A Sunny Start

Blue skies and a red and black funnel.

On board Queen Mary 2 at the Mayflower Cruise Terminal in Southampton.

Stairway Between Decks

One of the many external stairways.
This one is located near the stern.

A Mid-Atlantic Stroll

Reflections of walkers at the aft end of the Promenade Deck.

For most of the Atlantic Ocean crossing the sea was calm and the weather good.

No Need for a Spare Tyre!

Bolted to the foredeck of Queen Mary 2 is a set of 8 spare propeller blades for the ship's propulsion system.

Often referred to as "The Commodore's Cufflinks".

Paper Sculpture by Gill Varle

A close-up of one of 10 paper sculptures by Gill Varle in the Carinthia Lounge on Queen Mary 2.

Liberty Island

The Statue of Liberty with Governors Island in the foreground.

Taken from Queen Mary 2 after docking at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. 

Queen Mary 2

Our last view of Queen Mary 2 at the cruise terminal.

Instead of taking a taxi to our Airbnb in Manhattan's Upper East Side, we used the NYC Ferry service from the nearby Red Hook terminal to East 34th Street.

Brooklyn Bridge

Heading up the East River after stopping at the Wall Street pier.

Opened in 1883, Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River.

Lower Manhattan

Looking back at the Lower Manhattan skyline having passed under Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

The tower in the foreground is One Manhattan Square, an apartment block.  Just to its left in the distance is One World Trade Center.

A Bus Ride on First Avenue

From 34th Street to 62nd Street, with eight passengers and many more bags...

A surprisingly straightforward journey with just a short walk to the Airbnb.

On the way to Central Park

Crossing Park Avenue. Central Park is just a couple of blocks away on Fifth Avenue.

A Decorated Ceiling

The tiled ceiling of The Bethesda Arcade in Central Park.

Installed in 1869, this ceiling is covered with thousands of encaustic tiles from the Minton Tile Company, Stoke-on-Trent.

"Trunk Tower"

Just across East 57th Street from Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue you'll find "Trunk Tower".

While the Louis Vuitton flagship store is undergoing a major renovation, the construction work has been concealed by a façade based on an original Vuitton design.

Details

3D scans of Louis Vuitton hard-sided trunks were used to aid in the construction of the façade.

Chrome-plated steel locks, latches and corners - along with 840 rivets etched with the name "Louis Vuitton". 

Subway Mosaics

This mosaic is part of a large public work by Jean Shin called "Elevated". 

Located at Lexington Avenue / 63rd Street, it was inspired by old photos of the defunct Second and Third Avenue elevated train lines.

Waiting for the Train

A platform at the Lexington Avenue / 63rd Street subway station.

Our train is approaching.

The Tenement Museum

 A typical late 19th century tenement block in the Lower East Side.

Home for working-class immigrants, migrants and refugees. Guided tours give an insight into the lives of the families who lived and worked here in the 19th and early 20th century.

Ground Zero

The North Memorial Pool.

In the footprints of the twin towers, the two memorial pools contain the largest man-made waterfalls in North America. 

Top of the Rock

The view from the Rockefeller Center looking towards Lower Manhattan in the distant haze.

The skyscraper on the left is 520 Fifth Avenue with the Empire State Building in the centre.
On the right is the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park.

Skinny Skyscrapers

From the "Top of the Rock" looking towards Central Park with some of the "Billionaires' Row" residential skyscrapers.

Central Park Tower on the left is the world's tallest residential building and the really thin one to its right, 111 West 57th Street, is the skinniest!

A View from Roosevelt Island

The Manhattan skyline as seen from Roosevelt Island in the East River.

To the left is the Trump World Tower, in the centre in the distance is the Chrysler Building and in the background to the right is One Vanderbilt.

Canada Geese

One of several goose families on Roosevelt Island.

I believe they still go by the name of "Canada" geese.

Second Avenue

Pedestrian access to Roosevelt Island from Manhattan is via the Roosevelt Island Tramway, a cable car.

This is the view down Second Avenue just before arriving at the tramway station on Manhattan.