Fresh off the plane, we take the bus to Penn Station, just minutes away from our hotel, the Riu Plaza New York Times Square. After dropping off our luggage, we take advantage of the time difference and start our sightseeing immediately. We head out for an hour-long walk towards Chelsea.
We pass by theincredible M&M’s store (I’ll talk more about it in the article“6 toy stores you will love“). At Times Square, Elsa and Minnie grab my daughter for a €5 photo. They caught us off guard, but it won’t happen again 😅
A bit further on, we see the Macy’s store windows. Founded in 1851, this department store moved several times before settling into a building at Herald Square, on the corner of 34th Street and Broadway. After multiple expansions, Macy’s eventually occupied the entire block, becoming the largest commercial building in the world (198,500 m² of floor space over 10 stories).
During the holiday season, crowds gather to admire the beautifully animated windows, browse the entire floor dedicated to Christmas decorations, and meet Santa at the famous Macy’s Santaland.
The store is also famous for sponsoring the Thanksgiving Parade since 1924. During this event, company employees march through the streets of New York with enormous inflatable structures. Each year, millions of Americans watch this iconic event on television.
➜ For shopping addicts, Macy’s is a must-visit. For others, it’s worth spending a few minutes to soak in the atmosphere and ride the old wooden escalator. The Christmas windows are magnificent!
At the corner of 21st Street and 8th Avenue in Chelsea, you’ll find Eduardo Kobra’s mural “We Love NY2” , a reinterpretation of Albert Einstein’s well-known formula. Born in 1976 in Brazil, Kobra first gained recognition for his giant murals in São Paulo, his hometown. It was during his five-month stay in New York in 2018 that he created the colorful murals that made his reputation in street art.
➜ For street art fans, several Kobra murals are still visible in New York. Most are part of his “Colors of Liberty” project.
Located in West Manhattan between 8th Avenue to the east and the Hudson River to the west, Chelsea was predominantly frequented by Irish dockworkers in the 1900s. Over time, Chelsea retained a strong residential character in its eastern part, while its western part along the Hudson River underwent complete restructuring.
Twenty years ago, the Meatpacking District, once home to slaughterhouses, was not a place to visit. Today, it’s home to over 200 internationally renowned contemporary art galleries, designer boutiques, luxury hotels, and a Chelsea Market teeming with fast-food joints and upscale restaurants.
Leaving the massive Google Store on 8th Avenue to our left, we take 15th Street towards Artechouse. We pass by a pretty aerial bridge (West 15th Street Skybridge) connecting the former Oreo cookie factory to the old Nabisco offices (bakery factory). At the end of the street, the former elevated railway has been partially converted into an urban park, the High Line Park.
Founded in 2015 in a 100-year-old boiler room beneath Chelsea Market, Artechouse is an innovative artistic destination dedicated to the intersection of art, science, and technology. A pioneer in experiential and immersive art, the space creates, produces, and presents works by groundbreaking artists who work with new technologies and new forms of creative expression.
During our visit, Artechouse featured the final dates of an exhibition created by Refik Anadol, a pioneer in AI aesthetics. Totally immersive, “Machine Hallucination: NYC” is a temporal and spatial exploration of New York’s past and potential future through the mind of a machine. At its opening in 2019, the exhibition showcased an exclusive location of experiential NFT art composed of 1000 unique NFTs by Anadol, all quickly sold out.
➜ The “Machine Hallucination: NYC” exhibit is no longer on display, but Artechouse offers other immersive experiences. Check it out to see artistic creation in a new light 🙂
Good to Know
- Artechouse is open Monday to Friday from 12 PM to 10 PM, and on weekends from 10 AM to 10 PM.
- Ticket prices vary depending on the exhibitions. Expect to pay around $25 per adult, with reduced rates for children aged 4 to 17, and free entry for children under 4.
On our way back by metro, we make a last-minute stop to admire the view from the Empire State Building observatory.
This Art Deco-style building was constructed at the behest of Raskob, founder of General Motors, in response to Chrysler’s construction of a skyscraper. To outdo Chrysler, the construction had to be completed in less than 18 months. Over 3,000 workers began the project in March 1930, during a period of economic crisis. Through relentless work, 7 days a week, day and night, the construction progressed at the incredible rate of 4 and a half floors per week! The inauguration took place on May 1, 1931, on schedule. The building then stood at 381 meters tall.
With its 381 meters, the Empire State Building was the tallest skyscraper in the world until the World Trade Center towers were built in 1973 (417 meters). In 1952, the addition of its antenna allowed it to reach 443 meters, but it was surpassed in 2013 by the construction of One World Trade Center (541 meters with the antenna).
Due to the pandemic, it’s necessary to reserve a time slot and buy tickets online, even if there’s no one there upon arrival. So be it… The visit begins as soon as you step into the building, with exhibitions accessible to all ticket holders on the 2nd and 80th floors.
Among the activities offered are photos and selfies amid bronze sculptures of workers inspired by Lewis Hine’s famous photograph, viewing models and reconstructions of the building at different stages of construction, presenting 600 clips (advertisements, films, comics, etc.) of the Empire State Building on 72 screens, and encountering a growling and angry Kong (at least his hands) attacking planes circling around him…
On the 86th floor, the main observation deck of the Empire State Building offers a 360-degree view of New York City and beyond. It’s said that on a clear day, the view extends to the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Delaware. At night, and behind a window (the wind makes it hard to stay outside for long), we settle for this view 🙂
➜ While the exhibitions and various activities give the impression of justifying the ticket price ($44), the view of New York is spectacular. However, the Empire State Building isn’t the only place offering a panoramic view of the city, and given the cost of these activities, you may need to make a choice.
Good to Know
- The Empire State Building is open daily, usually from 9 AM to 11 PM, though hours may vary, so it’s best to check.
- Ticket prices vary by floor. Access to the 86th-floor observatory costs $44 for adults, $38 for children. Prices rise to $79 for adults and $73 for children to access the 102nd-floor observatory. There are also skip-the-line tickets and reserved spots for sunrise and sunset, but they come at a premium…
- Reservations are essential, and tickets are only valid for the chosen time slot.
We end our first day of sightseeing completely windswept… We’re in for a good night’s sleep 🙂
➜ Follow our itinerary in upcoming articles…
