Our helpful weather app had always indicated today was a day for rain and New York didn’t disappoint. It’s been raining all day.
But this wasn’t going to stop us, we’re from England, we’re used to this…
Amy donned her Union Flag poncho and I, well I didn’t have one, so I put on her second favourite with crowns and heart shapes. My masculinity took a bit of a battering but I was at least more dry than my first effort to brave the rain.
We travelled to the other side of Central Park and ended up in the Rockefeller Centre. After our obligatory stop or two at Starbucks to top up our caffeine levels and use the wifi.
Harrison would have been impressed with the Lego shop but the shelf in his bedroom was equally well stocked with Star Wars models. A quick photo and then out of the rain and into the concourse.
We’ve taken a rain check (sorry about the pun) on the trip to the top as it was mostly engulfed in cloud and hit the shops inside. Immediately we were greeted by yet another Starbucks, now a running joke and realised this place in fact had two. Amy toured the Paper Source craft shop while I looked to improve the level of waterproofing of my outer clothing.
We then moved on to the Metro and rumbled up the side of Central Park where we found a Michaels, a TJ Max and a Chipotle for lunch.
It was here I began to realise what a truly 3D city New York is. The Manhattan skyline is obvious around how the city has grown in height but then you step into what you think is a normal craft store. You descend into the depths and the floor opens out into a giant warehouse size area as big as any retail park in the UK. The same was true of TJ Max (TK Max in the UK) as I once again failed to find a waterproof jacket I liked.
Back at Columbus Circle the same was true of a small shopping centre we suddenly realised extended both up and down into the island. More failure to secure my jacket upgrade and concession I would put up with the heart shapes and as it did at least deflect the rain.
We are on a slight pause now and back in the hotel room as the weather has intensified to thunder and lightning. One strike has hit a building nearby as the crash of the thunder shook the windows of our 16th floor room.
The BBC app assures me that the rain should stop in the next hour or so sight seeing should resume. That or we’ll be heading for the bar…
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Never doubt the BBC. The weather has cleared and the trip to the Top of the Rock is on.
The Rockefeller Building is the one with the classic image of it being built with the workers having lunch on a steel girder, hundreds of feet in the air.
Not only were the skies now blue but we got the opportunity to wait up there and get photos of both day, dusk and night.
The lift had a see through glass roof and the lift shaft was lit as we ascended the 67 floors to the top. Once we arrived there was the obligatory gift shop and the steps to the upper outside levels.
It was a little breezy but otherwise the view was unbelievable. The vast urban landscape doesn’t break from where you stand to the edge of the horizon.
As the sun set the City lights ignited. The Empire State Building standing bold against it’s shorter colleagues with it’s electric blue aerial just brushing the clouds forming above.
It was a really great finish to an otherwise steady day that has made it really worth while.
Unfortunately, we’ve just got back to the hotel and received an email to say that Jon Bon Jovi has bronchitis and has cancelled the show. Disappointing.
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