It's been seven years since I set foot on a plane. Sounds like a long time. I had planned to go to Jamaica in 2020 but we all know what happened then. I usually take the Florida route to go to Jamaica but this time around I went through NY. The initial reason... the cost. But besides that, it has been awhile since I passed through the Big A. I also have a cousin who recently moved to NY from Florida… and an uncle and another cousin who live there. So it seems NYC was calling.
The trip was unlike any I have ever done as it included a party of 7; 3 kids, my wife, her parents and myself. Interestingly my dad in law has always wanted to visit the big apple and had grand ideas of things he wanted to do. So I listened and liaised with my cousin in NY who planned it all out with her husband. Thank God for family.
Mission 1: Get a picture with the big green lady in the background.
We took a Hudson River Ferry tour which brought us in the heart of New York City and Manhattan. The main things you see of course are tall skyscrapers glistening in the sunshine. There is something about the man made mountain high buildings that attract people and makes you feel like you are "in the city".
My kids really enjoyed the ferry ride but were more interested in the water splashing against the port side of the boat than the tall skyscrapers. I guess that is a good thing, means they love nature. Me? I felt a little nostalgic as I had been on a ferry in the same waters years ago with an ex who demanded we go over to liberty island to see the big green lady up close and personal so we could see what color toe nails she wore and if she was into high-heels or a crocs type a gal.....😄
In the words of my uncle Trevor at the time:
"You guys went across to the island? In all my years living here I have never done that."
Yup, it's a touristy thing to do.
There were some artistic structures along on the route which broke the monotony of the scrapers, I can tell this was done intentionally. Not sure what the name of this place is below but would love to go over there some day.
Bro, bro, wtf do you think we have all this technology for??? Just google it.
Oh yeah... So the name of the place is little island.
Below, we have a view of Pier 57 ( googled it ). This place is open to the general public from 6:00 AM to 1:00 AM. I read it is a good spot to view the city, get a bite to eat, check out some entertainment or just lounge around.
For some reason I took quite a few shots of this cluster of buildings and now I see why ( always good to go back and analyze your photos after a trip). The building with the huge deck is called the Edge and offers some amazing views of the city. I highly recommend this spot. It could be seen as the new hip-slick observatory with the best views in the city. "See New York all at once" is their slogan. Before, it was the empire state building that was known for its views but the only thing the Empire state has over "The Edge" is king kong was up that bitch in a movie.
"Edge NYC forms a part of Hudson Yards, the sixth tallest building in NYC. The superstructure was opened in March 2020 and measures 1,271 feet (387 meters) precisely, putting it only behind 432 Park Avenue, Central Park Tower, One World Trade Center, and others."
The picture below was taken from the lower deck looking up, I thought it made for a nice pic as the deck looked like a little tower itself. The pic also gives a view of some of the observers onboard as well as the lightly brushed blue skies... alright you caught me, I took the pic because of the gyal dem in the middle. 😁
Mission complete, big green doll background pic taken. "G" looks pleased. Not sure if I sent him this pic but I guess he can get it later.
And here we have my coz, Andrea and her husband David holding their kid for the day. They really made our time in NYC awesome. I really can't thank them enough. But I guess we shall reciprocate when they visit the land of the rising sun next year.
Stayed tuned for more. Bless 🆙
