2024 and Via New York

 After a full on few weeks of tidying up our NZ lives, Annie an I boarded  NZ2 on 22nd April flying to Europe via New York for a change. Our 'Premium Economy' seats were worth paying a bit extra and while not quite the style of Emirates Business to which we have become accustomed, the 16 hour flight was painless enough.   

After 16 hours this was a welcome screen

We planned and saved up for a few days stopover in New York. The city sure lives up to its 'never sleeps' reputation!  We walked our legs off, enjoying beautiful spring weather and doing the tourist thing. 

Times Square was close by our hotel, and teamed with people all hours

There were crowds in Uptown and Manhatten, but we never felt unsafe. We also found delightful escapes across the bridge in Brooklyn and on the highline walk.

Day one and a must do big walk across to Brooklyn

'Down Under Manhatten Bridge Overpass'

By surprise we found ourselves in movie location sites 

Under Manhatten bridge, a traffic free, quiet area. 

An evening harbour cruise is a must do and a welcome break from walking everywhere.

An unmistakable skyline

Liberty island is no bigger than a rugby field

We took a day or two to get the hang of the 'Subway' network. Trains are either Uptown, Downtown, or Crosstown with numbers or letters. on the front of the train. A shorthand native locals' directions could be -  'uptown 3 to 42nd then B to Rockafeller'. Oh, then there are express trains that skip half the stations! We did find the right subway train out to the Brooklyn Botanic gardens. on a cool but bright spring morning. New Yorkers do a vey good line in parks and gardens.

Cherry blossom time in the Botanic Gardens

Central Park, a massive lung in the middle of town

The 'Highline walk' 

A ribbon of green along an abandonned rail line

   

The New York Yacht Club, on 44th St

As a member of the RNYS in Auckland, I was granted a week of reciprocal membership to the NYYC. The clubrooms are nothing short of grand and ornate. We dined in the 'Grillroom' one evening, in what feels like being below deck on a 18th century ship. The NYYC was formed in 1844 only a few years before claiming a silver trophy in an English yach race which they then named after their challenging yacht.

The Americas Cup had been proudly displayed in an ornate circular room for 126 years until 1983. This room is preserved in the hope that one day it will return. The grand model room diplays faithfully built models of every cup challenger alongside each defender throughout that period but there the record ends.

  

Memorial pools mark the original twin tower foundations.

Beyond the site of the original Twin Towers, the new 'World Trade Centre' building has a striking eight sided design to echo the original twin four sided structures.

'Grand Central Terminus' 

This is just the foyer, the trains atre below ground

The 'Bull' in Wall St. Everthing in New York is big 

We did take a couple of days out of New York taking the train up to New England and 'Mystic Seaport', the maritime museum. For many years on Charles' bucket list, and just too much to cover fully in this blog.

The 'Joseph Conrad' at Mystic

The Ed Sullivan theatre on Broadway

We were lucky enough to get tickets to a taping of a 'Late Show' on our final night in New York.

Colbert had become one of our sanity props during lock down. It was an experience to see it all live. 

All too soon our time in New York is over, and another overnight KLM flight takes us to Amsterdam and a familiar train journey to Antiope still snug in her winter home in the company of some 199 other craft of all sizes. 

'Antiope' our second home !