The more I travel, the more amazed I am about the things I learn. I've been traveling my entire life and I'm never unamazed. Here's a few things that either I just found out about or haven't mentioned before. They're all things that may or may not help you out in your travels!
1. Have I ever used an audio guide in New York City? The answer to that is no. However, it's a really great idea. New York City is huge, has a lot going on, and isn't always user friendly. It is one of the most walkable cities in the country. It has more famous sites to visit than most places in the United States. They have probably more guided tours than anywhere else in the country. But if you'd like to take yourself around; and I highly recommend that; you need a couple of things.
First, you need an OMNY card and a subway map. That's your best bet to get around. You also need a list of things you're interested in, which means prior research in a lot of cases. After that, if you want an explanation and you don't want to stand out by being in a huge group on a tour, get that audio guide to tell you what you're looking at.
You can choose from over 100 different audio guide options. There's Action Tour Guide, which is a service that covers a lot of places; not just New York City. They offer a yearly membership and after you pay your $99 a year, you can look up audio guides for stuff all over. Not a bad deal.
Another way to get an audio guide is to go where you get your podcasts. There are different platforms, but they all offer some audio guides for things in New York. You can look into in on Trip Advisor, Viator and companies of that sort. Sometimes in New York, you can just scan a QR code on site and you'll be all set.
This is just another way to get yourself around. I love doing things on my own. There's a certain level of accomplishment that goes along with it. It also makes me able to do things on my own schedule. Investigating locations on my own gives me more information, helps me learn my way around in general and provides a challenge that I think I need.
https://www.centralparknyc.org/explore-the-central-park-digital-guide
https://www.viator.com/New-York-City-tours/Audio-Guided-Tours/d687-g12-c26963
https://izi.travel/en?visit=1786120201
2. The underground world of South Manhattan. Did you know about this? This is amazing. I'm still investigating this. I love the mole people effect that the underground world and the subway has in New York City; particularly in Manhattan. There's one area that continues to amaze me. The area between Brookfield Place and William Street in South Manhattan.
Let me explain. Brookfield Place is a shopping mall along the Hudson River, just across the street from 1 WTC. It's a lovely place which is currently doing some sea wall work along their marina. You can walk along the riverfront behind this mall and even catch a ferry to New Jersey. It's a lovely place and it has palm trees inside. It's pretty cool.
Here's a really cool thing. If you go down the escalators by the entrance to the mall, you'll enter what I'm calling the underworld. From there you head east. You can go to 1 WTC to the observation deck from down there. You head via passageway over to the Oculus. In the Oculus you can catch a PATH Train to New Jersey or catch a subway. In one end you have the 1. On the other end in one way or another you can catch the 2, 3, 4, 5, R, W, J, Z, A, and C via passageways and Fulton Center on the other end of that. You can also catch the E in that end of the Oculus.
But we're not done yet. When you connect to some of these subways, while still underground; you haven't come out of the underground yet; you may walk to Chambers Street, Park Place, Cortlandt Street and on and on. You'll find out that Fulton Street and Fulton Center are not the same place but are connected. If you keep investigating all these subways, you will find that it doesn't end until you get to the William Street section of the 2 and the 3. That's in the Financial District. It's a lot to take in, but I guarantee it's nice for people on bad weather days.
There's more going on in that underground than in most places in New York. There's restaurants, high end shops, tourist attractions and all the World Trade and 9/11 Memorial things accessible via that underground system. You can also investigate the financial district via the system. It's amazing where it goes.
https://www.explorewtc.com/en/local/learn-about-wtc/oculus-transportation-hub.html
https://www.bfplny.com/visit/getting-here/
https://www.projectsubwaynyc.com/complex-connections
https://www.renewnyc.com/ThePlan/transportation.asp
https://www.mta.info/project/fulton-transit-center
3. It's called the East River Esplanade. The section I'm referring to runs from roughly 53rd Street to 63rd Street. This is a unique pathway that runs along the East River for about ten blocks and also goes underneath the massive Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge at 59th Street. It's scenic and classy and sits right out there over the river.
What is it?
The city of New York has been for years making the waterfront a pedestrian/park/greenway/scenic waterfront/bike route. Unfortunately, they ran into a problem, and the problem was FDR Drive. In this particular spot the road literally runs over and right up against the East River. They couldn't move the road. I've looked at it. They really couldn't.
Therefore, they had to come up with a solution or they wouldn't have people space all around the island. So, they built a bridge. That's right. This Esplanade is really a ten block long bridge. There are bridges over FDR Drive on each end and there's a couple of other access points along the way, but it's a walkway over the water. They've made it beautiful with stone walks and benches and landscaping with plants and trees. It's pretty amazing, just like the ingenuity you find with projects all over the city.
In addition to the nice walkway over the water, you get some of the most amazing views of the Queensboro Bridge and Roosevelt Island that you'll ever get. This section is at Sutton Place and runs under the bridge, and also accesses Andrew Haswell Green Park.
https://www.esplanadefriends.org/
https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/east-river-esplanade/
https://edc.nyc/project/east-midtown-waterfront
https://commercial.unilock.com/projects/parks/sutton-place-park/
4. Summit One Vanderbilt. I've visited pretty much all the tall buildings in New York, and this was interesting. One of the main points for this one is the simple fact that it's really at the train station. You don't have to even go outside of Grand Central to go to the observation deck that is Summit One.
That being said, I have mixed feelings about this one. Just because it's the newest and it says Vanderbilt on it, doesn't necessarily mean it's the best or even great. I bought a ticket on their website listed as $44. There were fees and then I don't know what that made it total $57. That's a big leap for coming from their own website with the idea that you have to buy it in advance to get in. I'm still torn about how I feel about that. It feels like a tourist trap move to me.
The experience was nice. They had three levels of observation deck and the option to pay extra to take the Ascent, which was the outer elevator to the tippy top of the building. It was all right. Did I have a good time? Yes.
However, they were a one trick pony. Go up high and see reflective stuff. We had to wear booties so our shoes wouldn't, God forbid, put a scratch in one of their mirror floors. That was fine. Then there were blobs of reflective material on the floor in one room. Cute. There were reflective balloons bouncing all over a room that also had great views. It was also cute. There was a room where you could wait in a line to step onto a bay that hung out off the side of the observation deck and you could see the ground below. It was cute. The top deck gave access to the outside which was cool. There were snacks and drinks available. That was nice. Honestly, the best part of the experience were the main areas of the lower two decks where everything reflected. I liked that.
1.4 Million people visited Summit in the first year alone. Is it worth the hype? I don't think so. The reflective stuff is cool, but that's most of what you've got. They don't really have many experiences. They have reflection and views. The views are really nice.
https://wherearethosemorgans.com/best-observation-decks-in-nyc/
https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/city/new-york-city
https://www.hines.com/properties/one-vanderbilt-new-york
5. Real ID; what is it good for? This is part story and part report. I had to renew my driver's license shortly before these went into effect. I was at the DMV and there were ads and signs all over about getting your real ID. I only go to the DMV when I absolutely have to. I hate it there. So, I asked the person when I was talking to them to renew my license if I could get the real ID while I was there. They said they could do it, but I had to renew my regular driver's license first and come back after and pay extra to replace that with a Real ID. That was the dumbest thing I ever heard and I told her that. She informed me that shortly I wouldn't be able to fly without one and I replied that the joke was on the State of Connecticut, because I have a valid passport. That's the story part.
Long story short, this is basically a money grab. I've used my passport for the last year and a half or so, and I've had no problems. I still have my driver's license for driving, and I'm good to go. as a matter of fact, I can do a lot of stuff with my passport. I can get security checked really quickly for things with my passport. I can obviously use it all over the world, because that's what it was made for. I've traveled the world with it, therefore it doesn't bother me to carry it with me when I travel. What am I really missing? I don't think anything.
Will I get my Real ID? I will when I need a driver's license. I will always renew my passport, because I don't want to be trapped in my own country all the time. Therefore, the Real ID will forever be something that I will get when I have to renew my license or when I decide. I hate being told what to do, especially by the government, and especially for nothing more than a money grab.
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DMV/Real-ID-Brochure-English.pdf
https://travel.state.gov/en/passports.html
https://www.usps.com/international/passports.htm
There you have it. Some thoughts, opinions, and information to help in your travels. Remember, a lot of what I do is find out amazing things about New York City and make videos about it on my YouTube Channel, "Adventures for Anyone with Terri Dixon." That's me!
https://www.youtube.com/@adventuresforanyone2026
Come by there and check it out. Tall buildings are definitely a current subject over there. Hope this gives you some insight into various things about your next potential adventure! Follow for more! Thanks for joining me! Enjoy!
