United States > Driving through Times Square

We have breakfast at Grandma's Pies & Restaurant, a cozy little eatery in Albany. Grandma specializes in pancakes and omelets. The place is busy, already decorated in Halloween style. Many locals also come here for a quick breakfast. After breakfast, we cross the Hudson River and drive inland to Poughkeepsie.

United States - Daily life on a small island

Along the way, we pass many small villages. The mainly wooden houses with porches make it feel as if we are driving through the 1950s. After about two hours, we arrive in Poughkeepsie. Here lies the longest pedestrian bridge in the world. The Walkway over the Hudson River was built in 1889 as a railway bridge. For a long time, with a span of over two kilometers, it was also the longest railroad bridge. After the bridge was severely damaged by a fire in 1974, it fell into disuse and decay. Only at the beginning of this century, in 2009, was the bridge renovated and made suitable for walkers and cyclists. We walk onto the bridge. From the 65-meter-high structure, we look out over the town of Poughkeepsie and the Hudson River. At the riverbank, we order a drink. From Poughkeepsie, it’s another two hours’ drive to New York City—the final destination of our trip. Although our hotel is in Brooklyn, we decide to drive through Manhattan, which will undoubtedly take us a bit more time. Traffic in downtown New York can be dramatic. As we approach the city, we turn onto Broadway. This is the longest and most famous street in the city. We have to follow it for fourteen kilometers. The cross streets in New York are numbered, starting with One Street at Wall Street. There is a street every hundred meters. We are now at 209th Street. Slowly, we move from traffic light to traffic light, carefully keeping an eye on the other traffic. On the right lane, cars frequently stop to load and unload. Everyone quickly swerves around, only to return once left-turning traffic halts in the middle of the road. As we drive further into the city, the skyscrapers grow taller. We pass through the Bronx and Harlem. At 90th Street, Central Park begins. On the other side of the park, at 60th Street, is the Theatre District, which Broadway is so famous for. We see theaters on both sides, surrounded by bright billboards. We drive into Times Square—what a thrill to be here. Via 9th Avenue, we continue to Lower Manhattan. A fire truck with sirens is trying to make its way through the traffic.

United States - Pathway to the beach lined with tropical plants

Where to start? It’s Friday afternoon, rush hour. Near the Financial District, we get stuck too. There is no movement in the traffic ahead. At the intersections, the various directions block each other. Traffic controllers try to manage the flow, but in vain. Fortunately, it turns out the line is for the Holland Tunnel, which we don’t need to go through. We drive on to the Brooklyn Bridge. From this iconic bridge, we have a view of the New York skyline. In one word—amazing to drive over it. We arrive in the Brooklyn neighborhood, where our hotel is located. By now, we’ve been driving through the city for three hours and covered maybe thirty kilometers. Yet it was an incredible experience. From the hotel, on the fourth floor, we have a view of Manhattan. Twilight has fallen, and the city lights are coming on. A beautiful sight. We decide to eat nearby. At John Brown Smokehouse, we have spare ribs with fries. The atmosphere is wonderfully American. We’re really going to miss this.