New York Must-See Attractions (Review)

I think ultimately, by the end of my trip to New York, I did hit the big must-see attractions and I did enjoy them. I thought instead of sharing big individual posts to review each attraction, I would share them all together. 

Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

I started with the Big Bus Tour and did the first half of the Downtown route. I did the second half in the afternoon and then did the Uptown route the following afternoon. I love the idea of Big Bus Tours and I’ve always had good experiences with them, but this entire trip seemed different. 

The audio guides were really poor. They gave very minimal information and kept making jokes. In between that, there were “quizzes” which were pointless and random additions. The majority of the time was spent telling riders that they could get off the bus at any point and to tip the driver, which is formerly self-explanatory and latterly, not really relevant when you only spend a few stops with each driver. 

I found the bus drivers themselves to be quite hit and miss. The first one kept stopping at multiple points and speaking which meant the route took longer, which is difficult when you're on a schedule, and you couldn’t even hear him. Furthermore, on one of the occasions the bus decided to terminate early which then meant I had to rush and walk 20 minutes. One of the bus stops was also missed by two buses whilst I was stood there, because the stop already had too many buses, so I literally had to stand in front of the third to ensure it didn’t pass me. 

The biggest complaint is the start and finish times. One route is 0900-1700 and the other 1000-1600. It would have been great to be able to use it first thing in the morning, so for both to start at 0800 and finish at 1900 before the night route starts, which is a separate, private route. I ended up getting the subway to one place because I wanted to be there for 0900, which was a little frustrating as I hadn't budgeted to do that. 

Having said that, I do truly believe it's the best way to get around New York for the first time as a tourist. I feel like it was the best way to see New York and to see the places that aren't super touristy. I loved being able to see the places further out and to experience that New York lifestyle and I really wanted to go to Central Park so this was a great option! 

Statue of Liberty Ferry, Liberty Island, Ellis Island and Immigration Museum

I didn't really know what to expect going to the Statue of Liberty. I kind of thought, I had a ticket so I would just check in ang go, but when I arrived, there was a long line for security which was pretty pointless because half the items that aren't allowed, ended up getting through. Then there was quite a big queue to board the ferry which I was surprised with. Once on, it wasn't long until we could see the Statue of Liberty up close. 

On arrival, I got the free audio guide and spent a couple of hours walking around the island and exploring the museum. I loved walking around, hearing the history and seeing the progress. It was actually really interesting, especially as someone who didn't know much about it. I also loved that it was very self paced so could be paused or replayed whenever wanted. It gave me time to take in the views of New York and New Jersey, as well as the Statue itself. 

The museum was a lot bigger than I had anticipated. It had a lot of interesting information and models, but some of it was quite slow and intricate so I found it a bit boring in parts. Learning how it made was interesting and seeing the sheer size of components (foot and torch) up close was really eye opening. Afterwards, I then moved onto the second island, Ellis, which was honestly quite depressing. You can stay on the boat and go straight back, but I did decide to get off.

I go the audio guide again which I think was vital because there wasn't too many signs of information this time in the big room. There were then lots of little rooms which did have information but they were so crowded, many of them couldn't be read very easily. I think I maybe did half of these because I was getting so down and depressed hearing it all, but I do think some of the aspects showed extreme kindness and made lives so much easier. I would have liked to have gone into the houses, but for that there was an extra cost. There was also a film to watch but I queued for almost 20 minutes before it started and then waited a further 10 minutes to be let in, but no one came so I decided to head off. 

Empire State Building 

The Empire State Building was amazing. It was by far my favourite of the observation deck experiences. I loved the little history and exhibition on the way to the top and once at the top, it was the perfect viewing platform. It's always so much better when the observation deck is outside, so you don't have to look through a glass window and you don't get the glare either. 

I stayed for quite a few hours to watch the scenes by daylight, sunset and night time. There isn't any time limit once you're in. The sunset never came because it was a little cloudy, but dusk was still pretty and watching the lights get brighter was pretty special. They then had live music on in the evening. It wasn't as good as I had anticipated as I thought it was going to be more like the Sky Gardens in London, but nevertheless I stayed for about half an hour listening, before heading off. 

9/11 Museum 

I decided to arrive just as it opened and I was one of the first people in the museum for the day. It was lovely and quiet walking around. It made such a difference because by the end of the visit, it was around 12pm I think and it was packed. I was rushing a little bit but you could spend hours in there if you weren't on as tight of a schedule. There's the usual exhibits, then a special exhibit in the centre which changes, which I defintely rushed through. There's also a film for 30 minutes that I didn't have time to wait in the queue for and watch, but it's defintely a big experience and there's much more there than I thought. 

I don't remember the 9/11, nor can I pretend to imagine what it would have been like to experience it. Watching the clips and seeing the damage is just surreal. It's crazy to imagine what happened and what the aftermath was, even though it happened in my lifetime. 

Afterwards, I headed outside to the 9/11 Memorial where it was quite special. The memorials are beautiful and it's a special place. I love the idea of the continual flow of water, the floor plan of the previously existing World Trade Centre buildings and that the names of so many individuals who lost their lives are documented forever more. 

One World Observatory 

The new One Trade Centre building homes the famous Top of the World Observatory. When I arrived, they explained there was zero visibility but I didn't realise there would be literally zero visibility. It was literally just cloud around the entire building and I was so disappointed. It was my own fault though because they were offering ticket date changes for everyone and informing them on arrival. I just didn't believe them...

Anyway, customer services were great. I didn't think I had any other time to go, but I worked out I had a spare half an hour so I reached out and asked if they could let me go up for 30 minutes and they said yes! It was so much better the second time because as the blinds opened, I could actually see buildings and not just cloud and be met with a white-grey haze. 

In terms of the actual review, it is well organised. They have heavy security going inside, which is somewhat understandable given the position. There's an initial geographical bit which I found quite interesting and then the lift has a story with incredible graphics, both up and down. Once at the top, I don't really think it's worth the money. The focus is more on the retail aspect which I didn't love. They had a presentation but both times I went it wasn't running and next presentation wasn't for another 30 minutes minimum. The views are annoyingly distorted by the angled glass which makes it not only hard to see, but difficult to take pictures especially. I think observation decks are just better when they're in the open and not indoors personally. 

Rise NY 

I decided on Rise NY because I love the 7D flyover experiences in cities, but this was even more. I was so impressed. I spent a lot longer there than planned which was a nice escape from the outdoor weather and it was a nice more chilled break. 

There was a little art exhibit to begin with, then a historical immersion experience on the subway, before a mini museum like area. I loved the on-theme Friends sofa area and the interactive areas. They also had clips and costumes from multiple Broadway shows. The 7D experience was perfect. It was so so good and even had a little storyline as we were meant to be television audience for the New Year's Times Square Ball Drop. It was quite a fun little experience and afterwards I headed to the real Times Square to say goodbye just one more time.