New York City Attractions
New York City is full of many things to do and see. Each burrow and section of the city is different from the next making it very difficult to be bored. New York City’s main attraction is its population. There are people of every race, gender, sexual preference, and each has different ideas and views, which they portray in their clothing styles or even bumper stickers. No matter how old, young, punk or preppy, you will always fit in, in New York City. Nobody is considered weird or outrageous because all New Yorkers are, in their own way.
With so many people New York has many different ways of transportation. There are ferries, taxis, subways, buses, and even rickshaws. A great way to get around the city if you are traveling with your family is the bus. The bus is fairly cheap and you can enjoy the company of your family and friends without being distracted say if you were driving. Another good reason for the bus is you can see all around you and take in the scenery of New York City. Especially if you are a tourist and aren’t sure where you are suppose to get off, you can look around and get a sense of where you are. If you are on the subway and miss your stop you have to change trains and head the other way, which could take a while. So if you are new to the City and want to take in as much as you can, take the bus.
Another way of transportation is the horse and buggy. If you are in Central Park it is a very romantic way to see part of the park. A horse and buggy ride also throws you back in time. You start to imagine how back in the old days there were thousands of horses on the road and in a time of immigrants. In addition to the horse and buggy Central Park is full of lush green grass and huge hovering trees. Under these trees you may find people having a picnic or playing Frisbee. Central Park is a great place for people to relax and enjoy the nature around them. Many people go tanning or play football. Anytime of year you will see many people jogging or hear musicians of all types of music. There are spots in the park where you can row a boat or go on the merry-go-round. Another big part of the park is the Central Park Zoo. Although it isn’t as big as the Bronx Zoo it is very educational and fun for all ages.
If you continue to walk in Central Park you will eventually come across the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In my opinion this is one of the best art museums in the world. This Museum has a suggested price and you can give a donation of any amount to get in to the museum. This is very good for artists who want to study some technique because most artists are broke. It has everything from the Roman and Greek sculptures of gods and goddesses to an old tomb found in Egypt with hieroglyphics and mummies. It has art from almost every country in the world from Japan to South Africa to Cuba to France. It has art made of every type of material from paint to wood to silk to photographs, it also has various styles such as Impressionism, Modern and Rococo. There are also a numerous amount of artists outside the museum selling their work. So if you want an original piece of art from New York this is the place. They sell normally around 20 dollars. Other art museums in New York City include the Whitney, Guggenheim, Frick, Cloisters, Hesche and the newly refinished Museum of Modern Art.
Some of these museums take at least a day, and if you are planning to spend a whole day somewhere it should be at the Bronx Zoo or at Coney Island. The Bronx Zoo is obviously in the Bronx and is remarkably big for it location. The habitats for the animals are kept extremely well. You could be looking at a lion in an open safari environment but when you look higher and a little left you suddenly see a skyscraper. It’s like an oasis in a desert. If you are tired of walking in the park there is even a Monorail that takes you around part of the zoo where you see elephants, red pandas and more. There are even camels that little kids can ride and other various types of animals that you can feed. If anybody in your family is interested in animals or nature this is the right place to go.
Opposite the Bronx Zoo is the Coney Island Aquarium located in Brooklyn. This a great place for anyone who likes water. There are walruses, penguins, sharks, dolphins, beluga whales, and even manta rays that you can touch. It also puts on shows where you can watch dolphins do tricks and while they are doing this you learn about their lifestyles and habitats. Another interesting thing is they have feeding times where you can watch the penguins and dolphins being fed. Coney Island is also famous for its beach area. There is a boardwalk where you can go on rides such as the cyclone. The cyclone is an old wooden rollercoaster that can be a little scary because it sounds like it will break at any moment. There are many rides for kids and some skeeball machines. The food is very good with Nathan’s hot dog restaurant and many small places selling: pizza, funnel cake, zeppolies, Italian sausage, cotton candy and ice cream. If you are looking for a relaxing day, get your bathing suit on and head down to the beach. The water may look dirty but it is perfectly okay to swim in. If you don’t like the water then just take a nice stroll on the beach picking up shells or sea glass.
If nature is not your thing catch a bus back into Manhattan and go shopping. If you are into name brands head down to Fifth Avenue. This street is full of high-end stores such as Saxth and more. If this is a little too expensive for your taste the go to Harold Square where Macy’s is. If you have the clothes down and just need accessories head over to Canal Street. You can get bootleg purses, bracelets, watches and anything else you can imagine. You have to be careful though because if you buy a DVD of CD there might not be anything in the case or the CD is blank. One more word of advice is do not buy one of those little turtles you might see in a bowl. This is for two reasons; the turtles might have salmonella and it is cruelty to animals. Canal Street is right in Chinatown where you can find many cool and bizarre ingredients for food. The food around here is amazing but if you don’t want Chinese then keep walking up Canal Street and you will hit Mulberry Street, which will take you into Little Italy. Little Italy is full of great food but even better desert and coffee. The best place to get desert is Ferrara’s. They have sfogliatelles, which are the best thing in the world. It’s a pastry made of a hard flaky shell with ricotta cheese on the inside. They also have canoli with two different kinds of fillings, one with custard and the other with ricotta, both are amazing. There are also men on corners playing the accordion and singing Italian songs. It’s like a movie especially at night. If you are still in the mood for shopping there is a great store called Pearl River in Soho. Soho is to the left of little Italy. Pearl River is a store full of Asian cultural things such as silk robes and any design on a chopstick imaginable. They have a food section that sells Pocky, which is a candy from Japan. Traditional Pocky is a long thin cracker covered in chocolate. Pearl River also has pottery and clothing. This is a must see store if in the neighborhood.
Other places you must go see if you have never been to New York City before is Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and the Empire State Building. Rockefeller Center is famous for its ice-skating ring and the Statue of Prometheus in front of the rink. Prometheus is the god who gave fire to man so in the sculpture the artist portrayed this by making his hair look like curls of fire. Rockefeller Center is also famous for lighting the tallest pine tree in America for Christmas. If you are sick of art and want to see the hustle and bustle of a New Yorkers life then go to Times Square. You will see many billboards each trying to sell their new product by creating light shows on the billboards or making things three dimensional. You can watch the news all the time for it is always running on one of the billboards. If lights don’t interest you then watch the street performers. There might be people playing music, break dancing, or painting themselves in silver as if they were a statue. If it starts raining you can head into the ESPN store and either grab a bite to eat and watch sports or head up to the arcade room. Across the street from this is the largest Toy store in the world with a Ferris wheel inside. If you want to see more lights go to the Empire State Building, (a block away from Harold Square) the tallest building in New York City, at night. According to different times of the year and certain holidays they change the lights on the Empire State Building to illuminate the sky. But if you are there during the day you can go up to the top of the building and get a 360-degree panorama of the area. This may take a little while to get up there and is a little costly but worth the while.
If you are into architecture then check out the Flat Iron Building on 23rd, 5th and Broadway. It looks like an iron from the sky it is very skinny at one end then widens because it is located on a corner. The St. Patrick’s cathedral is a very attractive building with many details. The Chrysler Building is a great example of art deco and is located near the Empire State Building. It is very thought provoking with its different shapes. When the sun hits it, it shines brilliantly. Ground Zero is a sad place to explore architecture but it is potent. It provokes thought on how many people died, how it happened, what the World Trade Center looked like and what they could look like.
Other architectural buildings are the New York Public Library, Grand Central Station, and the Statue of Atlas. The New York Public Library is famous for the two huge lions at the entrance of the Library. The Statue of Atlas is on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Street. It’s a statue of a titan named Atlas who is holding up the Earth. Grand Central Station also has a Greek statue outside of the Station depicting Mercury, Minerva, and Hercules. Inside the Station is a ceiling lit by light bulbs showing the Zodiac signs and constellations.
Instead of architecture if you like science I would recommend the Museum of Natural History. This Museum has huge skeletons showing the evolution of life through dinosaurs and huge tortoises. If you are sick of learning and having to walk very slowly from room to room go to Chelsea Piers. Chelsea Piers is located on the Hudson River and has every sport imaginable. They even have a driving range where you hit facing out into the Hudson River. If you aren’t an athlete and like the performing arts instead go to Broadway. I would recommend Aida and Monty Python both are excellent.
Furthermore, if you ever plan to visit New York City, the best thing to do is just walk around and observe the people. Go to as many places as you can but just have time to observe all of your surroundings. If you just look around a spot for five minutes you will understand why New York is what it is. So have fun and enjoy the sites!
With so many people New York has many different ways of transportation. There are ferries, taxis, subways, buses, and even rickshaws. A great way to get around the city if you are traveling with your family is the bus. The bus is fairly cheap and you can enjoy the company of your family and friends without being distracted say if you were driving. Another good reason for the bus is you can see all around you and take in the scenery of New York City. Especially if you are a tourist and aren’t sure where you are suppose to get off, you can look around and get a sense of where you are. If you are on the subway and miss your stop you have to change trains and head the other way, which could take a while. So if you are new to the City and want to take in as much as you can, take the bus.
Another way of transportation is the horse and buggy. If you are in Central Park it is a very romantic way to see part of the park. A horse and buggy ride also throws you back in time. You start to imagine how back in the old days there were thousands of horses on the road and in a time of immigrants. In addition to the horse and buggy Central Park is full of lush green grass and huge hovering trees. Under these trees you may find people having a picnic or playing Frisbee. Central Park is a great place for people to relax and enjoy the nature around them. Many people go tanning or play football. Anytime of year you will see many people jogging or hear musicians of all types of music. There are spots in the park where you can row a boat or go on the merry-go-round. Another big part of the park is the Central Park Zoo. Although it isn’t as big as the Bronx Zoo it is very educational and fun for all ages.
If you continue to walk in Central Park you will eventually come across the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In my opinion this is one of the best art museums in the world. This Museum has a suggested price and you can give a donation of any amount to get in to the museum. This is very good for artists who want to study some technique because most artists are broke. It has everything from the Roman and Greek sculptures of gods and goddesses to an old tomb found in Egypt with hieroglyphics and mummies. It has art from almost every country in the world from Japan to South Africa to Cuba to France. It has art made of every type of material from paint to wood to silk to photographs, it also has various styles such as Impressionism, Modern and Rococo. There are also a numerous amount of artists outside the museum selling their work. So if you want an original piece of art from New York this is the place. They sell normally around 20 dollars. Other art museums in New York City include the Whitney, Guggenheim, Frick, Cloisters, Hesche and the newly refinished Museum of Modern Art.
Some of these museums take at least a day, and if you are planning to spend a whole day somewhere it should be at the Bronx Zoo or at Coney Island. The Bronx Zoo is obviously in the Bronx and is remarkably big for it location. The habitats for the animals are kept extremely well. You could be looking at a lion in an open safari environment but when you look higher and a little left you suddenly see a skyscraper. It’s like an oasis in a desert. If you are tired of walking in the park there is even a Monorail that takes you around part of the zoo where you see elephants, red pandas and more. There are even camels that little kids can ride and other various types of animals that you can feed. If anybody in your family is interested in animals or nature this is the right place to go.
Opposite the Bronx Zoo is the Coney Island Aquarium located in Brooklyn. This a great place for anyone who likes water. There are walruses, penguins, sharks, dolphins, beluga whales, and even manta rays that you can touch. It also puts on shows where you can watch dolphins do tricks and while they are doing this you learn about their lifestyles and habitats. Another interesting thing is they have feeding times where you can watch the penguins and dolphins being fed. Coney Island is also famous for its beach area. There is a boardwalk where you can go on rides such as the cyclone. The cyclone is an old wooden rollercoaster that can be a little scary because it sounds like it will break at any moment. There are many rides for kids and some skeeball machines. The food is very good with Nathan’s hot dog restaurant and many small places selling: pizza, funnel cake, zeppolies, Italian sausage, cotton candy and ice cream. If you are looking for a relaxing day, get your bathing suit on and head down to the beach. The water may look dirty but it is perfectly okay to swim in. If you don’t like the water then just take a nice stroll on the beach picking up shells or sea glass.
If nature is not your thing catch a bus back into Manhattan and go shopping. If you are into name brands head down to Fifth Avenue. This street is full of high-end stores such as Saxth and more. If this is a little too expensive for your taste the go to Harold Square where Macy’s is. If you have the clothes down and just need accessories head over to Canal Street. You can get bootleg purses, bracelets, watches and anything else you can imagine. You have to be careful though because if you buy a DVD of CD there might not be anything in the case or the CD is blank. One more word of advice is do not buy one of those little turtles you might see in a bowl. This is for two reasons; the turtles might have salmonella and it is cruelty to animals. Canal Street is right in Chinatown where you can find many cool and bizarre ingredients for food. The food around here is amazing but if you don’t want Chinese then keep walking up Canal Street and you will hit Mulberry Street, which will take you into Little Italy. Little Italy is full of great food but even better desert and coffee. The best place to get desert is Ferrara’s. They have sfogliatelles, which are the best thing in the world. It’s a pastry made of a hard flaky shell with ricotta cheese on the inside. They also have canoli with two different kinds of fillings, one with custard and the other with ricotta, both are amazing. There are also men on corners playing the accordion and singing Italian songs. It’s like a movie especially at night. If you are still in the mood for shopping there is a great store called Pearl River in Soho. Soho is to the left of little Italy. Pearl River is a store full of Asian cultural things such as silk robes and any design on a chopstick imaginable. They have a food section that sells Pocky, which is a candy from Japan. Traditional Pocky is a long thin cracker covered in chocolate. Pearl River also has pottery and clothing. This is a must see store if in the neighborhood.
Other places you must go see if you have never been to New York City before is Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and the Empire State Building. Rockefeller Center is famous for its ice-skating ring and the Statue of Prometheus in front of the rink. Prometheus is the god who gave fire to man so in the sculpture the artist portrayed this by making his hair look like curls of fire. Rockefeller Center is also famous for lighting the tallest pine tree in America for Christmas. If you are sick of art and want to see the hustle and bustle of a New Yorkers life then go to Times Square. You will see many billboards each trying to sell their new product by creating light shows on the billboards or making things three dimensional. You can watch the news all the time for it is always running on one of the billboards. If lights don’t interest you then watch the street performers. There might be people playing music, break dancing, or painting themselves in silver as if they were a statue. If it starts raining you can head into the ESPN store and either grab a bite to eat and watch sports or head up to the arcade room. Across the street from this is the largest Toy store in the world with a Ferris wheel inside. If you want to see more lights go to the Empire State Building, (a block away from Harold Square) the tallest building in New York City, at night. According to different times of the year and certain holidays they change the lights on the Empire State Building to illuminate the sky. But if you are there during the day you can go up to the top of the building and get a 360-degree panorama of the area. This may take a little while to get up there and is a little costly but worth the while.
If you are into architecture then check out the Flat Iron Building on 23rd, 5th and Broadway. It looks like an iron from the sky it is very skinny at one end then widens because it is located on a corner. The St. Patrick’s cathedral is a very attractive building with many details. The Chrysler Building is a great example of art deco and is located near the Empire State Building. It is very thought provoking with its different shapes. When the sun hits it, it shines brilliantly. Ground Zero is a sad place to explore architecture but it is potent. It provokes thought on how many people died, how it happened, what the World Trade Center looked like and what they could look like.
Other architectural buildings are the New York Public Library, Grand Central Station, and the Statue of Atlas. The New York Public Library is famous for the two huge lions at the entrance of the Library. The Statue of Atlas is on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Street. It’s a statue of a titan named Atlas who is holding up the Earth. Grand Central Station also has a Greek statue outside of the Station depicting Mercury, Minerva, and Hercules. Inside the Station is a ceiling lit by light bulbs showing the Zodiac signs and constellations.
Instead of architecture if you like science I would recommend the Museum of Natural History. This Museum has huge skeletons showing the evolution of life through dinosaurs and huge tortoises. If you are sick of learning and having to walk very slowly from room to room go to Chelsea Piers. Chelsea Piers is located on the Hudson River and has every sport imaginable. They even have a driving range where you hit facing out into the Hudson River. If you aren’t an athlete and like the performing arts instead go to Broadway. I would recommend Aida and Monty Python both are excellent.
Furthermore, if you ever plan to visit New York City, the best thing to do is just walk around and observe the people. Go to as many places as you can but just have time to observe all of your surroundings. If you just look around a spot for five minutes you will understand why New York is what it is. So have fun and enjoy the sites!
