Manhattan Hop On – Hop Off Tour

August 29, 2021 · by Dano · in New York

Up early today, need to finish breakfast and be at the M&M Store to catch the Hop On – Hop Off bus at 9:30am. The bus is included in our 3-Day Sightseeing Pass we purchased prior to arriving. The pass includes pre-paid entry to lots of sights so buying it was a no-brainer.

First up, the ride around the complete route. We usually do this to see where the attractions are and how to get there. Trying to rely on Google maps in Manhattan is a real mistake. Because of the hundreds of skyscrapers, it’s hard to get an accurate and steady GPS signal. Best to use old fashioned tricks like look up the street address and count the blocks. Seems to still work. A few sites along the way.

One World Trade Center

Made the loop so now its jump off time and our next stop, Ghostbusters Headquarters. Yep, not kidding. We walked about 6 or 7 blocks to see the fire station used in this 1984 comedy movie written by Dan Aykroyd. Built in 1903, Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8 was one of the first to respond to the 911 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centers. It was a little out of the way but we wanted to see SoHo as part of our walking tour.

Ghostbusters Headquarters

OK, so not one of the awe-inspiring sights of the city, but still a fun bit of trivia. By this time everyone is hungry, somewhat tired, and pretty much needing a break from the heat. Today is a scorcher, 93⁰ and very humid! No matter where we go next, it has to be air conditioned.

Hell, why not have lunch? We headed off to world famous Katz’s Deli, only a short 20 or so blocks. Katz’s Deli has been around since before 1910 when the name was changed to reflect new ownership, Willy and Benny Katz. Since then, the restaurant has become known for their famous pastrami on rye sandwich. 15,000 pounds of pastrami is sold each week to locals and tourists wanting to get a bit of that kosher deli goodness, so we had to try it.

Just a side note for those thinking they will grab a quick sandwich at Katz’s. If you’re there anywhere from 11am to 2pm, probably not going to be a quick lunch. This place gets packed every day. Also, bring a co-signer. The pastrami on rye sandwich runs a cool $24.95 each, a la carte.

Yep, it’s as good as it looks.

After that hefty lunch, we all needed to do a bit of walking. We started back towards the harbor where our afternoon sailing charter starts and so we could also see the National September 11 Memorial. Again, only about 20 blocks so not all that far!

World Trade Center Transportation Center (white building)

The memorial is built on the sites where the World Trade Towers stood and goes by many names, the 911 Memorial, the World Trade Memorial, the Ground Zero Memorial, etc. The memorial is two-176 x 176 square parapets made of black granite with the names of the victims of the attacks inscribed. Below the parapets is a 30’ waterfall that flows to a center waterfall. These waterfalls are the largest man-made falls in the United States.

The 911 Museum is part of the memorial site but is not open today. The museum is open Thursday through Monday so we will need to revisit here Thursday.

One last adventure before heading back to Riu. As part of our Sightseeing Pass, we booked an afternoon cruise on the Hudson River to see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the other sites of the New York harbor. But first, a quick stop for an afternoon cocktail and some much needed shade!

The ship for our sailing adventure is the 90-year old, 81 ½’ Shearwater Schooner. Built in 1929 in East Boothbay, Maine, this ship has circumnavigated the world (early 1980s) and was a submarine hunter in World War II. Today she gives tourist a look at the Manhattan skyline from the waters of the Hudson River in a 90-minute round trip ride.