New York
No other major city in the world is as neatly organized as the grid of streets that make up the island of Manhattan and yet still such a wonderful mess at the same time. The cliche says that you'll feel the energy the moment you first set foot in the city, and like so many other cliches, this one is actually true. New York City has a pulse that is unlike anywhere else.
Manhattan is the most famous of NYC's five boroughs, and fortunately for the visitor it also contains nearly everything you've ever heard of in New York City. From the surprisingly scenic streets of Harlem in the north, down to historic Battery Park on the southern tip, Manhattan is crammed with so much history, fun, and madness that you'll never forget it, not that you'd want to anyway.
What to do
The Metropolitan Museum of Art on the eastern edge of glorious Central Park is the largest and most famous of a hefty group of world-class museums in the Upper East Side. Midtown Manhattan is home to Times Square and its Broadway theaters as well as Corporate America's mailing address. Go south through stylish Chelsea, historic and artsy Greenwich Village and then all the way down to the financial Mecca of Wall Street and you'll pass thousands of fascinating things along the way.
Where to eat and drink
The city has thousands of places to grab a bite to eat, and another advantage to staying outside of Times Square is quality and authenticity tend to go up while prices tend to go down in most other parts of town. It's the same story for bars and clubs as the best nightlife is found downtown in Greenwich Village. From the shocking gentrification of the now ultra-chic Meatpacking District in the West Village to the scores of dive bars and down-and-out looking watering holes in the East Village's Alphabet City, you won't go thirsty or get bored.
Getting there
The greater New York City area has three major international airports: JFK (code JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark (EWR) just a bit across the river into New Jersey. If you are looking for New York flights from within the U.S. you should check fares into all three with the airport code NYC, but if you book a flight into New York City internationally you'll most likely be arriving at the enormous and always-under-construction JFK Airport. The good news is with the new Airtrain service from JFK you can get into Manhattan quickly for only $10. Taxis from all airports into Manhattan are crazy-expensive, but all the airports have slowish but affordable bus services available.
Where to stay
Formerly gritty Times Square is where you'll find the majority of places to sleep, but seriously consider staying somewhere other than that haven of kitsch. The neighborhood is like a feeding trough of ridiculous and dubious attractions meant for simple-minded tourists. But don't worry, you should, and you will go through Times Square (its famous lights get more impressive every year), but New York City hotels in other parts of Manhattan will give you a richer experience. Unlike many American cities, there are quite a few hostels in New York City to choose from as well, but they aren't all created equally so ask around in the BootsnAll Community for advice from people who've been there recently.
Getting around
Trust us, you won't want or need a car while visiting New York City. The city boasts by-far America's best public transportation system, including a safer-than-you've-probably-heard 24-hour subway system. And every other car on the streets is a yellow cab so especially for groups it's always fairly easy and cheap to get around.
Attractions in New York
Address: Crossing the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York, NY
When completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world, but now it’s not even one of the longer ones in New York City. Its Gothic architecture makes it a popular landmark even today, but to be honest, the famous name attracts people to the bridge mostly because the name is famous. It’s the nicest of the three closely-grouped bridges connecting Manhattan to Brooklyn, but not by much.
It’s always possible to walk from one end to the other, and many tourists make a big point to make the journey, but the areas on either end of the bridge are nothing too special for most people. The trek across is great exercise and a good way to see the Manhattan skyline and New York Harbor from a different perspective, but nearby Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges also provide the same opportunity, in addition to a good view of the Brooklyn Bridge itself.
The Brooklyn neighborhood where both the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges ends is known as DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and is home to a thriving loft-based art scene that will interest some visitors. But visiting DUMBO by subway is easier since the bridge’s pedestrian entrance on the Manhattan side is in a boring area and parts of DUMBO are a bit sketchy late at night.
Tip: The excellent Circle Line cruises are the best way to get a look at the Brooklyn Bridge in context, along with dozens of other worthwhile sights on the same 2 or 3-hour cruise.
Hours: Always open
Admission: Free
Address: Bordered by 5th Avenue, 8th Avenue, 59th Street, and 110th Street in Manhattan, New York City, NY
As the most-visited city park in the United States, Central Park in Manhattan acts as the city’s front yard in many ways. At 2.5 miles long by half a mile wide, it would be very time consuming to cover it all, and fortunately most of the more notable features are all bunched together in the park’s southern half.
There are miles of trails weaving between lakes and ponds, but Central Park is also home to many other New York City landmarks. The Central Park Zoo is near the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the park’s eastern edge. The revitalized Wollman Skating Rink and a small amusement park are near the southern edge, and the famous Tavern on the Green restaurant sits next to the John Lennon tribute, Strawberry Fields, along the park’s western edge.
The easiest way to visit Central Park is by entering from along 59th Street, which is the ultra-posh street known as Central Park South between 5th Avenue and 8th Avenue. Most of the above landmarks are an easy walk from the southern edge. The park used to have a reputation as being dangerous, especially after dark. Even though it’s much safer now, it’s still not advisable to go into remote sections after dark.
Hours: Always open
Admission: Free for the park itself, although many things inside do charge an entrance fee
Address: 405 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York
Even though the car company moved out in the 1950s, the Chrysler Building maintains its name, and was once and is again the second tallest building in New York City. This Art Deco skyscraper was the tallest building in the world in 1930, just before the Empire State Building was completed.
The Chrysler Building remains on nearly every list of most beautiful buildings in the city, but as a tourist attraction there really isn’t much there. The lobby is grand and is worth a peek if you are in the neighborhood (Grand Central Terminal is next door). But there is no observation tower open to the public in this 77-story tower.
The story of the building of the skyscraper is fascinating, particularly involving the competition of the day and the secret spire that was assembled inside the building and hoisted into place in 90 minutes. But you can’t see any of that from street level so your best bet is to take the great Circle Line cruises, as they provide great views and the full story.
Hours: 8:30am - 5:30pm Monday – Friday
Admission: Free, but it’s only a lobby
Address: Ellis Island, New York Harbor, New York
This famous and tiny island in the middle of New York Harbor was the main processing facility for immigrants from 1892 all the way up until it was closed for this purpose in 1954. Today Ellis Island houses an impressive Immigration Museum, and is combined with nearby Liberty Island for tourism. Guided tours and audio tours are both popular ways to make sense of the place, since the displays themselves are on the dry side for those just footing through on their own.
The only way to reach Ellis Island for visitors is on the Circle Line Ferry that combines a route with the next-door Liberty Island. Lines for the ferries are notoriously long, and going early in the morning and on weekdays usually helps. Most visitors will get the ferry in Manhattan’s Battery Park, but another identically-priced ferry starts at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Hours: Ferries leave about every half hour from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are the only way to visit Ellis Island.
Admission: Free, but ferry tickets are $11.50 for adults, $9.50 for 62+, and $4.50 for ages 4-12, and include both Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
Address: 350 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10118-0110
The tallest building in the world from 1934 through 1972, and sadly the Empire State Building is once again the tallest building in New York and the second tallest in the United States. This Art Deco skyscraper is 102 stories and 1250 feet tall, not including the antenna that adds over 200 more feet. The tower dwarfs its neighbors in the southern part of Midtown Manhattan, so it’s visible from a distance, but in the concrete jungle of Manhattan you usually never know it’s there until you are literally on the street just below it.
The main observation deck is on the 86th floor and another elevator takes visitors from there up to the 102nd floor observatory - for $15 additional! The views are great as long as it's a clear day, but the lines are famously long during prime hours. Visit very early or late in the evening for the shortest lines. Security is airport-style so leave as much as you can in your hotel. You start with the security line, then the ticket-buying line, and finally the elevator line. You can skip the second one by buying tickets in advance on the Empire Building website, or skip to the front of all three by paying an insane $45. Audio tours are available for $7.
Tip: For about the same price and with much less hassle you can visit the new 70th floor Top of the Rock Observation Deck at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It’s not quite as high, but it’s far easier to visit and many people say the views are actually better since it’s close to Central Park and in the middle of the madness.
Admission: Adults - $18, ages 12-17 and 62+ - $16, ages 6-11 - $12
Hours: 8 a.m. until 2 a.m., 365 days a year.
Address: 71-105 East 42nd Street, New York, New York
Officially known as Grand Central Terminal but better known as Grand Central Station to most people, this is the larger but less busy of Manhattan’s two passenger railroad stations. Opened in 1903, Grand Central Terminal is still the largest train station in the world by number of platforms (44, with 67 tracks), but now only serving the commuter railroads that go upstate and into Connecticut, far more passengers come through Pennsylvania Station just across town.
The cavernous Main Concourse in the Grand Central Terminal is very ornate and definitely worth a look if you are in the neighborhood. The famous astronomical ceiling of the main concourse was restored in 1998, and is the single most notable feature. A Dining Concourse is just below the Main Concourse, and features dozens of culinary options ranging from fast food outlets up to the storied Oyster Bar, which is really more of large seafood restaurant than a bar.
If you are arriving in New York City by train, chances are you’ll come through the above-mentioned Penn Station about a mile away from Grand Central. A special subway line (the S) connects the two, but it’s even a pleasant journey on foot. Particularly if you enjoy nostalgia, the Grand Central Terminal is worth a quick look even if you aren’t using it as a train station.
Hours: Always open
Admission: Free
Address: 2 Penn Plz # 15, New York, New York 10121
This round, 20,000-seat arena that stands on top of Pennsylvania Station is one of the most famous concert and sports venues in the United States. The curious and ironic-sounding name comes from the first two incarnations of the arena, which were located across town in the Madison Square neighborhood in the early 20th Century.
The present version opened here in 1968 and has been renovated a few times so it’s not as historic as you might think, but it’s definitely an important venue and worth checking out if the event schedule matches yours. Madison Square Garden is home to the New York Knicks for basketball, and the New York Rangers for hockey. There are also large concerts in the main arena, as well as smaller shows in the more intimate WaMu Theater.
As you might expect, tickets for popular games and concerts sell out long in advance, but ticket scalpers are almost always present out front, and occasionally bargains can be had, particularly if the game or concert has already begun inside. You can also find tickets for nearly every event Madison Square Garden on Craigslist, but caution should always be taken when buying tickets through non-official methods.
Hours: Over 300 games and events every year, so almost every evening.
Admission: Depends on event
Address: Midtown Manhattan, New York, NY
This strangely-famous group of 19 office buildings takes up a good chunk of the center Manhattan’s Midtown district, so most New York City visitors will make their way through it at some point, whether they realize it or not. The famed Radio City Music Hall can be found in the bottom of one of the buildings.
The 70-story General Electric building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza is the tallest building and stands at the center of the complex. NBC Studios is among the tenants, and they broadcast the Today Show each weekday morning from a glass studio on the ground floor of the building next door. A rooftop observation deck called Top of the Rock is open to visitors (adults - $17.50, ages 6-12 - $11.25) and provides excellent views of the city in all directions. The expensive and famous Rainbow Room restaurant is on the 65th floor.
A sunken plaza in front of the GE building is home to Rockefeller Center’s famous ice skating rink from October through April, and it’s smaller than you expect it to be. The city’s famous Yule Tree is on display here during the holiday season. During the remaining months the plaza houses al fresco dining.
Hours: Always open
Admission: Free
Address: Liberty Island, New York Harbor, New York
This 46-meter statue (on a 47-meter pedestal) on its own island in New York Harbor is probably the most important sight for first-time visitors to New York City. Some people say it’s a bit disappointing when first seen in real life, but that doesn’t stop thousands more people visiting it every day.
The only way to visit Liberty Island is on the Circle Line Ferries that leave from both Battery Park in lower Manhattan and from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. The ferries all go to Liberty Island as well as Ellis Island so most people combine them into one trip, although you can see only one or the other if you like.
Lines for the ferry are longest on weekends and in summer. Take the first ferry of the day for the shortest lines and least-crowded visit. Park rangers offer free tours of the island with no reservations necessary, but to get into the displays in the pedestal you need a reservation, which can be made on the Statue Reservations site. The interior of the statue itself has been closed to visitors since 2001.
Tip: The free Staten Island Ferry sails close to the statue in both directions, so if you want a decent photo opportunity without all the hassle, this will work.
Hours: Ferries leave about every half hour from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are the only way to visit the statue.
Admission: Free, but ferry tickets are $11.50 for adults, $9.50 for 62+, and $4.50 for ages 4-12, and include the Statue of Liberty as well as Ellis Island.
Phone: 212-363-3200
Address: 7th Avenue and Broadway, New York, NY
Times Square is the busiest intersection in Manhattan, and not a square at all. Where Seventh Avenue crosses Broadway between 42nd Street and 47th Street, New York City has most of its larger “Broadway” theaters, and in recent years the area has become like an ultra-commercialized theme park without the rides.
The famous theater marquees and other advertising lights shine brighter each year as the few remaining businesses geared toward “adult entertainment” are closing down. As impressive as the area is during the day, the lights are absolutely amazing after dark. The sidewalks in the area are almost always packed, so being careful about pickpockets is wise, but the dangers pretty much end there as the stories of frequent muggings in the area are now decades old.
Most of the city’s “budget” and mid-priced hotels are in the streets off Times Square and the area is very central for visitors, but if you can find a place in another part of Manhattan you’re probably better off. Restaurants in the area tend to be mediocre and overpriced, which is not true nearly anywhere else in the city. Times Square is absolutely worth exploring, but it really makes a poor base for a city visit unless drowning in a near-infinite sea of other tourists is your idea of a good time.
Hours: Always open, best views are after dark
Admission: Free
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