On the fourth day of my trip to America, I realized that time flies by so quickly, especially when you’re having fun. I still couldn’t believe that I had just arrived in New York yesterday. However, the show must go on, and as long as it wasn’t time to go home yet, I kept traveling according to my itinerary.
My goal for today began with a visit to one of New York’s important landmarks, the Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO, a must-see for art and cool seekers. I woke up before 7am. After taking a shower, getting dressed, and having breakfast, I took the subway line-J from Delancey/Essex station towards Downtown, and got off at Chamber St. From there, I walked to the Brooklyn Bridge on the Manhattan side and crossed over to Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Bridge is not just any ordinary bridge; it’s a suspension bridge that connects Manhattan Island and Brooklyn, spanning the East River. It provides a roadway for cars and a walkway for pedestrians, measuring 486.3 meters in length, 25.9 meters in width, and 38.7 meters in height. Designed by John Augustus Roebling, an American engineer of German descent, the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883 and became the world’s first wire suspension bridge.
Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is a unique experience that offers the best skyline view of New York City and has made numerous appearances in films. As I strolled across the oldest suspension bridge in the world, I couldn’t help but feel the romance in the air as the river and the backdrop of New York City made for a breathtaking view. It was an experience that words cannot fully describe; you have to see it for yourself.
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I walked across the bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and I can say that it was incredibly beautiful. The bridge itself was unique and stunning, but the view of the New York City skyline against the cold air was breathtaking. It was the ultimate view and an overwhelming feeling.
After crossing over to Brooklyn, the fun of visiting this iconic bridge was not yet over. There is another place worth experiencing the atmosphere, which is the DUMBO area. It is a chic neighborhood where I can take artistic photos with a view of the Manhattan Bridge and walk along the riverfront with a view of the bridge. Getting to the DUMBO area is not difficult. After getting off the Brooklyn Bridge, I walked along York Street, which looks like an alleyway with the Manhattan Bridge in the background. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk from the Brooklyn Bridge (if I’m afraid of getting lost, I can just follow the crowd of tourists). The wonder of this area is that on some days, if the sky is clear, I can see the Empire State Building through the gap between the pillars of the Manhattan Bridge.
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Do you see the Empire State tower from the gap between pillars?
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I spent about 2 hours walking the Brooklyn Bridge and exploring the DUMBO area. Most of the time was spent taking photos and enjoying the atmosphere. At around 10am, I headed to my next destination of the day, the 9/11 Memorial. I took the A train from High Street – Brooklyn Bridge station, which was not far from DUMBO, and headed towards Manhattan to get off at Fulton St station. From there, it was only a 500-meter walk to the memorial.
The 9/11 Memorial was built on the site of the former World Trade Center to serve as a memorial and tribute to the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001 (I won’t go into details).
This memorial was built in 2006. It was designed by American-Israeli architect Michael Arad and features two black reflecting pools in the midst of an oak tree forest. The pools contain waterfalls and are surrounded by a list of the names of the 9/11 perpetrators and an invitation for visitors to touch the names in remembrance. Adjacent to the 9/11 Memorial is a museum showcasing artifacts and images from the event, as well as telling the stories of the rescue teams who sacrificed themselves to help the victims. Admission is priced at $25 per person, but I personally did not visit the museum myself. After browsing the internet, it seemed too depressing for me as it mainly displayed reminders of the tragedy. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to handle it, so I opted to simply enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of the reflecting pools and take pictures instead.
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I visited the 9/11 Memorial and it was not small, but also not too large. It took me about 30 minutes to walk around and soak up the atmosphere before I said goodbye to the memorial and headed to another destination in the heart of New York City, Grand Central Station. This station serves as the central hub for train travel in New York City. To get there, I took the Subway line-5 from Fulton Street Station heading uptown until I arrived at Grand Central Terminal. It was a bit of a long journey, but definitely worth it.
I visited Grand Central Terminal (GCT), which is the transportation hub of New York City located at 42nd St and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. GCT is the third busiest train station in North America, with over 66 million passengers per year. It first opened on February 2, 1913.
One of the things that makes GCT unique is its beautiful Beaux-Arts style architecture, designed by Reed and Stem and Warren and Wetmore. It has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark in the United States since 1976. GCT has also been featured in many films, including John Wick: Chapter 3, The Commuter, The Avenger, I Am Legend, Men in Black II, and Armageddon.
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I went to Grand Central Terminal and ventured down to the underground level where there were dozens of restaurants to choose from. It was lunchtime and I was starting to get hungry, so I decided to grab a bite to eat here. The options were plentiful and the prices weren’t too expensive either, which was a pleasant surprise. 😛
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After I had finished my meal and rested for a bit, I was ready to continue my exploration. At around 1.30 PM, I headed to another interesting and beautiful destination, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library, located adjacent to Bryant Park. It wasn’t far from Grand Central Station, and I walked there for about 10 minutes on E 42nd St.
I visited the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, also known as the Main Branch, which is a landmark in the Midtown Manhattan area. The library is designed for research purposes and is divided into nine sections, with four open to the public for viewing and use, while the other five are accessible only to authorized personnel. The library was first opened to the public on May 23, 1911, and is located on the east side of Bryant Park, designed in the Beaux-Arts architectural style. The interior of the library is divided into various sections, such as reading rooms, book storage, offices, and exhibition halls. The New York Public Library is open to the public free of charge every day from 10.00 a.m. to 5.45 p.m. (open until 7.45 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and from 1.00 p.m. to 4.45 p.m. on Sundays).
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When I visited the library, the atmosphere inside was quiet and peaceful, perfect for reading or working. If I had this kind of place to study when I was a student, I am sure I would have received high honors from my professors. (Just kidding 😜) Therefore, as a visitor, I made sure to be respectful of the space and refrain from making loud noises to honor those who come to use the library. Personally, I spent some time walking around and reading a few books in the reading room to absorb the atmosphere. After about an hour and a half, I felt it was time to move on to the next destination, which was Bryant Park located right behind the library.
Bryant Park is a small public park managed privately, covering 9.6 acres in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, located between 5th Ave and 6th Ave (the New York Public Library is also part of this park). The park was established in 1847 and features grassy areas, walkways, and food vendors with seating areas. At times, there may be events or activities taking place, such as during my visit where there was an ice-skating rink available to play on.
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As I walked around, I noticed that most people were there to relax and grab a bite to eat. The shops around the park sold interesting souvenirs and handmade goods. I started feeling hungry again as I saw all the food options, but everything seemed to be Western cuisine. Since I was getting bored of that, and it was a chilly day, I decided to head to Chinatown to find something more familiar to my taste buds.
To get to Chinatown, I took the subway line-D from 42nd St-Bryant Park station and headed downtown to Grand St station, where I continued on foot to explore the neighborhood.
As the name suggests, Chinatown is a neighborhood inhabited primarily by Chinese people. The atmosphere is bustling, with lots of Chinese businesses selling a variety of goods including fresh produce, imported products, clothing, and of course, food. There are also many Asian residents in the area. The prices of items in Chinatown are relatively cheap compared to other neighborhoods. My sole purpose was to find some Asian food to eat, since I was starting to get bored of eating Western food for days on end. There were plenty of options for takeout or dine-in restaurants that served everything from noodles to bento boxes to sushi sets.
Aside from the Chinese and Asian population, there’s also a nearby neighborhood called Little Italy, which is inhabited primarily by Italian people. The majority of the restaurants here serve authentic Italian cuisine, and the atmosphere is just like being in Italy. If you’re interested in exploring the ambiance and trying some Italian food while in New York City, it’s definitely worth a visit. It’s easy to walk to Little Italy from Chinatown since they’re so close to each other.
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I walked around until I finally settled on a box of bentos with stir-fried vegetables and teriyaki chicken, it was delicious. Then I had another can of Pepsi… ahh, the craving was satisfied. After getting full, I decided I would come back tomorrow because there were so many tasty foods to try and I was not tired of Asian cuisine yet. Later on, the sky began to darken and it was better to head back to the hotel to rest. Today, I walked a lot and my legs started to hurt (the reason was because of walking too much, not because I’m old 😢). Tomorrow is the last day in New York, and I have to keep going to get everything I want.
When I returned to the hotel, I had some time to sit and reflect on what I had done and what had happened in my life. I realized that life can be difficult if we make it so, but if we make it easy, it can be surprisingly simple. All we need to do is find something we love and pursue it with all our heart, even if there are obstacles, sadness, happiness, tears, laughter, solitude, or inspiration along the way. That’s just life. Once we’ve passed through it, we can look back and see that it was just a funny or amusing story. Some people may see my life as drifting, but I have a purpose in my life, and I always believe that “If we love doing something, we should give it our all. The things we encounter along the way are often important and memorable than the destination.” 🙂
Shipy-Ship 