2015 New York City Trip Highlights

Early in March of this year, a group of juniors and seniors boarded a bus to one of the most famous and well-known cities in the world — New York. Seeing everything from the Freedom Tower to the MetLife Stadium to a show on Broadway, this trip was an experience that the students who attended will never forget. Here are five of the most exciting and interesting things that they did during their trip:

1. A tour of the United States Military Academy at West Point- Just 50 miles from New York City, the USMA at West Point is situated above the Hudson River in Orange County. An Army base was originally founded there in 1778 due to its strategic location and the Americans’ need to defend themselves from the British during the Revolutionary War, and has been in use ever since. The military academy was founded at the same location in 1802, and has also been functioning continually. Credited as the most prestigious military academy in the United States, West Point is an amazing, historic and picturesque place to see. Weedsport students were taken on a guided tour of the campus, seeing things such as the oldest chapel at West Point, where the cadets train and live, and numerous monuments dedicated to specific wars, battles and famous leaders of the Army.

2. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum- With the memorial having been completed in 2011 and the museum in 2014, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum is now one of the most famous and harrowing places in all of New York City. Run by a nonprofit organization, the complex is commemorated to the 2,977 people killed in the September 11 attacks of 2001 and the six people killed in the World Trade Center Bombing of 1993. When students arrived, they were allowed to view the two massive fountains who show where the Twin Towers once stood, and saw the plaques engraved with the names of those who were killed in the attacks. Afterwards, they went into the museum which is located beneath the fountains in the old foundations of the towers. So quiet you could hear a pin drop, there you could see things from pictures of the people killed, to small objects found in the wreckage to the now twisted steel beams which once supported those massive towers. A truly harrowing experience, everyone who visited said they were extremely glad they had the chance to visit this deep and moving place.

3. Trip to the top of the Empire State Building- Completed in 1931 and standing at 1,454 feet tall with 102 floors, the Empire State Building is probably the most famous structure in the United States, and one of the most well-recognized across the globe. The building is currently the fourth tallest in the U.S. and 25th tallest in the world. Additionally, this culture icon recently went under a massive restoration project in 2010, worth approximately $670 million! After a dinner under the building at Heartland Brewery, students took an elevator ride 86 floors up to the Empire State Building’s observation deck. From there, they were allowed to see one of the most famous views in the entire world. Things such as the Freedom Tower, Times Square, Rockefeller Center and even pedestrians could be seen from this vantage point. It felt as though you could see every light in the whole city for miles and miles and miles. After absorbing what they were seeing and taking a few selfies, students hurried back to where it was warm as it was pretty windy up there, and cold…to say the least.

4. Seeing Phantom of the Opera on Broadway- Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1986 and based off of a French novel, The Phantom of the Opera is an extremely famous play that has been performed on Broadway, the West End of London and countless other places. About two-and-a-half hours long and comprised of two scenes, this play is very artistic and widely considered one of history’s most famous. It is based on an opera singer who falls in loves with a horribly disfigured man that has been terrorizing the theater where she performs. As the story unfolds the young lady must decide who to choose, the disfigured “Phantom” or a man that she has loved for a longer amount of time. On the third day of their trip after a long day of sightseeing, students cleaned up and put on some dress clothes and headed for New York’s Majestic Theater. After getting tickets and seeing the play, many had mixed reviews. Some said it was the best they had ever seen, while others claimed it was a bit too bland for their liking. Either way, they were all excited to say they had seen a play on Broadway!

5. Shopping on 5th Avenue- After a long day of sitting in traffic and a few bus breakdowns, everyone was relieved to hear they would be allowed to have three full hours to shop and walk on the famous 5th Avenue. 5th Avenue is often called one of the most expensive streets in the world as it boasts high-end stores such as: Versace, Coach, Tiffany and Co., Dolce and Gabbana and Michael Kors, to name just a few. Many students only visited these stores as no one had quite enough money to buy as much as a shirt, yet they were able to shop at others such as Polo and Nike. Not only was it amazing to see designer stores, the buildings along 5th Ave. were just as magnificent. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center and the Trump Tower were a few of such buildings that everyone was amazed to see. Returning to the buses at about 10 o’clock with shopping bags in hand, many students were thankful this was the last event of the day and they would finally be allowed to sleep!