New York by helicopter and Top of the Rock

Day 7: New York: Soho, China Town, Little Italy, Financial District, New York by helicopter, Central Station, Sunset on Top of the Rock

We start the day when the alarm rings at 6:00 in the morning and it is that after six full days of the trip to New York in 11 days the fatigue begins to make a dent in us, so today we try to rest a little more , that even if it is only an hour the body will thank us and more when in a while we will be enjoying New York by helicopter. The sky is super clear, so we have only to confirm that it was quite true to change the helicopter tour on Monday that it was raining and we dedicated it to know the Museum of 11S, leaving for today New York by helicopter and the views of sunset from the Top of the Rock, one of the best viewpoints in New York.

Of course, as much as the sun looks radiant, the cold does not give us respite and it seems that the first few days if we had a little heat, but now it is cold again and there is no way to leave the coat in the hotel.

As today we have to be at 2:00 pm in the Financial District to do the New York helicopter tour, we decided to start the morning in Soho to get to know this famous neighborhood a bit and then go to the Financial District where we will eat, we will visit it and then we will do the helicopter tour, one of the things that must be booked before traveling to New York, especially in high season, when the city and especially these activities have few free places.

We leave the Holiday Inn Times Square when there are a few minutes to 8 in the morning and directly we take the subway that we have next to us and that will take us directly in the Downtown, stopping at Canal Street, in the heart of Chinatown, where we were already yesterday afternoon and where we wanted to approach today in the morning to see the atmosphere at this time and it is that Soho is stuck, so it is a good option to plan the joint visit to the three areas if you have time.

We arrive at Soho when it is 8:30 in the morning, perfect time to find a good place to have breakfast, and although we have a couple of coffees in the hotel every morning with the coffee maker we have in the room, we need give energy to the body to be able to follow the progress of the days so complete that we are living in New York.
The first thing we see is a Starbucks so we do not doubt it too much and we enter one of the most famous chains not only of the city, but of the world, where we ask for a couple of paninis plus a couple of coffees for 20 euros in exchange . Really, after so many days, we are already a little fed up with so much sweet in the morning, that although we have to say that they are very good, yes it is also true that we need to eat something a little more salty, that is closer to We are used to eating daily to resume as much as possible the habits we usually have.

After breakfast we go directly to one of the stages of the movie Ghostbusters, Hook & Ladder 8 which is the name of the fire station located at number 14 of North Moor Street, and that served as headquarters for ghostbusters in 1984, which happens that as happened yesterday with the Chelsea Hotel , it turns out that they are restoring it, so we find it full of scaffolding, although this does not prevent us from taking a picture for the memory and that is that after all, there are too many New York stages that remind us of movies, so I have that although one is in works nothing happens and more considering that we could only do a tour of several days in which to visit famous movie scenes that have been shot in the city.

From here we approach Tribeca, where one of the routes that can be done is the one that we have on page 70 of the Lonely Planet of New York a quite interesting tour if you have time and you want to go around that area. As we go a little bit of time to have to go to the Financial District afterwards, we only walk around some of the most central streets, to see more or less how the environment is and get even a small idea of ​​this area of ​​New York

After walking around the area, we return directly to Soho, one of the most popular neighborhoods currently in New York. This neighborhood was one of the areas of the city where in the early nineteenth century a large textile industry developed, so if you look, we can see the robustness of its buildings, so characteristic of industrial architecture.

Today, Soho has become a much more artistic and creative area, where you can find quality restaurants, boutiques and art galleries. Even here some famous clothing or decoration brands have been established, making this neighborhood another one of the most exclusive places in the city.

Even today it is widely used as a movie location, so it is not uncommon to find a street cut by a shoot. But if you do not meet any of them, do not worry, there are many things to do in the neighborhood, such as enjoying the cobbled streets where the most famous clothing brands meet, ideal time to renew the closet. And if you are not shopping when you are traveling, as it happens to us, you can always approach McNally Jackson, where they say they serve the best cappucino and the best buns in New York.

It is practically 10 in the morning when we continue to get lost in the most famous streets of Soho, where today we find that most shops open at 11:00 in the morning, but that still does not stop the neighborhood to be very lively At this time the restaurants and cafes are full of people, the streets full of transport and delivery, which as we mentioned before, also give the neighborhood a very special air, leaving us with the feeling of need more, so we almost confirmed that when we return to New York, which we will surely do, we will spend a few days staying in this area of ​​the city that we loved.

From here we continue walking, entering Mulberry Street from where we arrived again to Little Italy, the Italian neighborhood, today a single street, where we were last night and now we can see during the day, to also take a picture with the sunlight, although we have to say that it is much less lively than yesterday when we came.

From here we enter Chinatown again, approaching Mayana Buddhist Temple, one of the Buddhist temples that are in this area and that yesterday we did not visit and although today we do not enter, if we want to see it outside and partly knowing that it is right at side of the Manhattan Bridge that comes from Brooklyn, here, joining it with the island of Manhattan, something that although it sounds silly, makes us realize the situation we are in and that is that in a city like this, on many occasions, we It is even overwhelming to get our bearings, even after making the itinerary in New York by neighborhoods, which helped us so much with the visits, in order to locate each and every one of them.
To know the history and not miss anything in the neighborhoods of Chinatown and Little Italy it can be very interesting to book this visit with a guide in Spanish.

After walking and delighting again in Chinatown, remembering our trip to China a few months ago and being almost 11:00 in the morning we ended this visit, approaching the Canal Street station where we take the R line to go to the Downtown, to the Cortland St. stop from where we enter the financial zone, Wall Street, which is the second area of ​​Manhattan that we will visit today.

It takes us no more than 15 minutes to arrive, where we go directly to Wall Street which is the main street of the financial district of New York, where we can finally see some of the most important buildings in the area such as La Bolsa that was built at the beginning of the s.XX although looking at it it may seem that it is much older, since its architecture has a certain classic look.

Right next to it we find the Federal Hall, the Federal Reserve, built at the end of the 18th century and that we did not visit at the end, since apart from not having too much time, after reading that it is not "too interesting", we prefer to leave it pending for the next time we come and thus have another perfect excuse to return to this area.

Something that we did not expect is to meet so many tourists, something that confirms that this is another of the most tourist areas of the city and also one of the many places where you can see the smoking sewers of New York, another one of those details so filthy that They do not stop calling our attention, no matter how many we see throughout the days.

Like the meeting with the executives, standing in front of the food carts in the area, during their rest time. Something that also attracts us a lot of attention and that we cannot stop portraying and that reminds us of something we had read and is that the best time to visit the Financial District is from Monday to Friday during business hours, since on weekends the The atmosphere here is much more relaxed, meeting only tourists.

It's 12:30 when we look at the clock again, so we decide that it's time to eat. Being where we are, it is impossible not to approach Luke's Lobster, an entire institution in New York, where we ordered a couple of lobster rolls plus water and coke for $ 39. As you can see it is not exactly cheap for what it is, but we can recommend it 100% and it is one of the best sandwiches we have ever tasted.

As we mentioned before, a roll lobster is not a lot to eat, so we decided to approach a street that is right next door, which is very full of restaurants with many options to eat, where we ended up entering a bakery where we ordered a couple of cakes and a couple of coffees for $ 20 that serve us as lobster rolls, making today's food a mix of exception that serves as a prelude to what awaits us in a few minutes: New York by helicopter.

New York by helicopter

It's half past one when we leave the bakery and we just have to cross the street to meet the helipad, where today the day has come to enjoy one of the activities we most wanted, New York by helicopter, something that will allow us to enjoy the city from another perspective and an activity that although it is not entirely economical, we believe it is very worthwhile and we recommend 100%.

Upon arrival at the door we receive the staff / staff of the company that we have booked the helicopter tour, with which we can enjoy New York by helicopter and have that perspective from the air that we were waiting for so much. After the presentations, we go to the interior room, where we leave the backpack and bag inside a locker, also giving us the vest that we have to wear for the tour, as a security measure.
Once with all this done, we sit in the waiting room, where we have to wait ten minutes and then stand in a queue, inside the same room, which will take us in five minutes, to the track, in front of what will be our helicopter

They make us the photo of rigor in front of the helicopter and the moment of placement comes depending on the weight. And here comes the time when we look at each other again and smile and we have the good fortune to go me (Vanessa) in front on the right side, having full visibility and Roger behind, but also in the part of the window, having a little more limited visibility, but also very good.

At this point, we believe that the best thing is that you can see the images and it is that as much as we can explain, the feeling is unique and can only be understood once you live in person. What we can say is that it is impressive and that despite being the second time we rode by helicopter, we have spent it as children, enjoying the experience 100%.

The whole flight is impressive, although we have to say that it happens flying never better. And in the end, considering that it is 12-15 minutes, in which you travel through the southern part of Manhattan, seeing the Financial District, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, The Freedom Tower, the Chrysler, the Empire State Building Building, Chelsea Piers, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space and even approaching Central Park, which we, due to the time, have not just seen in all its splendor.

New York by helicopter

- Without a doubt one of the best tours you can do in the city is to enjoy a few minutes of helicopter in New York. The cheapest tour is 12-15 minutes and takes you through the lower Manhattan area, reaching Central Park and then down again, reaching the heliport again, from where you even have views of the Brooklyn Bridge.
- The prices vary according to the companies, being more or less of 130-180 dollars for the cheapest tour.
- The place in the helicopter varies according to the weight of the person, the best part being the front, since it has total visibility and is the area where people with lower weight are placed.
- The best time to do this tour is noon, at which time the sun is right at the top and therefore is not reflected and there is no backlight. Book the tour here in advance to get a place at the best time. Another good option is to book the New York tour by land, sea and air, which includes a helicopter ride, a cruise and a guided city bus tour. If you want to see the city illuminated the best alternative is to book this night helicopter ride through the city.
- The exact location of the helipad is this //bit.ly/24maXKx and it is advisable to be at least 15 minutes before the tour time.
- If you carry a backpack or bag, do not worry, there are some lockers where you can leave them and pick them up after the flight.
- Most companies allow day changes, 24 hours in advance, at no extra cost. Something to keep in mind, especially when there is a forecast of bad weather and in this way you can make sure you have the best possible panorama.

It's 3 in the afternoon when we leave the helipad, after an incredible experience, flying over New York, and approaching Pier 11, from where there are stunning views of Brooklyn Bridge and where we stop to rest for a while, finding one of the areas that have surprised us most in New York and there is a platform with a kind of chairs / hammock in which the sun shines at this time and where it is really good.

If you are in this area or you miss it because it is really worth it, not only because of the views, but because it is an excellent place to rest for a while, relax and even where you can have an impromptu picnic before or after enjoying New York by helicopter.

Book the best rated Spanish tours and excursions in New York by travelers

- New York contrasts
- Offer Contrast Tour + Mass Góspel
- New York Helicopter Tour
- New York night tour
- Excursion to Washington DC

- Many more excursions and tours in / from New York here

It's about 20 minutes to 4 in the afternoon and having the ticket to see the sunset from Top of the Rock for today, where we have to enter at six in the afternoon, we decided to take the subway and approach Central Station, one of the most important visits in New York, which we had to do another day but did not give us time, but that we are going to try to do this afternoon, so go taking off visits that we had embedded in other days of the trip to New York during Holy Week and to try to leave a totally free day to walk around the city or dedicate it totally to the places that we liked the most.

We arrive in less than 15 minutes and it must be said that traveling by subway, from one area to another within Manhattan, takes an average of 15 20 minutes, a more than adjusted time counting the distances at which we we face. As soon as we enter we find this scenario that we have seen so many times in movies and that despite this without, it leaves us totally amazed and not only because of the structure and architecture but also because we find that on the second floor from where we have the best views, there is also an Apple store fully integrated in the architecture of the station, which at least surprises.

How could it be otherwise the rest of the time we spent in Central Station is dedicated to go through each and every corner that we are finding, hallucinating more and more and it seems that we are within the scene of a movie, something that we cannot stop thinking and repeat throughout the trip.

Once we have enjoyed the upper part we see that the ground floor is all dedicated to the restoration, where many of the famous New York franchises such as Shake Shack, Nathan's ... and Magnolia Bakery, one of which we wanted to visit, are located (and try), so we go straight to the counter where we order a couple of cupcakes, one of pistachio and another of peanut crena, more coffee and lemonade for 15 dollars that we tasted in the central part of the ground floor resting and charging energies to continue with this amazing day in the Big Apple.

It's 5 and a half in the afternoon when we decided to go to Rockefeller Plaza, to go around and go back to the Lego store that the other day was very crowded and so take the opportunity to see it, since it is one of the stores also more representative and most famous in New York and the other day we could hardly see her.

After a walk around the area, and seeing that it is almost 6 in the afternoon, we approach the door of the Top of the Rock which will take us again today to other of the best views of New York.

Top of the Rock tickets. The best viewpoint in New York

- If you have purchased the CityPASS you should know that you have 2 tickets to the Top of the Rock, one valid during the day and another at night, something to consider, since it gives you the possibility of having one of the best views of the city, both day and night. If you do not have the card you can also book your ticket here in advance. In these two cases you will skip the lines, something very important if you do not want to waste time and make the most of the day.
- Although in principle it is not necessary to book, it is best to go a day before to pick up the entrance, especially if you want to go up at sunset, since it is one of the hours in which more people usually have and on many occasions there is no more space by that time
- In the month of April we are advised to climb at 6: 20h, at which time you have time to reach the first lookout floor, tour the different areas and take place to enjoy the sunset from the Top of the Rock.
- They do not let you in before the indicated time (15 minutes before), so it is not worth going 1 hour before to stay longer.
- As you will see, especially at peak times, there are many people, so taking a picture in which nobody leaves is difficult, but not impossible. Relax, enjoy and while you do it, you look sideways when you can take the picture.

- The best perspectives are from the highest area, which is usually very crowded at sunset, so it is worth taking a quick walk around the other floors and if you want to take photos, go up directly to the last floor and wait for the sunset .
- If you come at sunset, between access and exit, where there are usually enough people, plus the time you are enjoying the sunset and dusk, think that you have to be an average of about two hours.
When it is 6:15 they let us access the interior of the access room to the viewpoint and we find a fairly large tail, in which we see that we can go up first to the first floor where everything is covered with glass or directly to the second where there is nothing that hinders the vision or directly to the third from where the views are really incredible.

We recommend above all that if you come at a time when it is a bit cold, come warm, since as the afternoon falls the cold starts to notice and the truth is that it is best to spend an hour or hour here and a half, from the time the sunset begins at dusk, so if you do not come warm, there is a risk of freezing. It is definitely worth seeing New York at night.

The truth is that time passes very quickly and almost without realizing it we begin to see how the sun begins to fall and every minute that passes, the sky becomes more orange, giving us incredible views, which will surely take a long time to forget.

Go up to sunset to the Top of the Rock It is one of the best options, since it allows you to enjoy the views of the day, the sunset and if you want, staying for a little while, at dusk, watching the lights of the Big Apple come on, giving way to one of the images Sure, we will not forget New York.

We enjoyed some unique views of New York from the Top of the Rock and is that as we said before, not only the sunset is incredible but also the possibility of seeing the sunset, as the city of New York begins to illuminate at nightfall, it is a unique experience, although we also have to say that we are very lucky and that is that from the room of the Holiday Inn Times Square every night we have views almost as spectacular as the ones we are enjoying now.

More practical information to prepare your trip to New York

- 10 things to book before traveling to New York
- The 10 best tours and excursions in New York
- 100 things to see and do in New York
- New York guide step by step
- The best travel insurance for New York
- The best viewpoints in New York
- What to see in New York by neighborhood
- The 10 best free things in New York
- 20 essential places to visit in New York
- 10 essential tips for traveling to New York

It is 8:30 in the afternoon when we leave the Top of the Rock, being at the end, between one thing, almost two hours to say two full hours, which have included access and departure, with enough queue, and time of watching the sunset and after dark. A time that has flown by and that has undoubtedly turned this visit into another of the essentials of New York.

We take the subway to Bryant Park to go directly to Inakaya, a highly recommended Japanese restaurant, which is next to the hotel, where we have been wanting to come for days and where we have not been able to resist anymore. We ordered 5 different kinds of rolls, plus a beer and water for $ 65 that make this evening the best way to end the day, one of the most complete days we have had since we arrived in New York.

It's almost 11 at night when we are back at the entrance of the Holiday Inn Times Square, where we fall, almost unable to say good night and that is that New York, although we have fallen in love, is also killing of tiredness