America was on the hunt for a unique centerpiece to outshine the 1889 World Fair's Eiffel Tower for…read morethe 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Enter George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., an engineer with a head for heights and a knack for defying gravity with a dream about building a giant, rotating wheel. An early version placed three of the wheels--each 50 feet tall--at Asbury Park and Atlantic City in New Jersey, as well as at Coney Island in New York. This grand spectacle, the Ferris Wheel, is an iconic symbol of fun, frolic, and fright, providing a panoramic view of the landscape with each towering rotation. For some of us, family member and I took a spin on the Dream Wheel by Skyviews at American Dream, located in East Rutherford. There are 27 climate-controlled gondolas that offer thrilling views of the Manhattan skyline, including sights of the Empire State Building, One World Trade, 30 Hudson Yards, and Vanderbilt Tower, and in NJ, overlooking the American Dream Mall, the epic MetLife Stadium, and beyond. The ride duration lasts about 20 min and goes around only once really slowly. If your party is less than 6, one shares the gondola with other visitors. This is just your run-of-the-mill tourist attraction without going into Manhattan, and if one's budget allows doing something extravagant, then go!

I'm normally scared of Ferris wheels because they are slow but move too much. This does not scare…read moreme. It's enclosed and goes very slow. There's seating when you pay for the VIP option and you can connect to the Bluetooth for music. The staff here are nice and friendly. My family had a great and memorable time. My son talks about it often and wants to do this again

Dream Mall has loads of attractions and today we went to this ones!…read more Sunsets have always been a sight to behold of, but on this ride when hitting the very top and seeing the sunset at its peek really does hit different. We got the gold pass which is 30$ compared to the economy which is 24$, but when it's not busy, I recommend economy since we were the only ones there and that defeated the purpose of a private ride. Overall worth trying at least one.

A popular thing to do at the dream wheel is for couples to pay extra for a private gondola to have…read moresex in there as they are the only ones in each cabin - its kinda gross, but the guy running it sometimes hoses it down in there after they come out - so it must be expected - I caught one couple still at it when the cabin got back to ground level - it was pretty nasty, I wasn't getting in that one

A bit of history in central park ft any history lovers. You do not see these old style carousels…read moremuch these days.. definitely worthy of a visit. Here is what the official website states. The first model was originally installed in 1871. The Carousel is one of Central Park's most popular and famous attractions. Since the first carousel arrived, there have been a total of four distinct models with the original model being powered by a horse or mule which walked in a concealed compartment underground below the attraction. The animals were taught to start and stop with the sound of a foot tap from the ride's operator above. The carousel installed at Central Park today is the Friedsam Memorial Carousel. It is considered one of New York City's finest examples of American folk art. It was crafted in 1908 by artisans Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein. It features 57 hand-carved brightly caparisoned horses, two ornately embellished chariots and a mechanical organ. The structure was found in an old BMT trolley terminal at Coney Island. It was donated to Central Park by the Michael Friedsam Foundation in 1951. A ceremonial marker was placed on the exterior wall of the carousel building on the carousel's dedication day on July 2, 1951. This carousel was notably mentioned in J. D. Salinger's novel "The Catcher in the Rye" and is featured in the Marvel TV series "The Punisher" (though filming took place at the Forest Park carousel in Queens).

Yeesh. This carousel has definitely seen better days. While the price seemed reasonable, that was…read moreabout the only charming thing about it. The interior was "decorated" for Halloween with cheap cutouts and witches, etc. They have a no cell phone policy while the carousel is moving, for safety reasons I guess?? I think it's worth doing once to say you did, but that's about it.

This was a pleasant surprise to discover a boathouse in Hoboken which gives free kayaks in the…read moresummers. I was here in the summers of 2012 to try out kayaks in the waters of hudson. The staff was helful and everybody was made to sign a constent form in the begining. The had the lockers for $2 fee to store the personal items. They had bascially cordoned off one end of the hudson river and we were allowed to ride kayaks within that area. The kayaks were good and they had an option of picking up a kayak with single or double riders. Overall I really had fun riding the kayaks, I would definitely be back next summers.

Was introduced to this gem last summer & am always shocked that more people don't know about it…read more You can kayak & take SUP boards out on the Hudson River with the NYC skyline behind you - for free! Everyone on the boathouse is extremely friendly and if it's your first time in a kayak or trying SUP, they are there to help. And the views are just surreal. You can be standing on a SUP board while cruise ships are passing you or while the sun is setting behind the beautiful NYC skyline. Honestly had to pinch myself every time I was out there. The Boathouse also organizes public trips - an exhilarating adventure & a fun way to meet new people. I took an outrigger (with the help of an experienced volunteer) to Red Hook. The kayaks are in great condition & they also provide life jackets. No more sitting in 2+ hours of traffic to get to the Jersey Shore... If you are in need of beach time fun, just head to the Hoboken Boathouse!

Like most of you who will be reading this review, I was looking for a place close to NYC to camp…read moreovernight with a few friends, but didn't want to spend too much time traveling out of the NYC area. This was one of my friend's first time camping, and as such, we choose Gateway National Park (Floyd Bennett Field). Here is some information that we wish we had known before booking. Overall, it was good to get out of the city, but there are some downsides as described below. 1) Get some good bug spay cause there are lots of mosquitoes. A couple of trails were actually closed due to the mosquitoes in the area. However, once we lathered ourselves with insect repellent with 99.9% Deet, the bugs didn't mess with us too much. 2) The raccoons come out at night. We were informed that there was a raccoon problem, and that you should put all of your food before dark. The person was right. Make sure you bring something to store the food in (cooler or other locking container) and you will not have any problems. 3) The campsites are pretty much in an open field. Sites T14 and T15 have some privacy, but the rest are open for everyone to see. Also, the grey on the campsite map is a real depiction of the paved areas. The areas surrounding the campsites are old paved runways, so expect cars and motorcycles driving around the area. 4) Noise...what noise? Having previously participated in a couple of 5Ks at Floyd Bennett Field, I knew that there could be some activities there during the day. However, we were truly surprised at the incessant woman on the loudspeaker screaming "3..2..1..GOOO!", the guy practicing landing a helicopter from 2:00 - 8:00 PM, the jets flying over to land at JFK until 11:00 PM (not too bad, because the noise was mostly subdued by the woman on the loud speaker), and the jets taking off starting at 6:00 AM (this was a LOUD wake up call). 5) There are flushable and clean bathrooms by the camp store that are open from 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM. Also, you can purchase firewood at the camp store. The staff there are very friendly and can also provide tips on local food and entertainment.

This place is awful. It smells like trash because dumpsters are overflowing, we couldn't find any…read moredirection regarding where to check in so we spent 45min trying to find someone that worked here. We found heroin needles and broken glass on the mini beach. Also broken glass is just everywhere.

Finally. Years ago I…read moregave up trying to visit this enclosed bird sanctuary. Their opening hours were ridiculously restrictive and their group-only reservations hard to get. I'm not sure when, but their schedule is now very approachable, and everybody can get in with little to no wait. Somebody before me wrote that once you are inside this beautiful green space, it doesn't even feel like being in New York City. I'll add that it doesn't feel like being in Central Park, either. When this section of Central Park was created, this promontory was left wild on purpose (read about this in the picture I uploaded with its history). I'm not much of a bird watcher, but supposedly, this can be a wonderful place to watch these creatures. However, you don't need to be a bird passionate to enjoy this green space: towering trees, rugged boulders, clear vistas and even a waterfall (seasonal) make this a true gem to walk around. Paths are kept clean and dry, so you don't have to worry about getting your shoes muddy. They do specify that no more than 20 people at a time are allowed inside. However, I happened to drop by on a Tuesday afternoon around 4p (with gorgeous weather) and didn't have to wait to get in (nobody was at the entrance gate to check, so I'm not sure how they can reinforce this rule). Hours are advertised as follows: 10 AM to 30 minutes prior to sunset 7 days per week. Year round Hours are weather permitting and subject to change due to maintenance No more than 20 visitors may enter at a time. Visitors must stay on the trails at all times. Dogs, bicycles, skateboards and rollerblades are not permitted. Carry out what you carry in. There are no trash cans in the Sanctuary.

It is a jungle out there !…read more Well you can make believe a little in Central Park. Birds can fly anywhere so what they did here was limit the park pathway, put a gate and less and open spaces to hopefully make the birds think they escaped the hustle and bustle of the city. Let me tell you some birds are real smart and can't be fooled so easily but they do appreciate the extra green. And if you suddenly got Bird watching fever after seeing a Nat-Geo TV show well you can come here with binocular in hand and hope you get lucky and spot a bird you don't see everyday in NY.

It's a nice park to run, walk, bike, and play basketball during the morning. That is the time I…read morevisited on a Monday. Some great scenery in certain areas.

I stayed at roughly Central Park West and 100th during a recent trip to NYC. I was in the west side…read moreof the park twice during my trip. The park is beautiful and well maintained. One day I walked across the park to get from the West side to the East side. You have to walk or take ground transportation. There is no subway that will get you across the park. It's a lovely walk!

Ok, I must admit to trying out Suicide Hill with some friends years back after a snowfall. I'm old…read moreenough to know better but young enough to still make stupidly bad decisions. Some cardboard or plastic is all you need to go flying down this steep hill and into a chain link fence. A few bumps and bruises later and I was done. Good thing we all had a few drinks in us at the time! Felt no pain! Until the next day, ouch!

Suicide Hill 04/10/22…read more Suicide Hill is any hill the someone goes down (sledding, skating, etc.) that could possibly end in disaster, such as getting run over by a car in the street. New York City has several "Suicide Hills" in several boroughs. At Manhattan Fort Tryon Park, there's a "suicide hill" where someone sledded into the street and died. At Manhattan's Riverside Drive and 91st Street, there's another "suicide hill." That's this location. At Manhattan's Central Park on West Park Drive between 104th Street and 110th Street, there's a "suicide hill" where bicyclists became tired, and gangs of kids would swarm out of bushes and steal the bikes. I'm familiar with climbing this hill too. As I said I'm familiar with this location on Riverside Drive. I go for the hike and views. I would never go sledding down the hill. I already had one sledding experience with my cousin. It was when I was little holding on his back with my arms around his waist when he headed down the hill. We hit the fence and he lost his front tooth. I'm sure he got a beating from his father too. Oh memories......sled at your own risk.