Central Park Morning & Yankee Night: One day in New York City

Jun 14

Taking a bite out of the big apple

Have you always wanted to go to New York City, but thought with all the things to do there, you just never have enough time? Me, too! But guess what? On a road trip from Indianapolis to Boston, we were able to carve out 24 hours in NYC and it was amazing!

With a seemingly unlimited number of things we COULD do in The Big Apple and only a limited amount of time to ACTUALLY do them, we had to narrow down our list.

Some of my top picks were classic New York destinations:

Others were quirky, “just because I want to” things:

Ride the subway
Have a REAL “Brooklyn” bagel (Brooklyn Bagel was my favorite bagel shop in California)
Eat a hot dog from a street vendor

And guess what…? We did them ALL!

Where to stay in New York City

We had a lot to consider when deciding where to stay - location and cost topping the list. With more than 600 hotels to choose from and an average nightly rate nearing $400, it was a little intimidating. We usually opt for more budget-friendly hotels when traveling, believing that we’d rather spend our money on experiences than a bed to sleep in, but since it was just one night and it was NEW YORK CITY, we splurged a bit and stayed at The Pearl New York.

What did we love about The Pearl?

It was centrally located, right in the heart of Manhattan, and it was beautiful!
We upgraded to a “Superior Room w/Balcony” that looked out to Radio City Music Hall and St. Patrick’s Cathedral
There was a coffee maker in our room and a self-serve espresso maker in the common area (perfect for an early-morning start)
They offered off-site parking (for a fee) about a block away
We were able to store our luggage with the concierge after check-out, giving us the freedom to spend the day exploring without worrying about our belongings
And everyone was SO NICE

Our top picks in New York City

Yankee Stadium | New York Yankees

We bought our tickets from StubHub before heading to New York, then walked a couple blocks from our hotel to catch the subway to The Bronx. Check and check - two things already complete on our “to do in NYC” list.

Riding the subway was super fun, especially with all the Yankee fans riding with us. There was some comfort in that we didn’t “really” have to know exactly where we were going, we just had to pay attention (so we knew how to get back!) and follow the crowd.

Yankee Stadium felt big and modern compared with some of the stadiums we’ve been to (especially after we went to Fenway Park - the oldest stadium in Major League Baseball). We had seats in the outfield, just a few rows back from right field, which was super fun when the home run balls came our way!

Of course, we got our ballpark hot dog and a Pinstripe Pilsner while we cheered for the home team.

Statue of Liberty | Liberty Island

A visit to the Statue of Liberty should definitely be planned ahead - especially if you want to go up into the pedestal or crown. Make sure when you purchase tickets ahead of time that you know when they are good for and exactly what you’re getting. Some tickets only include a stop on Liberty Island and time to tour the museum, others include a stop at Ellis Island, and still others include access to the Statue of Liberty pedestal and crown.

We took the Staten Island Ferry from Castle Clinton that included a stop at both Liberty Island, including crown access, and Ellis Island. Another important detail is to make sure to note where your ferry departs from - there are two options: Castle Clinton/Battery Park [NYC] or Liberty State Park [NJ].

To reach the top of the pedestal, you can either take an elevator or climb 195 stairs.

To get to the crown, you have to climb an additional 162 steps, up a narrow spiral staircase. There is no elevator to the crown.

We opted to climb all 354 steps and I’m so glad we did because there were fun facts posted along the way - like, “The Statue of Liberty has a 35-foot waistline and wears a size 879 shoe!” I admit, even though we are both in pretty good shape, we stopped a time or two to read the statue facts (and catch our breath, too).

If you don’t want to climb to the crown - or tickets are no longer available for the day you’ll be there - a visit to Liberty Island is still worth it. Seeing Lady Liberty up close is something I’ll never forget.

Ellis Island Immigration Museum | Ellis Island

Riding the ferry and arriving at Ellis Island was a bit surreal.

We did a self-guided tour of the Immigration Museum and coming off the ferry, walking into the Great Hall, taking it all in, I could almost feel what immigrants coming to the U.S. for the first time must have experienced. Then later, looking through the “Images from Home” and other displays depicting the times and conditions, my heart felt heavy.

Central Park

There’s a lot to do in Central Park that will have to wait for our next visit, but we couldn’t come to New York City and not at least stroll through the park. My top two Central Park bucket list activities for the next visit are ice skating and taking a carriage ride. And just maybe, I’ll add “sit and play a game of chess” at the historic Chess & Checkers House.

If you, like us, only have a short time to take it all in, don’t shy away from walking along the paths and seeing what you discover. Central Park covers an area of Manhattan 2.5 miles long and a half-mile wide. Within the park, paths twist and turn, meandering around lakes, gardens, fountains and activity areas.

Some of our highlights:

A singer in the Bethesda Terrace - oh my! The acoustics! (see video below)
Artists drawing, painting and selling their creations in the park
Random views of the Manhattan skyline seen peeking through the trees

Every turn in the trail, there was something to see or do. People were gathered, enjoying the day. It felt safe, inviting and beautifully “New York.”

Above: Singer in the Bethesda Terrace

Eating in NYC

Remember my bucket list that included “eat a hot dog from a street vendor” and “have a REAL Brooklyn bagel”? Check and (close enough) check!

We didn’t get out to eat much in our 24 hours in New York City. We had a hot dog and beer at the ballgame and street food (including another hot dog) in Central Park. But, before boarding the ferry in Battery Park, we walked to Leo’s Bagels, waited in a long line, and got authentic New York bagel sandwiches to go. I figured that was close enough to my Brooklyn bagel to count as mission accomplished. And it was delicious!

If we had more time to explore the city, the cultural foodie in us would have liked to take one (or more) of the available food tours. New York City is home to several cultural enclaves, including Chinatown, Little Italy and Little Senegal. And then there are unique neighborhoods like the Lower East Side, Greenwich Village and Hell’s Kitchen (just to name a few).

Exploring the different areas and sampling the authentic foods in each could be a reason to visit New York City all on its own.