experience, because this depends very much on where you stay. We stayed in the financial district of Manhattan, right near the Brooklyn Bridge and Wall St, so we spent a lot of time exploring that end and didn’t really venture up above mid-town, which was fine – because most of what we wanted to see was not too far away. A tip if you’re looking for decently priced accommodation in excellent locations – try www.Sonder.com. We also purchased TopView Hop-On/Off bus tickets, which were a bit expensive but made getting around at night a little safer. The ticket also gave us access to the Statue of Liberty Cruise and a 2-hour night tour that took in Brooklyn at night and provided transport when our feet gave up!
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New York. It’s a destination that’s on many a bucket list. And for good reason, because as the old adage goes – it’s a great place to visit, but who could afford to live there (yes, I know that’s not really the saying!) According to the ever-trusty Wikipedia, as of 2023, New York City is the most expensive city in the world for expatriates to live and is home to the highest number of billionaires, individuals of ultra-high net worth (greater than US$30 million), and millionaires of any city in the world. So, Tip #1 – Wait until the exchange rate is decent, and whatever you think you might
need to get the complete New York experience – double it. And be prepared to walk your feet into the ground or travel via the subway because Ubers are expensive. That said – New York truly is an amazing city. It’s also a huge city, and we quickly learned that four full days would not be enough to see everything on my list (what a shame… I’ll have to go back!). It’s so big that it’s had to be divided into five distinct ‘Burroughs,’ Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and The Bronx. So, before you book, decide what you want to
9/11 Memorial and Museum The 9/11 Memorial honours the 2,977 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Centre bombing on February 26, 1993. It’s located at the site of the former World Trade Center complex, with twin reflecting pools that feature the largest man-made waterfalls in North America. Around the outside of the walls, each person’s name has been inscribed – a task that was years in the making to ensure no one was forgotten and names were spelled correctly. It isn’t easy to put into words the feelings that the memorial invoked, given that this one day in history changed the course of the world forever. There’s a definite feeling of sombreness and sorrow, not just for the victims and their families but for the world, and this is reflected in the solemn mood surrounding the pools, where the large number of tourists are fittingly respectful and reflective. Empire State Building Around 4 million tourists per year visit this famous building and its three observation decks at levels 80, 86 and 102. You can ▶
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