Expan Experience: The viewpoints of New York

Have you ever wondered why New York City is known as the city that never sleeps ? Everywhere you look, at any time of day, something is happening. When the sun sets over Central Park , the show has only just begun. The lights of Times Square transform the night into an endless day, Broadway theaters work their magic, and restaurants, bars, rooftops, and viewpoints vibrate with the murmur of conversation and laughter.

In this edition of Expan Experience , Denis Jamett , Head of Products and Systems at Expan Tours , tells us about his recent adventure in New York, exploring its main tourist attractions, such as its famous viewpoints, and the most outstanding new developments in this metropolis, charged with an energy that is contagious to each of the travelers who choose NYC as their destination .

The Business Expo 2024 experience

" This experience was an invitation extended to us by the New York City Convention and Visitors Bureau , as well as Delta Air Lines , within the framework of the South America Business Expo 2024 , a workshop held this year in New York , with the purpose of connecting the main suppliers of the tourism industry in New York , which can be hotels , local operators , transfers , attractions , etc., and tour operators from South America , ensuring a business relationship that tends to increase our passengers in the destination and gives us the tools to offer the best experience for each passenger profile ."

That's why we were invited, in addition to Chile , Argentina , Brazil , Peru , Colombia , which are the main markets that are driving New York on this side of the globe ."

New York is amazing

" As for the destination , I really liked New York . I went with low expectations because I had previously been to Los Angeles , which is a very iconic city in American culture , one you always see in movies and is very crowded. I went with that feeling, that New York was a very big and bustling city, with lots of people in the streets and a certain feeling of insecurity, but the truth is that I had an experience nothing like that ."

New York struck me as a very modern city, full of life, and I never felt unsafe . It was quite crowded because August is like a vacation time for Americans since it's summer, and that gives the city a special dynamism and a very cosmopolitan feel, as many different cultures coexist on every block: Americans , Latinos , Asians , African Americans , Europeans , etc.

Every block felt like I was inside a movie set , something I'd watched on TV or at the cinema since I was a kid. I spent a lot of time admiring the skyscrapers , the neon signs , the food carts , the typical brick buildings with exposed emergency stairs , and even the steam rising from the streets was quite an experience for me .

The best part of this event was that we were given an unlimited MetroCard for the duration of our stay. It's the card New Yorkers use for the subway and buses , similar to our Bip! card . This allowed us to explore the city at our own pace and go wherever we wanted. I found it to be a very walkable city. The subway reaches practically every corner with countless connections between lines, so it was very easy to get lost and then find your way back (this happened to us many times, and we have many stories from those adventures ) .

It can be considered an expensive destination , since eating , buying souvenirs , and purchasing tickets to the various attractions add up to a significant budget, but there are options, such as buying attraction coupons, which saves a considerable amount of money compared to buying tickets individually. Therefore, it's a trip that needs to be planned in advance , and you should bring enough money. There are many attractions , and you'll want to see them all, wanting to pay for each one. It creates a feeling of anxiety about not missing anything. However, satisfaction is guaranteed here, as it's a destination that's worth every penny .

New York's observation decks: The Summit experience

" I visited the four main observation decks in New York : Summit , Edge , Rockefeller Center , and the Empire State Building . While the main attraction is obviously the panoramic views of the city from the top of the skyscrapers , each of these observation decks differs in the additional attractions that make it unique ."

For example, the Summit is a much more immersive experience ; it has many interactive rooms . There's a hall of mirrors where, in addition to seeing the city, you see distorted images because of the mirrors above and below , making it a very psychedelic room visually .

Then you go into another room where there are some works of art on the floor, then you go into another room where there are their typical metallic balls or balloons that flutter all over the room , on the ceiling and on the floor… you kick them and everything moves with these colors and you take lots of pictures , to the rhythm of dance music , it's a whole party and the children go crazy with this experience .

Just before entering the Summit , they take a biometric photo , the purpose of which isn't entirely clear, and then you forget about it until suddenly, in the middle of the tour through several rooms , you enter one where images of clouds are projected onto the walls, moving and transforming into your face . The Summit is a super entertaining experience , with very playful games .

Edge and Rockefeller Center

" In contrast, the Edge is a viewpoint that feels like it's in the upper part of Manhattan . Here you have views towards the Hudson River and you can see the Statue of Liberty in the background, because it's very close to the docks where the boats leave for the Statue ."

The Edge is a platform that juts out slightly from the building , featuring a corner that juts outwards, framed with thick glass. You can also take photos on the floor, as it has a section of glass , creating a vertigo-inducing experience where you look down and see the precipice . The most extreme can pay extra to go up a couple more floors, strap into a harness , and jump backward into the abyss .

Rockefeller Center is one of the iconic buildings in the heart of the city. From this observation deck, you have a view of the surrounding buildings . Both the building and the experience it offers have been remodeled; it's a more lounge-like atmosphere, with bars and facilities that allow you to enjoy the experience in greater comfort .

Movie experience at the Empire State Building

" In the Empire State Building , which is also a New York icon from the 1930s, there are many references to movies and TV shows. King Kong appears on screens that resemble windows, where he peeks out and you can take pictures . King Kong's hands extend from the room and appear on these screens ; it's a very realistic experience . It's super entertaining and they guarantee you'll get some very Instagrammable photos ."

At the Empire State Building, they've added even more floors. It's a three-stage experience : you reach the 80th floor, where you learn how the building was constructed. It's very interactive because there are many giant screens showing the workers who built the Empire State Building in real size, so you look around and feel like you're right in the middle of the construction .

Then on the 86th floor, there's this movie experience featuring King Kong . Then, on the 102nd floor, there's a 360-degree observation deck , but there's no glass , just a mesh screen, so you can take pictures much more easily because the light doesn't reflect .

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Recommendations for exploring New York and its viewpoints

" As recommendations that I can give, it is important to organize the trip to New York in advance to have more variety of prices in hotels and choose a hotel that includes breakfast ."

It's also incredibly convenient, as I did, to travel with an eSIM because it allows you to stay connected , since many parts of New York are digital . Your tickets are digital , you can pay with digital credit cards on your phone , and it's a city for taking lots of photos , constantly uploading them to social media . The eSIM was a lifesaver; it saved me because the New York subway is huge, and you have to be very focused and connected to know which train is coming, at what time, and which one to get on. We often got on the wrong train and had to go back, so it's essential to be connected at all times .

In addition, it's very useful to buy ticket and admission vouchers . There are several brands; one of the best known is City Pass , and another is Go City . These offer a wide variety of attractions at a much lower price. This allows you the freedom to choose attractions at your destination , depending on your mood or where you happen to be walking around. These are included in the vouchers , which is obviously much cheaper than buying them individually .

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