Ways to approach Manhattan

[da]

Oh, and before this wine totally puts me under the table:

The best way ever to approach Manhattan, if you can fenangle it, is in a window seat, as the pilot goes all the way down the west side of the island, around the tip, and most of the way up the east side toward LaGuardia. F'ing awesome view. I'm surprised we could get so close. The capper for me wasn't flying over Shea Stadium or the '67 World's Fair site or near the Empire State Building or the UN building... it was realizing that I could pick out my Grandma Esther's old apartment building on the Upper East Side. (one of two tall buildings one block in and two blocks down from Gracie Mansion, just near the top of Roosevelt Island). [here.]

Comments

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

Neat! Because of banking for landing at DCA, you can't see much of the city on landing. On the days the planes take off upriver, though, the views from the right side of the plane rock.

I've always taken the train or driven to NYC. Train highlight is still the bridge in Newark, NJ. By car, it's still kinda weird seeing the Chrysler building so prominently dominating downtown.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

I've only flown to NYC a few times. Well, less than a handful, anyway. Much more frequently, via car or bus. So I don't know how frequently the pilot gets routed this way. But I'll take it, for sure.

Just wish I could've taken a little movie with my camera, but it was well after the "turn off all electronics" warning. (not that that's stopped people on a few flights I've been on, sigh).

[bats22.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've flown that route into/out of New York before too, and I love it. Similarly, I like the fact that I can spot my sister's building (right next to Lincoln Center).

The view coming in via Amtrak from the north is also pretty spectacular, when you cross the Hell Gate Bridge, if you're into magnificently huge old steel arch bridges, that hold four parallel train tracks.

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Dang. What a seriously cool name for a bridge into NYC. If I knew that bridge's name, I'd forgotten it. But yes, I do like that approach too. ;)

Also, it's cool how the Greyhound bus sort of seems to take a hidden exit off the freeway to get to Penn Station.
... "Quick! to the greyhound-cave, greyhound-man!"