First day in New York, and my first trip to New York City since 2017. We spent the night before in Frankfurt to catch an early flight on Saturday 8 November 2025. When we landed, Manhattan had a clear blue sky and autumn colours everywhere.
The flight from Frankfurt to New York
We take off from Frankfurt Terminal 1 on Singapore Airlines flight SQ 26, heading for Terminal 4 at JFK airport.
JFK to Manhattan without a taxi
You don’t need a taxi to get to Manhattan: it usually costs less than 15 dollars per person and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. Just follow the AirTrain signs and get off at Jamaica station, in Queens. There’s no ticket to buy at the entrance, you only pay when you exit.
At Jamaica you have two options: the subway, which isn’t very practical with big suitcases, or the LIRR, a little more expensive but more comfortable. You can pay with a contactless bank card or your watch. I had a MetroCard, but it’s being phased out soon. To find the right line to your hotel, Google Maps does the job very well.
First steps in Chelsea
We arrive in Chelsea and immediately feel the scale of the city: everything here is big, tall, enormous.
A drink facing the Flatiron Building
Our room isn’t ready yet, so we head to Madison Square, where Fifth Avenue meets Broadway, and sit down on a terrace. Blue sky, perfect temperature, and right in front of us the Flatiron Building and the MetLife Tower.
The Flatiron was built in 1902 in the Beaux-Arts style. It gets its name from its clothes-iron shape, and its tip is only 2 metres wide. The only letdown: it’s under renovation and hidden behind scaffolding.
In Madison Square Park, we also walk past the statue of William Henry Seward.
Eataly, a slice of Italy in New York
Right next to the Flatiron, we walk into Eataly. It’s huge, and it really feels like Italy: fresh fish, fresh pasta, handmade ravioli, a grocery, coffee, polpette… Most of the products come straight from Italy, and the Christmas decorations are already up.
Our hotel in Chelsea and the skyline view
Finally in our room at the Hyatt Place New York / Chelsea, and the view is hard to describe: the Financial District skyline, One World Trade Center and even the Statue of Liberty in the distance. After the long flight, we rest and enjoy the view during the day, at sunset and then at night.
To end the day, our first New York burger and fries, at the hotel bar, with its hot sauce. Verdict: very good, both the burger and the fries, nothing like fast food back in France.
Practical info
- Flight: SQ 26 (Singapore Airlines), Frankfurt Terminal 1 → New York JFK Terminal 4.
- JFK → Manhattan: AirTrain to Jamaica, then the subway or the LIRR. About 1 h 15, under 15 dollars per person.
- Paying on public transport: contactless bank card or smartwatch.
- Hotel: Hyatt Place New York / Chelsea.
- Around Madison Square: the Flatiron Building, the MetLife Tower, the William H. Seward statue and Eataly.