NYC – Day Two
Bryant Park
Grand Central Station
Ess A Bagel
Rockefeller Center
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
MOMA (Walk Through)
Radio City Musical Hall
New York Pizza Suprema
Highline Park
Chelsea Market
Staten Island Ferry
Passed by:
Penn Station
Madison Square Garden
Hudson River Walk
Tribeca Film Festival
The 20-Mile Day
Having visited so many monumental places on day one, it was hard to imagine a day more spectacular. Day two, also known as “the 20-mile day,” was completely unplanned. My mother and I decided to start in the middle and walk our way out.
We started at Bryant Park – When we arrived, I thought, “This is what I pictured when I thought of New York City.” Bryant Park is a beautifully kept park surrounded by architectural history. Since it was early in the workday, we were lucky to enjoy the park all to ourselves…just us, the pigeons, and the flowers.
From Bryant Park to Bagel Heaven – I had my heart set on Ess A Bagel, specifically a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese and a small black coffee. Truthfully, most of the cream cheese squeezed out with each bite of the perfectly crunchy and chewy bagel, but every morsel was unforgettable!
From Bryant Park and Ess A Bagel, we continued our loop of Midtown to the picturesque Grand Central Station. This place is nothing short of mesmerizing! Travelers from all over the world have, and still do, travel through this cultural crossroads. There was no hiding our gawking, but we won’t be the last to gaze at the unmistakable clock, sky ceiling, and bronze chandeliers.
Rockefeller Center – Rockefeller Center is like a one-stop shop for someone looking to hit the mother-load of attractions. From NBC Studios and St. Patrick’s Cathedral to Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art, it would be easy to commit an entire day to Rockefeller Center.
Do yourself a favor and forgo fashion for the sake of quality footwear if you plan on walking New York City. We walked 20 – yes 20 – miles on day two! By mile 10, my ballet flat-wearing dogs were barkin’ so loud, I couldn’t enjoy an afternoon at MOMA. Me, the fine arts student, had feet so swollen that I couldn’t stand (literally) to walk through the Museum of Modern Art. A tough lesson learned, but we made up for it by resting our toes and changing shoes in time for an evening stroll through Highline Park. But first, PIZZA!
I have always preferred New York-style pizza, but when it came to the overwhelming options and fake “original” joints, I am happy we took our Big Bus tour guide’s advice. New York Pizza Suprema is across the street from Madison Square Garden and conveniently close to one Highline Park entrance.
If you think we stopped after pizza and the Highline Park, you must have forgotten that I mentioned we walked 20 MILES on day two. Oh no, after walking the park to and through the Chelsea Market, we decided it would be the perfect evening to see the lights of New York City from the Staten Island Ferry.
The Staten Island Ferry is FREE and runs every 30 minutes from Battery Park. So, we hoofed it roughly 4 miles along the Hudson River, passed the Tribeca Film Festival, and through the Financial District, just in time to miss the 8:30 pm ride.
There are no photos of our day-ending extravaganza because we were too busy hauling-tail and talking about how we made day two our [you know what]. All in all…it was another amazing day in New York City!
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