New York – the city that never sleeps: A big mistake. It’s Sunday, six o’clock in the morning. At Times Square with its neon signs that turn night into day, I get into a yellow cab.
The bright yellow cabs are as much a part of New York as the musicals are part of Broadway and the hot dog stands on every street corner. The wide boulevards towards southern Manhattan are deserted. Apart from a few bus drivers who are already on duty, there are hardly any cars on the streets lined with skyscrapers.
The ride from my hotel on a side street off Times Square to the Brooklyn Bridge costs $30. For 135 years, the bridge, which thousands of drivers and cyclists share with pedestrians every day, has towered over the East River. It is one of the many landmarks of the Big Apple.
Skyline sparkles like a Christmas tree
Half an hour later and one bridge crossing further, I have reached my destination. At this hour, the promenade on the Brooklyn bank of the East River is almost mine alone. Just two seagulls, which take off on reconnaissance flights every few minutes to warm up, watch me curiously as I keep putting the camera aside and putting my hands in my pants pockets.
God, New York can be cold. But my heart quickly warms: millions of lights transform every skyscraper in the Lower Manhattan skyline that lines the entire opposite bank into sparkling Christmas trees.
Gradually it begins to get dark. The wind not only whistles, it also pushes the few clouds in the morning sky back and forth. Every few minutes the images get a new background. The photos are in the can – we take the water taxi back to the other bank.
Meeting Miss Liberty
On to my rendezvous with New York’s most famous lady, Miss Liberty: The free ferries to Staten Island depart from the Whitehall Ferry Terminal at Battery Park. The crossing takes less than 30 minutes and always surprises with panoramic views of downtown Manhattan.
Sceneries that I have seen before in umpteen films and on countless posters and postcards. But all of them will quickly draw attention to themselves as a side issue as the starboard side of Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty.
New York is not a cheap city destination, but there is no reason even for bargain hunters to avoid the Big Apple. If you spontaneously get hungry, there are hot dogs on every corner, starting at one dollar. If you take the ferry to Staten Island, you can skip the expensive trip to the Statue of Liberty.
City trip becomes a treasure trove
Even the US President does not have to enter the imposing entrance hall of his Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. Visitors can also find free public restrooms there, which isn’t always easy in Manhattan.
The umpteen impressions that you get, especially as a New York beginner, are priceless, for example when you get a bird’s eye view of the city from the new One World Trade Center, but without forgetting the terrain on which you are currently moving.
Empire State Building: uncrowned queen
Even as a newcomer to the city, it rarely feels like walking into an unfamiliar place: A walk through Central Park and I discover the Plaza Hotel, where Kevin stayed when he was alone in New York.
And on a city tour I pass the American Museum of Natural History, which I promptly identify as the filming location for “Night at the Museum”. The uncrowned queen of film locations is undoubtedly the Empire State Building, known from films such as “King Kong and the White Woman” and “Sleepless in Seattle”.
Ice skating to gospel songs
But the Big Apple can also be contagious, especially when you’re between the Hudson and East River during Advent: I always catch myself stopping in amazement at the XXL Christmas decorations in the shops. The illuminated facade of the Saks department store is always beautiful.
The encore follows a few steps further: The Christmas tree with its thousands of lights in front of the Rockefeller Center tops everything – and if I had dared to stand on runners, I would have made the adjacent ice rink unsafe.
So I let others go first and listen to the gospel choir, who perform the most beautiful Christmas carols live in the freezing cold. That, too, is New York – always a nice surprise – and not just during Advent.
Facts:
Accomodation: The centrally located one is popular with German guests Riu Plaza New York Times Square in the immediate vicinity of the square of the same name. Three nights cost in January 2019 Tui with Air France flight from/to Hamburg and rich breakfast buffet from 808 euros per person in a double room. From the four-star hotel (information: riu.com) in the heart of Manhattan, the Fifth Avenue shopping mile and sights such as the Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building as well as the subway station are within easy walking distance.
Saving tip: The “New York CityPASS” (price 126 US dollars) is ideal for exploring the city, which allows you to visit the most popular sights of the metropolis such as the Empire State Building Experience, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Top of the Rock Observation Deck and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Anyone interested in purchasing the ticket below de.nycgo.com decides, gets a 42 percent discount on the largest hotspots in the world metropolis.
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