This is the room at Big Apple Hostel. For US$40 a night, you get a bed in a 4-bed dormitary. There are 4 toilets shared be 32. They are very clean since they are washed everyday. Noticed the small cupboard at the right on the first photo? I think it used to be an old apartment that was knocked down to become the hostel it is today.
It's a great bargain considering that the hostel is just a few minutes walk away from Time Square. Note that is however not the only hostel in Manhatten. Check Google Maps.
Yatta!!!
If you watched Heroes, which is currently the best tv show right now, you'll notice that this is the place where Hiro was transported to.
New York is as real and genuine as it can get, unlike Vegas.
They have Transformers on display in one of their very big toy stores.
Checking out how much taking a cab would cost. I did hear someone shouted to stop a taxi. How would the driver heard if the side window is wind up?
Did the movie come out first or this company?
This is New York's Finest station at Time Square. You can't help but notice that there are a lot of policemen on patrol in Manhatten.
I guess this is for the steam pipes.
The streets are very straight. Sometimes it's impossible to see what's at the end. The main avenues run vertically down Manhatten, with the streets running horizontally across.
Here's a trick to get yourself walking towards the correct direction easily. Most of the roads are one way. The important thing is to remember which avenues, not streets, are running in which direction. For example, cars on 5th avenue runs downtown and cars on the 6 avenue runs uptown. With that, you have the "north of the compass". It makes navigating on foot more effortlessly.
This is the subway at Time Square. Busy with tourists and New Yorkers.
Taking the subway can be a bit tricky for first timers. The trains are either named after a letter or number. And they either uptown or downtown. Not all trains run 24 hours or on every day. It helps to read the sign carefully. You'll need a metro card, which you can buy with a credit card or dollar bills, to go through the subway gates.
This is the monument for soldiers who died during World War II. If you're a photographer, you'll realised that I've highlight clipping on the eagle. It was that sunny in the afternoon.
This is Battery Park which was at the southern tip of Manhatten.
If you have the New York Pass, you'll get the tickets for the Circle Line ferry here at the bookstore.
If you don't have the pass, you'll have to join the queue. The rest of the queue, not in the photo, is outside Castle Clinton.
That is the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island, as seen from the ferry, or from the movie Hitch.
The Statue of Liberty was just about the right size I was expecting. The statue was't green in colour in the past. Over the years, through oxidation, the bronze turned green.
This is the pier on Liberty Island. It's more crowded than a fish market.
This is the ranger giving a guided tour to visitors.
This is the Immigration Musuem, restored.
There are lots of great exhibits in the museum.
There were several buildings on the island. Not all the buildings were restored.
Look at the details in the architecture.
Sitting on the greens seems to be very popular.
These are some sailboats that were sailing south of Manhattan.
Rest of the photos from the day can be found in my New York Flickr set.
Thought of the day:
New York City is as real as it can get! It's a few notches up from Las Vegas. This place is bursting with energy, life and history. It's no wonder why it's always the perfered backdrop for movies and tv series. There are just so much things to do and see.
If you can only go to one place in America, New York should be the place to go.
All the days in New York City:
Day 7: Yatta! New York Time Square
Day 8: Getting To The Top of the Empire State Building
Day 9: A Day At The Museum
Day 10: Gold at Radio City
Day 11: New York Public Library is Grand