An Action-Packed day in NYC

Exploring the United States of America is a massive undertaking, and our trip in May 2019 was scattered across several states. While the Grand Canyon and the UTV rides at Eldorado Canyon were unforgettable, our whirlwind day tour of New York City remains a major highlight of our American adventure.

We were staying in New Jersey for work and despite a major punch in the face from jet lag that had us awake very early in the morning, we headed into the city via public transport. Most of our exploration was done on foot, which is the best way to soak in the energy of the Big Apple.

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1. Central Park

Our very first checkpoint was the famous Central Park. We only spent 30 minutes inside the park and explored it a little before moving on with our tour. There were a lot of families enjoying the outdoors and the park looked like a great place for a nice picnic and outing. We definitely would have spent more time at the park if we had more days to explore New York City.

2. Trump Tower and St. Patrick’s Cathedral

On our walk, we came across the well known Trump Tower which was frankly nothing special. Next, we walked towards St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Now, that looked like an out of place existence between all the modern skyscrapers and buildings. Nevertheless, the architecture looked stunning and we could not help but admire it.

3. Rockefeller Center (Including Lego Store and NBC Studios)

Our next major destination was the Rockefeller Center. This area is a hub of activity and home to several of our favorite stops.

• The Lego Store: Since Mehran is a huge Lego fan, we went inside to have a look. It was a fun experience to see the creative displays before moving forward with our adventure.
• Top of the Rock Observation Deck: We were interested in experiencing the Top of the Rock. We bought the tickets online for $45 and spent a little more than an hour there. The experience took us through three different levels of observation decks which allowed us to see different views of New York City and Central Park. The weather was clear and the views were absolutely stunning.
• NBC Studios Shop: Afterwards, we spent some time at the NBC Studios Shop and bought merchandise from the tv serials “Friends” and “The Office.”

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4. Gulliver’s Gate

We arrived at Gulliver’s Gate and spent an hour exploring it. Gulliver’s Gate used to display miniature versions of landmarks and cities. We had a nice time going through miniature versions of different places. Please note that Gulliver’s Gate has now been shut down permanently.

5. Empire State Building

On our walk, we came across the Empire State Building which used to be the world’s tallest building at some point in history. It is, however, still an iconic building of New York.

6. Flat Iron Building

Next, we saw the Flat Iron Building and as the name suggests it looked like someone had flattened it. We had to google what it was and I have to say the name did not disappoint us at all.

7. Liberty Cruise

We could not have come to New York and not gone to see the Statue of Liberty. So, we booked a one hour circular cruise that took us around the Statue of Liberty. The cruise cost approximately $30 and was an awesome experience. We enjoyed the slight wind during the cruise and had a nice time.

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8. 9/11 Memorial

After the cruise, we came across the 9/11 memorial which was a tribute to the former World Trade Center and a site honoring the victims.

9. Rose III Sculpture

While walking towards Wall Street, we came across an extremely tall sculpture of a Rose. Upon researching, we found out that it was a rose sculpture made out of steel serving as a sign of hope.

10. Wall Street

After admiring the sculpture, we spent some time going around Wall Street and exploring the area where a lot of the financial magic of the world happens.

11. Brooklyn Bridge

Our last destination of the New York City exploration was the famous Brooklyn Bridge. It is another one of the icons of New York and it was extremely crowded. We walked on the bridge and enjoyed the view of the East River before heading to our chosen restaurant.

Dinner at Rasa (Halal Malaysian Restaurant)

We were fasting the day we explored New York. Naturally, we were starving by the time we entered the restaurant. Rasa was a Halal Malaysian Restaurant run by a chef associated with a Michelin Star Chef and restaurant in the past. The food was just awesome and we absolutely loved everything about it. Everything from the appetizers to the main course to the mocktails was perfect. The food was a great end to our day at New York City and our trip to the United States of America.

Final Remarks

Our one day exploration of New York was nothing short of adventurous. After completing our day, we picked up some bagels at a local deli to enjoy for Suhoor the next morning. We could not possibly have missed out on New York’s bagels. The highlight of the trip was the Liberty Cruise and the walk around NYC. If you want to explore NYC in one day and make the most out of it, follow this itinerary.

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