The last 3 days of our New York leg saw us utilizing our 3-day New York pass. For this section of my travels, I'll be blogging it in a slightly different way. Instead of the usual day-to-day journalling, I'll split this 3 hectic days into 2 portions - one for the tourist attractions that we managed to squeeze in (Tourist Edition) and the other for the foodie spots (Foodie Edition).
Before I get started with the lowdown on the sites that we visited, I'll give a brief description of how the New York Pass works (and thus explaining the mad rush). The New York City Pass (not to be mixed up with similar sounding passes like City Pass) gives you access to more than 70 sites, including the Empire State Building & The Statue of Liberty Cruise, and comes with their very own guide book (thus I suggest getting the book early).
Your pass and guidebook
The pass is activated on the first day you use it and has to be used consecutively. Furthermore, it does not work on a 24-hours basis and end on the midnight of your final day (so do not activate it in the night). Some of the site passes give you access to the fast pass and some doesn't, so check it out in the guidebook or on their website before heading down. In addition to the passes, you can top up $45 for their hop-on bus services. I recommend that you skip this as a 7-day unlimited transport pass for $29 is better as it covers more grounds and is available for longer hours.
The New York MetroCard
Here are the different prices for the NY pass:
1 Day Adult Pass - $80
2 Day Adult Pass - $130
3 Day Adult Pass - $140.25 (Discounted) $165 (Original)
7 Day Adult Pass - $178.50 (Discounted) $210 (Original)
Some information that might be useful:
1) You can either order online and ship (postage applies) or collect it in person at various locations including one in Time Square (Planet Hollywood).
2) An average attraction will set you back from $13 - $25 (excluding fast pass). So plan your day(s) properly to make sure that you fully utilize your pass.
Personally, I am not 100% sure as to whether this is the BEST deal in town. However, after doing some calculations and comparison, we concluded that we easily saved at least $50 by getting the pass at the cost of rushing around the sites. So my advice: If you want to take your time, you might want to consider another pass. If you don't mind the rush, this pass is for you.
To our first stop: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Read on for the MET, Natural History Museum and many other sites
Today marks the halfway mark of our journey through the amazing city, New York. We decided to take it slow on this day and simply head to Central Park and chill out. Though things didn't really turn out as planned (we were rushing to get to Central Park to actually have our lunch there and we underestimated how big Central Park could be), it was still quite an experience and I do look forward to heading to Central Park again.
We decided to take the 5th Avenue route towards Central Park, so as to kill 2 birds with one stone (which didn't turn out as well, because we ended coming back here a few more times). Along the way, we visited the New York Public Library. Flanked on both sides by lions, the New York Public Library's exterior as well as interior are equally impressive. Beautifully designed, the interiors are filled with long hallways with several lovely reading rooms. Unless you are an avid fan of books, it wouldn't take long to tour the entire place. Please take a peek into the New York Public Library if you are around the vicinity.
Entrance of the New York Public Library
Lions Flanking the Entrance
Grand Hallway of the NY Public Library
Going through the history to the library
One of the many reading areas
Exhibition Area
After exiting the public library, we took a short (albeit rushed) walk down the famed 5th Avenue. This esteemed avenue (especially between 49th to 60th street) is known for its prestigious shops and is one of the most expensive shopping districts around the world. Naturally, you will find shops like Tiffany and Co., Bottega, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, etc. So shoppers, beware, because this street deserves more attention than the 1 - 2 hours that my group had given it. Oh, and for the Apple fans out there, the iconic apple store is located at 5th Avenue, near the entrance of Central Park (sadly, I didn't go in and take a look).
Welcome to Fifth Avenue
Streets of 5th Avenue
Lots and lots of these Kebab Stands
Side view of the Trump Tower
Trump Tower
Apple Store
Past the Apple Store lies the entrance to Central Park. As aforementioned, we underestimated the size of the place and it took us longer than expected to get into the main park itself. Here are a few pictures of Central Park from the entrance to the reservoir.
One of the many entrances of Central Park
Zoo in the park
Sneak peek into the zoo
One of the many rest stops
Walking up towards one of the picnic areas
5th Avenue by the lake
Alice in Wonderland - one of the many statues erected
This looks straight out of Don't Mess With the Zohan
Baseball Pitch
The Jacqeline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
The Jacqeline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
After the long park through and around Central Park, we finally decided to get out of there and have our first proper meal (we had a takeaway bagel for breakfast and a kebab cart takeaway for lunch). We headed to a place suggested by Andre - La Esquina.
The place wasn't too hard to find once we figured out the correct station (was a breeze actually). It was situated in a corner of the Kenmare Street& LafayetteStreet and very noticeable from far.
Note: They have 3 different locations (in the same area) - first one is their "Taco Shop" or Taqueria which is at the corner of Kenmare & Lafayette, the second one is their upscale restaurant or Brasserie located in their basement and requires reservation (there's where you will most likely find the often spotted John Mayer).
We took our seats in their last location, which is their Cafe, where its in between their upscale restaurant and their Taco Shop, and it doesn't require any reservations.
Shop front of La Esquina
Simple interior design
As you can see, the interior of the shop ain't big at all (the picture was taken with me at the front door), so if you want a seat here, come early. Alternatively, you can always make a reservation for their Brasserie.
The easy part of recollecting my memories of this restaurant is remembering how good the food is, the tricky part is actually recalling exactly what food I ate. This is a testament to the quality of the food being served here.
La Esquina (if you haven't known by now) is an authentic Mexican restaurant that claims to sell only the freshest of products. This well-known place is also famous to be one of the hang-outs of the renowned singer John Mayor.
We looked around for inspiration and got 2 pointers from our fellow guests. Firstly, the portions are huge--so sharing is the way the go. Secondly, everyone seemed to be ordering the sides Yucca Fritas, so that was one dish decided for us.
Yucca Fritas
If you don't already know, Yucca comes from the root of the plant Yucca and actually taste like Tapioca. The plant itself can be used for many medical purposes. The Yucca was fried really nicely but was rather chunky for my liking. It goes very well with the Creama Mexicana sauce. This side dish can be quite filling.
We were recommended the Tinga De Pollo (Pull chicken stew, tomato, chipotle, cinnamon, avocado, cabbage & tortilla) and the Bistec Tacos (Char-grilled skirt steak, charred onions, cilantro, salsa de chile de arbol). Note that I am actually guessing the dish from the looks of it for now, so there is a high chance that I might be wrong (but the type of meat is definitely right).
Our dinner for the day
Steak Tacos
First and foremost - A disclaimer: The food looks better than it looks. I apologize to the fantastic restaurant for making their food look bad.
Lets start with the Bistec Tacos (Steak Tacos). The skirt steak was nicely grilled. The onions and cilantro (a.k.a Coriander) blended perfectly and didn't overpower the taste of the beef. The salsa de chile de arbol (a.k.a Red Salsa) was SPICY!!! It was a little too spicy but I can't blame them - its Mexican food afterall. Love this dish - wouldn't mind a take out if I were to be back.
Pulled Chicken with Black Beans, Rice and Veg
Next up - Tinga De Pollo (Pull Chicken Stew). This is one dish that has many things happening at once. You have the white rice as the base, the stew chicken for taste and the black beans for texture. The cabbages and avocado slices just add that "cooling" effect to this mildly hot dish. Nice blend of flavors that makes me crave for more mexican food.
Happy Customers - Andre & Dawn
Final Verdict: I would definitely return to this place for more Mexican food. I wouldn't go as far as to say this is one of the best Mexican places in town (due to my lack of knowledge in Mexican food) but La Esquina does make me want to take it a step further. A solid 8/10.
Corner Street
After dinner, we went to Eileen's Cheesecake, which was conveniently located opposite La Esquina and recommended by our dearest Dawn.
Shop Front
This was as big as this place could get
Their menu was really extensive
The shop is very small (3 - 4 small tables), so I would recommend a takeaway. We ordered the shop's signature Oreo Cheesecake and the popular Strawberry Cheesecake.
Oreo Cheesecake
Strawberry Cheesecake
Personally, I'm not a fan of cheesecake in general. So I can't be the best judge of cheesecakes. But judging from how much Andre and Dawn enjoyed the cheesecake (and the fact that we came back a few days later), I believed that this is definitely worth trying out. I took a bite or two and found it to be pretty tasty too (though the "cheesy" taste did put me off - i hate cheesecake). Do try out this cheesecake place, especially if you are around the area. Good stuff!
Maybe thats why they are so good
So here are the recommendations of the day:
1) La Esquina 114 Kenmare, New York, NY 10012 (between Kenmare & Lafayette)
2) Eileen's Cheesecake 17 Cleveland Place New York, NY 10012, United States
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A visit to New York is never complete without a visit to Carlos Bakery for all fans of the famous TV series Cake Boss. Here is a little preview of the show:
At its most basic, its about the baker (Buddy) who, at the start of the show, receives special orders from important/famous people. Usually, the orders are either unique or pretty extravagant. So the whole show revolves around Buddy and his crew (which are mostly family members) trying to design and construct the edible cake for their featured customers. Here are some cakes that they made:
Bumblebee with working pyrotechnics
Hawaiian-themed Cake with working Fire Show
These photos are taken off the internet as I didn't get a chance to meet both Buddy or any of his works.
After hearing stories of horror-lines and extreme crowds, my group decided to get there as early as possible. The opening hours of 7 a.m was beyond our abilities to wake up so we could only reach there at 8 a.m. We thought we might need to queue, considering it had been open for one hour, but when we got there - it was EMPTY! We were literally the only ones there when we first entered - apparently 8 a.m is still too early for most America tourists. If you don't already know, here's a view of the shop:
Look Ma..No queue!
All the time and space in the world
Obviously, their selection was both huge and watering. Sadly, due to our early entrance, many of their cakes (e.g Red Velvet Cheesecake/cupcake) were not ready yet. Below are just a few of their selections:
Being a group of 3, we really didn't have an option to buy everything in stock. So Dawn and Andre took their pick while I went about taking photos. Their choices were:
1) Red Velvet Cake
Our alternative to the Red Velvet Cupcake. One of my favorites - rich in flavor and the velvety taste simply just blends into the entire cake. Good choice!
2) Chocolate Cannoli
Lots and lots of cream in it. The picture below is the pre-cream infused piece. After that its basically loads of cream. Not a fan of cream here, but the cannoli shell is really nice.
3) Lobster Tail
This was one of their famous pastries that I HAD TO try when I mentioned Carlo Bakery to my friends. Once again, this is a cream-filled pastries. The shell was tasty yet not too thick, showing skills in pastries making. A must-try for all (unless you hate cream).
4) Chocolate Mousse Cake
My apologies for the crappy pictures. It looked too good that we took a bite before my camera was even ready. Basically, it taste as good as it looks. Great choice!
If anyone wants to more, there are few more photos of the shop interior (with a cut-out Buddy and several souvenirs) on my Facebook page. Feel free to browse through them.
Carlos Bakery Box
After getting our breakfast at Carlos Bakery, we took a tour down Lower Manhattan - the Financial Capital of the USA (or even the World). It took us more than half a day to complete the walk, but it was a worthwhile tour, given that I love all things "city".
Some of the sites to visits are:
1) Bowling Green / Battery Park
First stop and a must stop for all visiting Lower Manhattan - The Charging Bull. This bull, also known as the Wall Street Bull) signifies the aggression of a prosperous market and has long been the symbol for the financial world. Hope for a Bullish Market? Maybe a touch or two of the Bull will do some good.
A little tip: This Bull is located in the middle of a really busy road, so be prepared to queue (as there is only one entrance and the crowd will just bottle neck) and squeeze to have a chance to take picture. So try to avoid going there in the afternoon where most tour groups congregate.
The next stop is at the entrance of Battery Park. The Sphere sculpture was once located in the World Trade Center Area. Its significance came from its survival from the 9-11 attacks. Now it symbolizes that the American will survive after the horrific attack and the eternal flame in front of the sculpture serves as a memorial to all that perished.
The Sphere - Rubbles from the 9-11 attacks
An interesting memorial just lies ahead of The Sphere sculpture. A short walk ahead, the Korean War Memorial is also worth the time to visit.
Korean War Memorial
2) The Esplanade Walk
A walk down the Esplanade will take you by the river. It's a scenic walk that has more of an experience than a major sightseeing venue. So take a leisurely stroll down if you can afford the time. If not, skip the entire walk and take the subway straight down to 9-11 memorial.
Walk down the Canopy of the Esplanade
Skyline of New Jersey (the weather was bad for photos)
Interesting structures along the way
3) World Financial Center & Winter Garden Cafe
As the saying goes: "When in New York, do what the New Yorkers do". Obviously not everyone can do what some New Yorkers do and actually work in the Financial Area. However, you can still experience the "watered-down" version of it by immersing yourself in the lunch crowd. Unfortunately, we weren't able to coincide our lunch times with theirs so we had to settle for a slightly smaller crowd with a different feel to all.
A quick orientation:
The first skyscrapers that greeted us when we left the Esplanade walk was the Financial Center and Winter Garden Cafe Building.
One, Two & Three World Financial Building
Lunch was at the Winter Garden Cafe itself. The food was so-so (rush-hour food, so it's just hot dog, sandwiches and the occasional pizza) but nonetheless, it was pretty interesting to eat and people-watch. After lunch, we went to a popular drinks shop The Elixir Juice Bar and tried out their juices. It was pretty good but rather pricey (but its Lower Manhattan, so the price is kinda expected).
Winter Garden Cafe
Andre with his lunch
Elixir Juice Bar
Simple Decor
4) 9/11 Memorial
Second to none, this is THE most visited and a top must-go tourist attraction for anyone visiting lower Manhattan. Just in case you have been living under a gigantic rock, USA was on the receiving end of a series of terrorist attacks on the 11th September (thus 9/11) 2001 -- both the World Trade Center (a.k.a Twin Towers) were attacked. The towers didn't survive the attacks and many perished from both the attacks and the aftermath rescue missions. A memorial is set in the original spots of the two towers, in remembrance of those who lost their lives in this tragic event.
This memorial is highly popular and it is always good to book in advance (it is free though). Tip: If you forgot to book ahead of time, have no worries - you can always go to the 9/11 Memorial Visitor center and obtain a free (they'll ask for donations) ticket if there is any left (usually there is). It's quite a long walk from the memorial itself so factor this traveling time into your schedule.
The memorial itself is quite a walk in, with plenty of ticket checks (hold your tickets out until you are right beside the memorial) and bag checks. It has a simplistic design with a sense of grandeur imbue into the two water-fall structures. However, the memorial itself was never meant for a feast to the eyes but rather a quiet and solemn structure for reflection. So take a moment and reflect on the 9/11 events that impacted all our lives.
The Unfinished One World Trade Center
Reflecting Pool of the 9/11 Memorial
Remembering those who gave their lives
USA - Standing Proud and Strong
A moment of reflection
5) Trinity Church & Wall Street
Our last stop for the tour around Lower Manhattan was Wall Street. At the entrance of Wall Street lies one of oldest church in New York - the Trinity Church. Placed right in the middle of the heart of the world finance center, this place seemed very out of place (both literally and figuratively). This misfit stands out like a sore thumb, but it is still worth a visit for both its uniqueness and its link to the colonial past of USA.
Facade of the Trinity Church
Interior of the Church
Next up, just across the road, is Wall Street. Honestly, my knowledge of the financial world is as good as a 12-year old kid. So I shall not even attempt to sound like I know the buildings and the relevant companies (and obviously not even the significance of it). Instead, here are some of the photographs I took. I'll leave the rest up to anyone that chance upon this blog.
Entrance that greeted us
New York Stock Exchange
This concludes the Lower Manhattan tour. Next up was dinner and we were hampering for Asian food at that point of time. Also, we heard the Ippudo Ramen here was fantastic and definitely worth a try. So with all the stars align, we headed for Ippudo Ramen for our dinner.
Besides hearing that the food is fantastic, we also heard about its popularity. Fearing that we might need to wait and risk missing our musical (we were going to watch Memphis the Musical), we went there a good 1/2 hour before opening time. And it was the RIGHT decision! Though we were 3rd in line, the queue extended pretty far back even before the restaurant was open. You can't really see it in the pictures, but you get the point.
The queue 1/2 hour before opening
So a 1/2 hour wait later, we got our seats. The service was enthusiastic and we decided our orders very promptly (considering we were very hungry). We got our food in quick time and got a taste of the Ramen that I missed so much.
Reception Area
Our seating area
Funky-dressed chefs
We ordered the Ippudo Salad to share and Shiromarua Hakata Classic Ramen individually. The Shiromarua Ramen was their original "tonkatsu" noodle soup topped with pork loin Chashu, kikurage, menma, red pickled ginger, sesame, and scallions.
Ippudo Salad
Shiromarua Ramen
Dawn's Ikka Modern Ramen - Original Tonkatsu with Miso
Verdict: It deserves its Zagat Ratings, Fantastic (and note that I have only been in New York for 5 days).
As compared to the Singapore version, it is a little blender in taste but it does lean on the healthier side. The noodles were very well cooked, very springy and nice. The broth itself is a little blend but the flavor still comes out just fine. In fact, you are more likely to finish the bowl of soup before "getting sick" of it (that is usually the problem for thick soup). The Chashu was my only complain - they could have been more generous with and cut up the Chashu into thinner slices.
Overall I would recommend this place even if you don't have a Ramen cravings. Go there early or risk the long queues. The location is a little bit hard to find and the signs are pretty inconspicuous, so allocate some time to find the shop. I'll give it a 8.5/10
The day ended with us going to Grand Central Terminal and watching the Memphis musical. Grand Central deserved more time as we only had less than 15 minutes inside it. The musical was fantastic and was worth every cent and minutes spent. Highly Recommended!
With this, I'll conclude with the recommendations (or summary) of the day:
1) Carlos Bakery
95 Washington Street Hoboken, New Jersey, 07030
2) Lower Manhattan Walk
3) Ippudo Ramen
65 Fourth Avenue (Between 9th and 10th Street) New York, NY 100034)
4)Memphis Musical
Shubert Theatre 225 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036
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