Trip to New York – Day 2

After breakfast we took the subway to Midtown. First stop Madison Square Park and Flatiron Building, one of Manhattan’s oldest skyscrapers. Unfortunately, once again we found ourselves in front of scaffolding and the photos we took did not excite us.

Next stop the Harry Potter Store where after the mess we also bought butterbeer (those in the know will understand).

We went up 5th Avenue and after passing outside or rather under the Empire State Building we ended up in Bryant Park.

After watching the people coming and going for a bit, we visited the Public Library located behind the park. The New York Public Library holds nearly 53 million items in 92 locations and is the second largest public library in the United States and the fourth largest in the world. The exterior is in Greek Revival style with the two lions at the entrance. One is Patience and the other is Bravery. The interior of the library is majestic and impressive. Huge staircases and endless corridors lead you to rooms with works of art and amazing objects. Unfortunately the large reading room was inaccessible to non-members. Admission is free.

Then we took buses to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (sightseeing pass). By the time we arrived the clouds had descended to the height of the buildings and had created an eerie atmosphere.

This museum could also be characterized as a War Museum. It is aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid which fought in WWII and the Vietnam War. It was decommissioned in 1974 and established as a museum in 1982. The museum spans 5 areas. One is the interior, the second the deck, the third the room with the Enterprise, the fourth the submarine USS Growler and the exterior the Concorde.

Inside are tons of authentic artifacts, airplanes, helicopters, uniforms, and many interactive exhibits. On the deck you will see a series of fighter aircraft of all eras with the highlight being the modern Stealth. You can also through one route go up to the ship’s bridge and see the navigational instruments and many other details.

In a separate hangar on the deck you can admire the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the first orbital vehicle of the Space Shuttle program. At the bottom of the aircraft carrier you will be able to see the impressive Concorde, which during its operational period made the New York-London route in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. Finally you can enter the grounds of the USS Growler submarine located outside. Unfortunately we couldn’t get in as the line was waiting for about 3 hours.

After the museum we ended up around Times Square and specifically at Dallas BBQ for food. Ribs, stake, Burger, 2 cokes and a cocktail $65. Our assistance.

A combination of buses and subways takes us outside the MET for photos. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to visit it and it left us repelled.

From there we go up the Museum Mile and end up at the impressive Guggenheim Museum. We say since we have time and it is included in the (sightseeing pass), why don’t we go in? The circular design of the interior really left us speechless.

Exiting we headed through Central Park to the other side of Manhattan to catch the subway to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium. He has a baseball game today. We had booked the tickets since April for $10 each, God’s end to the stands. We didn’t really care since we went for the experience.

Arriving outside the stadium, we found out how Americans see baseball. Literally a celebration. Fans of both teams (New York Yankees – Seattle Mariners) hugging drinking beers and eating hot dogs. All the shops filled with loud music until the match started. Arriving at the gate and before showing the tickets, we went through a thorough inspection. There they found on us, among other things, an osmo pocket video camera. This is not going to pass, they tell me. But it’s not professional, I explain to them, but they are adamant. What can I do I say since we have booked tickets and are coming from Greece for this match. Because of course I wasn’t the only one with something not allowed on it, business had developed in the area. Small shops with lockers where you locked these things and after the race you went and got them. $20 a glove and I got a dubrujas. $20 may seem like $5 to them, but it’s fine with me. The funny thing is that they had absolutely no problem with the mobile phone. Fortunately, the match compensated us and we took countless photos.