After a quick bite at the American diner George’s the next morning, we headed to a Liberty and Ellis Island tour. Both of us felt that we would miss out on the true New York experience if we didn’t visit Liberty Island. For someone, it might be an overrated experience, but for us, it was a must-do. We were both excited to do something touristy! Seeing the Statue of Liberty from a boat and then up close from the island was something we were excited about from the moment we booked the tickets.
Besides the Statue of Liberty, the panorama of Manhattan’s financial district was another breathtaking view that captivated us. The minute we stepped foot from the cruise boat, we headed straight to this lookout and couldn’t believe our eyes. Seeing all the skyscrapers towering in front of us felt surreal.
It was a nice, warm day, so we spent a few hours on the island, taking in the views, snapping pictures and videos, and simply enjoying ourselves. We’ve seen the statue in countless movies and TV shows, but being there and seeing it live was incredibly exciting!
The next stop on the tour was the Ellis Island. We boarded another boat and headed straight to the Nation Museum of Immigration. I have never been a history geek, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the immigrant experiences and the significant role Ellis Island played in shaping American history. On top of that, it was exciting to stumble upon posters in our native language. So cool!
While we were waiting to board the boat that would take us back to Manhattan, we bought ourselves coffees and sat outside in a park, still convinced that we were dreaming all of this.
Once we returned to Manhattan, we decided to explore the financial district. I had debated with myself for the longest time whether I wanted to visit the 9/11 museum and ultimately decided to skip it. We visited the memorial, the newly built One World Trade Center, saw the long queues at Charging Bull, and then slowly walked back to Chinatown.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by Joe’s Pizza for a quick lunch. Joe’s is one of the most popular places to have New York-style pizza, so we couldn’t skip it. The slices were enormous and delicious! I would recommend stopping by this place because, since then, we had been on a hunt for the best slice of pizza in the city.
After a quick nap, we headed to the CloudM hotel rooftop bar. I can’t describe all the feelings I experienced that night. It was the first time we saw the city from above, and it will remain one of the most memorable nights of my life. We ordered a couple of cocktails and spent the rest of the night chatting and sometimes even sitting in silence while taking in the views.
