Day 5 started on a slightly stressful note. Mihir and I had an intense conversation about how to optimize our plan to include the places we missed on Day 1. I really wanted to experience the calmer, non-crazy side of New York City, and that was the only reason Roosevelt Island was on the list. It wasn’t just about riding the famous tram – it was about enjoying the peace, open spaces, and views the island offers. After some discussion, we finally decided to begin our day there and then cover the remaining places one by one.
✔️ Plan for Day 5
- Roosevelt Island
- Intrepid Museum
- Hudson Yards: Chelsea Market, The High Line, Vessel, The Edge
- Pier 57, Little Island
- Evening Ferry from Pier 11 (SV route on NYC Ferry)
Visiting Roosevelt Island
How We Reached Roosevelt Island
We got ready, took the F subway line, and reached Tramway Plaza. From there, we hopped on the Roosevelt Island Tram, which is covered by the MetroCard. The moment the tram rises above the city, you instantly get beautiful views – it’s a short ride, but worth it.
Roosevelt Island also has a free red bus service, so we boarded the bus at the tram station and rode to the last stop – Southpoint Park – to explore the views and greenery.
A board at the entrance mentioned that the park closes in the evening, so visiting it first turned out to be a great decision.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park Experience
At the entrance of the park, we saw a flock of ducks resting in the shade. There were clean washrooms and a water dispenser near the gate. While filling our bottles, a few ducks came close and started making noise – it seemed they were thirsty, so we poured some water for them, and they happily drank it.
It was almost noon, and the park was nearly empty. Despite the heat, the atmosphere was calm, cool, and peaceful. We walked all the way to The Room, clicked pictures, and enjoyed watching seaplanes landing on the water.
At the entrance stands an old Smallpox Hospital built in 1856, which is an interesting historical structure.
➤ The park remains closed on Tuesdays.
➤ Summer hours: 9 AM – 7 PM | Winter hours: 9 AM – 5 PM.
Heading Back
We exited the park, took the shuttle bus back to the metro station, and stopped by the Visitor Center near the tram terminal. It’s a small setup, but it provides useful information about the island. We had a nice conversation with the lady at the desk before catching the F train to Rockefeller Center. From there, we took a bus to the Intrepid Museum.
We ended up waiting nearly 45 minutes for the bus, which unfortunately meant we couldn’t visit part of the Intrepid Museum.
Visiting the Intrepid Museum
After reaching, we passed through security and collected our tickets using the Go City attraction-based pass. The museum has both permanent and temporary exhibitions, and some special exhibits require an extra fee.
We had lunch at the café on the 1st floor before starting the museum tour.
The museum includes:
- A two-story main building
- The Intrepid aircraft carrier
- The Growler submarine
- The BA Concorde
The ship has four decks – Flight Deck, Gallery Deck, Hangar Deck, and Third Deck.
Flight Deck
The flight deck features:
- Propeller planes
- Fighter jets
- Helicopters
- Space Shuttle Pavilion
Inside the pavilion, they took a picture of us before entering, but it was too dark, so we didn’t buy it. Here we saw:
- The Enterprise (NASA orbiter prototype)
- A Soyuz capsule
- Several rotating artifacts
- VR/AR space experiences
- A temporary exhibit: “Mysteries from the Deep: Exploring Underwater Archaeology”
We spent around 30–45 minutes here. I really wish we had more time to explore in depth.
We also watched a short demonstration on a hydraulic platform used to move planes to lower decks for maintenance.
Other Decks
The other decks showcased:
- Life on the ship
- World War artifacts
- A LEGO model of the Intrepid
- A film on World War II
Yuven found the entire museum fascinating.
Growler Submarine & The BA Concorde
There was a queue for the submarine, but we skipped it due to a lack of time. We also didn’t get a chance to enter the Concorde, though we saw it from the outside.
The museum closes at 5:00 PM on weekdays, so plan accordingly. From here, we took an Uber straight to Hudson Yards.
Visiting Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards is New York’s newest and most modern neighborhood – a mix of luxurious shopping, public art, architecture, and great food. It is home to:
The Vessel at Hudson Yards
The Vessel is a honeycomb-style structure with 154 staircases and 80 landings, standing 150 feet tall. It offers beautiful views of the Hudson River and the skyline. Due to safety reasons, some staircases are closed, and certain open spaces are covered with white netting, slightly restricting the views.
Our Experience
We purchased $15 tickets from the kiosk outside and requested elevator access. There is only one elevator that fits five people and runs every 15 minutes, so you need to wait. Stairs are the better option for exploring.
The elevator ride itself feels unique because of the building’s architecture. There wasn’t much to see inside, so after a while we split – Mihir took the stairs while Yuven and I waited for the next elevator. Personally, I didn’t find the ticket price worth it, but Mihir got some great pictures and views while coming down.
We spent around 45 minutes exploring The Vessel and taking pictures outside. Since we had already done two observatories, we skipped The Edge.
💡 Tip: Buy a combo ticket for The Edge + The Vessel. It works out cheaper than buying individual tickets.
From here, we quickly checked out The Shed, which had some outdoor art displays.
Walking the High Line Park
The High Line is an elevated park built on a historic freight rail line above Manhattan’s West Side. It stretches from the Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards. The walk includes:
- Beautiful gardens
- Sculptures
- Public art
- Great city views
There are benches, drinking water stations, and washroom facilities along the pathway.
We walked through the gardens and sculptures while enjoying the evening breeze. We wanted to relax at the High Line Observation Deck, but it was closed for maintenance. There are multiple entry/exit points, but only a few are accessible. Since it was evening, the walk felt especially refreshing.
We reached near Chelsea Market, but didn’t stop – something I regret later while writing this blog!
Pier 57 – Sunset & Relaxation
I personally wanted to be at Pier 57 during sunset, so we skipped the planned ferry ride and headed directly there.
Pier 57 is a lively waterfront destination with:
- Market 57 food hall (curated by the James Beard Foundation)
- Rooftop parks
- Beautiful Hudson River views
- Community spaces
It was bustling with runners, dog walkers, families, friends grabbing food, office-goers having early drinks, and a few people taking work calls.
Right next to it is Little Island, with its tulip-shaped pillars. We didn’t visit inside but enjoyed its architecture from afar.
Wrapping up the day
After sunset, we took a cab to Times Square for dinner. We wanted to eat at a famous pizza spot, Joe’s Pizza, but the queue was too long, so we went to Patiala, an Indian restaurant. They had cover charges, so we decided to take our meal away (To Go) and eat in our hotel room. After such a long day, a good meal was all we needed.
While writing this blog, I realized we should have eaten at Chelsea Market – it came up so many times during my research, but slipped my mind. Sharing this so others don’t make the same mistake!
It was a long day with a lot of walking, but we covered so many different sides of the city in just one day.
✨ Stay tuned for Day 6, where we continue ticking off our bucket list while trying to balance our energy after so much walking!
🗓️ Read how we spent our previous day exploring Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty…
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