New York City: Manhattan Midtown

The breakfast lounge wasn't too crowded today, thankfully. So the food wasn't necessarily better, but it was much more pleasant!

High Line

First on our agenda today was the High Line. It's an old railway line running above the rooftops of Manhattan that's been transformed into a garden. It's really fantastic! Even the tracks are still there. In a way, it's a park above the traffic noise – simply brilliant.

Flatiron Building

Afterwards, we went to the Flatiron Building, which was the first skyscraper in New York. The square in front of it is so busy that we had a hard time getting a good photo.

After that, we went to the Manhattan Mall. There was a parade going on right outside that day, something Korean. We had no idea what it was about, so we quickly went into the mall and did some shopping.

Empire State Building

Then we headed towards the Empire State Building. We only took a quick look inside the incredibly impressive and opulent lobby. We didn't want to go up; we saved that for the Rockefeller Center.

National Library

Next, we went to the National Library. It's an absolute must-see when visiting New York. The ceiling paintings are definitely worth climbing all those stairs. Highly recommended!

Grand Central Station

Then we passed Grand Central Station. Just like in the movie Madagascar: "Very big and very central!" Now that's what I call a main train station! Truly beautiful and so old-fashioned.

Rockefeller Center - Top of the Rocks

Passing the Chrysler Building, we went to Rockefeller Center. Of course, we immediately went into the Lego Store, where we were surrounded by hundreds of children. We bought some New York souvenirs: a refrigerator magnet with a fully articulated Lego minifigure on top and a Lego New York keychain.

Then we were supposed to go up to Top of the Rock. But unfortunately, it wasn't that quick. We had to wait an hour after buying our tickets. But it was worth it! The elevator ride alone is absolutely amazing!!! From the top, you have a fantastic view of Manhattan, one side towards Central Park and the other towards Downtown Manhattan (towards the Empire State Building). Unfortunately, it was a bit hazy that day, and we couldn't see very far! But as it turned out, we still chose the perfect day for it.

Times Square

Afterwards, we walked to Times Square. Oh man, what a colorful, crowded place! You almost have to watch your head to avoid having a meltdown with all the flashing lights and advertisements. ;) There were also movie mascots everywhere you could take pictures with. From Elmo to Batman, they had it all! Plus, there were half-naked women with the phrase "I love NY" painted on their bodies, so of course the men were queuing up to take a picture. But you really have to see this place. I don't even want to imagine what it's like here on New Year's Eve.

We headed back towards the World Trade Center to catch the PATH train to Newark. Another day with countless kilometers of walking. :)

Are you still looking for a suitable hotel in New York?

You can find a hotel to suit your budget via various online travel agencies such as Agoda, Booking.com, ebookers.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, lastminute.com, otel.com or Venere.com.

New York City Travel Guide

For the perfect city trip to New York City we recommend this travel guideHere you'll find not only a detailed city map, but also plenty of information on all the major sights. Explore New York in all its facets.