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In my post about our first day of sight seeing in NYC, I skipped over some of the basics, so I’ll add that in now.
Where We Stayed:
We booked The Ridge Hotel, mainly for its proximity to John’s of Bleecker Street. While the location near the F Train and rooftop access were definite perks, overall the hotel fell short.
You’re charged $35 per day for room cleaning, and the front desk is virtual—I called and emailed twice requesting fresh towels (not even a full cleaning), and never received a response. You’re expected to take out your own trash, and there are no amenities or breakfast options.
The walls were paper thin, and between sirens and street noise, we barely slept. For the price, I expected more comfort. Is this the Manhattan hotel norm, or were my expectations too high?
Getting Around:
We used the Subway almost exclusively. As mentioned above, our “hotel” was very close to the F Train, and we were able to use it to connect to other trains and get wherever we needed to get.
Sight-Seeing:
Statue of Liberty
As I had been to NYC before and this trip was a gift to Chris, I needed his input on what he wanted to see. He was clearly most concerned about the pizza, and I had a really hard time getting him to decide. After weeks of nagging, he finally decided what he really wanted to do was to get to see inside the Statue of Liberty.
I was thrilled at the suggestion! When I came in 2012, we took the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, but we didn’t get off. We just sailed by. So I set about trying to figure out how!
Turns out the ticketing system to climb the interior is almost as frustrating as booking Phantom Ranch reservations. I really really wanted tickets to the Crown, but I could only get us tickets to the pedestal. I called to see if there were any tricks or loopholes to get Crown tickets, but my only option was to check the website each day for cancellations. I checked every day for WEEKS leading up to our trip and never found success.
We did have the pedestal tickets though, and I was grateful for that! We made sure to arrive at Battery Park early so we could make it to the ferry on time.
I loved our visit and learning about the origins of the statue! I did end up deciding the pedestal tickets are not really worth it as you can’t really even see the statue from the pedestal. It’s a fun experience but I wouldn’t do it again. Next time I’ll book Crown tickets as far out in advance as possible!
Ellis Island
I only stayed here for 25 minutes after a ferry dropped me off and the next one came. I ran around very hurriedly seeing everything (Chris was not interested, so I was rushing).
To be honest I wasn’t interested really either but figured we may as well stop since the ferry was dropping anyway, so I agreed to be quick. It was fascinating and a little mystical, with a ghost town-like vibe—just knowing how many hundreds of thousands of immigrants passed through, shaping the world as we know it. I could almost faintly hear the hustle and bustle of those trailblazers.
25 minutes was too rushed for sure, but I got what I needed out of it. 50 minutes (two ferry stops) would have been ideal for me!
I was actually so fascinated by Ellis Island that I ended up buying a book so I could read more about it. American Passage: The History of Ellis Island by Vincent J Cannato was a fascinating read!
Brooklyn Ice Cream
Located across from Ignazio’s under the Brooklyn Bridge, this spot was a must for me (I might love ice cream even more than Chris loves pizza). I had an Oreo shake—great ice cream, though the Oreos were a bit stale. Still, the view and vibe were unmatched!
Brooklyn Bridge
I’d dreamed of walking the Brooklyn Bridge with my love ever since my trip in 2012. After ten years of marriage, I’ve learned that I can’t expect Chris to be able to read my mind. So I carefully prepped him. I told him “I’ve been looking forward to experiencing the Brooklyn Bridge with you for over ten years, so I expect you to be romantic.”
I had hoped we’d walk slowly hand-in-hand and gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes from time to time as we crossed the bridge connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan. Maybe we’d share a kiss in a picturesque moment.
Instead Chris kept telling me to walk faster and saying things like “it’s just a bridge.”
MEN!
Despite the fact that our stroll will not be showing up in any Hallmark movies, it was a lovely walk on a lovely day. I would have preferred it by the light of a full moon and with less of a crowd, but the itinerary just didn’t work out that way this time.
It was about a 2 mile walk and I loved it. I bet it would also be great at sunset!
9/11 Memorial
We did not go into the museum, but the water memorials are very thought provoking and it’s a reverent spot. Definitely worth a visit.
Heading Home:
At this point we went back to our “hotel.” It was St. Patrick’s Day and the streets were crowded. We took in the views on the rooftop and went to bed early. We got up at 3:45 AM the next morning to head to JFK to board an early flight. People were still out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day from the night before! This time of morning is not my favorite, but we had babies and pups to get home to!
All in all it was a great trip and a wonderful way to commemorate 10 wonderful years of marriage!
Stay tuned. In the next posts I will provide itinerary details and some bonus posts about our trip!
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Packing for Adventure 
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