The Immersive and Inexpensive New York Experience
Summer vacation seems to be a hard time of year for me. It’s difficult to find things to do for those 2 and a half months that we’re stuck at home. The park is only fun the first ten or so times you go there, and most places cost money. So, I set out on a plan to find inexpensive, but amazing places I could travel to during the summer. The only cost is the cost of transportation.
To start with, the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is a beautiful place that you can spend hours upon hours in. The amazing part is that in order to get there you have to ride the Staten Island Ferry, which is completely free. Onboard, you can stand on the deck, air whooshing past your face, and catch a glimpse of both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
After you return to New York, it’s only a five to six-minute walk to the Elevated Acre Park on 55 Water St. This park sits on a parking garage, between two buildings, and is about 40 feet above the streets of New York. You may walk past it at first, but once you climb those stairs to the top, you’ll see a one-acre oasis that gives you wonderful views of the New York skyline.
Then, if you’re feeling hungry and thirsty from all those stairs, travel to Taiyaki NYC for ice cream in a fish-shaped cone. It’s both delicious and fun to look at, but you better eat it before it melts!
For a little piece of history, head over to the Flatiron Building, which was completed in 1902 and was one of the city’s tallest buildings at the time of its completion. From there, you can either head across the street to Madison Square Park or walk a little further in order to see the Empire State Building. The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and only took 1 year and 45 days to complete.
If you still feel like walking, visit the High Line. It is a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park that was built in 2009 on top of a historic, elevated rail line.
From there, it’s only a 5-minute walk to The Vessel in Hudson Yards. The Vessel is a 150-foot, 16-story structure of connected staircases that was designed by Thomas Heatherwick. It was opened on March 15, 2019. However, it was closed on July 29, 2021 due to many deaths occurring at the top. But it still makes for a terrifically towering sight to see.
To finish off your trip of many sights, you can take a visit to The Mural on West 34th Street, which shows an abundance of creativity and colors.
