New York, New York

Pizza slice for lunch in the Financial District!
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We arrived in New York on the afternoon of the 2nd, after our first taste of Amtrak traIns, which turned out to be very comfy. Having never been to NYC, we both were exited at the prospect - It's one of those cities which everyone feels they know so well from TV and movies etc., but the real thing is so much better.

We couldnt believe our luck when we arrived at the residence inn. From our 32nd floor apartment suite we could see the NYC skyline and Times Square. Our first few hours were spent strolling around times sq. and broadway, just soaking it all up. Its an incredible city with such an excitement about it. Just walking down the street people talk to you and some of the conversations you can hear are priceless. We even managed to bump into a guy from Dublin selling something on broadway.

"Hey, you're Jimmy's son"

guess who
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Speaking of guys from Dublin, we had the fortune of being in the city as the same time as a good mate of mine, Stephen Kavanagh and his mates. That night we inevitably ended up in an Irish bar with Stephen, Colm and Andy. It must be said that Stephen probably doesnt remember this as he was a little "tired & emotional" after a long flight from Dublin earlier that day. We weren't to bothered as we contemplated retiring to our 32nd floor apartment for the evening. Nice.

The next day we spent a lovely afternoon wandering around Grenwich village, a little further downtown. Its a beautiful tree lined village centered around washington sq. park. It has the feel of an old art deco neighbourhood, and you could easily forget you were only minutes away from the skyscrapers.

NYC
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That night we spent a lovely relaxing few hours with Eleanor, a friend of Ciara's from back home, and her husband Tom who live in Brooklyn. After a great meal and a good chat we made our way home through torrential rain and thunderstorms to our 32nd Floor suite :).

Having heard great stories about ellis island from Eleanor, we decided to take the ferry out there on Monday morning. After a short trip, taking in fantastic views on the Statue of Liberty, we arrived on Ellis.

Ciara haunting the rockerfeller
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For those who dont know, Ellis Island was the first step onto American soil for millions of immigrants tio the U.S, many of whom were Irish. We toured around the great hall, where up to 5,000 immigrants could be left for days awaiting processing, and saw lots of exhibits tracing the history of irish, European and far east immigration into the US. We watched films of 1st generation immigrants recounting their stories and new lives in America. It was something we both really enjoyed and it really gives you a broader perspective on the vastness and mixes of people in this country - something we'll no doubt encounter on our travels through to L.A.

New York City from our 23nd Floor Suite! screw you..
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Ciara and myself split up that night....we thought it was time we saw other people. Ciara went out with Eleanor and I met stephen for a pint :). I truly experienced the American supersize portions that night, there was so much food i think even our good mate Erik would have struggled!

We spend a nice few hours the next day strolling up 5th avenue and checking out toy store FAO Shwarz - which is a kids dream.

One of the best experiences of new york was up the top of the rockerfeller center - "the top of the rock". As you'll see from the photos, the views are spectacular and we didnt want to come down. it really was like looking at the picture postcard of NYC - all lights and skyscrapers. Ciara thought it was romantic, but she's just a big wuss. In a bar later that night I heard someone say "Hey, you're Jimmy's son". Turns out you can't go anywhere! One of the barmen from my local - the Ballinteer House was travelling through the states like ourselves!

Imagine..Lennon memorial in Strawberry Fields, Central Park.
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We were reluctant to leave New York, but its somewhere we will both definitely return to as soon as we can. You can easily see how some people arrive there and never leave. Definitely the highlight of the states for me so far. On to Philly next....