If you are coming to New York for the first time, you should ideally have comfortable shoes and an adapter for American sockets in your luggage. Most likely, however, images of longing for this city in my head, like no other for them American Dream stands. The buildings are taller here, people move faster and the wallet is empty faster than anywhere else. New York prices can shock even well-informed visitors – at the latest when they enter the drugstore Buy shampoo for eight dollarsbecause they forgot theirs at home.
Anyone who wants to see something of New York will not be able to avoid admission prices from 20 euros and up. So that this money is at least sensibly invested: You can safely cross these five sights from your list – and make better use of your travel budget and time with the following alternatives.
Empire State Building
Yes, the Empire State Building, built in the early 1930s, is in the imposing Manhattan skyline to this day the Orientation point par excellence. A landmark of Art Deco architecture, 86 floors, raised in just thirteen and a half months of construction. The Empire State Building is definitely worth seeing – but better from a distance. Because waiting times are the rule here, in the outdoor area on the 86th floor, tourists jostle at almost any time of the year or day. This is mainly due to the fact that the advertised viewing platform is actually a rectangular, comparatively narrow viewing path. The ticket price for an adult starts at 37 dollars, if you want to take the elevator to the top, you pay even more. At the top, however, there is even less space and the more Central Park that can be seen from the 102nd floor is not worth the extra charge.
A comparable view is offered from the spacious viewing platform of the Rockefeller Centers – with the unbeatable advantage that on the souvenir photos the Empire State Building With is on it. (Anyone who comes in the evening and looks towards the Empire State Building: The tip shines in different colors – those who are interested can find out what these mean on the Empire State Building Instagram page.) The roof terrace “Top of the Rock” is located on the 70th floor and thus a bit lower than the “rooftop” in the Empire State Building. Access costs 36 dollars, but the outside area is nicer. The platform is not bordered by a man-high wall and bars; instead, Plexiglas panes provide a view of the city. In cold weather or when it rains, the city panorama can be viewed from the fully glazed interior. There is a comfortable sofa there – never wrong on busy city trips.
While the advantages of the Rockefeller Center over the Empire State Building are an open secret among New Yorkers, they are divided on the One World Observatory the ghosts. Some praise the open view of the harbor basin from the 102nd floor of the One World Trade Center. Others would like to enjoy the unusual perspective of the city from downtown – if only there wasn’t so much show around. The blinds go up dramatically and reveal the panorama, only to close seconds later. Expensive audio guides are being hawked for sale. You just want to look and look and look …
A tip on the side: Anyone who gets confused by the many skyscrapers on site – architecturally the lines of the Empire State Building in the lower part are reminiscent of an E. lying on its back. The roof of the nearby Chrysler Building, on the other hand, looks as if someone has turned it 90 degrees Cs stacked on top of each other.
Top of the Rock, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, entrance on 50th Street, admission from $ 36 per adult.
One World Observatory at One World Trade Center, 285 Fulton Street, entry per adult from $ 34.
Liberty Island
One of the greatest things to do in New York is – it’s free! – Ferry crossing from Manhattan to Staten Island. Past the Landmark of New York, yes of the USA: the Statue of Liberty. A tourist trap is still lurking on land: In front of the Whitehall Terminal, where the boats leave, various providers are trying to get holidaymakers to pay for one! – Coax drive to Liberty Island. Ticket prices start at $ 18.50 for an adult. Just for being allowed to set foot on the small island that is home to Lady Liberty. If you want to climb to the crown of the Statue of Liberty, you have to dig deeper into your pocket.
New Yorkers find Liberty Island “overpriced and helplessly crowded”. So overpriced and overcrowded – you’d better wait for the next free ferry. The boats leave every quarter of an hour during rush hour. For successful souvenir photos: On the outward journey on the starboard side, i.e. on the right in the direction of travel, look for a place on the railing. On the way back it is advisable to stand in front of the bow. From there you have the best view of the Manhattan skyline.
The Staten Island Ferry departs from Whitehall Terminal. Go to the timetable here.
Guggenheim Museum
—An art in itself: the spiral of the Guggenheim Museum
(Photo: dpa)
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The same applies here: A souvenir photo from the outside is enough. The spiral design all in white is reminiscent of an upside-down snail shell and was created by star architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1959 the museum moved in, the address is as exclusive as the building: The Guggenheim is on the Upper East Side, right on Central Park. The permanent exhibition includes pictures by Paul Cézanne, Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc. The collection is disappointingly small, however, with an entry price of $ 25.
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