wendycleave

Hi, My husband and I are going to be in New York from the UK for a once in a life time trip from Fri 10th to Thur 17th October and we want to do as much as we can in that time.
I was thinking of going too the statue of Liberty on the Saturday morning but I can only get tickets for the 10am ferry. I have heard that we should go on the 9am ferry or it will be to busy. Ellis Island is still closed so we will just be doing the statue and we don't want to go up to the crown but understand that we can do the lower bit to the wooden fort?
Has any one any ideas/thoughts on this. We had thought we would spend the rest of the day visiting the Bowling green, 9/11 memorial and then going to Brooklyn and walking the bridge back as I have heard that this is the best views and that we should do it when the sun is going down. Does this sound like a good plan?

J62

If all you can get is the 10am ferry then that sounds ok to me. It will only get busier as the day goes on. I do not know what is currently open at the SoL.

The rest of your plan sounds ok. 9/11 memorial & Brooklyn Bridge. Never been to the Bowling Green, but it's not out of the way for you.

How much do you like to walk? Me, I can walk all day long but the miles can add up quickly - last whirlwind walking tour of lower Manhattan I logged close to 10miles before lunch. So personally I'd just walk from 9/11 Memorial to the Brooklyn Bridge, then walk 1/2 or all the way across. The views are better facing west since you see the lower Manhattan skyline, but you can get that same view regardless of which end you start on.

Or you can get a taxi across the bridge to Brooklyn and walk back if you're not crazy like me.

I would not worry about trying to do this a sunset. If it's a nice day out you might as well just enjoy the mid day or afternoon sun to warm you. For me the best time is actually right at sunrise on a cool fall morning, but it's a great experience any time of the day. Go with the flow of your day.

wendycleave

Thank you, Hubby will walk all day but I kind of like the subway or tube here in London to give me a bit of a breather and was kind of hoping that it would be the same in New York. I get what you mean about the view you can always turn around.

doug_stallings

10 am is the latest I would go if you want to do something else ... or push it until late in the afternoon so you can do something in the morning. It's easy to combine the 9/11 Memorial with the Statue of Liberty.

panecott

Don't forget, you'll need a ticket to the 9/11 Memorial. You can reserve online for a slight fee, which is the wisest thing to do.

On a Saturday in October I wouldn't chance trying to get one at the site.

While you're down there, visit Trinity Church and the historical adjacent cemetery, and stop at St. Paul's Chapel where there is still a memorial to the first responders and the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Both of these are on Broadway, right in the vicinity and neither will take up too much time. Neither will Bowling Green, as it's a pretty small park.

From Trinity Church, take a quick walk down Wall St., where you can see the exterior of the NY Stock Exchange and Federal Hall, where George Washington was inaugurated.
Lower Manhattan is a very historical part of the city so while you're there you might as well see as much as possible.

HappyTrvlr

I would go earlier to the SOL.

ellenem

Bowling Green is a very, very small park. I'm wondering if the OP really means the adjacent Battery Park, which is much larger and connects to a series of parks along the Hudson River--a lovely place to walk and people-watch.

nytraveler

Agree have never sen anyone list Bowling Green as a sight to see. I'm sure it must somehow be historic - but I really don;t have a clue. As I recall it's a tiny square - originally used for bowling - among other things - by the early Dutch settlers - but now noting to be seen among a bunch of office buildings.

Are you sure you don;t mean Battery Park - or the Highline - which are much more popular?

wendycleave

oh gosh someone my husband knows said that green park/bowling green park was a nice place to just sit and watch the world go by. I had not really heard much of it except that it was where the Dutch had originally brought the island from the Indians. Perhaps they thought were in Battery park. Is there a place called Green Park anywhere

ellenem

Yes, Bowling Green and Battery Park are at the south end of Manhattan, where the original Dutch fort was built. The two parks are across the street from one another. Bowling Green now is just a pretty little park, certainly nice enough to grab a bench if you're tired, but not a destination for a visitor. Perhaps your husband's friend was confused because within Battery Park, just opposite Bowling Green, there is a subway station called Bowling Green. Maybe they thought Battery Park was Bowling Green.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling...(New_York_City)

Bowling Green Park is in front of the old Customs House Building which is now the National Museum of the American Indian.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexand...._Custom_House

Battery Park is across the street, is much larger, has a promenade along the harbor, and is where the ferries leave for the Statue of Liberty. Castle Clinton, the last remnants of the fort though not the original one, is found in Battery Park, and is used as the ticketing area for the SOL ferries.

http://www.nps.gov/cacl/index.htm

There is no Green Park in Manhattan to my knowledge.

Any park in New York is a nice place to watch the world go by. There is always something happening in any NYC park.It depends on what you are seeking. Some parks are nestled between tall buildings in bustling neighborhoods and have lots of people enjoying the city as people pass through heading to their next appointment and lots of activities taking place within the park (for example, Union Square, Madison Square, Washington Square, Bryant Park). Other parks are bigger and are built in such a way to remove you from the bustle (for example, High Line, Hudson River Park, Central Park, Riverside Park).