Continuing from the previous article.
A travel story to New York with P2 from Korea – 1. Planning, transportation, airport lounge
A trip to New York with P2 from Korea – 2. Conrad New York Downtown
A trip to New York with P2 from Korea – 3. The Luxury Collection Hotel Manhattan Midtown
During this trip, I compared a total of 3 different ways to make reservations for activities.
1) Official website
In some cases, the official website was the cheapest.
For musicals, seats could only be reserved on the official website.
(Other sites do not have specific seats,
Once a zone is selected, seats within that zone are often assigned after purchase.)
2) Discount site provided by your workplace (Localhospitality)
They offer various entertainment discounts.
Comparing prices during this trip to New York
There was no case where it was cheaper than the other two places.
3) Get your guide (Amex partnership)
When I saw it on the Amex offer page,
I compared the prices,
There were cases where it was cheaper than the two places above.
I used it a few times.
Make a reservation through the link gyg.me/amex
If you pay with an Amex card,
Payment will be made at a 15% discount.
Statue of Liberty
I also went on a trip to New York in 2021.
First trip to New York – 4 (Two sculptures: Vessel, Statue of Liberty)
I haven’t been to P2 yet.
This time we went together.
I made a reservation through the official website.
Be careful as there are many fake reservation sites.
*Good tip: This ticket is a ferry ticket, so if you pay with Sapphire Preferred, the transportation category will be applied and you will earn x2.
You can board from Battery Park in Manhattan upon reservation, or
You can choose to board from the Jersey City side.
There are three types of tickets: General admission, Pedestral Reserve, and Crown Reserve.
General admission is only for visiting the island by ferry.
Pedestral Reserve is to enter the Statue of Liberty and go to the middle observatory (located at about the feet of the Statue of Liberty).
Crown Reserve is a ticket to go up to the crown of the Goddess Statue above.
The price difference is less than $1, so just buy the best ticket available.
It appears that Crown Reserve can only be reserved one month in advance.
I purchased it with Pedestral Reserve.
I boarded at Battery Park.
I booked a ticket for 9 o’clock.
However, the 9 o’clock departure ferry is not guaranteed.
This means that it is a ticket that allows you to pass the security inspection at 9 o’clock.
Board in the order you arrived.
If you take a seat at the back of the top floor, it’s like this:
After departure, you can take photos of Manhattan without anyone blocking you.
When you arrive near the statue of the goddess,
Please slow down and give us some time to take pictures.
When I arrived, I went straight into the goddess statue.
You must leave your luggage in the locker outside before entering.
American English tutor
If you go to the museum inside the Goddess Statue, you must see it.
I came after seeing Emma Lazarus’ poem.
There were also quotes from other famous people.
In addition, there were some exhibitions on fundraising and architectural history.
You can wait in line to get to the middle observatory and take the elevator, or
You can walk up the stairs yourself.
I went up the stairs, and although I had to take a break in the middle, it was worth the climb.
You can see Ellis Island and Manhattan in the distance.
In the background you can see the museum and Jersey City in the distance.
Come down and go to the front and take a picture.
Lemonade sold on the island
It is served in a torch-shaped cup.
I held this and took a picture.
After that, I went to the museum on the island.
The detailed construction process and actual size parts were on display.
I was also able to watch a short introduction video.
Empire State Building Observation Deck
There are five famous observatories in New York.
– Empire state building observatory deck
– Top of the rock (Rockefeller center)
– One world observatory
– The Edge
– SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
During my 2021 visit, I visited The Edge and Top of the rock.
First trip to New York – 3 (two observatories: The Edge, Top of the Rock)
This time, it’s actually the most recent
SUMMIT One I wanted to go to Vanderbilt, but
Because P2 wanted the Empire state building where several movies were filmed.
I visited this place.
Get your guide – I booked through an Amex offer.
It was cheaper than the public website.
Because timings near Sunset are more expensive
I made a reservation about 1 hour before sunset before the price went up.
I went in and waited and looked around for about an hour.
There is also a Starbucks Reserve on the first floor of the building.
If you arrive early, you can spend some time there.
Before going up, take a photo at a commemorative spot.
There was also a spot to take pictures as if you were being held captive by King Kong.
There are no pictures because I took them with my P2 phone.
I arrived before sunset and took a few pictures first.
The weather is clear so I can see the sunset very clearly.
The sun sets over Jersey City.
After the sun sets, the atmosphere changes.
I think it will be different once it gets completely dark.
We came down around that time to have dinner.
So far, I have been to a total of three observatories in New York.
I think Top of the Rock was the best location-wise.
I think this is the observatory where you can get the best view of Central Park.
But other facilities are very old and there is nothing special about them.
The video in the elevator was also the worst.
When I visited in 2021, it was before SUMMIT opened.
The Edge was the newest observatory,
All facilities felt sophisticated.
However, the location is so southwest of Manhattan that it is a bit ambiguous.
(Still better than One World)
If you are a fan of the movies King Kong or Sleepless in Seattle.
The Empire State Building could also be a good option.
I think it’s the next best location next to Top of the rock.
After visiting and seeing everything,
If I have the chance next time, I want to go to SUMMIT.
Broadway Musical Wicked
What made me choose New York as my travel destination this time?
This is the activity that P2 wanted to see the most.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, only through the official website.
Because you can choose exactly the seat you want
I made a reservation through the official website.
We were in the middle third row.
I took some pictures of the stage setting before the performance started.
When it starts, the gear-like thing actually turns and the curtain opens.
Photography was prohibited during the performance, so I was unable to take any pictures.
There were quite a few parents in the audience who brought their young children.
It was full.
I took a picture during the last stage greeting.
I have only seen recorded musicals,
It was my first time actually seeing a musical.
I really enjoyed it.
The actors’ acting and singing were all great,
The running time, which is longer than most movies, was not boring at all.
P2 also watched the musical several times.
It was my first time seeing a Broadway musical.
I was worried that my first musical started out as too high-quality.
P2 has seen Wicked in Korea.
They say Broadway is definitely doing well.
MoMA (Museum of Modern Art)
This is MoMA, which I visited in 2021 as well.
First trip to New York – 5 (Other tourist attractions: MOMA, 9/11, Time Square, High Line, etc.)
I purchased the ticket at a discount through Get Your Guide-Amex.
I visited again for P2, who loves Van Gogh.
Van Gogh’s Starry Night artwork
Monet’s water lilies were also the best.
P2 also liked Jackson Pollack’s work.
P2 There are no pictures because I took them with my cell phone.
For P2 who likes Van Gogh,
Made in advance by Lego in collaboration with MoMA
I bought Lego pieces on sale on a starry night.
($150->$135 sale + Amazon-Amex MR 40% offer)
I gave it to him when he returned to Boston after his trip to New York.
Guggenheim Museum
Likewise, I booked the ticket at a discount through Get your guide-Amex.
Me and P2 used to be in Bilbao, Spain.
I visited the Guggenheim Museum,
Germany-Spain-Korea travel story with P2 – 3. Bilbao in Spain (Hotel Ercilla de Bilbao, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Sala VIP Lounge at BIO)
After that, we talked about going to all the Guggenheim Museums around the world together.
In fact, at the Guggenheim Museum in New York,
There were few impressive works,
(What I remember most is the artwork depicting Trump pooping on Twitter, but I didn’t take a picture.)
The structure of the building itself was also impressive.
At the exit, there are four Guggenheim Museums from around the world.
Abu Dhabi is not open yet.
I hope I can visit them all with P2 someday… haha
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Interestingly, both Get your guide and LocalHospitality
MET tickets were not being sold.
I purchased the ticket on site.
Because the schedule is so tight
I barely have any pictures because I was rushing around.
Most of the photos were taken with a P2 phone…
The museum is so big that I couldn’t see everything.
Still, the Egyptian pavilion that P2 wanted
P2 was able to see some of the works of his favorite artists.
I also saw some of my favorite Rembrandt works.
Next time I come to New York again
Come back to MET with plenty of time
I want to watch it.
Afterwards, reviews of other tourist attractions and things I ate will follow.
