Sharon Sparlin: THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS

Famously known as the "Big Apple", New York City is one of the most ethnically diverse, religiously varied and commercially driven urban cities in the world. Located at the southern tip of the state of New York, it is comprised of five boroughts - Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Bronx and Staten Island.

New York City Boroughs

My arrival into New York City was on November 3, 2022, day 4 of a 21 day TransAtlantic cruise aboard the Norwegian Sun. Sunrise was 7:28am and sunset was 5:49pm. Arrival was 8am and the all aboard call was 3:30pm. The ship's Freestyle Daily forecast showed sunny and 61 degrees.

There are several piers in New York so be sure you know which pier you are docking at. My arrival was the New York City "Manhattan" Passenger Ship Terminal, pier 88, located at 711 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10019.

Manhattan Map

I especially enjoy docking at this terminal as it affords a fantastic view of the Statue of Liberty, port side, as you sail up the Hudson River to the terminal.

Pier 88 is located 15 miles from Newark International Airport, 15 miles from LaGuardia Airport and 20 miles from JFK International Airport.

Tug helping dock at Pier 88

I was cruising in with a friend who had never had the opportunity to visit New York so my goal for the day was to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Of course I had many more things on my list but unfortunately we only had 7 hours in port.

The Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island ferry operates from Battery Park, located at the southern tip of Manhattan. My Rome2Rio app indicated it was 1.3 miles and would take 24 minutes to walk from 35 Hudson River Greenway (Pier 88) to the 50th Street Station.

Pier 88 location

Walk from Pier 88 to 50th Street Station

Pictures taken on my walk from Pier 88 to the 50th street station.

Street Vendor Cart

48th and Broadway

911 Memorial Plaque

Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9 Station

Belvedere Hotel

Hells Kitchen Park

Escalator down to Line 1 Platform

Line 1 - 50th Street Platform

From the 50th Street Station you will want to take Line 1 (Broadway-7 Avenue local) The entrance and exit is located at W 50th Street and Broadway. Line1 runs from 242nd all the way to South Ferry

Ticket machines are readily available but a simple tap of your credit card on the entrance turnstile will automatically open the gate and charge your card a total of $2.60 for the one-way trip from 50th Street to South Ferry - the end of the line. Trains operate every 6-8 minutes. Exit via South Street and Whitehall Street. When you emerge from the subway you will be looking at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

Now it's just a matter of walking to the Clinton Castle National Monument to exchange your voucher for a ticket. I pre-purchased our vouchers through Viator.

Signage at Battery Park

SeaGlass Carousel in Battery Park

Clinton Castle / voucher exchange point

Marci exchanging our vouchers for tickets

Note: Be sure to purchase vouchers that include Statue City Cruises, operated by the National Parks Service, as these are the only trips that allow you to get off at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Once you have tickets in hand you will proceed through security and walk to the boat loading area.

Walking to boarding area

Boarding area

Boat schedule from Battery Park

The boats leave every 20-30 minutes from each of the 3 boarding locations - Boarding Area at Clinton Castle, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. This way you can get off and spend as much time as you want at each site.

Boat schedule from Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island

We were limited on time during our visit as we had to be back on board the Norwegian Sun by 3:30pm.

STATUE OF LIBERTY

The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island and was dedicated October 28, 1886. The copper statue, a gift from the people of France, was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. Its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. The statue is a figure of Libertas, a Roman goddess of Liberty. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, symbolizing Liberty Enlightening the World. In her left hand she carries a tablet inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals), the date of the U.S. Declaration ofIndependence. A broken shackle and chain lie at her feet as she walks forward, commemorating the national abolition of slavery.

The seven rays of the crown represent a sunburst spreading enlightenment and reason throughout the world.

After its dedication, the statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, seen as a symbol of welcome to all immigrants arriving by sea.

Here are some of my favorite photos from my visit.

First good view of the Statue

Manhattan skyline

Entrance to the museum

Inside the museum

A selfie before leaving for Ellis Island

ELLIS ISLAND

Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 million immigrants arriving at the Port of New York and New Jersey were processed there under federal law. Today, it is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and is accessible to the public only by ferry.