Day 8 : New York: New York Times Square and Empire State, Chrysler Building, New York Public Library, Lower East Side, Union Square, Flatiron Building
The alarm clock goes off again at 6am, after a few hours of sleep that have helped us to recover after yesterday's full day in which we enjoyed a helicopter tour in New York and a sunset at the Top of the Rock, which served as a prelude to today in which we will stop at Times Square in New York and Empire State among other places that we have left to visit in this trip to New York in 11 days so complete that we are living.
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We leave the Holiday Inn Times Square when it is 7:30 in the morning and I thought that today they gave the day as cloudy we have to recognize that the sun is out our window so we get going fast and we approach a Starbucks that we have just in front where we order a juice a coffee + 2 Panini is for $ 17 we devastate in the upstairs that is quite quieter
We leave Holiday Inn Times Square when it is 9 am and as we had planned yesterday, we headed towards one of the most visited symbols of the city: Times Square in New York, where we want to approach this morning, with a little more time, to be able to enjoy it at our leisure and take as many photos as we can, so that we can also take a good souvenir with us.
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Approaching Times Square in New York
Long ago, before the 20th century, Times Square was called Longacre Square, a name that showed the importance of the carriage industry in the area, especially the square. In 1904, the well-known New Work Times appeared on the New Times Building, renaming the square to the name by which Times Square is known today and bringing with it the first neon signs that are now part of the landscape.
Typical corner of Times Square in New York City
It didn't take many years, less than 20, for Times Square to become the new cultural centre of the city, filling up with theatres and concert halls that attracted the most famous stars of the time.
Today Times Square is known as the entire district surrounding the former Times Square in New York, although the square itself is located between the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue, between West 42nd Street and West 47th Street. The northern part of the square, which forms a triangle, is known as Duffy Square and is dedicated to Chaplain Duffy of the Fighting 69th Infantry Regiment, where the famous TKTS ticket booths are located, under the famous red stairs, another of Times Square's iconic landmarks.
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Times Square in New York City from Duffy Square
Red stairs under the TKTS ticket boothsHow to get to Times Square in New York City
Times Square is one of the best areas to stay in, especially if it's your first time in the city, but we also understand that it's not exactly the cheapest, with prices of around 100 euros/night for a double room, although you should book well in advance, especially during festive dates such as Easter or Christmas.
That's why we want to give you some guidance on how to get to Times Square from other parts of the city, although we have to say that it is one of the most accessible points in the city and you can get here with any of the underground lines: 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q and R that stop in Times Square.
If you visit Times Square during the day, we recommend that you take it easy first, as you may even feel overwhelmed at first. At least it happened to us, and arriving at Times Square in New York for the first time is an overwhelming experience to say the least. It is advisable to sit on the red stairs from where you can get a good view of the square and the hustle and bustle that takes place there.
Another area where you can sit is on the famous red chairs in Times Square, from where you'll get another perspective, where you can enjoy the day-to-day life of one of the city's most iconic landmarks.
Times Square
Don't forget to visit Times Square at night either, as seeing the illuminated signs in the darkness of the night makes them stand out much more than during the day, creating a lively atmosphere. Be prepared for crowds, though, because whether you come during the day or at night, New York's Times Square is always crowded.
Times Square after darkShopping in Times Square in New York City
Another thing you're sure to do in Times Square is to wander around some of its most emblematic shops, which you're sure you'll never leave again:
- M&Ms shop on the north side of Times Square
- Disney Store, a delight for kids and not-so-kids
- MAC Cosmetics or Sephora on the east side of the square.
Disney Store in Times Square
As you can imagine, Times Square is not just a passing through area in New York and, as we have done, it is worth spending a few hours, both day and night, but not just passing through, but 100% dedicated to the square, to enjoy it, sitting on the famous red stairs, on one of the benches or at the tables to enjoy the coming and going of people, noticing how even the New Yorkers themselves can't help but raise their heads at the spectacle of light and sound that Times Square has every day, whatever time you pass by.
Times SquareWhere to eat in Times Square in New York?
If you're looking for a good place to have lunch or dinner in Times Square, you're in luck: Times Square is home to many of the city's most famous restaurants, which are the ideal places to end a day in New York.
- Hard Rock Café New York: On the corner of 43rd Street and 7th Avenue
- Junior's: Between 44th Street and 7th Avenue. Their cheesecake is famous all over the city
- Red Lobster: On 41st Street and 7th Avenue. A place to try lobster and seafood at fairly reasonable prices
- Bubba Gump: The world's most famous shrimp with a breathtaking view of Times Square
- The View: At 45th and 7th Avenue. This restaurant has a buffet on a revolving floor with spectacular views of Times Square.
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We can't forget the ubiquitous 24-hour Starbucks, where if the weather is nice you can order a coffee and enjoy it sitting in Times Square, or one of the world's most famous McDonald's, where you can say you've had a burger in Times Square itself.
After more than an hour delighting us with every corner of Times Square in New York and when it is already 9:30 in the morning, we decide that the time has come to leave one of the most famous squares in the world and continue with the itinerary we have planned for this eighth day of our trip to New York at Easter, but first we have to take one last photo, with which to record that we were here.
Times Square in New York
From Times Square we go to Bryan Park, a park of 3.9 hectares, located very close to Times Square, in the heart of Midtown, surrounded by skyscrapers, which on a sunny day like today becomes the perfect place to spend some time enjoying the first rays of sunshine of the day. Within Bryant Park we can also find the New York Public Library, another of today's visits, which has become one of the most visited places in New York.
Bryant Park
As it couldn't be otherwise and considering the day, we take advantage of the hour to have a coffee at one of its many little tables, where we wait for it to be 10 in the morning, the time when the New York Public Library opens. If you have some time, take the opportunity to come here, have a coffee and enjoy one of the most pleasant areas of the city, which we've heard wonderful things about, especially in the warmer months, where a multitude of activities take place.
Bryant Park with the Public Library in the background
It's a few minutes past 10 am when we approach the New York Public Library, which is right in front of us and where we enter for free, seeing a shop that seems to be calling us, and although we don't like shopping too much on trips, we have to say that both the Public Library shop and the MOMA shop (which we will visit tomorrow), have become our favourites in the city.
New York Public Library
As we approached the library we found a beautiful neoclassical building, designed by Carrère & Hastings, which has three floors with 20 reading rooms, including some with exhibitions and computer rooms. The entrance staircase is really spectacular, made of marble and decorated with two lions and two fountains that surround the information desk where you can ask for the maps that show the different rooms of the library and also make your visit much easier,
New York Public Library
The De Witt Wallace Periodical Room on the left of this floor is the perfect place to read the world's newspapers. On the other floors we can see different reading rooms until we reach the main reading room (and also the most famous), the Rose Main Reading Room, currently under restoration, in which we find an immense collection of books.
Rose Main Reading Room
It should be noted that you can access the library free of charge and use all its facilities, although you cannot take any volume out of it, something to be taken into account. You will be searched both on entry and exit, so don't even think of trying.
By the time we realise it, we have spent practically an hour inside the library, between the visit to the rooms we could access and the minutes we spent in the shop, where we were able to find various things apart from the more classic souvenirs, which we have to admit, we couldn't resist and they came with us.
From here we continue our route along Fifth Avenue to go directly to the Chrysler Building, another of New York' s most famous and symbolic buildings, which we have not yet seen up close and which today, being in the area, we took the opportunity to approach. To get there, we went through the street of books, one of the streets that we really found most beautiful in New York, and although the street doesn't really have much to see, on the ground we found plaques with references to books, something that is worth spending a few minutes on.
Details of the "street of books" in New York City
It doesn't take us more than 15 minutes to get to the Chrysler Building, which we have to confess, from a distance does not fail to impress us and we are once again in another of those scenarios that remind us of the many films that have portrayed it or focused on some of its scenes.
Chrysler Building
As the Chrysler Building can not be visited inside but it is possible to access the reception, we do not think twice and enter, where we can see the fantastic art deco decoration of the hall, which certainly leaves us with the desire to access some of its upper floors, from which surely have stunning views of New York.
Chrysler Building Hall
After this brief stop and following the planning we have for today, we approach the Empire State Building, the tallest building in the world between 1931 and 1972 and from which we have stunning views of New York and which, as it could not be otherwise and being included in the CityPASS, we will access now, a good time, since the sky is very clear, to enjoy New York again from above. If you don't have the CityPASS, you can book your tickets online here to avoid the long queues.
Empire State Building
As soon as we arrive we see that there is a huge queue, fortunately as soon as we get there we are told that as we have the CityPASS we can go straight in, skipping the queue, which saves us almost an hour as there are so many people and we can't forget that the Empire State is one of the most symbolic buildings in New York and also one of the most visited tourist attractions.
We go through the security arches and ticket control where they confirm us, something we did not know, that if we want to have the CityPASS we can re-enter from eight o'clock at night to see the city at night today or any other day, one more extra to recommend the CityPASS if you want to visit all the attractions included.
Empire State Building
After passing through several rooms and finally accessing the shop we queue directly to the lift where we go up 80 floors and then back to queue again, where if you want you can go directly up the stairs six floors to advance some time or if not make another small queue to go up in the lift, where after ascending the last floors we are finally back above the city of New York.
Views of New York from the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building, after the fall of the Twin Towers, is the third tallest building in New York after One World Trade Center and 432 Park Avenue, with 102 floors and 381 metres, a good height from which, as you can see in the photos, you have a unique perspective of the city. For more information you can consult this post on how to climb the Empire State Building.
Views of Central Park from the Empire State Building
Taking into account that it was built in 410 days, we can say that it was quite an achievement for the time when almost 4000 people worked on it, building an average of 4 floors per week. Quite a record.
There are two observation decks in the Empire State Building, the first one on the 86th floor and the second one on the 102nd floor. If you don't have a CityPASS, going up to the first one costs 32 dollars and to go up to the second one you have to pay an extra 20 dollars more. As a comment we can tell you that from the 86th floor the views are unique, so paying that extra 20 dollars is not worth it.
Breathtaking views from the Empire State Building
Flatiron Building from the Empire State Building
Considering that the Empire State Building receives almost 4 million tourists every year, it is advisable to be punctual, especially if you don't have a CityPASS to skip the queues, as it tends to get very crowded a few hours after opening time.
The opening hours are from 8:00 a.m. when the first lift goes up to 1:15 a.m. when the last one goes up.
Chrysler Building from the Empire State Building
This is undoubtedly another of the essential visits in New York, as the views are truly impressive and totally recommendable. We recommend you to arrive with a CityPASS to avoid queues, as we explained before.
We are here for more than an hour enjoying the breathtaking views and when it is a little after 1 pm, we return to the lifts that return us to the asphalt of New York, with a new image of the city that we will surely not forget.
Views of New York from the Empire State Building
When we look at the clock again, it's almost 13:30 and considering that we've already passed the New York lunch hour, we take the underground to go to the Lower East Side, the area where we'll be able to enjoy the best pastrami sandwich in the world. You know the place we're talking about, don't you? Katz's Delicatessen.
And of course, the queue is quite significant, as we've heard so many times here: In New York, if you go to a place where there's no queue, it's not worth it. Something we have to say that so far it has been quite true, and that in New York you have to queue for almost everything.
Ketz's Delicatessen
As soon as you enter Katz's Delicatessen, the first thing they do is give you a kind of ticket, which you don't have to lose, otherwise you'll have to pay 50 dollars, where they write down everything you order at the different counters. As we understand and as has happened to us, there is usually quite a long queue, although they go fast, so as in other similar places, the best thing to do is for one person to order and the other to go and get a table. At a counter in the first zones you order your sandwiches, then you order your drink or chips in the next zones, and in the last zone you order your coffee/cappuccino or dessert. There are plenty of tables, so you probably won't have to wait too long to find a free table.
Katz's Delicatessen
We ordered a couple of pastrami sandwiches, the most famous, plus two soft drinks and coffee and cappuccino for 55 dollars. As on other occasions, we have to say that it is not particularly cheap, but it is more than recommended, above all because of how famous the place is and, of course, because of the pastrami, which is delicious.
Pastrami sandwich at Katz's Deli
Something to bear in mind is that you have to pay in cash as they don't accept credit cards, something quite important as we, for example, had 60 dollars left and thinking that everything can be paid for with a credit card we didn't even bother to take out more money. So it's best to bring cash if you want to come here, and you can expect that for two sandwiches plus drinks and coffee it will cost you about 55 or 60 dollars.
can't leave the city without coming to Katz's Delicatessen, known for this and for being the setting for one of the scenes in the film "When Harry Met Sally"
You have to order at the counter for both sandwiches and drinks or desserts, so as there are always many people, we recommend that you look for a table, sit down and then order at the counter.
Keep in mind that they don't accept credit cards, you have to pay in cash. Without a doubt, this is another one of the gastronomic recommendations in New York that you can't miss. It's delicious
After recharging our batteries at Katz's Deli, we wander around the Lower East Side, a neighbourhood that honestly surprised us a lot. It has a very bohemian atmosphere and a very cool vibe with charming little shops, restaurants and magical cafés that are well worth a stroll.
Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The truth is that the Lower East Side atmosphere is nothing like the rest of Manhattan or at least what we have seen, but it is true that in our case we have loved it and it gives us a breath of fresh air after these days of travel in which we have focused on more crowded areas.
From here we walk up 4th Avenue until we reach Union Square, another of the places we have marked to visit today and which is another of those places that appear in the guidebooks as a must-see in New York City.
Union Square
Here we find one of the famous shops Dylan's Candy BarThis is a shop that sells all kinds of sweets and flavours, as well as a bar on the first floor where you can enjoy the smell of sweets in the lower part of the shop. Although we only go around the first floor, we think that as a curiosity, if you're in the area, it's worth taking a look.
Dylan's Candy Bar
From here we continue our walk to the next point on our itinerary, one of the places we were most looking forward to seeing, as it is another of New York's great icons: the inimitable Flatiron Building, where as soon as we arrive we sit down on one of the benches and even if we want to and try, we are unable to move for almost an hour. This corner of the city is truly unique!
Flatiron Building
It's almost 6pm when we get back on the move and head to Eataly, a complex right next to the Flatiron Building where we find shops selling Italian products and some of the best Italian restaurants in New York, reminding us of Italy for the half hour we walk through it, the country we love so much and where we will return in a couple of months, as Lake Como, on this occasion, is waiting for us.
Eataly
From here, ending our visit to this area of the city, we take the underground and head towards Times Square where we sit at one of its famous and symbolic red tables, waiting for the sunset in the city, directly enjoying a good time watching life go by, something we like to do on all our trips and even more so in cities like New York, which do this practically every minute of the day.
Dusk begins to fall in Times Square
And so, almost without realising it, night falls in Times Square, something that makes the posters stand out even more, at which point we go up the stairs of TKTS where at this time of day there is already a really impressive atmosphere and from where we have a really good perspective of the whole square at this time of day, which is already very lively. Times Square is one of the best places to see on a tour of New York at night.
A good option for touring New York by night is to book this tour in Spanish that takes in the best illuminated sights of the city.
Night begins to fall in Times Square
No doubt as much as they say that for a first time it is worth staying in the Times Square area we have to say that if we come back, despite what we thought initially and how overwhelmed we were with this area, we would almost certainly stay here again, even if it was only for a few days and being here first thing in the morning or at night, next to the accommodation, we have to say that it is something that is appreciated and much, especially after being all day walking and touring the city.
Night in Times Square
It's after 8:00 at night when we decide that it's time to go and rest, first going to some place to buy some sushi as we are not very hungry, but we just pass by Chevys Fresh Mexico, a highly recommended and very large Mexican restaurant where we see how they serve several guacamole dishes that look very good and taking into account that we feel like changing a little bit the type of cuisine, we go there. We order some special nachos, a dish in which the guacamole is prepared for us on the spot, plus some quesadillas with a beer and a coke, plus some nachos as a starter, for 45 dollars plus a 20% tip. We have to say that without being the best Mexican we have tried, it is very good, so if you are in the area and feel like a change, it is more than recommended.
It's 9:30 in the evening when we walk through the doors of the Holiday Inn Times Square and go straight to our room, only giving us time to check the weather and see that tomorrow is going to be cloudy and rainy. We will have to close our eyes soon and hope that the weather forecast is wrong and that we can enjoy sunny days again for the rest of the days we have left in New York.
