Port Guides: New York City

From Manhattan Cruise Terminal:

There’s no better way to soak up what the city’s all about than heading into the dizzyingly delightful hoopla that is Times Square. Here, carts hawking hot dogs, churros, and nuts, mix with a constant elevated decibel of honking horns, all lit up by the bright lights of the constantly rotating slate of animated billboards. While the actual square refers to where 42nd Street, Broadway, and Seventh Avenue converge, the term refers to the entire district roughly between 6th and 9th Avenues from 40th to 53rd Streets.

Let your instincts be your guide passing by the marquees of Broadway theaters, which alternate with souvenir shops and big-name retailers, working your way over to the red steps in the middle of Father Duffy Square. Climb up to the top for the best perspective: you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world, glancing down at street performers ranging from breakdancers to the world-famous Naked Cowboy, and so many familiar costumed characters from Elmo to Captain America, all ready to pose for photos. (Be aware, they require payment afterwards, which they call a “tip”.) Amidst the hubbub, take a quiet moment to look up and spot the glimmering ball from the annual New Year’s Eve ball drop atop One Times Square.

If you prefer not to wander too far from the ship, head one pier south to find the Intrepid Museum, housed aboard a World War II aircraft carrier. Roaming through its airy interior, you’ll feel like a maritime officer on duty, especially with a plethora of full-sized aircraft, including a recently added fighter-bomber.

From Brooklyn Cruise Terminal:

Disembarking in Brooklyn may cause an initial double take. This is indeed New York City, yet the neighborhood of Red Hook feels more like a small fishing village, with its mix of historic grit from its industrial roots and maritime charm accented with cobblestone streets. Subways aren’t in easy reach here, and while maps show a car ride over to Lower Manhattan could be as quick as 20 minutes, the uncertainty of New York traffic means it’s best to lean into the opportunity to explore this untapped area for a taste of Brooklyn neighborhood life.

Brick warehouses alternate with relatively quiet residential streets all doused with a coastal charm. Dive into the vibes by heading to the family-owned Red Hook Lobster Pound, a nautically themed fast-casual restaurant, where entrées are served in baskets with a red-and-white checkered lining. New Yorkers chase down its food trucks all around town for New England-style lobster rolls (choose from Maine-style, which is cold with mayo, or Connecticut-style, which is hot with butter), and this flagship location has been an essential part of putting Red Hook on the map again since it started as a food stand in 2009.

Just a three-minute walk down the block is the cultural center Pioneer Works, where you can get a taste of the neighborhood’s artistic side, because its focus is on emerging artists in all realms. Among its recent exhibits have been a sound installation from composer Hprizm, and a garden that’s being cultivated as a salt barrier against the rising waters of the harbor.

The hipster-eclectic meets artsy-bohemian culture unites on its beloved waterfront, offering some of the best city views, especially from Louis Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier, where you can spot the Statue of Liberty in the distance. Cap off the adventure by ducking into Red Hook Winery in a former warehouse on Pier 41, offering tastings on a walk-in basis – its wines are made right here, from grape to bottle, in Red Hook.

From Manhattan Cruise Terminal:

Cruisers to this terminal have easy access to one of the city's newest hot spots, Hudson Yards, where the skyscrapers glow with an extra sheen. It’s a 12-minute cab ride or 30-minute walk south of the terminal. With more than 100 shops and restaurants, the area is home to two of the city’s most Instagram-famous landmarks. The pineapple-shaped Vessel is an immersive structure made up of 154 intertwined staircases that invites visitors to climb up and down and in circles. Hovering way above it is the observation deck, Edge NYC, the highest in the Western Hemisphere at 1,296 feet. From this cloud-like perspective, views stretch from New Jersey to all five NYC boroughs, while the city scurries about its day right beneath your feet. For those without a fear of heights, a portion of the floor is translucent.

Just next door is The Shed, an innovative art space hosting contemporary art exhibits that tend to push the boundaries of space and creativity, such as a recent exhibit of an amusement park rides designed by Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

From here, join New Yorkers and visitors alike for a stroll along The High Line, a 1.45-mile elevated pedestrian walkway built on former freight train tracks. Stop to take in public art including Arthur Simms’ A Totem for the High Line sculpture made of upcycled materials and Rosana Paulina’s provocative mural The Creation of the Creatures of Day and Night. Then visit another of the city’s main attractions, Chelsea Market in the Meatpacking District, where ever-present queues snake through the spaces as folks wait their turn to slurp a steaming bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup at Very Fresh Noodles or feast on Mexican-style street food at Los Tacos.

End your sojourn at Little Island, a quirky public park that sits atop 132 tulip pot-shaped pillars hovering above the Hudson River. Follow the elevated green space’s pathway to its highest point at the aptly named Southwest Overlook, floating 63 feet above the river level, for stellar skyline views of both New York and New Jersey, or perhaps even take in a performance at its outdoor amphitheater.

From Brooklyn Cruise Terminal:

Four hours is the perfect amount of time to get to know the area in and around one of Brooklyn’s best-known neighborhoods, Park Slope.

This family-friendly neighborhood has an ease about it, where the city pace is cranked down just a notch from Manhattan, with locals filling coffee shops, diverse restaurants, and independent shops amid its rows of brownstone houses. Sauntering through its streets reveals how New Yorkers spend their downtime.

Lining the eastern edge of the neighborhood is Prospect Park, the green space that the neighborhood is named for, in essence the Central Park of Brooklyn. Within the park is the Brooklyn Museum, the city’s second-largest after the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The neoclassical entrance, with its Ionic columns, is a distinct departure from its surroundings, luring visitors inside to the diverse collection, from Ancient Egyptian relics, including an exhibit on the mummification process, to the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, both an educational center and exhibit, renowned as the permanent home of Judy Chicago’s 1979 installation The Dinner Party.

Also in the park is the 52-acre Brooklyn Botanical Garden,a delight to visit during any season for its 30 specialty gardens, from its English-style Shakespeare Garden sewn with plants mentioned in the writer’s works to its Lily Pool Terrace and Borders, with blooms year-round, but especially stunning in the summer with its sacred lotuses.

Get to know the soul of Manhattan life by diving into its core. There’s no better place to understand its perspective than by heading to the top of one the city’s most famous sights, the Empire State Building, located on one of its equally renowned thoroughfares, 34th Street. As an unofficial compass point for Manhattan, the 103-floor skyscraper is already a glorious spectacle of Art Deco architecture from afar, but stepping inside is like being transported back in time to the 1930s. Gold and aluminum leaf line the lobby ceiling leading to a massive mural of the building with 23-karat gold stars.

The open-air observation deck on the 86th floor is the one memorialized in film history as the setting for scenes from two romantic classics, the 1957 movie An Affair to Remember, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and 1993’s Sleepless in Seattle, starringTom Hanks and Meg Ryan. But the platform does have protective metal gratings at eye level so for an unobstructed perspective, add the upgrade for access to the 102nd floor with floor-to-ceiling views of six states.

Just a five-minute walk west down 34th Street is the world’s second-largest store, the flagship Macy’s department store in Herald Square, also a relic of the Art Deco era. The storefront makes its annual appearance as the ending point of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, while during the holiday season, it turns its window displays and interior into a festive winter wonderland. The store itself has 11 floors of products across 1.1 million feet of space, from fine jewelry to contemporary collections, and even branded NYC souvenirs, so leave time for plenty of shopping.

Just two blocks south is Koreatown, fondly called KTown. Turning the corner onto 32nd Street between 5th & Broadway feels like a different world, with Korean barbecue and hot-spot specialty shops alternating with trendy tea and dessert shops. The grab-and-go chicken wings at bb.q Chicken are among the crunchiest and most flavorful, while Grace Street’s sweet treats are works of art with piled-high toppings on waffles and shaved ice.

Life moves fast in New York City, which means you can squeeze a few areas into eight hours. Start in Chinatown, one of the perennially thriving places in the city. Wait for your number to be called to enjoy dim sum at Golden Unicorn, Jing Fong, or Nom Wah Tea Parlor, or stand in line for the pineapple pork buns at Mei Lai Wah or bubble tea at Chicha San Chen. For a tour with a side of social justice that doesn’t shy away from the dark chapters of history, book a walking tour with Mott Street Girls, which focuses on food and Chinatown’s historic small businesses, as well as a history tour about what life was like here for people of Asian heritage during the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Then hop on the subway’s 4 line up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, better known as simply The Met. The steps leading up to the Beaux Art façade will be recognizable from the annual Met Ball gala, as well as shows such as Gossip Girl. Known as one of the world’s greatest art museums, with more than two million pieces, the days’ worth of collections to explore can be intimidating. But highlights include Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat, Claude Monet’s Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies, and Edgar Degas’ The Dance Class. Make time to visit The Roof Garden, which has sculptures as well as a Central Park view.

Finally, either stroll through Central Park or take the subway down to Rockefeller Center for the viewpoint in front of 30 Rockefeller. During the holiday season, the Christmas tree is a sparkling backdrop to the skaters on the rink below, while at other times of year, site-specific installations, pop-up exhibits, and art brighten up the space.