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24 hours in New York

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Travel New York
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After attending Strata + Hadoop World 2014, I had 24 hours of free time to look around New York. Here are some photos and comments.

Times Square

Brightly lit billboards and advertisements illuminating Times Square at night, with a crowd of pedestrians walking and gathered in front of the buildings. Some screens display brands like Samsung and Barclay's, and there is a statue on a pedestal among the crowd.

Started off at Times Square. Not sure what I thought of it. Very busy, very loud. Worth seeing, but not somewhere I would want to stay for long.

Bright digital billboards and signs illuminated in Times Square, featuring advertisements for Nasdaq, FOX News, Walgreens, and a New York Police Department display, with a mix of colorful images and text against a night sky background.

Empire State Building

The illuminated Empire State Building at night, seen from a city street with surrounding buildings and streetlights, against a dark sky.

If you only have 24 hours in New York, you don’t want to spend 2 hours queueing for the Empire State Building. So the best thing to do is go and take in the excellent views at night.

A nighttime aerial view of a city skyline with illuminated skyscrapers, including one with the H&M logo, and a dark sky in the background.

There were no queues at 11pm, and the views were breathtaking. Would recommend it!

Aerial view of a city at night with illuminated streets, tall skyscrapers, and a dark body of water in the background, city lights reflecting on the water.

9/11 Memorial

The next morning I visited the 9/11 Memorial. It gives a real sense of emptiness and loss. Very moving.

A reflecting pool with names inscribed on the surrounding black marble edge, set against an urban skyline with tall modern buildings and trees lining the area.

One World Trade Center

Not everyone is a fan of One World Trade Center, but I quite like it, especially compared to some of the sky scrapers in London. Simple, modern, and tall!

A tall, modern glass skyscraper with a pointed spire at the top, seen from a low angle surrounded by green trees and other high-rise buildings, against a cloudy sky.

Brooklyn Bridge

People walking and standing on the Brooklyn Bridge with the city skyline visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

I rented a Citi Bike and cycled over the Brooklyn Bridge, which was really fun. Quite busy though, so I ended up going over the 30 minute limit. Oops!

People walking and cycling on the Brooklyn Bridge with the New York City skyline, including the One World Trade Center, in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Brooklyn

A cluster of road signs against a background of trees and a partly cloudy sky, including a Brooklyn welcome sign, a green directional sign for Interstate 278 with directions to Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Cadman Plaza West, a NYC law speed limit sign of 30 mph, and a Brooklyn cruise terminal sign.

I went to Brooklyn to get the views of Manhattan.

Skyline of Manhattan with various skyscrapers, including One World Trade Center, seen from across the river, with Brooklyn Bridge extending into the distance on the right. Cloudy skies above.

But I ended up enjoying the old buildings just as much.

A large red brick building labeled "The Eagle Warehouse & Storage Company" with small windows and a rounded corner, surrounded by green trees, parked cars, and street signs, under a partly cloudy sky.
View of the Manhattan Bridge framed by two red brick buildings, with parked cars and pedestrians on the street in the foreground and a cloudy sky overhead.

Central Park

Didn’t see much else to do in Brooklyn, so next I got the Subway up to Central Park.

People walking and sitting on benches in a park with tall trees and a pathway, with a city skyline featuring skyscrapers in the background on a cloudy day.
A park scene with large trees, some with twisted trunks, and a grassy area covered with fallen leaves. Several people are walking and standing along pathways, and a small bridge is visible in the background among the trees.

After all this sight seeing, I needed a break so had a nice beer at this café.

Outdoor patio in a city park at dusk, with string lights overhead, people sitting at tables under umbrellas, surrounding trees with autumn leaves, and tall buildings in the background.

A bit more walking around Central Park, seeing the John Lennon memorial and that was about it!

A great day seeing some of the sights of New York. More of my photos can be found on Flickr.

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