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What to see in New York City for first-timers
New York City is more than just another concrete jungle.
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The view of the Statue of Liberty from Staten Island Ferry. (JP/Gemma Holliani Cahya)
O
ne of the world's most recognized concrete jungles, New York City in the United States is home to many interesting architectural buildings, museums and places to visit.
Visiting New York for the first time made me realize that there were so many things to see and never enough time to do it all. Thankfully, the city's official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, NYC & Company was able to ensure that we saw the famous gems of New York in the span of only four days.
The Met
One of the highlights of the trip was, of course, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, known as the Met.
The Met is around a 30-minute walk from our hotel residence at AKA Central Park. However, it was 1 degree Celsius that morning, so several reporters and decided to take a taxi to the museum.
Entering the front door of the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, I could not help but stand in awe while gazing at Welcoming the Newcomers, a massive painting —3.4 meters by 6.7 m — by Canadian artist Kent Monkman.
The painting features Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, who was introduced as Kent’s gender-fluid alter ego, a representation of indigenous Two Spirit traditions. In the picture, Miss Chief is seen reaching out to help exhausted figures out of a tumultuous ocean and onto a small patch of land.
Kent created two paintings for the Met, both featuring Miss Chief as a way of adding an indigenous voice to Western art history. The two paintings were first installed in December last year and will be at the right and left side of the Met’s great hall until April.
If you are like me and have only a few hours to spend at the Met, you may want to visit its website and do some advance research to choose the exhibitions you want to visit.
This year, the Met will celebrate its 150th anniversary. If you are planning to visit New York, make sure to visit an exhibition called Making the Met, 1870-2020, which will be shown to the public from March 30 to Aug. 2.
Emmy Squared Pizza Upper East Side
New York is often referred to as the home of pizza in America. So, I made sure to sample as many of them as I could during the trip.
Only an eight-minute walk from the Met museum is Emmy Squared Pizza on 1426 3rd Ave, which is known for its signature Detroit-style pizza marked by its square shape, crispy bottom, fluffy dough and cheesy crust.
If you are a burger lover, you should also try Emmy’s famous double-stack burger, dubbed Le Big Matt.
If you are lucky, you can also chat with Emily Hyland, the cofounder of the restaurant, who sometimes visits some of her restaurants and greets customers who share their love of pizzas.
The Ride
When my tour guide said we were going on a “bus trip”, I thought it would be quite boring. But there is nothing boring about the Ride.
Experiencing the Ride was not just about enjoying the heart of Manhattan, we also watched stand-up comedians, joined a quiz show and enjoyed art performances.
The bus was equipped with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and stadium-style seating with 40 LCD TV screens, 3,000 LED lights and surround sound.
We were welcomed on board by two hilarious comedians who guided us throughout the 75-minute route through Midtown Manhattan and Times Square. The trip began and ended at the Ride boards in front of Patrick’s Restaurant (near Five Guys Restaurant) at 42 St and 8th Ave in Midtown Manhattan.
The bus stopped several times as we enjoyed the performance of several rappers, musicians and ballet dancers on the side of the street. The performances were, of course, staged, but they blended with the street life so well.
I knew I had fun because when I got off the bus, I realized that my jaw was sore from laughing too much.
Staten Island
On the last day of the trip, we left our second hotel, Hotel Indigo Williamsburg and took the subway to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. The ferry is free and operates 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Without spending a dollar, while riding the ferry I was mesmerized by the view of the Statue of Liberty and the beautiful lower Manhattan skyline.
When we arrived on the island, as we walked through the peaceful roads near the ferry terminal, Colleen Siuzdak, the manager of Visit Staten Island who accompanied us, said that for years, Staten Island was known as the forgotten borough, separated from the rest of New York, across the harbor from Manhattan. The Staten Island Borough office has been trying to change the image of the island, rebranding it with the motto, the Unexpected Borough of New York City.
“If you haven’t seen Staten Island, you haven’t really seen New York,” Siuzdak said.
One of the places I recommend on the island is a little but important museum called the National Lighthouse Museum. If you are a lighthouse enthusiast, this is a great place to see.
When you visit the museum, you will meet Bob, a staff member who will enthusiastically tell you about the museum’s collection and the history of lighthouses across the US. It’s free for children to visit the museum, but for general admission, adult visitors must pay US$5.
The museum’s exhibits include Beacons Through Time, Supplying the Nation’s Light Stations: The General Depot, Optics: Projecting the Light and Life at the Light: Lighthouse Keepers.
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NYC & Company in a collaboration with Singapore Airlines recently invited The Jakarta Post on a trip to New York, visiting a number of the city’s iconic tourist attractions.
