New York City is one of the most visited and fascinating cities in the world. More than 12 million tourists come each year just between Memorial and Labor Day alone! Few other cities can offer the diversity that New York does; all condensed in an area that is a just little over 13 miles long and 2 miles wide! You could easily spend weeks in Manhattan and the surrounding 5 boroughs, but we are listing our top 10 favorite attractions by selecting each one from one of 10 distinct categories.
Unfortunately, New York is one of the most expensive cities to visit in the United States. One of the most cost efficient ways to tour the city is to purchase a City Pass. These passes, purchased in 1, 2, 3, or 7 day durations offer a great value on the city's most popular attractions. The city pass' "Fast Track" privileges are also another great perk. This means that you won't be wasting precious vacation time standing in line.
One of the best ways to get around is to sign up for bus tour that allows you to hop on and off of at your leisure. They have many stops throughout the city and running into the evening. It is a very convenient way to see and get to major points of interest.
1. NYC Icon - Times Square is a major intersection in Manhattan, New York City at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. Times Square is an iconic world landmark defined by its incredible display of animated, digital advertisements. Make sure that you see Times Square after dark. The lights are incredible!
2. Shopping - Macy's is another landmark that shouldn't be missed. The original wooden escalators are still in use today. In December, there is a line around the building just to view the holiday window displays. If you want something more upscale, venture to 5th Avenue and take in all of sights of the high fashion stores... The people watching can't be beat either!
3. History - Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty are our favorites. A great way to see them is to take boat tour that cruises the Hudson River and NYC harbor.
4. Museums- The Metropolitan Museum is hard to beat, but there are so many museums in the city that it is hard to just single out one. Some other wonderful choices are: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), American Museum of Natural History, The Guggenheim, The Whitney, The Brooklyn Museum (which is the 2nd largest museum in the United States, and the Museum of Television andRadio. You can't go wrong with any of these.
5. Theater - Broadway is a must see. If you want to see the most popular shows on a weekend night, plan ahead and book tickets to your shows ahead of time. Also take into consideration that most shows are "dark" or aren't running 1 night during the week.
6. City Views - The rooftop observation deck of the Empire State Building gives you great views from 86 stories up! Other great vantage points are the "Top of the Rock", which is the 67th-70th-floor observation deck of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in world-famous Rockefeller Center. It is both indoor and outdoor so it is a great choice no matter what the weather is like.
7. Nature - Central Park: In the summer take in the fountains, lush green spaces, and the Central Park Zoo. In the wintertime, don't miss ice skating and hot chocolate at the Wollman Rink. The evening view of the Plaza Hotel from the rink is magical.
8. Ethnic Diversity - Lower Manhattan - Make sure you allow yourself some time to explore Lower Manhattan. The ethnic and eclectic neighborhoods of Chinatown, Little Italy and SoHo have great food and shopping for any taste and budget. You can great great views of the Brooklyn Bridge, NY Harbor from there as well.
9. Finance: Wall Street, also located in lower Manhattan, runs through the historical Financial District. Home to the U.S. Stock Exchange, the NYSE and the NASDAQ, to name a few. The marble facade of the NYSE building is elaborate and very impressive.
10. Politics and Government: The United Nations Building: The United Nations headquarters is a golden rectangled building located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood, on the east side of Midtown Manhattan, overlooking the East River. Even though the building is in New York City, the land occupied by the United Nations Headquarters is considered international territory. Who knew!
Finally, we hope we've inspired you to visit New York City. It truly is one of those cities that you have to visit at least once in your lifetime. It is expensive, but if you do some homework andplan ahead you'll be able to find flights and hotels that will stretch your travel budget and let you have some money left over to enjoy everything this city has to offer.
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