USA 2017

New York City

Let's go!

We leave Frankfurt on time and arrive in New York (JFK) just as punctually.

On the way, the friendly Lufthansa staff handed me a GIN tonic, for example, which helped me to get a little sleepy. For the first time, I had a pair of headphones with Active Noise Canceling, which proved to be very pleasant. The fact that we were traveling on an Airbus A380 was not a special experience for me. The aircraft is more impressive from the outside than from the inside.

The immigration formalities are then also completed quickly. To get to Manhattan, we take the metro. It's just as fast as the cab, but only costs a fraction of the price. Unfortunately, you have to change trains once in Brooklyn, which you would like to avoid if you have luggage. Our destination is Penn Station right next to Madison Square Garden, where our hotel is also located. Oh yes, the weather: it's raining.

The Hotel Pennsylvania: The location is great. The rooms are pleasantly large for a 2-star hotel, but overall the hotel needs a complete overhaul.

Note: The Pennsyvania was built in 1919 and was the largest hotel in the world at the time. It was closed in 2020 and demolished in 2023.
History of the hotel

Suddenly the phone rings and a familiar voice asks if we have arrived safely. It's our friend who currently lives in the USA (Louisville - Kentucky) and "coincidentally" has business in New York. It's a nice surprise because we now see each other earlier than planned.

Despite the weather, we set off again. Hey, we're in New York. It's probably around 6 p.m. and, armed with umbrellas, we jump around the puddles that are everywhere in Manhattan, even in the smallest showers.

We take a short walk around the Public Library, Grand Central Station and, of course, Times Square. At some point, the rain subsides and the umbrellas no longer obscure the view upwards. Of course, we also grab a bite to eat on the way round. We end up at Virgil's Real BBQ.

We're back at the hotel around half past nine, which is enough time for the day of arrival.