Tomorrow evening we're heading back home, and there are still a few items on our to-do list. After a quick breakfast, we dive back into the big city adventure of New York City. However, we're clearly aware that today is Sunday. The trains run less frequently, and there are fewer people on the road.
Chinatown & Little Italy by day
The first stop takes us to Chinatown and Little Italy. One thing immediately strikes us upon leaving the subway station – it smells like Beijing. :-) It's still quite early in the morning, and the vendors begin setting up their fruit and vegetable stalls.
Just across Canal Street is the entrance to Little Italy. It's amazing how quickly you can wander between two worlds. We decide to pay the place another visit this evening, as everything will surely be much more lively then.
Off to Brooklyn
We still have half a day’s credit left from yesterday at Citi Bike (citibikenyc.com/) that we want to burn. We grab two bikes - next destination Brooklyn. The Citi Bike app conveniently shows the streets with bike lanes. We go back through Chinatown and over the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn. Now we can tick off all three major bridges. At the foot of the Manhattan Bridge we find the next Citi Bike station and park the bikes. Everything seems very alternative here and is a bit reminiscent of Berlin Kreuzberg. In a small café we have a croissant and a café latte.
Brooklyn Bridge Park
As we walk toward the East River, we discover a small park. Brooklyn Bridge Park stretches along most of Brooklyn's shoreline. We let ourselves drift and follow the park south.
There's still construction and planting going on here and there, but what's already been completed is very well done, and the view of Manhattan is unparalleled. We continue through Brooklyn Heights to Borough Hall Station. We have to change trains at Atlantic Terminal. When a Coldstone jumps out at me there, I have a berry overload for lunch :-)
Coney Island & Luna Park
Now a long train ride lies ahead. We take the Q line out to Coney Island. When we reach Ocean Park, we get off the train and walk along the beach. The sun is shining, but it's very windy. In the distance, we can already see the roller coasters and rides of Luna Park. We're itching to get on two rides. The loop-the-loops were pretty fun, but unfortunately, it was over far too quickly.
Before we return to Queens to the hotel Before we arrive, we pay a visit to Little Russia. Similar to Little Italy and China Town, it's funny to see how firmly a nationality has settled and established itself here. We walk up and down the main street, look into the shops here and there, and take the next train to the hotel. We're exhausted and decide to take the afternoon easy. Finally, we want to take another look at Little Italy and China Town at night.
Flatiron Building
With New York's Flat Iron Building, we're still missing a famous building. Conveniently, it's on our nighttime route to Chinatown. Even better, though, is the Shake Shack in neighboring Madison Square Park. Orders are placed at a small booth, and you eat outside under heaters and garlands. It's a great way to end your fast-food day, and it's certainly even nicer in the summer.
Little Italy & Chinatown at night
We take the train a few stops further to Chinatown. Everything seems much more lively in the evening. We walk roughly the same route as this morning and then head back to our hotel.
Three full days of sightseeing are really exhausting, but we're coming home with lots of great impressions. Tomorrow morning we'll stop by Century 21 (www.c21stores.com) - an outlet in the heart of Manhattan. In the early afternoon, we begin our journey to the airport.
New York City Travel Guide
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