NYC: USS INTREPID, Flatiron Building und Brooklyn Bridge

After the weather had been quite cloudy and rainy for the last few days, there was blue sky and sunshine again over Manhattan today. In the early morning we took the subway from our hotel in Queens to Times Square. From there we walked the few blocks down to the Hudson River. Our destination was the USS INTREPID.

USS INTREPID

This WWII aircraft carrier has been moored in the Hudson since 1982 and is used as a sea/air/space museum. Admission was included with the New York Pass. There are mainly aircraft from different decades on display. In the hangar deck there are aircraft from around 1945 and on the flight deck you will also find somewhat more recent models, such as a Blackbird. We also went into the control tower and command bridge of the USS INTREPID. Some of the stairways and cabins are really small, but really recommendable for those interested in technology. The view of Midtown Manhattan from the bridge is also great.

USS GROWLER

The control tower was still quite spacious when compared to the USS GROWLER submarine. This also belongs to the museum and is anchored at the same pier. But here we had to wait about 20 minutes, because you are only let in in groups. The USS GROWLER was used during the Cold War. However, it was powered by a diesel engine and electricity was stored in batteries during diving trips. This turned out to be a disadvantage, since the capacity of the batteries was sufficient for a maximum of two days under the water surface. The submarine was armed with the Regulus Cruise Missile. This older model could not yet be fired in water. The USS GROWLER had to surface and prepare for the launch. This work took about 15 minutes - no war could be won with that!

British Airways Concord (G-BOAD)

Mein persönliches Highlight war die ausgestellte Concord von British Airways. Es ist wirklich eines der schönsten Flugzeuge der zivilen Luftfahrt. Zu beachten ist, dass die Concord nur zu bestimmten Tagen und Zeiten (Sa & So: 12 – 17 Uhr) geöffnet ist. Wir hatten Glück und waren zufällig an einem Samstag im Museum.

Flatiron Building

After visiting the museum we drove from Times Square towards downtown. The actual destination was SoHo, where we wanted to go to the SoHo Garden for the obligatory burger lunch. Because the Flatiron Building was on the way, we got off at this subway station to take some photos. After lunch we walked from SoHo through Little Italy and Chinatown to Pier 17.

Brooklyn Bridge

Nach einem kleinen Shopping Ausflug bei Abercrombie & Fitch gingen wir anschließend zur Brooklyn Bridge. Die Hängebrücke ist eine der ältesten der USA. Sie überspannt den East River der die Stadtteile Manhattan und Brooklyn trennt. Die Konstruktion ist mit den unendlich vielen Trägerseilen aus Stahl ein architektonisches Meisterwerk.