The fifth day of my solo-trip in USA, and it’s also the last day that I’ll be in New York. Today, I planned to visit all the places that I haven’t been to yet. Actually, I’ve already planned out each day before my trip, but as we all know, plans can always change. Therefore, during the trip, there were some alterations based on the suitability of each day. So, today is the last day of my stay in New York, and it’s like a “sweeper” day to clean up everything. I’m going to take it easy and just walk around wherever I feel like going. 🙂
I woke up before 7am in the morning and then took a shower and got dressed. (People in the hostel might be surprised why this Thai person takes a shower in the morning and evening every day, even though the temperature is almost zero degrees. Westerners don’t usually see anyone taking a shower, maybe because we are used to taking a shower every day in our home country. We feel uncomfortable on the days we don’t shower 😛) Then, I had a simple breakfast that I had prepared and started my first destination of the day in the morning, which was Greenwich Village. I took the subway line-F from Delancey/Essex station near my hotel, headed uptown, and got off at West 4th St. Then, I walked for another 5 minutes to arrive at Greenwich Village.
Greenwich Village, also known as “The Village” by locals, is a community in the western part of Manhattan Island, adjacent to the Hudson River. The word “Greenwich” comes from the Dutch word “Groenwijck”. Greenwich Village is a community of artists and many famous people live in this area, such as Robert Downey Jr., Emma Stone, Marc Jacobs, and Leonardo DiCaprio. In the past, it was an industrial and Bohemian neighborhood, ruled by Bohemian residents. The houses in this area have unique characteristics and it’s nice to take a leisurely walk in the peaceful atmosphere. You can also walk from Greenwich Village to the Hudson River waterfront. In 2014, Forbes magazine identified Greenwich Village as one of the top 10 most expensive neighborhoods in the United States.
I spent my morning strolling along the streets of Greenwich Village, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. The houses in this neighborhood looked beautiful and had a distinct American charm, almost like in the movies. I must say, this area was very pleasant to be in, but the prices were also exorbitant. Only the wealthy could afford to live here. I continued walking until I found myself at the edge of the Hudson River. There was a small public park along the riverbank, with bike and jogging paths as well. The view of the Hudson River from this side of Manhattan was breathtaking, and there was nothing obstructing the view. It was possible to see the full skyline of New Jersey from here.
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After spending some quiet time alone in Greenwich Village and along the Hudson River, I decided to walk instead of taking the subway (even though I had a weekly pass, I just felt like walking that day 😛 ) to another cool landmark of New York called The High Line. It took me about 20 minutes of leisurely walking from the Hudson River area to get there. The High Line is a unique elevated park built on an old railroad track, offering great views of the city and a peaceful escape from the busy streets below.
The High Line is a 2.33-kilometer-long elevated park built on an old railway track, located on the west side of Manhattan Island. The park starts from Gansevoort Street and runs through the Chelsea neighborhood until it reaches the West Side Yard near 34th street. The park was just completed in 2009, designed through a collaboration between James Corner Field Operations (Project Lead), Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Piet Oudolf. They wanted to repurpose unused urban space for public use. The park is decorated with various kinds of trees and some parts of the old railway tracks are preserved. People come to enjoy the park, take pictures, and soak up the unique and cool atmosphere. The High Line is open every day from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm.
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To be honest, I didn’t walk all the way to the end of The High Line because it’s quite a distance of over 2 kilometers. I only walked from the entrance at Gansevoort Street to the Chelsea area. Along the way, I saw many American and foreign tourists walking and taking pictures. There were also models and photographers taking pictures here, probably because of the unique and cool atmosphere of the park, which is located on an old railway track. This creates beautiful and unusual photos that are unlike any other. I spent about an hour at The High Line. Even though it’s not a long distance, I wanted to take it easy and enjoy my time there. I alternated between walking slowly, thinking, taking photos, and sitting on the benches. It felt like a real break in life and I gained energy as if I had recharged my batteries. When I arrived at Chelsea Market, I wanted to explore it a little because I had heard so much about it.
Chelsea Market is a historic food and shopping destination located in the Chelsea neighborhood. It was originally built in the 1890s as the National Biscuit Company, which we know today as Oreo. After 100 years, in the 1990s, it was developed into a retail and office space, now managed by Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google. Within Chelsea Market, there are numerous restaurants, grocery stores, and gift shops to choose from. Most importantly, the market has a very trendy and authentic vibe, perfect for strolling around and enjoying the food. It’s also a great spot for taking Instagram-worthy photos. Chelsea Market is open every day from 7.00 am to 2.00 am (8.00 am to midnight on Sundays).
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Inside Chelsea Market, there were plenty of food and souvenir options to choose from, and I ended up having my lunch there. I indulged in various types of food and also bought some small souvenirs for my friends. I felt very relaxed and comfortable there. After spending some time at Chelsea Market, I decided to move on to my next destination, which was The Morgan Library & Museum. To get there, I took the subway line-E from the 14th St station near Chelsea Market, heading downtown, and got off at the W 4th St station. From there, I transferred to the line-F heading uptown and got off at the 34th St – Herald Square station. After that, I walked along E 35th St and Madison Ave for about 10 minutes until I arrived.
The Morgan Library & Museum, formerly known as the Pierpont Morgan Library, is a museum and research library located on Madison Ave in the heart of Manhattan. Originally, it was the private library of John Pierpont Morgan Sr. since 1906. (He was the founder of JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the most prestigious financial and investment institutions in the world). Inside the library, there are rare books and manuscripts, some of which are difficult to find nowadays. The library was designed by Charles McKim and the construction cost was $1.2 million. The library was opened to the public for the first time in 1927 according to the wishes of John Pierpont Morgan Sr.’s son. In 1966, The Morgan Library & Museum became a landmark of New York and a national historic landmark. The Morgan Library & Museum is open every day except Monday, from 10.30 AM to 5.00 PM (on Sundays it opens at 11.00 AM and on Fridays it stays open until 9.00 PM). The admission fee is $22 USD. The interior of the library, which has been transformed into a museum, is different from what I imagined. Each section is beautifully designed with Western-style art, including floating architecture, wall and ceiling paintings, as well as antique books and publications for viewing. It is truly stunning beyond expectation. (Note: Flash photography is not allowed here.)
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The ticket is designed as broosh 🙂
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The Morgan Library wasn’t very big, but it was divided into distinct rooms. I spent about an hour here taking in the beauty and learning about some interesting details of the work life of John Pierpont Morgan Sr. After that, I applauded the beautiful and magnificent library and headed to my next destination, which was suitable for some relaxation in the middle of the big city – Washington Square Park. I took the subway-D line from 34 St-Herald Sq station heading downtown and got off at West 4 St station, then walked for another 5 minutes and arrived.
Washington Square Park is a small public park spanning 9.75 acres located near Greenwich Village where I went to stroll around this morning. It’s a place where people in the area come to relax and engage in various activities together. The park area is open, and the most prominent feature in this section is the Washington Square Arch, located to the north of the park. Nearby, there is also a fountain, which is a spot that visitors and tourists find most interesting. Washington Square Park was built in 1871 and is open for free viewing every day from 6.00AM. until 1.00AM.
Inside Washington Square Park in the afternoon, people would come out to participate in activities such as skateboarding, walking their dogs, and relaxing. It is a park in large city that is perfect for taking a break from busy city life. During my solo-travel, I spent an indefinite amount of time here walking around and sitting in the nearby gardens. I watched people participate in various activities and took the time to reflect on the things that have happened throughout the year, both the good and the bad. But all of that is in the past, life is fleeting, and today and tomorrow are more important. Living in the present and moving forward to the future is what I learned from taking the time to think and reflect on myself today.
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Afterwards, in the late afternoon, I decided to move to my final destination for the day (and also the last stop of my New York trip), which was to shop in the SOHO neighborhood (pronounced “So-Ho” and short for South of Houston street), about 800 meters from Washington Square Park. However, on the way there, I stumbled upon a cute little ice cream shop called Odd Fellow near the university area. It looked adorable (the ice cream shop, not the university students :-P), so I decided to give it a try and ordered a scoop for 5 USD. There were several flavors to choose from, but I can’t remember which one I picked. It looked pretty and tasted delicious, perfect for enjoying in the cold weather.
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After indulging in the ice cream and giving my blood sugar and heart a little kick, I continued on to the SOHO district.
The SOHO neighborhood is a bustling community located in the southern part of Manhattan island, with numerous shops and shopping destinations, particularly for brand-name products and works of art. If you come to this SOHO area for shopping, to put it bluntly, it’s going to be “hard to resist,” as it has many of interesting merchadises. However, I considered it a way to “reward myself” for the trip.
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I rewarded myself plus with a bonus and when I checked my financial health in my wallet, I decided to take only this much for now, as my trip to America was not over yet. I still had to go to Philadelphia and Washington DC, and soon the money would not be enough 🙂 So, let’s conclude this walk around SOHO for now. I decided to look for dinner in the China Town area near SOHO, and then returned to the hotel to rest, because tomorrow I had to wake up early to catch a ride to another interesting city, which was Philadelphia. So, I kept my energy and prepared for a full day ahead.
As someone who lived a life of a backpacker and traveler in this city of New York, I can confidently say that “traveling is much easier here than in other cities” because the transportation is convenient, the tourist attractions are easy to reach, and we can use English to communicate everywhere. I would say that New York is like a “playground for backpackers” because of the reasons mentioned above. Old-timers, newcomers, and adventurers alike can visit New York without much planning. Everything is available here, and this is probably one reason why “New York” is one of the most visited cities in the world almost every year. Therefore, travelers should not miss this city of art, fusion, convenience, and accessibility known as “New York” … because I always believe that “moving is living.” 🙂
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Written by : SHIPY SIWARIT TIASUWATTISETH
Shipy-Ship 