Day 1. I reached New York via an overnight flight from San Francisco. Went straight from the airport to my hostel at Amsterdam Avenue and 103th Street. I have stayed at Hostelling International several times, once in LA, once in San Francisco and now in New York. The hostel here is clean and cheap and you get a good mix of people from all over the world. It was too early to check in so I left my luggage in the locker and head out to explore New York City. Armed with only a Eyewitness travel guidebook, I navigate along the streets and reached my first destination - Central Park. It was 930 on a saturday morning and Central park is packed with people. Joggers, bikers, strollers. Everyone just enjoying the peace and quiet and the greens. Its a rather good feeling, walking around the park except that the weather is really hot. Hotter than Singapore.
Beside Central Park is the American Museum of Natural History. I always wanted to visit this museum. Partly due to the movie Night at the Museum.
The outer facade of the Museum is currently under renovation. If you intend to be there, try to be early. I reached there at 11 and its already packed but I could get in rather easily. When I left at 1pm, the queue to get in was freaking long. Not nice to queue for hours under the hot sun. Well I was glad I went there early. 
The museum is massive and there are lots of exhibits to go through. I spent 2 hours there and I didnt finish seeing everything. Of course one of the main attraction is the prehistoric dinosaurs exhibit and here is the famous T-rex.
The Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. The entire hall dedicated to ocean life. The giant 94-foot-long model of a blue whale is the main attraction right at the center of the hall. This hall displays creatures and environments from across the globe. It underwent a major renovation and was reopened in May, 2003. The 29,000-square-foot hall was transformed through current scientific research and cutting-edge exhibition technology into a fully immersive marine environment with video projection screens and interactive computer stations.
Akeley Hall of African Mammals. The hall is named after Carl Akeley (1864-1926), the explorer, conservationist, taxidermist, sculptor, and photographer who conceived of, designed, and collected for the hall. The hall was opened in 1936 and the elephants exhibit is the main attraction.Beside the museum there is the Rose center for air and space. I watched a 20 mins show called "Journey to the Stars" narrated by Whoopi Goldberg in the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater. As the theater goes out, you are fully immersed in space filled with stars. The 360 degree screen right above you makes you feel you are flying right through space. Awesome experience. 
After the show, the center has numerous exhibits for visitors to browse through. One of which is the Willamette Meteorite. This meteorite crashed onto Earth thousands of years ago and was slowly weathered by rain creating the huge craters as seen in the photograph.
After an educational tour, I walked along the streets, passing the Lincoln Center for the performing arts. I guess its like our Esplanade center. Didnt get a chance to go in.
Further down on 59th street is a very busy stretch called columbus circle, named after Christopher Columbus. Around that area is the Trump International Hotel and the Time Warner Building. Its a major transportation hub where most of the subway lines converged at this station. The golden statue in the photograph is the Maine Monument which is dedicated to the 260 "valiant seamen who perished in the American battleship Maine by fate unwarned in death unafraid" in 1898.
Radio City Music Hall at Rockefeller Center.
Right beside the rockefeller center on 5th Avenue is the beautiful St Patrick's Cathedral. The cathedral was completed in 1878 and dedicated on May 25, 1879
There was a ceremony going on when I was inside. The interior of the cathedral is absolutely beautiful and majestic.
After the show, the center has numerous exhibits for visitors to browse through. One of which is the Willamette Meteorite. This meteorite crashed onto Earth thousands of years ago and was slowly weathered by rain creating the huge craters as seen in the photograph.
After an educational tour, I walked along the streets, passing the Lincoln Center for the performing arts. I guess its like our Esplanade center. Didnt get a chance to go in.
Further down on 59th street is a very busy stretch called columbus circle, named after Christopher Columbus. Around that area is the Trump International Hotel and the Time Warner Building. Its a major transportation hub where most of the subway lines converged at this station. The golden statue in the photograph is the Maine Monument which is dedicated to the 260 "valiant seamen who perished in the American battleship Maine by fate unwarned in death unafraid" in 1898.
Radio City Music Hall at Rockefeller Center.
Right beside the rockefeller center on 5th Avenue is the beautiful St Patrick's Cathedral. The cathedral was completed in 1878 and dedicated on May 25, 1879 There was a ceremony going on when I was inside. The interior of the cathedral is absolutely beautiful and majestic.A walk down 5th Avenue leads me to Grand Central Station on 42nd street and Lexington Avenue.
The Grand Central narrowly escaped demolition and was restored and rededicated to become one of New York City finest landmark.
The main hall in grand central.
A few blocks down is the New York Public Library. The New York Public Library is the second largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research library.
The grand Rose Main Reading room.
The Grand Central narrowly escaped demolition and was restored and rededicated to become one of New York City finest landmark.
The main hall in grand central.
A few blocks down is the New York Public Library. The New York Public Library is the second largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research library.
The grand Rose Main Reading room.After a whole day of walking. I head back to my hostel to prepare for my 5 day Washington DC, Niagara falls and Boston tour the next morning.
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