Must-see's and Must-do's!
A list of the most popular sights in NYC
One of the most popular questions locals hear is, "what should I not miss when I come to NYC?"
Here's a list of the most popular sights and what gets mentioned the most on the NYC forum.
- The Subway - The people ride in a hole in the ground! The best deal in town. Even if you take it for only one stop, ride it!
- Empire State Building or Top of the Rock Observation Decks. See Manhattan from all sides. If you do Top of the Rock, get there early and watch the Today Show being filmed.
- One major museum- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Natural HIstory or the Guggenheim
- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island - plan a visit to both islands, or just view Lady LIberty at a decent distance from the free Staten Island Ferry
- Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge - Well worth a walk across this famous bridge. Walk from Brooklyn towards Manhattan for best views.
- Battery Park- Wall Street- WTC-St. Paul's Chapel - is well worth a walk through. Please note that, at this time, there is no official memorial for Sept 11, 2001. The actual site is currently under construction. You can visit the Tribute Center on Liberty Street for tours and St. Paul's Chapel for memorials and history of the events.
- Central Park ( 59th to 110th Street ) - Plenty of space to explore in this famous green oasis.
- Circle Line Cruise - The 90 minute, 2 hour and 3 hour tours provide an excellent comprehensive tour of Manhattan.
- A Broadway show - With so many choices and ways to get discount tickets, don't miss it! There's nothing like live theatre.
- Times Square - Worth a visit at any time of the day or night, although night accentuates the neon effect.
- One "smaller" museum - Many of the less famous cultural institutions are the best kept secrets. Examples: The Frick Collection, The Morgan Library, The Cooper-Hewitt, The New-York Historical Society, The Museum of The City of New York, International Center for Photography. Try a museum that focuses on a particular nationality, ethnic group or art movement (Asia Society, Jewish Museum, Studio Museum of Harlem), or explore small private contemporary galleries in West Chelsea. The Lower East Side Tenement Museum is an interesting introduction to the life of early immigrants.
- Shopping - Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue for bling / SoHo, Union Square or 34th Street for pop / Noho, Lower East Side and Williamsburg for indy boutiques.
- Eating! - Eat at any of the hundreds of great mid-range restaurants in the city, and have at least one blow-out top-notch dinner.
- Grand Central Terminal - Visit this famous & restored station complex. Go at rush-hour and people watch. Penn Station is also a great place to people watch although it lacks the grandeur of GCT.
- New York Public Library 42nd Street branch - The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Library - Take a quick walk through this famous building. Don't miss the two lions and the Reading Room.
- St Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral - Explore this famous building on Fifth Avenue.
- United Nations building on the East River. Guided tours are provided on a regular basis.
- Explore a "real" neighborhood like Greenwich Village (East or West), Chelsea, or Chinatown.
- People watching in one of the smaller parks: Washington Square, Union Square or Bryant Park.
- Visit another borough - See The Panorama in Queens, or Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn, or Brighton Beach in Brooklyn.
- See a sporting event - Baseball, basketball, ice hockey and more! In Yankee Stadium, sit with the "Bleacher Creatures" for a slice of baseball fan insight. Stub Hub works well for last minute tix.\
- Take in some music - The 'best of the best" play the Big Apple on a very regular basis; rock, jazz, classical, rap, indie, you-name-it.. On-line versions or print editions of the Village Voice or the Post are your best bet for the latest gigs. Be prepared to stay up late, though, because the opening acts usually don't start until 11:30 PM.
Scenic Views-Summary
These are a few places to visit to experience some great views and photo opportunities:
- Battery Park Promenade
- Brooklyn Bridge in daytime & nighttime
- Empire State Building Observation Deck
- Rockefeller Center - Top of the Rock Viewing level
- Staten Island Ferry
- Times Square
