An Aussie in New York - Kykuit Rockefeller home estate, Pleasantville and a ride on the Long Island Rail Road North - Day 6

Photos by Maria Ngo  

Today is the sixth day of my solo travel in New York. The plan today is to visit Kykuit which is the Rockerfeller home estate. 

I begin my journey with a short walk from where I'm staying to 34 Street-Hudson Yards Subway Station and ride the three stops to Grand Central - 42 Street. At the Hudson Yards I only have time to view Neiman Marcus' sculpture - the New York Staircase (aka The Vessel) from a distance as I need to catch the right train to make it on time for the Kykuit Estate tour. 

It takes me a few minutes to find the right counter to purchase a ticket to Ossining. My friend who lives in Pleasantville has suggested that I take the scenic route to Ossining where she will pick me up and take me to the starting point for the tour at Philipsburg Manor. Ossining is just over an hour north by train from Grand Central Station. And yes, Grand Central Station does look as it is portrayed in the movies (!). There are mini tours one can do of this famous station - I would do it if I had more time. 

'The Vessel' and various views along the Hudson River from the train 

The view this day on the Metro North Hudson line to Ossining is indeed picturesque - clear blue skies and uninterrupted views of the Hudson River with its many bridges that dot the way northward. I am seated on the left hand side of the train to maximise the sights.  

We pass quaint railway stations all painted in the characteristic deep green. We pass a town called Tarrytown which reminds me of Jay Jay the Jet Plane which makes me chuckle. Then there's Sleepy Hollow - which immediately conjures up dark brooding images of headless horsemen.  

Railway stations along the line and fall in Pleasantville

Sarah meets me at the railway station and we are soon on our way to the Visitor Centre at Philipsburg Manor. This is the starting point for this and other tours. 

The drive there takes us through beautiful woodland garbed in the golden hues of autumn. Sarah is a most generous and gracious hostess and even brings me lunch before my tour (!). 

At the appointed time we board the shuttle bus that takes us to this meticulously maintained estate and home of the richest man in America at the time - Kykuit estate. 

The Rockefellers were great collectors of art - whether sculptures, paintings or tapestries. Everywhere you look, you are treated to yet another priceless piece of art. Inside and out are perfectly placed artworks that bear Nelson's eye and appreciation for well curated art that connect with their setting. The view of the Hudson is also priceless. 

Kykuit Estate 

Put it this way, Mrs Rockefeller collected so much modern art that she donated them to start the MoMA and even gave the city the building to house them and share them with the world. Another love that they have shared with the world is the Hudson Valley. They bought over vast tracts of land in the region and set them aside to be preserved as parklands. John Rockefeller Snr donated the equivalent of $8 billion in his life time. He and his wife Laura had deeply held religious and moral convictions (Baptists) that shaped their lives and philanthropic endeavours. 

Kykuit is just one of several historical sites that are open to the public to visit through the trust that the Rockellers set up. You can find out more about Kykuit from the main photos page which includes a short film about the mansion and the family. 

There is just not enough time to take in all the many features of this stately home. All too quickly our time is up - we have done the main rooms on the ground floor, basement level, outdoor area, bath house, fountains, coach barn and the garden. We now also have a better knowledge of the role this family played in the development of art in New York as well as the difference in tastes between the members of the family so much so that only the classical style was permitted in the main areas of the house while modern pieces relegated to the basement level. 

The famous 'Telescope' sculpture and fountain with turning circle for deliveries

While it has been a rather chilly day, it is fine and we are able to move about freely outdoors. Photography is allowed outdoors but not indoors. You can catch glimpses of the interior as well as information of the three tours they conduct on their  information page. There is a minimum age of 10 to do the tours, and large bags must be stored at the visitor centre. No food or drinks are permitted on the tour. The website lists about 85 fine dining experiences on their page - most of these are located in Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow and a few at Croton-on-Hudson. 

A heart warming Malaysian cuisine

When we arrive back at the visitor centre, Sarah is there to welcome me to her home in Pleasantville. She cooks a delicious meal of Malaysian laksa for us and I spend a most relaxing evening with her family and pet rescue dog Scarlet. Snuggling into the soft bed that night in such a homely environment is a contrast to the city bustle and grime. Soon I'm doing the Zzzzs. 

An Aussie in New York - Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration - Day 5

Photos by Maria Ngo

Today is Thursday. I arrived in New York on Saturday night. This is now the fifth day of my grand adventure as a solo female traveller. 

So far the weather has been excellent for this time of the year - early November. I will miss the worst of it. But I can do without getting stranded in NY because of bad weather, so I am very grateful. 

I am off to see that grand French lady that sits in New York harbour. I realise too late that I have forgotten to pack my umbrella this morning in my backpack. Showers have been predicted for today.  So after I get exit the subway at Chambers St Station, I look for a shop that sells umbrellas. I locate one and so now I have a NY souvenir. 

I am headed for Battery Park. I drop in on Trinity Church on the way. Many NY notables are buried here - including Alexander Hamilton, Robert Fulton, Albert Gallatin, John Peter Zenger and Elizabeth Schuyler. NY is rich with history and if I had more time, I would have loved to check out some of these self-guided tours. 

Trinity Church cemetery

A short walk later I am in Battery Park. The ticket office is in a historical fort Castle Clinton National Monument (It was called Castle Garden before.) This castle once served as the New York State immigration station from 1855 to 1890.

No queues today at the ticket counter

The departure point for Liberty Cruises is to the rear of the remains of this castle. You have to walk around the building to get there. There is a security check before you are allowed on board. (Sorry, no photos, it's a secure area.) 

National Park Service informs us that there is only one official ticket seller for cruises to Liberty Island where the Statue of Liberty is sited. This ticket entitles you to ranger tours and audio tours on Liberty Island as well as Ellis Island where the Immigration Centre for processing migrants was located. This too is worth visiting. For an extra fee you can either go up to the pedestal or the crown. Tickets to the crown are often booked out quite far in advance - I had purchased my ticket before my departure and my ticket was safely in my bag. Unfortunately, by the time I had confirmed that I was going to NY and the dates I would be there and finalised my itinerary before leaving, tickets to the crown had all been snapped up. 

A lovely view of Manhattan as we pull away

I find myself a seat on the upper deck of the boat and we are treated to a really lovely view of Manhattan as the boat pulls away from the harbour and steams towards Liberty Island. Soon I can see the Statue of Liberty. 

There she is

Liberty Island

After disembarking, I follow the crowd to the flagpole. Along the way I pick up my free audio guide. I join a ranger tour. He is an entertaining story teller and I learn about how America was gifted with this huge statue from the French. 

An entertaining ranger tells us about the history of Lady Liberty

Selfie with the Statue of Liberty

I then make my way to The Statue to get in by my prebooked time. There is quite a nice view from the pedestal. I content myself with taking photos from ground level from every angle I can manage. I then discover that there is a lot more information about the island itself contained in the audio guide. So I turn my attention to that. 

View from the Statue of Liberty

Afterwards I head for the other solid structure on the island which is the museum. Although it is not a large museum, it is very well presented. 

The man with the big dream

I had not realised that there was so much more to learn about the island and have actually spent too much time at the statue itself. I can only skim through and pick just a few highlights from the audio guide as I wander around the island foreshore. 

Now I hurry to the ferry terminal to catch the one headed for Ellis Island. I don't know what to expect but am quite surprised at what I do find there. Depending on how much time you have, there are suggested 'routes' you can follow to take in particular themes of the National Museum of Immigration. The main building is open for you to wander through with information boards and exhibits in many of the rooms. This is where I turn to my audio guide again. 

Now, which tour should I choose

"Ellis Island began receiving arriving immigrants on January 1, 1892. Annie Moore, a teenage girl from Ireland, accompanied by her two younger brothers, made history as the very first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island. Over the next 62 years, more than 12 million immigrants would arrive in the United States via Ellis Island." (https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/overview-history/)  

12 million immigrants were processed here

Immigrant children

Descriptive displays

You can see Manhattan from the island

I encounter a ranger guide along my wandering. They are a wealth of information and very entertaining. 

It is now getting close to sunset so I head for the wharf to wait for the ferry. Unfortunately I get distracted and end up on the ferry headed to New Jersey instead of Manhattan! I don't realise my mistake until I have disembarked. To my horror, I am told that I am not allowed to get back on board the ferry - besides it is not heading back to Manhattan. I have to find my own way back to Manhattan. 

I am told that there is a half hourly ferry that ply between the two places. I am totally lost and walk in the direction that was pointed out to me and walk along the water front. This supposed ferry terminal is not clearly marked on Google Maps*  and there are no signs to indicate where it is to be found. I actually walk past it in the dark and it was only with the help of a restaurant staff that I locate the tiny jetty. There are only workmen there who don't speak English when I inquire about tickets. There are no ticket machines anywhere to be seen. Eventually a well-dressed lady comes along. After asking her if this was the place to catch the ferry back to Manhattan, she tells me that I am in the right place. She tells me that I can get a ticket on the ferry. We get chatting and I tell her my story. We board the ferry together and she even buys me a ticket to get back to Manhattan. Her husband is waiting for her at the other side and he directs me on the best way to get to the station I am after. Just as well I had taken a screen shot of my route this morning so I can tell him where I need to be. I am every so thankful for these two kind souls. 

It starts to drizzle as I walk towards the station. My umbrella comes in handy now as I walk past a school - there are parents with kids about and I don't feel unsafe. Eventually I recognise the landmarks from this morning. I am very relieved - to say that I did not panic upon discovering that I had landed in territory I had not intended to be at would be an untruth. I have had enough of my fill of adrenaline for one night. 

Penn Station Plaza is a welcome sight with its neat small food joints. I decide to have something quick and simple - sushi and green tea looked perfect. I was reassured of its quality given how quickly the packs were being snapped up by the hurrying commuters as soon as they get off their train. 

As I savour my sushi, I mull  over the day's experiences and contemplate tomorrow's mission which was to find Grand Central Station and take the train to upstate New York to visit a friend and join an afternoon tour of Kykuit Estate - the Rockefeller home! 

It is rather damp as I head outside of the Plaza and establish my bearings. There are so many exits and entrances to each station that I won't know where I am until I am outside and can read the street names. 

A rather damp evening in Manhattan

*PS April 2020 - You'll be glad to hear that I have since rectified the lack of accuracy with regards to the location of Liberty Landing Ferry to World Financial Center from the New Jersey side in Google Maps. 

#Manhattan #USA #NY #NewYork #EllisIsland #StatueofLiberty #LibertyIsland 

An Aussie in New York - the MET and Solomon Guggenheim - Day 3

Photos by Maria Ngo

Today I'm going to brave the subway. I'd watched myriads of YouTube videos on how to navigate the subway and read about the different fare types as well as railway lines. But there's nothing like personal experience to put all that theory into practice! So, today was the day to put that into practice. 

I am glad that the ticket machine accepts credit cards. I purchase one that will last me for 7 days (you have the daily and monthly options as well). I was feeling quite pleased with myself for getting on the line I wanted (or so I thought) until I realise that the last couple of station names don't look like the ones I should have been passing. So I get off at the next stop and decide to walk the short distance to a bus stop to complete the rest of my journey by bus. One comment about the trains and buses in New York - I am quite surprised at how basic they were. 

I am on the clock today, as I have a lot to fit in - the MET Breuer, the MET and Solomon Guggenheim Museum. From what I had read, it would take a lifetime to see all that was at the MET let alone a few hours. These museums were in the general vicinity of each other. I had chosen this day to tackle the museums because the Guggenheim is open until 8 pm on Tuesday nights. 

The MET Bruer is only a small museum by comparison and houses contemporary pieces. I didn't spend much time there. 

I walk to the MET next and I am just awed by its immense size, history and extraordinary collection of treasures! 

There is not enough time to do the place justice. As an example, I would often spend 2 hours whenever a major exhibition came to Melbourne. And what we call a major exhibition would be just a fraction of what each section at the MET housed. To get a taste of it, I join a Highlights tour and a Fashion in Art tour. It was but a sample, a taster. Ah, to have more time in New York ... 

 

There were paintings, sculptures, armours, sphinxes, canopic jars, historical artifacts and exquisite stained glass pieces from all eras, dynasties and around the globe. There were things made from wood, porcelain, stone, paint, glass and more. 

I think the Egyptian section held a special fascination for me because of being a Stargate fan (!). 

I learnt something interesting from the Fashion in Arts tour - this very costly style of dress popularised by Marie Antoinette (not the lady in the picture) brought about the French Revolution - it was a very very delicate and extremely expensive dress requiring the very finest cotton that came from India. It caused the demise of the silk industry that led to starvation of the masses. After Napoleon came into power, he told Josephine to wear silk, lots of silk, and change four times a day if necessary. It did revive the silk industry as silk became fashionable again.

 

Felix Valloton happened to be on exhibition there too.  

After staying as long as I could, I decide to head over to the Guggenheim to indulge in more art. I was having a fabulous day.  Exiting the MET I see that the street vendors have moved on and there is now this neat row of yellow taxis in front of the museum. If I had known earlier that there would be street vendors there, I think I would have saved myself the effort and time of packing myself lunch on the go that morning. Next time perhaps. 

The Guggenheim's circular structure stands out in contrast to the vertical straight lines of the tall buildings around it. It is not as large as I had expected it to be. 

There is a spiral ramp that takes you to the different 'levels' in the building and the paintings are hung on the walls. Because of the building's curved structure, the toilets are rather awkwardly shaped (LOL). Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, early Modern, and contemporary art fill the specially designed space. 

A museum staff obliges some visitors by helping to take their photo. I could not resist including him in my ‘arts collection’ as he adopted such interesting postures with the most appropriate black and white backdrops in this section. 

The Guggenheim will be closing soon so I make my way toward the closest bus stop following Big G's Maps advice. This part of the city has a slightly deserted feel at that time of night but I get to my destination without a hitch. From south of Times Square (W45th Street and 7th Avenue) you begin to get a lot more police presence and the crowds build up again. For comparison, the Guggenheim is located near E89th Street and Madison Avenue. 

On the way back to my accommodation I discover the night life at Bryant Park with its night stalls and ice skating rink. 

New York is a city that doesn't sleep. The noise and clamour, large bright screens, police and ambulance sirens and the adrenalin. 

On the way back to my accommodation, I pick up a Gray's Papaya hotdog from one of their all-night no-frills stall. I'm so pumped with adrenalin being on high alert that I have no appetite for anything heavier. I have been snacking on carrots, muesli bars, sandwiches and cashews all day - I had not wanted to waste time stopping for extended lunches as I wanted to pack in as much as I could into my day. 

Before I drift off to dreamland that evening I double check my route for tomorrow and then set my alarm for another day of sightseeing - I was going to join a Wall Street Tour, visit the 9/11 Memorial and if I could fit it in, make the most of my Three Day Pass and sneak in the Empire State Building later that night. 

#NewYork #MET #Guggenheim #GraysPapaya #TimesSquare #Museum #NY #USA #TheMET