New York day 3: Circle Line Cruise

On Tuesday morning I got up nice and early and went through to Pier 83 on West 42nd Street. If you want to take a Circle Line Cruise, I'd recommend booking ahead of time at the Circle Line website or using your CityPass which you already bought yesterday on my say so.  I’d also recommend checking the schedules online as the option I decided to go on, the semi-circle 2 hour cruise, only runs twice a day at 11:30am and 3:30pm.

The Hudson River


The Intrepid at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

After finding myself a nice seat, the boat pulled out of the pier. 


Ventilation shafts for the Lincoln Tunnel

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Chelsea Piers where all episodes of Law and Order are filmed

The boat goes really, really fast so it is hard to take photos.  In addition, the boat is obviously tipped at an angle as it speeds along so I had to come home and adjust the tilt of every single picture I took! 


The hole left in downtown Manhattan where the World Trade Centre used to stand

Eight years ago, this photograph would have been dominated by the towering giants of the World Trade Centre.  In fact, I would have had to reduce my zoom to fit them into the picture.  How very sad.

[Click on the photos for enlargements]

Today, the best way to locate Ground Zero is to look for the cranes as they rebuild the World Trade Centre.  I went to visit there on the last day of my trip so more about that later.

Once again, the spirit of New Yorkers moved me as the guide on the tour told stories not of bitterness but of triumph and achievement as he described the events of 9/11 and beyond. 


Ellis Island


The Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island

The East River


The Staten Island Ferry

I loved the story of the Staten Island Ferry!

“With $100 borrowed from his parents, Cornelius Vanderbilt purchased a periauger (a flat-bottomed sailing barge) and began a ferry service between Staten Island and Manhattan. He repaid the hundred dollars one year later. By then he had earned a profit of $1,000. Eventually, his ferry service became known as the Staten Island Ferry, which is still in operation today” - source

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The Financial District

Among the buildings you can see above are: 1 Financial Square (the silver and black glass building with graded corners), 120 Wall Street (the limestone stepped building), the Continental Centre (the green glass building).

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The Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge


The Watchtower Building

The Watchtower Building in Brooklyn Heights is for sale if you'd like to buy the old Jehovah's Witnesses' headquarters.

Excuse me while I indulge my weakness for bridges.  The Brooklyn Bridge is above and the Manhattan Bridge is below.


The exquisitely ugly Williamsburg Bridge and the Domino Sugar Refinery


View of Midtown Manhattan with Stuyvesant Town in foreground.


Tudor City with the United Nations to the right


Another view of the beautiful Tudor City

At this point, the boat turns around and continues back the way it came. I was a little chilly by that stage so I got a famous New York pretzel and a cup of hot chocolate. The Circle Line Cruise is a long cruise and two hours is a big chunk out of your day in New York (especially if the second half is a repeat of the first half). I would rather recommend a tour that goes from one point to another than spending an hour going back the way you have just come. Perhaps then it would be best to take the three hour Circle Line cruise and then use your CityPass for the Statue of Liberty rather.

At about half past one I finally hit land again and with slightly wobbly legs, decided to head off to the Museum of Modern Art.

30 comments on "New York day 3: Circle Line Cruise"
  1. Keep posting Emm and I'll keep reading!

    Oh and btw: I love those jumbo size pretzels. Please, tell me you dipped it in mustard?

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  2. Hi Emm it brings back happy memories looking at your circle line tour. I have done it twice now, once before 9/11. My favourite bit is on the East River under the Brooklyn Bridge.

    I believe you can go right around Manhattan but I may be wrong. It was cold when I did it too.

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  3. I hope you are enjoying our great country. It looks like you have having a ball due to the tone of the comments of your pics.. Make sure you check out Broadway.

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  4. Hi Emm! I love reading your blog. I have never been to NY but feel up close and personal with your photos. Have you been to Paris, Amsterdam or Germany? I will be traveling there come March. I am so excited!

    simplethingshere.blogspot.com

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  5. Great pictures, especially those bridges, which I am also partial to. When we were there in 2001 we took a cruise all the way around the island and felt it was time well-spent. But I'll look forward to reading about the rest of your adventures!

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  6. Beautiful photos! I love the one of "Lady Liberty". I went to MOMA when I was there so can't wait to read about your visit there. My son got to sing at Carnegie Hall for a high school choir thing, which was the purpose of my visit to NYC last March. It was in incredible feeling walking into that place.

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  7. Hi Emm, I am new in Blogspot, but I had the chance to find your interesting blog. New York for a lot of humans is a real dream. I hope once to make the tours your are doing and showing here. Ciao, Italo.

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  8. I've never had the chance to go to New York, but I have to say your posts have made me feel I have a major gap in my travels. I tend to avoid major cities but your pictures make New York look stunning. I've never seen a better shot of the Statue of Liberty. That's the first time I've understood the sheer scale of it.

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  9. thanks a lot for your comment, i love so much my animals, but you're right they're pretty nice, i'm proud of them

    xoxo

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  10. Hi,

    I'm here for the first time. I do love all the things! Good job darling! I would like to keep in touch!

    XXX

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  11. hey such a great pics u uploaded .. my big b is also living in london and m missing him...

    by the way im follower of u ;)

    (the-thinktanks blogspot com)

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  12. Looks like you enjoyed NYC, I see your top photo includes a shot of the world's most beautiful airplane, the Concord. As it does not fly anymore, this must be a 'museum piece'. Haven't been to SA, but had two great holidays in Namibia.
    Enjoy London.

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  13. Hi Emm! I'm glad you are enjoying NYC!

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  14. hi!

    unless i had a trip already booked, i'd book one right now! nyc is my absolutely favourite city in the world, so far. been there over a dozen times over the years, took circle line cruise on my first trip over 20 yrs ago. have you gone to any tv-show tapings?

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  15. Hi Emmm,
    Wondering if I could ask you for a favour. I need people to fill in a questionnaire on my blog for research for my book. Since it is the survery from Inside the Actors Studio (New York) and you are in New York :) maybe you and some of your readers would like to fill it in.
    Hey how did the interview go?

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  16. Nice blog!!

    Visit

    WINE BLOG:
    http://do-nariz-a-boca.blogspot.com/

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  17. Loved your take on my hometown. Haven't done the Circle Line trip since I was a kid..

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  18. Your plan a pretty hectic schedule; by the end of it you'll have mapped every possible sight seeing location in NYC.
    Guess what...I am going for a graduation party on a 'Boozer Cruiser' today which goes around the New-york Harbor.

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  19. You have been capturing some of the best parts of New York! It's too bad it's been so cloudy!

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  20. Lovely, lovely photos, Emm!

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  21. Wow! Those are great photos! They bring back memories of trips to New York. I'm about to read your other posts - it sounds like you had a great time!

    Best wishes,

    Roz

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  22. I just found your blog via Blogs of Note. Not only do we share a love for New York, but browsing through your old posts, I discover that until five months ago I lived a few doors down from you on Birchwood Avenue! How small the world is!

    Love your New York pictures and your blog in general..it's making me want to head back to the Big Apple very soon!

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  23. really wonderfull blog and wonderfull photos

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  24. I love NY and this blog now. Thank you and keep posting!

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  25. It looks like you did't get much sun. Did you also visit the Satue of Liberty?

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  26. Its amazing!I have never been to NY but feel up close and personal with your photos. and I thought I would leave my first comment.

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  27. @ Phoenix: Ha! It's funny you should ask that because I awkwardly asked how I should eat it and the nice man gave me some mayo. It was yummy.

    @ Mike: Yes, you can take a three hour round-the-island trip and I guess it would be much better value if you had the time.

    @ usfantelope: I loved your country! It was great.

    @ Stephanie: I've not been to Germany or France and only went to Amsterdam once for 24 hours when I was four. We hope ot spend more time in Europe next year and hopefully go to Italy.

    @ Kathy: Yes, I thought the round cruise would be a better deal. Glad you liked my bridge photos!

    @ Ash: Thanks.

    @ Missy: Oh, that must have been a great experience for your whole family to have your son sing there. Did they record it for you?

    @ Italo: Ha! That is great because I want to visit your country next!

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  28. @ Sheila: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I would honestly recommend it - it is an amazing city and the spirit of it will just blow you away.

    @ Lilie, Gessica & Naeem: Thanks for stopping by.

    @ John: If you like the concord, you may be interested to know that I am related to the original test pilot, Brian Trubshaw. That is the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. I would love to go to Namibia one day!

    @ Lillian: It was awesome - I loved every minute! I am glad I discovered your blog too (from Phoenix).

    @ liisamarja: I didn't go to any TV show tapings. I thought they would be hard to get into!

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  29. @ Nicole: I just sent oyu an email as i don't have your blog address!

    @ Raul: Thank you - your blog's not bad either.

    @ KyonSOS: Happy? I was but I was more exhausted than anything else!

    @ Grace: Wow - it must have been amazing to grow up in New York!

    @ Id it is: Heh. How was your booze cruise?

    @ Kimberlee: Yes, it was very cloudy those first few days but it did get better!

    @ JaPRA: Thank you! I am glad you liked them!

    @ Roz: it was a wonderful week and I would definitely return!

    @ Rachel: Oh no! I would have loved to have made a friend in Sidcup!! :) You read all the books I can't get my head around!

    @ Max: Thank you and thanks for visiting!

    @ Ferdinando: Oh! Another Italian! I SO want to visit there next year! Thanks for visiting!

    @ Juka: Yes, I did and Ellis Island too. Luckily the sun came out on that day!

    @ Index Annuity: You know - you should speak to your parents about that weird name they gave you! But you left a nice comment so I'll forgive you! Thanks for visiting (and use your real name next time!)

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