RT2 – Day 2 – Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the natural history museum and The Nutcracker

Second day in New York, and a very full one: we wanted to make the most of the pass and see a bit of all of Manhattan, from south to north. On the agenda: the Statue of Liberty, the Wall Street area, the 9/11 Memorial, the natural history museum, and a ballet to finish.

Breakfast at the hotel

An early start, thanks to the jet lag. Breakfast was included at the hotel, American style with paper plates: fried potatoes, sausages, eggs, muffins, fruit and orange juice. Not the most refined, but enough to keep us going for a good part of the day. In the lobby, the tree and the wrapped presents reminded us that Christmas was two days away.

The ferry to Liberty Island

We headed for the southern tip of Manhattan and Battery Park, where the official ferry (Statue City Cruises) leaves for Liberty Island and Ellis Island. It’s the only company allowed to dock at the islands, so beware of the sellers offering “cruises” in the park: most of them only sail past the statue without stopping.

We had booked our visit in advance, directly on the Statue City Cruises website, for the first ferry of the day. Don’t count on buying your tickets on the day: there are sometimes some left at the Castle Clinton ticket office, but rarely for the time that suits you, and almost never with access to the pedestal or the crown.

Before boarding, you go through a security check: a metal detector and an X-ray for your bags, just like at the airport. It’s common in the United States, and even more so for such a symbolic site.

Once you’re through security, you wait for the ferry along the quay, outdoors and with no shelter. Even on the first ferry and having arrived early, we waited a good forty minutes, in the rain. In winter, dress properly (waterproof jacket, hat, gloves); in summer, think cap, sun cream and water. Worth knowing if you’re travelling with children.

On board there are very few seats, and expect to be packed in like sardines: the ferries are filled to capacity on every crossing. If you get seasick, be aware that it also rocks quite a bit.

The Statue of Liberty, up to the pedestal

As we stepped off the ferry onto the island, it was starting to snow, so it was in a light snowfall that we first saw her, Lady Liberty. A gift from France to the United States, unveiled in 1886, she was designed by Auguste Bartholdi, with an internal structure by Gustave Eiffel. With her pedestal, she stands a little over 90 metres tall. From a distance she looks almost small, but once you’re at her feet you realise how big she is.

We had tickets with pedestal access, which lets you climb to the top of the base and see the statue right above you. The number of pedestal tickets is limited each day, and they are rarely included in tourist passes: book them directly with Statue City Cruises, as early as you can.

We would have liked to go up to the crown, but we couldn’t get tickets. For the pedestal we took the stairs: the wait for the lift was too long, and besides, we like a bit of exercise, and it was fun to climb inside the statue. From the top you can clearly see the star shape of Fort Wood, the old military fort the statue was built on.

We then walked all the way around the island. The weather was grey and cold, but it created a particular atmosphere, with the clouds sitting low over the skyscrapers.

The view of the skyline is really worth it: on its own it almost justifies the crossing. From the island, the whole of Lower Manhattan lines up in front of you, with One World Trade Center rising above everything else.

Practical information for Liberty Island

The Statue of Liberty is a national monument, run by the National Park Service, like the national parks. Drones are banned there, and given the level of security, we’d advise you not to even have one in your bag.

To go up the pedestal or into the crown, there is a second security check, and bags have to be left in a locker before you climb. The lockers take a 25-cent coin (a deposit, returned when you empty the locker): bring some coins, even though there are change machines next to them. There are no lockers at the ferry landing in Battery Park.

As for food, we didn’t find anywhere to eat on the island. We did see some stalls on the esplanade, but they were closed: they presumably open in the warmer months. In winter, bring something to snack on. There is, however, a small gift shop, whose profits go towards the upkeep of the monument.

The Statue of Liberty Museum

While you’re on the island, don’t miss the museum, which is included in the ticket. It’s a good way to understand where this grand lady comes from and to learn her story in more detail: Bartholdi’s models, how the statue was made, a full-size copper replica of one of her feet (it gives you an idea of the scale) and above all the original torch, replaced in 1986 and displayed in the hall.

Ellis Island will have to wait until next time

On the way back, the ferry stops at Ellis Island before returning to Manhattan. More than 12 million immigrants passed through this island between 1892 and 1954, and the former processing station now houses an immigration museum, included in the same ticket. You can get off, visit, then catch a later ferry.

We didn’t get the chance to stop there: it was very cold, and we still had a lot planned for the day. That’s a good reason to come back to New York :)

Wall Street, Charging Bull and Fearless Girl

Back in Manhattan, we needed to warm up: a quick stop at Starbucks for a coffee. In December the Christmas drinks are out, and the choice is much wider than in Europe. Fans of spices and gingerbread will be in their element.

Coffee in hand, we walked up Broadway to the Charging Bull💡TipThe bull was dropped off illegally by its sculptor, Arturo Di Modica. In the middle of the night, in December 1989, he brought it by truck and set it down under the Christmas tree in front of the Stock Exchange, at his own expense, as a gift to New Yorkers after the 1987 stock market crash. A few hours later, the police removed it at the request of the Stock Exchange. Given the public's enthusiasm, the city agreed to put it back less than a week later, at Bowling Green, a few streets away, where it still stands., the bronze bull that has become the symbol of Wall Street. Expect to queue for a photo, and to see a lot of people touching its… rear parts, which are supposed to bring good luck. We didn’t queue for the photo, but we did touch it, horns and rear parts both, just to be on the safe side.

A little further on, in front of the New York Stock Exchange, stands Fearless Girl💡TipInstalled in 2017, the little girl with her hands on her hips stands for the courage and independence of women, and is a reminder of the importance of gender diversity in the financial sector., the little girl with her hands on her hips. She is quite small, so you don’t notice her straight away. She is still taller than our Manneken Pis, though!

In December the columned façade is decorated with a large lit-up tree and American flags, which makes a nice contrast with the very serious image of Wall Street.

Our first slice of New York pizza

For lunch, nothing is more New York than a slice of pizza to go: our very first in New York. We got it at Abitino’s Pizza, right across from the bull: $10 for the two slices. The crust is thin, the slice is huge and you fold it in half to eat it, like the locals.

We couldn’t not try the pepperoni, the most typical one. For the second, the chicken ranch intrigued us: chicken and ranch dressing, the creamy herb sauce that Americans put on everything. The combination may sound odd, but it was very good. Recommended!

The 9/11 Memorial

We then walked to the 9/11 Memorial. The two large pools are built exactly where the Twin Towers stood, and the water flows continuously towards a central void whose bottom you can’t see. The names of the victims are engraved all around, on bronze panels. Right next to it rises One World Trade Center, which tops out at 1,776 feet (541 metres), a reference to the year of the Declaration of Independence.

The atmosphere is calm and rather heavy, even with people around. Standing in front of those pools took us back to that 11 September 2001, which we both remember. Back then it all seemed so far away: we didn’t really know where this city of huge buildings was. Being there, in front of those engraved names, reminded us that the images we saw on TV that day were very real.

Right beside the pools is the 9/11 Museum, set in the foundations of the towers. We didn’t visit it, for lack of time. Expect to pay about $36 per adult, and note that it’s free late on Monday afternoons, with tickets to be booked the same day on its website (they go fast).

We did, however, walk through the Oculus, the World Trade Center station, which also houses a shopping centre (Westfield World Trade Center). Designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the building suggests a bird taking flight, with its great white wing-shaped structure.

Heading back north, we walked past Madison Square Garden, the legendary home of the Knicks and the Rangers, built on top of Penn Station.

The American Museum of Natural History

In the afternoon we headed to the Upper West Side and the American Museum of Natural History, the museum from Night at the Museum 🎬. Right from the entrance, in the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, you are greeted by an enormous dinosaur skeleton.

The museum really is immense. You would need several days to see everything, so you have to make choices. But as we’ve already said, that gives us a reason to come back to New York!

At the desk we were asked which paid extra we wanted to do (temporary exhibitions, planetarium…), because you need a timed slot for those. It was included in our Go City Pass. We chose the planetarium, and we recommend it: it’s very immersive, and the commentary is in clear, accessible English. A moment out of time.

After that we hurried to see a bit of everything we wanted: the fossil halls with the T. rex and the mammoths, the blue whale hanging from the ceiling, the halls devoted to the different continents, and the famous North American mammal dioramas, where the animals are staged in front of painted backdrops. The one with the bears reminded us of the landscapes of our first road trip. In all, we spent two to three hours there.

You will quite probably leave the museum wanting more: everything in it is fascinating, and the displays are so realistic that you want to stop in front of every case. As a little anecdote, we stayed until we had no choice but to leave. When the guard walked us to the exit, we thought we saw Theodore Roosevelt, on his horse, give us a wink. No, no, it’s not fiction! (A nod to Night at the Museum 🎬)

The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center

In the evening we had treated ourselves to something special for the season: The Nutcracker by the New York City Ballet, at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. This is George Balanchine’s version, performed every winter in New York since 1954, a real Christmas tradition for New Yorkers. The auditorium itself is worth a look, with its curved golden balconies.

It was his birthday present to her, and she had been dreaming of it. Our seats were almost at the very top and the back of the auditorium, but the view of the stage was still good. Expect to pay around a hundred euros per seat. Before the show, we grabbed a quick bite at Shake Shack so as not to lose any time.

Times Square by night

To end the day we went back through Times Square, this time in the middle of the night. We climbed the big red steps above the TKTS booth (the one that sells same-day discounted Broadway tickets): it’s the ideal spot for an overall view of the screens.

On the way back to the hotel, fog had come down over the city and the top of the Empire State Building was fading away like a lighthouse in the mist. We had done well to go up the night before.