Day 5 - NYC
This was our last Day in NYC but we still had a full day as our over night bus wasn't until 11.00PM
Check out was noon so with having a late night bus we took a lazy morning and lay in later today. The hotel stowed our bags we were checked out around 11.00 am which gave us a final 12 hrs to explore NYC.
Just a few closing comments on our hotel. Id set a rough budget 0f $130 a night for our stay, I soon realized this was a low estimate once I started searching for a hotel, prices were steeper, much steeper, than my budget. I held out though and eventually the rates I was willing to pay came up and I landed the Gregory on 35th between 5th & 6th, situated in the garment district in the heart of Manhattan. The location was perfect and the hotel was clean and welcoming with fantastic service. The room included dry cleaning, I was able to get one shirt a day cleaned as part of the price, perfect as Im travelling for 5 weeks this saved me some laundry. With being in the Garment district the hotel was nicely themed to represent this, with tailors mannequins, sewing machines and other artifacts lining the walls to help represent theme. I would 100% recommend this hotel.
We still had the Big Bus Ticket so decided to use that to help us get around. Sam wanted to check out the world largest Macy's on 34th st, this sounded like hell on earth to me so I was more than happy to be outta there within 30 mins, now that really was a miracle on 34th St.
From there we hopped on the Big Bus to take us towards downtown, we hopped off so we could wander through Little Italy and China town en route to what was going to be one of the highlights of the trip for, yes I was finally going to Katz's Deli. I don't recall where I first heard /saw this place but it was years ago and the foodie in me just knew one day I had to go, so I was excited to be going. The line to get in was down the road which is always a good sign and before we knew it we were inside the door and could smell those delicious meats. The ticket ordering system was explained and we were soon up in front of cutter 1 ordering our lunch. I got brisket on rye whilst Sam ordered the pastrami on white, both served with pickles. The place was heaving but after a little careful navigation with a tray full off food we were soon seated and tucking in to our giant sandwiches and boy were they good, real good, and so worth the years I had waited to try it.
So with another bucket item ticked off we were on our way, Brooklyn Bridge was next on the agenda. The weather had turned today and just as we headed out the heavens opened and we were in danger of getting a soaking as we walked the 2 miles to the bridge, not wanting to get wet I hailed a cab as soon as we left the deli, This got us to the bridge quicker and also kept us dry and low and behold by the time we got to the bridge the rains had stopped, ten bucks well spent.
Jumping out of the taxi we were soon making our way across the iconic the views from here are stunning, every way you look there is something of interest to see, whether it be the skyline, statue of liberty or just watching people cross the bridge by any means possible. One of the things we noticed whilst in NYC was the varying different means of transport people used to get around the city, skateboards, roller blades, bicycles all mingling in with the hustle and bustle of the daily traffic. The bridge was no different as we saw people crossing on mono cycles. If you can you a wheel on a new yorker will use it.
Once across the bridge I had planned on getting ice cream from the Brooklyn ice cream factory, we found it no problem and the ice cream was expensive but delicious, I had the butter pecan and Sam the choc chip. The views of Manhattan and the bridge are stunning from Brooklyn and well worth the mile walk across the bridge.
Our Big Bus ticket was valid until 4 PM so we decided to hot foot it back across the bridge and pick up the bus to take us back up to midtown, we made it bang on time and sat atop the open top bus taking in Lower Manhattans views for one last time. On the way up to midtown the heavens and we got a little wet so once the bus had dropped off at Broadway we decided to head back to the hotel for a change off clothes for something a little warmer.
Once changed we had still had some time left before we had to be at the port authority so we used the time to see a few more sights and grab those last minute photos, I also had a craving for Oysters and Oysters Rockefeller seemed the perfect choice. We were heading down to 1st avenue to see the UN building so we stopped back off at The Grand Central so I could fix my craving at the Oyster Bar there. Sam isn't keen so sacrificed her oysters for a cocktail, my Rockefeller's were delicious.
We found the UN building and another of Trumps towers on 1st and still had a couple hours to kill so we wandered the streets of NYC for one last time, taking in some shopping, Columbus Circle and times square for one last time. The lights of times square were introduced as a means to rid prostitution, the idea was that if there were no dark seedy corners to solicited business then the seedy business would be driven out, this worked a treat and we now Times Square nowadays statisically one of the safest areas in the USA and the only area in the states that has a minimum rather than a maximum lighting policy (see I did listen to the tour guides).
Having made our way back through times square it was time to grab our bags from The Gregory, we made it through the crowds in time and said our last goodbyes to the exceptional staff at the hotel. I managed to hail a cab right outside and we were at the port authority in no time. We had the over night Greyhound to Pittsburgh,
@Mad Dog county, and by the time the buss arrived we were tired but full of happy memories of our time spent in this truly wonderful city.
Stay tuned for photos