New York City

We had been pondering what our next "adventure" should be, and at the same exact time, our daughter Chelsea expressed an interest in possibly attending the New York City Fashion Institute of Technology. We discovered that we had a bunch of Hilton Hotel points that we could put to use, and we decided that we would make a trip to New York City.

A bit of map research showed that we could stay at the Jersey City Hilton Double Tree and be only a short walk from a PATH Subway Station, which would provide us with direct access to various stops in the city.

• Manhattan is the most densely populated of New York City’s 5 boroughs. It's mostly made up of Manhattan Island, bounded by the Hudson, East and Harlem rivers.
• The world’s richest individual church parish resides in Manhattan, valued at $2 billion.
• If the entire world had a population density as that of Manhattan, it would fit into a single country.
• 740 Park in Manhattan is currently home to the highest concentration of billionaires in the country.
• Central Park, which opened to the public in 1858, became the first landscaped public park in an American city.
• When building the World Trade Center in 1968, 1.2 million cubic yards of material was excavated from the site. Rather than dumping the spoil at sea or in landfills, the fill material was used to expand the Manhattan shoreline across West Street, creating Battery Park City at the southern end of Manhattan.
• Over 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world.
• New York City has over 6,000 high-rise buildings and is home to some of the world’s tallest skyscrapers, including One World Trade Center, which is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 1,776 feet.
• New York City’s subway system, with 472 stations, is one of the largest and oldest public transit systems in the world.
• New York City is a food lover’s paradise, with around 24,000 restaurants, offering cuisine from nearly every country in the world.

New York City from our Hotel Window

To amplify my previous statement about the view from the Doubletree hotel, these images of New York City were taken from our hotel room window. Great view of the Big Apple eh?

One of the standout features of this hotel is its convenient location. It's just a short commute away from Manhattan, with easy access to the PATH train system, making it an ideal choice for both business and leisure travelers exploring New York City. Jersey City itself offers a diverse culinary scene, and the hotel's on-site dining options provide delicious choices as well.

 

Click the image above to go to the Hilton Doubletree Website

 

We took a ride on the PATH subway from our hotel in New Jersey, traveling under the Hudson River to lower Manhattan, where we emerged at the World Trade Center site. At the time of our visit, the area was still under construction, with cranes towering above and workers bustling about as they brought new life to Ground Zero.

It was a somber and reflective moment for all of us as we stood at the site where the Twin Towers once stood. The memories of that tragic day — watching the events unfold on TV, feeling the shock and grief shared by people around the world — came rushing back. Standing there in person brought an even deeper sense of the magnitude of what happened here.

Despite the sadness, there was also a palpable sense of resilience and renewal. The new One World Trade Center was rising steadily, a symbol of hope, strength, and determination. Seeing workers laying bricks and steel beams reminded us that life moves forward, and out of tragedy comes renewal.

Walking around the site, we also noticed the progress on the 9/11 Memorial, a powerful and moving tribute to those who lost their lives. The names of the victims were etched into the reflecting pools that mark the footprints of the original towers. The sound of water cascading down the sides of the memorial pools was both calming and emotional, as if the site itself was quietly mourning while encouraging reflection and healing.

CBS Building HQ "Black Rock"

The CBS Headquarters, also known as the CBS Building or "Black Rock," is a landmark skyscraper located at 51 West 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen and completed in 1965, it stands as a masterpiece of modernist architecture. The 38-story tower is distinguished by its sleek black granite façade, which gives it a bold, minimalist aesthetic that contrasts sharply with the surrounding skyline.

At 491 feet tall, the building's innovative design emphasizes verticality, with precisely arranged window slits and chamfered edges that create a strikingly monolithic appearance. The CBS Building was Saarinen's only skyscraper project, reflecting his vision of a structure that embodies both strength and simplicity.

Originally constructed to house CBS's corporate offices, the building became an iconic symbol of the broadcasting giant during its heyday. It includes carefully curated interior spaces designed to balance form and function.

Today, the CBS Headquarters remains a celebrated piece of architectural history, admired for its timeless design and cultural significance in the media world. Its enduring presence on Manhattan’s skyline serves as a testament to mid-20th-century innovation and the legacy of Saarinen’s architectural genius.

POST EDIT NOTE: After Viacom acquired CBS in 2000, there were several attempts to sell this building, it was finally sold in 2021 to Harbor Group Investments (HGI).

Manhattan Trinity Church

Trinity Church, located at the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway in Lower Manhattan, is one of New York City's most historic landmarks. Founded in 1697, the church has stood as a symbol of resilience and faith through centuries of change. The current Gothic Revival building, designed by architect Richard Upjohn, was completed in 1846 and was once the tallest structure in New York, its spire reaching 281 feet.

Trinity Church’s ornate exterior features sandstone construction, pointed arches, and intricate stone carvings, embodying classic Gothic architecture. Inside, visitors are greeted by stunning stained-glass windows and an elegant vaulted ceiling. The church also houses an active parish, hosting regular services, concerts, and community events.

The surrounding Trinity Churchyard is a peaceful oasis amidst the bustle of the financial district, where notable historical figures such as Alexander Hamilton, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, and Robert Fulton are buried. The adjacent St. Paul's Chapel, part of the Trinity parish, served as a refuge during 9/11 and is a site of reflection and history.

More Info for the Manhattan Trinity Church

The Wall Street Bull

The Wall Street Bull, also known as the Charging Bull, is an iconic 7,100-pound bronze sculpture that has become one of the most recognizable symbols of New York City and the financial world. Standing 11 feet tall and stretching 16 feet long, the sculpture captures the powerful stance of a bull poised to charge forward, embodying the spirit of aggressive financial optimism, strength, and prosperity.

Created by Italian-American sculptor Arturo Di Modica in 1989, the bull was designed as a symbol of resilience and determination in the face of economic challenges. The artist chose the bull as his subject because it represents financial success and upward momentum, commonly associated with "bull markets" in the stock market, where prices are rising, and investor confidence is high.

The dynamic posture of the sculpture conveys a sense of raw energy and movement. The bull leans back slightly on its haunches, with its muscular body coiled and ready to spring forward. Its head is lowered, horns pointed, and nostrils flared, creating an impression of a powerful creature on the verge of charging ahead with unstoppable force. The bull's expression and posture suggest bold confidence, a reminder of the risk-taking spirit that drives the financial markets.

Originally, the sculpture was placed without permission near the New York Stock Exchange as a guerrilla art piece, but it was quickly embraced by the public and later moved to its current location in Bowling Green Park. Today, it attracts millions of visitors annually, who often rub its horns, nose, and, notably, its rear for good luck — a tradition that has turned parts of the sculpture a shiny golden color from repeated contact.

Battery Park Shoreline

The southern tip of Manhattan, Battery Park. Jeremy is looking across the Hudson River at the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. All of us had wanted to visit the Statue, but our time frame just could not accommodate that side-trip.

Quick Facts: The relatively modern Battery Park was mostly created by landfill starting from 1855, resulting in a landscaped open space at the foot of the heavily developed mainland of downtown Manhattan. Skyscrapers now occupy most of the original land, stopping abruptly where the park begins. On State Street, the former harbor front and the northern boundary of the park, a single Federal mansion, the James Watson House, survives as part of the Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton; until the 1820s, the city's stylish residential district was north of this house, between Broadway and the Hudson River.

Always something going on in Battery Park; In the first (left) image, we had stopped to watch these guys perform, they were very good. Yep, you could say that their "goal" was to collect money from the crowd - but - they were talented and disserved whatever they collected!

And in the second (right) image (just around the corner) another group of entertainers. They were not near as talented as the other crew, but their ability to walk on stilts was impressive.

Fashion Institute of Technology

As our daughter was going to graduate high school soon, and she was very interested in fashion design, we scheduled a visit to the Fashion Institute of Technology on 27th street between 7th & 8th Avenues. This image is the David Dubinsky Student Center at 340 Eighth Avenue between 27th and 28th Streets.

Aspiring fashionistas, set your sights on the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. This prestigious public college isn't just about clothes – it's a hub for all things fashion, design, business, and technology. Founded in 1944, FIT offers a vast array of undergraduate and graduate programs, from fashion design and textiles to jewelry making and fashion marketing. Beyond academics, FIT fosters creativity with its on-campus galleries, including the renowned Museum at FIT showcasing fashion history through exhibits. Hone your skills in industry-standard labs and studios, and gain invaluable experience through internships and career fairs. Located in the heart of NYC's vibrant fashion scene, FIT provides unparalleled access to the industry, making it a dream destination for anyone passionate about the world of fashion.

American Museum of Natural History

We decided to start our exploration by taking the subway to the Natural History Museum, because it is one of the largest natural history museums in the world. In Theodore Roosevelt Park the museum complex comprises 26 interconnected buildings housing 45 permanent exhibition halls, in addition to a planetarium and a library. The museum collections contain over 34 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts as well as specialized collections for frozen tissue and genomic and astrophysical data, of which only a small fraction can be displayed at any given time, and occupies more than 2 million square feet (190,000 m2). The museum has a full-time scientific staff of 225, sponsors over 120 special field expeditions each year, and averages about five million visits annually.

Since there is a subway station at 81st street & Central Park West, the Museum is easy to get to and it is directly across the street from Central Park.

New York City Public Library

After our Museum of Natural History exploration, we walked through Central Park to 5th Avenue, turned south, and walked down to the Public Library building at 476 5th Avenue - just a few blocks north of the Empire State building.

The New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress), and fourth largest in the world.

Quick Facts: The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, commonly known as the Main Branch or the New York Public Library, is the flagship building in the New York Public Library system and a landmark in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The branch, one of four research libraries in the library system, contains nine separate divisions. The structure contains four stories open to the public. The main entrance steps are at Fifth Avenue at its intersection with East 41st Street. As of 2015, this branch contains an estimated 2.5 million volumes in its stacks.

NOTE: Above information is from Wikipedia, click here to view the Wiki Page.

Manhattan Exploration

After our Empire State Building tour, we descended to ground level and decided to walk about the Manhattan area. You can see by the crowds that it is obviously a week day lunch time!

Manhattan is a shopper's paradise, offering everything from high-end luxury to quirky vintage finds. Fifth Avenue is the undisputed king of luxury, with iconic brands like Gucci and Prada lining its prestigious streets. Venture beyond the main avenues and discover SoHo's trendy boutiques, or head to the Meatpacking District for edgy designer stores. Don't miss the department store haven of Herald Square, housing Macy's and Bloomingdale's, perfect for one-stop shopping sprees. For vintage treasures, dive into the East Village's thrift shops or browse the unique stalls of Brooklyn Flea, a weekend market brimming with hidden gems. Whether you crave designer labels or one-of-a-kind finds, Manhattan's diverse shopping scene guarantees an unforgettable experience.

Shopping in Manhattan: Click here to view a Google Search Results list for shopping in Manhattan.

Radio City Music Hall

Could there be a more famous name than this? Radio City Music Hall was built on a plot of land that was originally intended for a Metropolitan Opera House. The opera house plans were canceled in 1929, leading to the construction of Rockefeller Center. The new complex included two theaters, the "International Music Hall" and the Center Theatre, as part of the "Radio City" portion of Rockefeller Center.

Step into the glitz and glamour of New York City's Radio City Music Hall, a landmark of art deco architecture and dazzling entertainment. Opened in 1932, the Music Hall boasts the iconic Rockettes, a precision dance troupe famous for their high kicks. Catch the legendary Christmas Spectacular, a festive extravaganza featuring dazzling costumes, heart-warming stories, and a live orchestra. Beyond the iconic show, Radio City Music Hall stages concerts, special events, and movie premieres. With its opulent interior, rich history, and unforgettable performances, Radio City Music Hall offers a quintessential New York City experience.

• Plan your trip in advance: New York City is a huge city with a lot to see and do, so it's important to plan your trip in advance to make the most of your time. This includes booking your accommodations, researching the attractions you want to visit, and purchasing tickets to shows or events.
• Consider the time of year you want to visit: New York City is beautiful in all seasons, but the weather can vary greatly. If you're looking for warm weather, visit during the summer months. If you're looking for cooler weather and fewer crowds, visit during the spring or fall.
• Choose the right accommodations for your needs: New York City has a wide variety of accommodations, from budget-friendly hostels to luxury hotels. Consider your budget, your travel style, and your desired location when choosing your accommodations.
• Get a MetroCard: The subway is the best way to get around New York City. A MetroCard is a pay-as-you-go card that can be used on the subway and buses.
• Walk a lot: New York City is a very walkable city. Walking is a great way to see the sights and get some exercise.
• Be prepared for crowds: New York City is a very crowded city. Be patient and polite when dealing with crowds.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help: New Yorkers are generally friendly and helpful. If you're lost or need directions, don't be afraid to ask a local.
• Enjoy the food: New York City has some of the best food in the world. Try everything from pizza to bagels to hot dogs.
• Take a photo at the iconic landmarks: New York City is home to some of the most iconic landmarks in the world, such as the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and the Empire State Building.
• Don't overpack: You'll be doing a lot of walking, so you don't want to be weighed down by a heavy suitcase. Pack light and bring comfortable shoes.
• Have fun: New York City is a magical city. Relax, have fun, and enjoy your trip!