Let’s be honest, it was going to take a lot to top the helicopter flight, and that was kind of the peak of the trip. So I’d understand if you skip the rest of this series, however, if you’re up for some more American style treats then stick around, here are some more photos from the last few days of my adventure.
Kicking off the day with breakfast from Dunkin Donuts, it had to be done. It took me straight back to childhood holidays, watching the old space shuttle launch from the TV in our hotel room in Florida then looking outside and seeing it for real. Fortunately this shop was on a corner not far from my hotel, I grabbed a coffee and made my way to the Empire State building via Times Square. Again, not a lot of people around at this time so got a few more photos, then headed over to the tower.
For whatever reason there was absolutely no queue on that day, I’d prepped myself to stand around and wait for ages but managed to go straight up which was great. I had tickets to go right to the top in the 360 viewing platform. So I took my time and got a bunch of photos from up there. I’d go back again just to do that, the view is insane and I could stay up there for hours just watching everything go by. The only reason I didn’t was because hunger struck. Lucky for me there was a Wendy’s not far from the exit of the building and they were still serving breakfast. It’s fair to say I’m not going to win any healthy eating awards on this trip, it’s all burgers, beer and bagels from here, sorry.
Fuelled up on my weird syrup burger thing and super sweet tea and I made my way to the Brooklyn Bridge via the subway. It was later in the day now so foot traffic was picking up, but I was determined to get some shots of the bridge and looking back at the island. This bridge is huge, coming from a place where really there are no bridges, and if there are they just go over small rivers or ditches in the countryside, so being on something like this was amazing. The scale of it! I followed it up to the first tower where I turned around to get photos of the island and tried to make some patterns with the masses of cabling from above. Once I was satisfied I turned back. I liked that you could walk along and see the traffic below, that was cool. I never made it to the Manhattan bridge where as cliche as it sounds, I wanted to walk along as a train went by. Maybe next time.
From here I was heading back up the island towards the high line, but it was a long way from where I was. I made the decision to walk, figuring I could take photos along the way. I remember doing a lot of walking that day. A lot. **I’ve just looked at my google maps activity for that day and it reckons I did 11 miles of walking in just under 4 hours** Admittedly I underestimated just how far this walk was, and it took me through some industrial areas. Not really the exciting kind either, just places where vans and trucks load up, the coolest thing I saw along that route was a vintage Beetle parked up. Anyway, just as I was about to ware through the souls of my shoes I arrived at the high line. Given the time of year it wasn’t exactly in full bloom, but I was there for the views more than anything. It didn’t disappoint. The walkway takes you through the meat packing district and up north towards Midtown. I stopped at every crossover, shot as many of the buildings as I could and just continued up. I looked at the apartment complexes being built, fantasised about what it would be like to live in one, I even saw the new alien looking building which hadn’t been finished at the time but looked very interesting. There’s something about seeing the city from up there, I know it’s one of the nicer areas and there’s a lot of money going into construction and new buildings here, but I feel like I had a lot more to explore from the ground.
Once I reached the end I wanted to make my way to B&H, a must-do when in NYC. I walked past where all of the train cars go, massive bus stations and the Hudson River. Secretly hoping to stumble into the classic car club they have on one of the piers nearby, but no luck. I got to B&H and it was like walking into toys’r’us for the first time, they have everything! I did a bit of exploring and checked out their cool conveyor belt delivery system thing and decided to head out, it was getting kind of busy. On my way back I dipped into Starbucks for a quick snack, some people watching then back to the hotel.
That night I planned to check out to a secret burger joint hidden inside a hotel lobby. I love a good speakeasy and stuff like that, it turns out New York is full of them. Given the shortness of my stay and the unlikelihood of getting into some due to popularity, I only tried this one, but would definitely give the others a go in the future. At Le Parker Meridian, inside the foyer, behind a big red curtain, is a hidden gem. Walking into the hotel I felt very out of place, like they knew I wasn’t staying there. I tried to do it nonchalante but I don’t think I did a very good job. I found the gap in the curtain and with confidence I made my way through, knowing fully if I walked into a brick wall or found nothing, how foolish I would look. I didn’t. On the other side I was excited to see a small space filled with a few booths, old tv’s and a little window to the kitchen where you place your order and pay. I was in love and I hadn’t even eaten yet. I think I was the only person who hadn’t been before because everyone ahead of me in the queue knew the score. Cash only, one type of burger, either with everything on it or not and one kind of beer. So simple! I placed my order, found a seat at one of the tables and plonked myself within viewing distance of one of the old school boxy tv’s showing sports highlights from that week. This was great. The burger was amazing and it felt like a real accomplishment. I’m aware it’s not the best kept secret in the city, but to go so late in life when everyones already been and to do something other people don’t necessarily know about made it special. Also the branding, I love the simplicity of the neon style logo, only printed on the cups. I don’t know how they managed to get it up and running in such a fancy hotel but it works and I’m going back.
Anyway, that concludes Jamie’s secret burger review and day 3 of my New York Hiking Tour. Tune in next time for more junk food and hopefully some photos.