New York, Washington & Philadelphia, USA – December 2015

~ HowNot2Life

Welcome to what will probably be my oldest blog to feature on here. It’s summer 2025 so I’m writing this just the NINE and a half years after the event. In the hope of avoiding putting you off reading other posts, I usually write up my travels within a few weeks, complete with a full itinerary alongside photos, costs, accommodation and fun facts!

However, when we visited the US, the blog was not even a twinkle in my eye. Add that to some shoddy photos and naïve cropping decisions, forgive me for something different and of a lesser quality than I’m usually happy with.

Image ^ My favourite photos of the trip.

Before this trip we had only been to Krakow and Berlin as a couple. Interestingly this was only my second trip outside Europe, as I had flown close to the Statue of Liberty six months prior, changing flights at Newark on the way to Colorado for a charity event.

I’m just going to run through what we did each day and dump the photos from that day with captions.

I thought we covered bloody loads in a short space of time. In just 5 full days we saw everything we wanted to see in NYC, plus day trips to Washington DC and Philadelphia, both several hours away in different states!

Day One

Flew from London to JFK.

Managed to negotiate the subway to our hotel, which was a few minutes walk from Times square! Surfacing here for a first view of NYC was pretty cool.

Image ^ Here we goooo.
Image ^ The view that welcomed us after emerging from the subway station.

Day Two

Looking back, I’m surprised we didn’t hit the Statue of Liberty straight away, but as a travel amateur at that point I think I wanted to wait until we arrived to book tickets. Don’t worry, we’ll visit later on.

Wandered around Central Park. South to north and back again was five miles! In awe of the size and changing environment within the park. Hard to believe in some spaces that you were in the middle of one of the most densely populated cities in the world. My favourite part of the city.

Had a mini walking tour around Chrysler building, Empire State building, New York Library and Grand Central train station.

Went to the top of the World Trade Centre and visited the Two Towers memorial site.

Image ^ Central Park.
Image ^ Map of Central Park, a massive 2.5 miles long.
Image ^ Strawberry Fields plaque, John Lennon memorial in Central Park.
Image ^ John Lennon memorial in Central Park.
Image ^ Central Park.
Image ^ Also Central Park. Seriously what is this doing in the middle of New York?!.
Image ^ Harlem Meer in Central Park.
Image ^ Untermyer Fountain in Central Park.
Image ^ Central Park Reservoir.
Image ^ Central Park Reservoir. Vividly remember getting lapped TWICE by a jogger walking past here!
Image ^ Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park. Loved this.
Image ^ Central Park.
Image ^ Ice rink in Central Park.
Image ^ Southern Central Park looking at One57 skyscraper and Hampshire House.
Image ^ Empire State Building.
Image ^ NY Central Library.
Image ^ Inside NY Central Library.
Image ^ Outside Grand Central Station.
Image ^ Inside Grand Central Station.
Image ^ Inside Grand Central Station.
Image ^ Chrysler Building.
Image ^ 9/11 Memorial where the Two Towers stood.
Image ^ 9/11 Memorial where the Two Towers stood.
Image ^ View from the World Trade Centre looking west (New Jersey over the river).
Image ^ View from the World Trade Centre looking north.
Image ^ View from the World Trade Centre looking east with Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn.
Image ^ Top of the World Trade Centre looking down at the 9/11 Memorial.
Image ^ View from the World Trade Centre looking south, can just make out the Statue of Liberty.
Image ^ Random subway picture of Cortlandt street. Sound the subway very easy to negotiate!

Day Three

Day tour to Washington DC. Travel took around 4 hours each way so a full day blocker. Fun fact: The trip took us through New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland states, so a great superficial tick boxing exercise!

Joined a guided tour in Washington. I think the photos are in order so…

Vietnam memorial… Lincoln memorial… Korean War memorial

I remember being told of all the statues in this area, you can only ever make eye contact with one statue at any location around the site.

The White House (before the nutter had his first term… Madame Tussaud’s Washington

Smithsonian Air and Space museum. No photos from here. A shame but I recall feeling a bit underwhelmed by it to be honest.

And finally, Capitol Hill.

A really good use of a day but a bit limiting in terms of exploring. It was years after when I found out there was a big bloody river nearby… And there’s loads of other memorials and stuff.

Image ^ Vietnam War memorial, Washington DC.
Image ^ Vietnam War memorial, Washington DC.
Image ^ Vietnam War memorial, Washington DC.
Image ^ Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC.
Image ^ Martin Luther King plaque at Lincoln memorial where he delivered his famous and powerful speech.
Image ^ Lincoln memorial, statue of the bloke himself!
Image ^ View from Lincoln memorial looking at the infinity pool and Washington Monument.
Image ^ Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC.
Image ^ Korean War memorial, Washington DC.
Image ^ Korean War memorial, Washington DC.
Image ^ Korean War memorial, Washington DC.
Image ^ View from Washington Monument with Lincoln memorial in the background, Washington DC.
Image ^ .The White House, Washington DC
Image ^ Madame Tussaud’s, Washington DC.
Image ^ Madame Tussaud’s, Washington DC.
Image ^ Capitol Hill, Washington DC. Scaffolding follows me everywhere…
Image ^ View from the Capitol building, Washington DC.

Day Four

Looking at the photos, we didn’t do too much today. 

Walked around downtown and Wall Street, then up and over Brooklyn Bridge. Disappointingly we didn’t do anything in Brooklyn apart from a McDonald’s before catching the subway back to Manhattan. That was a shame.

In the evening we had a walk closer to our hotel in Midtown. Rockefeller Centre, the Empire State again, a church I remember from Home Alone 2 (although just found out the scenes were filmed in Illinois!), surely some other things but I’m being guided by the photos nearly ten years on!

Image ^ New York Stock Exchange.
Image ^ Wall Steet, New York City.
Image ^ Federal Hall, Wall Street, New York City.
Image ^ Fuck off Donald.
Image ^ Looking out at Brooklyn from Manhatten.
Image ^ Brooklyn Bridge.
Image ^ Brooklyn Bridge.
Image ^ Brooklyn Bridge.
Image ^ Brooklyn Bridge.
Image ^ Brooklyn Bridge.
Image ^ Empire State Building.
Image ^ Christmas Tree outside Rockefeller Centre.
Image ^ Some random street near the Rockefeller Centre.
Image ^ St Patrick’s Church.

Day Five 

Strange how we managed to wait until today to visit the top of my list, being the Statue of Liberty. Not an expensive excursion back in the day I don’t think. 

Liberty Island didn’t disappoint and neither did the boat ride to take us island hopping. We were too late booking to get tickets to go up to the crown of Lady Liberty, so get them as far in advance as possible!

Fun fact: The statue is supposed to be the same colour as a 2p coin i.e. copper, but the water over the years given it its green colour.

Fun fact: We purchased our first travel Christmas tree decoration on Liberty Island, a challenge we have completed on every trip together since. We’re missing Krakow and Berlin sadly before this time.

After the statue we had a tour of Ellis Island. Can’t remember much from here but we obviously visited the Museum of Immigration. This used to be the first port of call for SO MANY people who made America what it is today. 

Back on land, probably one of Kay’s highlights, we visited Katz Delicatessen, famous from the scene in When Harry Met Sally. The lengthy queue was worth the wait. Mikayla ordered some sort of meat platter and I simply said “I’ll have what she’s having….” *smiles at my own cleverness*

Afterwards we had a lengthy stroll back to our hotel stopping off at the Flatiron building. No idea why I haven’t got a photo of this.

Oh yeah! Today was also New Year’s Eve 2015/16, celebrating 7 years being a couple. Even though we were close to Times Square we were too late to be allowed in together with the million or so at Times Square to watch the midnight celebration and famous f’ball drop’.

Fun fact: they closed the subway tracks underneath Times Square for this occasion, for security. Ok not really a fun fact…

We visited a Chinese restaurant that tasted nothing like the UK cuisine (so probably actual Chinese food) and had the fabulous idea to watch the fireworks from the large rocks back at Central Park. Bar the off tree I think we had a much better view than being ground level in Times Square with 7,163 skyscrapers in front of you?

Image ^ Downtown Manhattan view from the boat to Liberty Island.
Image ^ Statue of Liberty, New York City.
Image ^ Statue of Liberty, New York City.
Image ^ Back of the Statue of Liberty, New York City..
Image ^ Statue of Liberty, New York City and downtown Manhattan panorama. One of my favourites, this.
Image ^ Ellis Island Museum of Immigration.
Image ^ Katz Delicatessen, New York City.
Image ^ A light lunch at Katz Delicatessen, New York City.
Image ^ Katz Delicatessen, New York City.
Image ^ Empire State Building on New Years Eve.
Image ^ Central Park.
Image ^ A rather naff photo of the New Year fireworks to the North of Central Park.

Day Six

Day trip to Philadelphia. Really can’t remember if we caught the train or another Greyhound bus to visit, but travel time was around 2 hours. 

First stop was the Liberty Bell with its famous crack, caused by nothing more interesting than over usage.

Nearby was Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were debated & signed. Just a bit of historical importance!

Feeling active, we would walk miles today, as we headed to our main destination being the Philadelphia Museum of Art… or the Rocky steps as widely recognised. On the way we would pass the City Hall complete with a Welsh plaque commemorating Welsh settlers and the street Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which I’m gonna call the avenue of flags.

Every lamp post on the long street had a country’s flag on it. Hundreds of them. Flags are my specialist quiz subject after Corinthian football figures, so I was super chuffed to impress my girlfriend turned wife with my knowledge. 

At the Museum / Rocky steps we had a quick nose at the Rocky Balboa / Sylvester Stallone statue before the MANDATORY run (slow jog) up the steps just like in the movie! 

It was a long walk back down flag avenue but we did finally see the Welsh flag before still a mile or so back to the transport station back to NYC. 

It was late when we got back but I did take a quick walk to the Disney Store in times square for a souvenir that we still treasure today. And a pizza slice. Had to have a pizza slice. 

Image ^ Liberty Bell, Philadelphia.
Image ^ Independence Hall, Philadelphia.
Image ^ The room where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were debated & signed.
Image ^ Washington Square, Philadelphia.
Image ^ Welsh Society plaque on Philadelphia City Hall.
Image ^ Philadelphia City Hall.
Image ^ Rocky Balboa statue.
Image ^ Philadelphia Museum of Art i.e the Rocky steps building.
Image ^ The Rocky steps.
Image ^ View from the Rocky steps looking down Benjamin Franklin parkway with City Hall at the end.
Image ^ … had to be done, didn’t it….
Image ^ Y baner Cymru near Philadelphia City Hall.
Image ^ One last trip to Times Square to pick up some Disney souvenires.
Image ^ Decent pizza and by far the cheapest meal you get get in these parts.

Day 7

Our last morning as we would be flying back this afternoon. We ticked off the final ‘core attraction’ being the top of the Empire State building, visiting as soon as it opened. 

Glad we visited one in the night ( World Trade Centre) and one in daytime. The views were incredible and leaving it until the last day meant we could point out our previous adventures of the trip. 

That was it pretty much. For some strange reason we ended up getting the subway to some suburban place and then a public bus to JFK airport?!

It’s been nearly ten years but we still have great memories of our (currently only) visit to NYC. 

Image ^ Ground level inside the Empire State Building.
Image ^ View from the Empire State Building, facing north.
Image ^ View from the Empire State Building, facing south. Just about see Liberty Island.
Image ^ View from the Empire State Building, facing south.
Image ^ View from the Empire State Building, facing east.
Image ^ View from the Empire State Building, rather high up!
Image ^ Boarding our plane back to normality.

Things we didn’t do / Things I want to do next time…

If you gave me 24 hours in NYC I would happily just wander around Central Park all day above anything else.

  • Walk along the High Line, an old rail track converted into an above ground public walkway
  • Coney Island for the beach and theme park
  • A day trip to Boston, about 3 hours away
  • Visit the building where Only Murders in the Building is set (a fave of mine…)
  • See a show on Broadway
  • Visit a few sports grounds in NY / New Jersey. Maybe catch a baseball game at the Yankee Stadium
  • Visit the Bronx and have a better look around Brooklyn
  • Go see the Guggenheim Museum and Maddison Square Garden, at least from the outside

With a bit of luck Cymru will be at the 2026 football World Cup set in the US, Canada and Mexico, and if so, perhaps one of the games will be in neighbouring New Jersey’s MetLife stadium (also host of the final). I’ve already started saving / trying to get Mum to go so she’ll pay for me.

Thanks for visiting 🙂