NYC: USS INTREPID, Flatiron Building and Brooklyn Bridge

After the rather dull and rainy weather of the past few days, today Manhattan was once again bathed in blue skies and sunshine. Early this 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 World War II aircraft carrier has been moored in the Hudson since 1982 and is used as a Sea/Air/Space Museum. Admission was included in the New York Pass. It primarily exhibits aircraft from various decades. The hangar deck features aircraft from around 1945, and the flight deck also features more recent models, such as a Blackbird. We also went into the control tower and onto the bridge of the USS Intrepid. Some of the staircases and cabins are quite small, but highly recommended for those interested in technology. The view of Midtown Manhattan from the bridge is also fantastic.

USS GROWLER

The control tower was still quite spacious compared to the submarine USS GROWLER. This also belongs to the museum and is moored at the same pier. Here, however, we had to wait about 20 minutes, as they only let you in in groups. The USS GROWLER was used during the Cold War. However, it was powered by a diesel engine and the electricity was stored in batteries during submerged trips. This turned out to be a disadvantage, as the batteries' capacity was only sufficient for a maximum of two days underwater. The submarine was armed with the Regulus cruise missile. This older model could not yet be fired from the water. The USS GROWLER had to surface and prepare for launch. This work took about 15 minutes – no war could be won that way!

Concord by British Airways (G-BOAD)

My personal highlight was the British Airways Concord on display. It is truly one of the most beautiful aircraft in civil aviation. Please note that the Concord is only open on certain days and times (Sat & Sun: 12 pm – 5 pm). We were lucky and happened to be at the museum on a Saturday.

Flatiron Building

After visiting the museum, we headed from Times Square toward downtown. Our actual destination was SoHo, where we wanted to have our obligatory burger lunch at SoHo Garden. Since the Flatiron Building was on the way, we briefly got off at that subway station to take a few photos. After lunch, we walked from SoHo through Little Italy and Chinatown to Pier 17.

Brooklyn Bridge

After a quick shopping trip at Abercrombie & Fitch, we then went to the Brooklyn Bridge. This suspension bridge is one of the oldest in the USA. It spans the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The structure, with its countless steel cables, is an architectural masterpiece.