New York City
New York City is not just the city that never sleeps but it is also the city that holds cultural diversity and a marvelous history. Whether you are walking in Central Park in Uptown Manhattan admiring the beautiful sight of this urban country’s own oasis or walking up and down the stairs of the Empire State building, you get an impact of how different this city really is from everywhere else. You not only get a whiff of various ethnic backgrounds with both the population and its many restaurants, however, you feel what great power an interracial city holds. Not only tolerance, something the world needs more of, yet a new – if not better – way of life. If you are planning to go on an experience that you’ll never forget, why not visit this metropolis and get what you have been waiting for.
Before you start planning what sights to see and when, why not decide on a form of transportation. Maybe you are thinking of being your own transportation, such as probably renting a car or using your own. Yet, I should advise you that the sights you would be traveling to would most likely be the hardest places to find a parking spot for. After all, New York City is not one of the least populated areas, as we all know. If you are thinking of taking a train then you should probably know that trains can be rather risky. If this is your first time in Manhattan, you might get lost going from one station to the next.
The best solution to your problem would have to be becoming part of a New York Sightseeing Tour Bus. These buses have a great system. Especially the “Hop-on and Hop-off” tour bus option. This option allows you to dismount the bus when you reach one of the sights you wish to stay and watch. When you have finished, you just go onto the next bus that comes by at your stop. Some great factors of using this type of transportation includes the fact that you will not have to spend money on gas, which brings a grand sigh of relief because of the current gas prices. Also, if you are not used to the traffic in Manhattan, you might get overwhelmed by the chaos. Being part of the bus tour, you will not have to be faced with driving and getting lost, seeing as someone else who knows the city relatively well will be driving you around.
If you are questioning the amount of time you can be at an area, you should know that there is no time limit at all because buses pass methodically so you won’t have to worry about missing your ride. Also, these buses are quite conspicuous. Not only are they mostly double-decker buses but they have a coating of vibrant red that allows you to spot them almost immediately. If you decide to take a walk, you can take another bus at the next stop, so it doesn’t matter where you get off, as long as you keep your ticket.
As to the actual sights in New York City, beginning from Downtown Manhattan to Uptown, one of the largest tourist attractions would have to be The Empire State Building. The Empire State Building is located at 350 Fifth Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Street. The beauty of this building is that you are able to see New York City from a different point a view that not many people have been able to come across. Even if you have gone or lived in New York City for many years, if you have not seen the view from the very top of this building, you have not seen anything.
The Empire State Building is a “102-story contemporary Art Deco.” Shreve, Lamb and Harmon Associates designed this building and by 1931, what was once just a figment of imagination, was now tangible. This landscape is one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World. This fact was acknowledged by The American Society of Civil Engineers. Also, to finish the great reputation of this building, it belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers.
From the top of The Empire State Building, you can spot the Flatiron Building, which leads us to our next sight. This structure was originally known as The Fuller Building and was one of the tallest constructions when it was finished in 1902. What makes this building stand above the rest is its aerodynamic shape. It was designed by Daniel Burnham on a triangular block at 23rd Street, Fifth Avenue, and Broadway, facing Madison Square.
The residents of New York City, at the time, placed bets on the distance of where the debris would spread when the wind knocked down the edifice. The building was dubbed “the Flatiron” because it resembled the irons that they used in that time period. The tower is only two meters wide, which is rather remarkable as the building is 22 stories and even though it is not as high as The Empire State Building, it still is rather tall for just two meters of width. This structure is generally considered the oldest surviving skyscraper in Manhattan and truly is one of those buildings you will not find anywhere else. Something only New York City could hold.
If you wish to release the shopper inside of you, the tour bus can give you relief of carrying your bags as you head to Macy’s by Madison Garden. Seeing as New York City is the Fashion District, there are other places you can head to if you are still craving those clothing munchies. Some of these areas include the Union Square Shopping District (of course), the Greenwich Village, and Soho (Broadway and Spring Street.) All of these places can be your stop of choice on the “Hop-on and Hop-off” buses.
In New York City, the boutiques found in the Greenwich Village and Soho contain items that are one of a kind. If you are the individual type, why not buy a shirt you that are positive you will not see anyone else wearing? If that does not appeal to you, these boutiques also carry items that not only are the latest fashion but quite comfortable. Beauty does not always have to hurt.
For a taste of cultural diversity of Manhattan, why not head to Chinatown or Little Italy? The tour bus will drop you off and pick you up just a couple of blocks away. New York City is home to one of the largest Chinatowns in North America, so you will get a great feeling of being in another country without having to spend too much money. You can eat scrumptious cuisine in both Little Italy and Chinatown if you are not in the mood for the typical “burgers and fries.” In addition to eating food from a different culture, you can buy random knick-knacks to take to your loved ones as a souvenir.
Another well known attribute of New York City, is its view of the Statue of Liberty. This is another convenient stop of the tour buses. To see the Statue of Liberty, you can take the Staten Island Ferry, which is free. However, this is just a glimpse of the statue as the ferry passes by. If you truly are interested in the emigrational part of Ellis Island, you can head to the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island where records are held of whom exactly went by there and at what time.
If you are in the mood to just sit down and relax for a while, why not hit South Street Seaport? Aside from a serene view, there are a handful of restaurants that you can get a bite at, aside from a modern mall. Also, docked at the Seaport are a few historical sailing vessels, such as the Flying P-Liner, Peking and museum ships. The South Street Seaport is a large tourist attraction because it is commonly deemed as a historical district. The Seaport holds some of the oldest architecture in Downtown Manhattan. Fulton Street, which is fairly close, is preserved as cobblestone and has shops, bars, and restaurants.
The place where most tourists like to head to during the cold winter nights is the Rockefeller Center. According to an encyclopedia, the Rockefeller Center “is essentially a combination of two building complexes: the older Art-Deco office buildings from the 1930s and a set of four International-style towers built along the Avenue of the Americas during the 1960s and 1970s.” Now-a-days, every December, you can spot one of the largest Christmas Trees you will see in your entire life. At the lower lever of the Rockefeller Center, many people decide to ice skate during the winter in front of the infamous gilded statue of Prometheus lying down that was sculpted by Paul Manship. Also, the United States largest indoor theater is located in Rockefeller Center. This theater is known as The Radio City Music Hall.
Another sight that is heavily visited, not only by the tourists, is Central Park. Central Park is a place where the residents on New York City go for a simple run in the park, an outing for the children at the suitably placed Zoo, or even just to sit down and read a book by the pond and its inhabitants. Inhabitants such as turtles, ducks, and swans. Central park is not an area you can absorb everything in just one day. It is an area that every time you visit, you learn something new. One of the various sculptures that can be found in Central Park is Cleopatra’s Needle. Cleopatra’s Needle is the oldest sculpture in Central Park. Yet, it actually is an Egyptian obelisk of Tutmose III. Which, in turn, is much older than Cleopatra.
In the mood for some enlightenment? Why not head to 79th Street and Central Park West on the tour bus and enter the American Museum of Natural History. Here you can learn about various topics ranging from a full-size model of a Blue Whale to their notorious dinosaur exhibit. Maybe Dinosaurs aren’t your thing and instead you would rather check out the Central Park Conservatory Gardens, the Museum of the City of New York, the Smithsonian National Museum of Design, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. All of which are stops, just two blocks away or less, on the tour bus.
New York City is not just a place full of business and finance but respectfully contains areas where its true history is still maintained. It is not your typical day to day metropolis. Manhattan may be just an island, nevertheless, it holds more than a normal city does. Culture, history, and knowledge are just some aspects that New York City possesses. Aside from Manhattan’s typical reputation of being the city that never sleeps, it is also the city that you will never forget. With all of its breath-taking sights, you will always remember the beauty of this concrete jungle.
Before you start planning what sights to see and when, why not decide on a form of transportation. Maybe you are thinking of being your own transportation, such as probably renting a car or using your own. Yet, I should advise you that the sights you would be traveling to would most likely be the hardest places to find a parking spot for. After all, New York City is not one of the least populated areas, as we all know. If you are thinking of taking a train then you should probably know that trains can be rather risky. If this is your first time in Manhattan, you might get lost going from one station to the next.
The best solution to your problem would have to be becoming part of a New York Sightseeing Tour Bus. These buses have a great system. Especially the “Hop-on and Hop-off” tour bus option. This option allows you to dismount the bus when you reach one of the sights you wish to stay and watch. When you have finished, you just go onto the next bus that comes by at your stop. Some great factors of using this type of transportation includes the fact that you will not have to spend money on gas, which brings a grand sigh of relief because of the current gas prices. Also, if you are not used to the traffic in Manhattan, you might get overwhelmed by the chaos. Being part of the bus tour, you will not have to be faced with driving and getting lost, seeing as someone else who knows the city relatively well will be driving you around.
If you are questioning the amount of time you can be at an area, you should know that there is no time limit at all because buses pass methodically so you won’t have to worry about missing your ride. Also, these buses are quite conspicuous. Not only are they mostly double-decker buses but they have a coating of vibrant red that allows you to spot them almost immediately. If you decide to take a walk, you can take another bus at the next stop, so it doesn’t matter where you get off, as long as you keep your ticket.
As to the actual sights in New York City, beginning from Downtown Manhattan to Uptown, one of the largest tourist attractions would have to be The Empire State Building. The Empire State Building is located at 350 Fifth Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Street. The beauty of this building is that you are able to see New York City from a different point a view that not many people have been able to come across. Even if you have gone or lived in New York City for many years, if you have not seen the view from the very top of this building, you have not seen anything.
The Empire State Building is a “102-story contemporary Art Deco.” Shreve, Lamb and Harmon Associates designed this building and by 1931, what was once just a figment of imagination, was now tangible. This landscape is one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World. This fact was acknowledged by The American Society of Civil Engineers. Also, to finish the great reputation of this building, it belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers.
From the top of The Empire State Building, you can spot the Flatiron Building, which leads us to our next sight. This structure was originally known as The Fuller Building and was one of the tallest constructions when it was finished in 1902. What makes this building stand above the rest is its aerodynamic shape. It was designed by Daniel Burnham on a triangular block at 23rd Street, Fifth Avenue, and Broadway, facing Madison Square.
The residents of New York City, at the time, placed bets on the distance of where the debris would spread when the wind knocked down the edifice. The building was dubbed “the Flatiron” because it resembled the irons that they used in that time period. The tower is only two meters wide, which is rather remarkable as the building is 22 stories and even though it is not as high as The Empire State Building, it still is rather tall for just two meters of width. This structure is generally considered the oldest surviving skyscraper in Manhattan and truly is one of those buildings you will not find anywhere else. Something only New York City could hold.
If you wish to release the shopper inside of you, the tour bus can give you relief of carrying your bags as you head to Macy’s by Madison Garden. Seeing as New York City is the Fashion District, there are other places you can head to if you are still craving those clothing munchies. Some of these areas include the Union Square Shopping District (of course), the Greenwich Village, and Soho (Broadway and Spring Street.) All of these places can be your stop of choice on the “Hop-on and Hop-off” buses.
In New York City, the boutiques found in the Greenwich Village and Soho contain items that are one of a kind. If you are the individual type, why not buy a shirt you that are positive you will not see anyone else wearing? If that does not appeal to you, these boutiques also carry items that not only are the latest fashion but quite comfortable. Beauty does not always have to hurt.
For a taste of cultural diversity of Manhattan, why not head to Chinatown or Little Italy? The tour bus will drop you off and pick you up just a couple of blocks away. New York City is home to one of the largest Chinatowns in North America, so you will get a great feeling of being in another country without having to spend too much money. You can eat scrumptious cuisine in both Little Italy and Chinatown if you are not in the mood for the typical “burgers and fries.” In addition to eating food from a different culture, you can buy random knick-knacks to take to your loved ones as a souvenir.
Another well known attribute of New York City, is its view of the Statue of Liberty. This is another convenient stop of the tour buses. To see the Statue of Liberty, you can take the Staten Island Ferry, which is free. However, this is just a glimpse of the statue as the ferry passes by. If you truly are interested in the emigrational part of Ellis Island, you can head to the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island where records are held of whom exactly went by there and at what time.
If you are in the mood to just sit down and relax for a while, why not hit South Street Seaport? Aside from a serene view, there are a handful of restaurants that you can get a bite at, aside from a modern mall. Also, docked at the Seaport are a few historical sailing vessels, such as the Flying P-Liner, Peking and museum ships. The South Street Seaport is a large tourist attraction because it is commonly deemed as a historical district. The Seaport holds some of the oldest architecture in Downtown Manhattan. Fulton Street, which is fairly close, is preserved as cobblestone and has shops, bars, and restaurants.
The place where most tourists like to head to during the cold winter nights is the Rockefeller Center. According to an encyclopedia, the Rockefeller Center “is essentially a combination of two building complexes: the older Art-Deco office buildings from the 1930s and a set of four International-style towers built along the Avenue of the Americas during the 1960s and 1970s.” Now-a-days, every December, you can spot one of the largest Christmas Trees you will see in your entire life. At the lower lever of the Rockefeller Center, many people decide to ice skate during the winter in front of the infamous gilded statue of Prometheus lying down that was sculpted by Paul Manship. Also, the United States largest indoor theater is located in Rockefeller Center. This theater is known as The Radio City Music Hall.
Another sight that is heavily visited, not only by the tourists, is Central Park. Central Park is a place where the residents on New York City go for a simple run in the park, an outing for the children at the suitably placed Zoo, or even just to sit down and read a book by the pond and its inhabitants. Inhabitants such as turtles, ducks, and swans. Central park is not an area you can absorb everything in just one day. It is an area that every time you visit, you learn something new. One of the various sculptures that can be found in Central Park is Cleopatra’s Needle. Cleopatra’s Needle is the oldest sculpture in Central Park. Yet, it actually is an Egyptian obelisk of Tutmose III. Which, in turn, is much older than Cleopatra.
In the mood for some enlightenment? Why not head to 79th Street and Central Park West on the tour bus and enter the American Museum of Natural History. Here you can learn about various topics ranging from a full-size model of a Blue Whale to their notorious dinosaur exhibit. Maybe Dinosaurs aren’t your thing and instead you would rather check out the Central Park Conservatory Gardens, the Museum of the City of New York, the Smithsonian National Museum of Design, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. All of which are stops, just two blocks away or less, on the tour bus.
New York City is not just a place full of business and finance but respectfully contains areas where its true history is still maintained. It is not your typical day to day metropolis. Manhattan may be just an island, nevertheless, it holds more than a normal city does. Culture, history, and knowledge are just some aspects that New York City possesses. Aside from Manhattan’s typical reputation of being the city that never sleeps, it is also the city that you will never forget. With all of its breath-taking sights, you will always remember the beauty of this concrete jungle.
