Harbor and New York City.
The French were asked to leave in 1796 and a number of forts were constructed throughout the harbour and the city to protect New York from invasion. On the island an eleven-point, star-shaped fort initially known as ‘Works on Bedlow Island’ (later re-named Fort Wood) was constructed. The fort served as an ordinance depot between 1851 and 1876 and the army remained active on the island until 1937.
The idea of the Statue of Liberty born in 1865 when Édouard René de Laboulaye, a French political intellectual and anti-slavery activist, proposed the creation of a monument representing Liberty for the United States. He
believed that the passage of the 13th amendment, stating the abolishment of slavery in the United States, was a milestone and proved that justice and liberty for all was possible. Auguste Barthodi, a sculptor and a friend of Laboulaye, was a great supporter of the idea and began to design the statue of ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’.
Ten years after Laboulaye came up with the idea he announced the project and the formation of the Franco-American Union as its fundraising arm. It was agreed that the French people would fund the statue and the American people would fund the pedestal on which it would stand.
In 1885 Barthodi completed the statue. It was disassembled, packed in more than 200 crates and shipped to New York. Over the next four months the statue was reassembled and mounted on a pedestal. On the 28th of October 1886, President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the statue.
The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World depicts a woman holding a torch in her raised right hand and a tablet in her left, upon which is engraved ‘July IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4th, 1776), the adoption date of the Declaration of Independence. It is said that Barthodi modelled the face of the statue, which is over 8 feet tall, on his mother. By the feet of the statue lie broken shackles of oppression and tyranny
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and the seven rays on the crown of the statue represent the seven continents.
The ‘skeleton’ was made with the assistance of Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffel Tower, and Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc. It was built from iron pylon and steel that allowed the copper ‘skin’ to move independently. The statue was made using a technique called repoussé, creating the ‘skin’ by hammering large copper sheets, 3/32 of an inch thick, onto the ‘skeleton’. During the restoration of the statue which was completed in 1986, the new torch was covered with thin sheets of 24k gold.
The statue now stands at 305 feet and 6 inches tall (approximately 93 metres), including the pedestal. The weight is 225 tons (450,000 pounds) and there are 154 steps leading from the pedestal to the head. The design of the skeleton took into account the strong winds of up to 50 mph that the statue would endure in New York Harbour and allows the skeleton to sway up to three inches and the torch to sway up to six inches.
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Liberty Enlightening the World
At 103 stories and 1,250 feet (381 metres) tall, the Empire State building was once the tallest building in the world. It held the title for over forty years (the longest any building has held the title) until the completion of the North Tower of the World Trade Centre in 1972. Now over twenty buildings surpass the Empire State building in height but it has remained a world-famous architectural icon. It is also one of the largest office spaces in the world with 2,850,000 rentable square feet.
The construction of the Eiffel Tower in 1889 spurred a skyscraper race amongst American architects. In 1909 the Metropolitan Life Tower was completed at 700 feet tall, in 1913 the Woolworth building beat it at 792 feet, then the Bank of Manhattan building took the lead at 927 feet. Walter Chrysler joined the race but kept the height of the project a secret until the building’s completion and it was during the construction of the Chrysler building that John Jakob Raskob, the vice president of General Motors, began the construction of his own building with an aim to make it taller than the unfinished Chrysler
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Empire State
We recommend the VIP Main Deck + Top Deck Express Experience tickets
Building. The competition between Chrysler and Raskob was on.
The initial plan was for the Empire State Building to be the tallest at 80 stories but then the Chrysler Building went higher and so the Empire State was extended to 85 stories. Seeing they were being surpassed, Chrysler and his architect decided to add a surprise 186 foot spire which they secretly hoisted to the top in four parts and riveted them together in 90 minutes. The Chrysler Building was now the tallest building in the world and would remain as such for the next 11 months.
Not one to give up, Raskob came up with a solution that would close the competition. He decided that the Empire State building needed a ‘hat’, which would be used as a docking station for dirigibles. The new design with the dirigible mooring mast made the finished building 1,250 feet tall while the Chrysler Building was completed at 1,046 feet.
The queue for the Empire State building can be very long. VIP Express tickets allow you to skip the queue and head straight for the elevator. The Dare to Dream exhibit on the 80th floor takes you through the building’s history, engineering and construction.
The next elevator will take you to the 86th floor, home to the world’s most famous observatory that attracts around four million visitors every year. The open-air observation deck wraps around the building’s spire, providing 360 degree views of New York. From there you will be able to see Central Park, Times Square, the Hudson River and East River, One World Trade Centre, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. The views are incredible but it can be extremely windy at the top!
To continue to the Top Deck on the 102nd floor you will board a manually operated Otis Elevator. The views are even more breathtaking from here and on a clear day you will be able to see skyscrapers up to 80 miles away into New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
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Ellis island opened in 1892 as a federal immigration station. Millions of newly arrived immigrants passed through this station until it closed in 1954. It has been estimated that around 40% of all current U.S. citizens can trace at least one of their ancestors to Ellis Island.
In the early years of American immigration those arriving in the country faced few restrictions or regulations. However, by the 19th century there was a growing concern that immigrants might burden society if they were seriously ill, too poor to support themselves, or vulnerable to exploitation.
After passing through the Journeys: The Peopling of America 1550-1890 exhibit you will reach the arrival room and hear the chaos that arrival immigrants would have encountered at Castle Garden, lower Manhattan, one of the first state-run immigration depots.
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Ellis Island
The island’s size was doubled with six acres of landfill to accom-modate the immigration station
In 1890 the government decided to replace Castle Garden with the first federal immigration station on Ellis Island. In order to do this artesian wells were dug and island’s size was doubled to over six acres with landfill created from incoming ship’s ballast and the excavation of subway tunnels in New York. As the control of immigration was turned over to the federal government the immigration laws were extended to keep out ‘undesirables’ such as criminals and prostitutes.
On the 1st of January 1982 the Ellis Island Immigration officially opened and three large ships were waiting to land. On that day seven hundred immigrants passed through Ellis Island and nearly 450,000 followed throughout the year. Throughout the next five decades more than 12 million people passed through the island on their way into the United States.
During the peak years of immigration the U.S. Public Health Service was responsible for the medical inspection and treatment of those 12 million immigrants. By 1911 more than 15 buildings on the island were devoted to medical care. The buildings included laboratories, an x-ray plant, a psychiatric ward, a morgue, a 275-bed hospital and a 450-bed contagious disease ward. Throughout the years that Ellis Island was used as an immigration centre over 3,500 people died and over 355 babies were born on the island.
While waiting in line immigrants were inspected by service doctors who had only six seconds to scan each immigrant to detect those who should be held for a more thorough medical examination. In 1917 the U.S. Public Health Service printed a list of over 60 health conditions, from anaemia to varicose veins, that the doctors could spot during these brief inspections. Approximately nine out of 100 were marked with an ‘X’ during line inspection and sent to the medical examination room for further questioning.
By 1917 immigration laws prohibited the admission of all immigrants diagnosed as suffering from any mental impairment. Doctors used standard mental exams however the wide variety of educational and cultural background made the assessment very complicated. Illiterates that were suspected of being mentally deficient were given a mental comparison tests and doctors based their decisions on their subject’s level of acquired knowledge, problem-solving, behaviour and attitude.
Most immigrants would wait between three and five hours on Ellis Island for a brief medical and legal examination prior to admittance to the United States. Some would spend longer on the island for additional testing or a legal hearing and around 2% would have to return home.
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Ground Zero is the site where the World Trade Center stood prior to the attack that took place on the 11th of September 2001. The spot has now become a memorial for the 2,977 people that were killed that day (including those on the four hijacked planes and those in the pentagon), as well as the six people who were killed in the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993.
The term ‘ground zero’ usually refers to the epicentre of an atomic bomb explosion. The attack, often referred to as 9/11, was the largest loss of life from a foreign attack on American soil and the single greatest loss of rescue personnel in American history. The destruction was compared to that of an atomic bomb and so the site became known as Ground Zero.
The memorial consists of twin reflecting pools, each nearly one acre in size, featuring the largest man-made waterfalls in North America. Surrounding the pools are the names of every person who died in these attacks. The memorial was designed by
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Ground Zero
One World Trade Centre has become the western hemisphere’s tallest building
architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker following a global competition that included over 5,200 entries from 63 nations. It is a place of hope for the future as well as a tribute to the past.
Within the grounds of the memorial is the Survivor Tree. This callery pear tree was discovered severely damaged with snapped roots and burned and broken branches. It was removed from the rubble and placed in the care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. After its recovery and rehabilitation it was returned to the memorial in 2010 and now stands as a living reminder of resilience, survival and rebirth. The new, smooth limbs that extend from the gnarled stumps create a visible demarkation between the tree’s past and present.
Behind the tree, towering above the memorial, is One World Trade Center. The 1,776 foot tall skyscraper has become the western hemisphere’s tallest building and one of the most iconic landmarks of New York. Designed by architect, David Childs, the cubic base has a footprint identical to that the original Twin Towers.
In 2003 the then governor, George Pataki, named the building the Freedom Tower. Many people felt this name and the building’s height were important symbols of the resolve and determination on the part of the American people to
fight terrorism. As the building advanced some minds changed and, in 2009, Port Authority quietly changed the name to One World Trade Centre. It was believed that the old name was emotionally charged and felt that being forever associated with the attack and the profound loss could hinder leasing efforts. Regardless of the official name change, the building is still referred to by many as the Freedom Tower. It was also called the Freedom Tower in the poem ‘One Today’ which was read at the swearing in ceremony of President Obama.
At the top of the building is the One World Observatory, an enclosed observation deck that sits 1,250 feet above street level. Voted the best new attraction in the world by Telegraph Travel UK, the sky pod elevators whisk guests to the 102nd floor in less than 60 seconds. The elevators display a virtual time-lapse that recreates the New York City’s skyline from the 1500s to the present day with floor-to-ceiling LED technology. Within the observatory is the See Forever Theatre, the Sky Portal and three restaurants with skyline views.
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The futuristic Yotel New York is located approximately five minutes on foot from Times Square at 570 Tenth Avenue. The automated check-in and check-out system is quick and easy and the reception area features a bag-storing robot that is well worth watching, even if you don’t need to store your bag!
The hotel offers a wide range of ‘cabins’ from the ‘Premium Cabin’ to the ‘First King Cabin’. We recommend the Executive City View Queen Cabin, which features a floor-to-ceiling corner view of the Manhattan skyline and the Hudson River. We were also given a free upgrade to a higher floor, which made the views even better.
The hotel offers free tea, coffee and muffins for breakfast on ‘Four’ although guests may also opt to pay extra for a tradi-tional, cooked breakfast. There is free wi-fi throughout the hotel and computers on ‘Four’ which can be used for the internet or to print out your theatre tickets!
WHY CHOOSE THE YOTEL?
❖ Great location, just five minutes on foot from Times Square
❖ Free wi-fi❖ Complementary tea, coffee and breakfast muffins are a
great way to start the day in NYC❖ The cabins have wonderful views of the Manhattan
Skyline❖ It has a luggage-storing robot
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Where to Stay
Toni’s di Napoli is a wonderful Italian restaurant near Times Square. The ‘family style Italian’ has been been serving the best ‘Old New York Italian favourites’ since 1959. The portions are designed to serve two or three people and are delicious!
The Playwright Irish Pub is located in midtown Manhattan. The menu offers a selection of Irish and American dishes and over 25 rotating draft beers and countless more options by the bottle. This is a great place for a quick lunch or a snack.
A trip to NYC would not be complete without a Cheesecake at Junior’s. There are Junior’s restaurants in Brooklyn, Grand Central, Times Square and Foxwoods. Their slogan of ‘Home of the World’s Most Fabulous Cheesecake’ is very apt and we highly recommend a large slice (and the slices really are large!) of their ‘Famous No. 1 Original Cheesecake’. Junior’s also offer delicious sandwiches, burgers and milkshakes.
WE RECOMMEND
❖ Black Linguini Seafood at Toni’s di Napoli - one dish is enough for two or three people
❖ The World’s Most Fabulous Cheesecake at Junior’s - all you need to know is in the title
❖ Playwright Irish Pub’s sharing sampler is perfect for a quick snack while you are our exploring the Big Apple
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Where to Eat
Three Day Guide Adapted From: Uncover Travel, New York
http://www.jamesmaherphotography.com/articles/28-chrysler-building
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/a/empirestatebldg.htm
http://www.6sqft.com/the-wild-and-dark-history-of-the-empire-state-building/
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/11/us/empire-state-building-fast-facts/
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/design/g1705/21-tallest-buildings-in-the-world/
https://www.911memorial.org/about-memorial
https://wallstreetwalks.com/what-is-ground-zero/
http://www.wtc.com/about/buildings/1-world-trade-center
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323998604578563520424195296
http://www.history.com/topics/ellis-island
Information provided by the Ellis Island Immigration Museum
http://global.britannica.com/place/Liberty-Island
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ny-libertyisland.html
http://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/edouard-de-laboulaye.htm
http://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/auguste-bartholdi.htm
http://www.history.com/topics/statue-of-liberty
http://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/statue-facts
http://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/statue-statistics.htm
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