New York City is on just about everybody's list, and with good reason. It's amazing! There are so many great neighborhoods and awe inspiring sites. If you are planning a trip to NYC, I'm guessing that you are going to visit the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met). From firsthand experience, I've learned that these three tourist attractions do require a bit of planning, so here's what you need to know before you go.
The Empire State Building
Binoculars give you a closer look.
You may be thinking of just walking by the Empire State Building and going right in to get your chance at the top. That's what I did, and after about an hour and a half, I did finally make it to the top (which is pretty awesome by the way). Here's what takes so deceptively long.
The first line that you get into doesn't look very long. You may think, "Oh this isn't so bad!" as you join the queue. But that first line is just the line to get through security. After you make it through security, you join another line to buy tickets. After you buy your tickets, you are sent to the next room, which has another long line. As you get close to the front of the line, you realize that this is just the line to get your picture taken in front of the green screen (for those $30 photos they sell on the way out). Next, you shuffle like cattle to a hallway that has another long, winding line, which you don't even know what it leads to at this point. After handing over your ticket, you turn a corner and see that the line is for the elevators. Finally! But wait. This elevator only takes you to the 80th floor, which has some historical information and windows, but the outdoor viewing is on the 86th floor. So you then walk around the 80th floor until you see another shorter line to get on an elevator taking you to the 86th floor. An hour and a half just went by.
My advice? Come prepared to wait. Expect a total visit time of two hours. To shorten your wait, buy your tickets online ahead of time. For regular tickets, this will push you past one of the lines, shortening your time. If you want to skip all of the lines, you can if you pay double the price for VIP tickets. These cost $74-90. (The lower price takes you to the 86th floor - the main viewing area. The higher price takes you up higher.)
86th Floor Viewpoint at Empire State Building
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
I listed these two sites as one because you see them both on a combined ferry trip. Book your tickets online ahead of time. The pedestal ticket for the Statue of Liberty gets you up right to the base of her feet, while the crown tickets get you way up top, but sell out far in advance. Once you have your reserved time tickets booked ahead of time, here's what you need to know about each step of the experience.
The whole experience takes a minimum of 3-4 hours. Plan accordingly to make it this the one main plan for the day so that you don't feel rushed.
If your tickets leave from NY (instead of NJ), your ferry leaves from Battery Park. If you get out of the South Ferry subway stop, you will come out right in front of the Staten Island ferry. You'll need to walk through the park to make it to your terminal. When you look on the map of where the ferry terminal is, it's helpful to know that the line actually starts pretty far to the east of the terminal, behind the white structure set up for security checks. There are metal fences separating the two lines - reserved times and flex tickets. If you purchased the reserved time tickets, you will notice that this line is much shorter. Another good thing to note is that in this whole experience, single lines are not encouraged. The fenced in area is quite wide because they want people filling in all of the space instead of staying in line. If you notice big gaps from people dutifully standing in lines, make your way to the front because the security guards will guide everyone to do that anyways.
Taken from the ferry, you can see the white security building. The lines form behind that building and go back pretty far.
The security check is just like an airport check without removing your shoes. Pockets need to be emptied and all metal should go in the bins.
From Battery Park, your ferry will first go to the Statue of Liberty. If possible, get on the right side of the ferry for this first leg of the trip. The ferry will go right in front of the statue and the right side will get you the premium views.
The island has great views from the ground looking up, as well as beautiful views of the NYC skyline. There is a cafeteria with cold food (wraps, salad, sushi) and hot food (hamburgers, fries, pizza), and plenty of tables outside. Bathrooms and a water bottle filling station are in the gift shop entryway.
You will need your pedestal or crown tickets out to get into the Statue. After someone checks your tickets, you'll need to go through another airport style security check. There are two ways to get to the pedestal, elevator or stairs. If there is a line for the elevator and you don't want to wait, it's only about 7 flights of stairs to the pedestal. If you have crown tickets, once you get to the pedestal level, the only way to get to the top is by a spiral staircase that goes right through the middle of the statue.
This is the view from the pedestal level.
When you are ready to leave Liberty Island and head to Ellis Island, you just go back to where you first arrived. There will be two "lines" under the covered roof. The one on the right will take you to Ellis Island. Check for the signs.
For this next boat trip, go to the opposite side of the ferry this time, the left. The ferry will pass right in front of Lady Liberty again, this time facing the other direction.
Ellis Island really just has one big museum. It would be hard to see it all, so either book a tour, or choose what exhibit(s) you care about most. The Registration Room on floor 2 is a must. From there, you can follow the steps that the immigrants took with an exhibit called "Through America's Gate". Even if you go to no other exhibits, at least stop in the Dormitory Room on the 3rd floor to get an idea of what the sleeping situation looked like.
The Registration Room is a must see on Ellis Island.
When you're ready to leave, find the NY ferry, not the NJ ferry. The NY one should be the one on the left. A crowd clumps together to push their way for their turn on the ferry. We didn't make the first one and needed to wait about 15 minutes in the crowd for the next ferry to arrive.
For the ride back to New York City, try to be in the front of the boat, and you will be rewarded with the best views of the NYC skyline.
The front of the ferry on the ride back to the city gets the best views!
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met is the largest art museum in the US, so have a game plan. It would be hard to see it all, so it's best to pick and choose what's most interesting to you. Start by downloading the free app, and look through the highlights to see what you are interested in, saving them to your favorites in the app. When you arrive at the museum, pick up a map, and use the information from the app to find and circle the rooms with the art you are most interested in!
You can get your tickets online ahead of time, at kiosks in the lobby, or in person at the desk. I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes for the desk, but if you show up and see that the line looks long, go to a kiosk or book online on your phone! The cost is a recommended donation of $24 for adults.
The Egyptian rooms are rightfully popular and right at the entrance, so a great place to start. Definitely check out the rooftop view with rotating exhibits. It's a great view of Central Park.
Don't miss the rooftop while visiting the Met.
Because the Met is right on the park, it makes sense to partner this museum with a stroll though Central Park. Also, if you aren't too museumed out at this point, the Guggenheim is very close by. The art itself is fairly sparse, but the building is remarkable inside and out. You could see it all in an hour or less.
These tips, written from my personal experiences, will help you to come prepared to better enjoy your trip to New York City. I've written another blog post about a short trip in NYC here, and if you want more help planning your trip, contact me here for a consultation!