| | Popular Tourist Sites - Monuments, Buildings, Institutions, Outdoors |
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| | Monuments |
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| | Statue of Liberty National Monument |
| | Taller than the Colossus of Rhodes, the crowned lady with a torch is a universal symbol of political freedom and democracy, given as a gift from France to the United States in 1886. There are 354 steps to reach the crown (Not currently accessible.). A museum located on the second floor of the pedestal (Soon to reopen) traces the history and symbolism of the Statue through photographs, prints, videos and oral histories. The exhibit includes the original 1886 torch and much altered flame.
National Park Service Web site: www.nps.gov/stli |
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| | Ellis Island |
| | The chief immigration station in from 1892 to 1954, with 12 million people passing through its portals. The Ellis Island Immigration Museum tells the story of immigrants through an oral history collection of over 1300 taped interviews as well as extensive photographic archives. Visitors can walk through the same rooms as the immigrants did. There are Self Guided Tours, Ranger Guided Tours, and Audio Tours.
Park Service Web site: http://www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm |
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| | Buildings |
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| | World Financial Center |
| | On the Hudson waterfront across from the former World Trade Center, are four gleaming towers - headquarters for American Express and the Wall Street Journal; at the center is one of the most beautiful indoor spaces, the 120-ft-high glass Winter Garden filled with palm trees and a grand marble staircase. Smart boutiques, fine bookstores, indoor and outdoor restaurants, lunchtime entertainment events and the bustle of high finance.Now, gleamingly reopened!
Web: www.worldfinancialcenter.com |
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| | Empire State Building |
| | The Art Deco "Ambassador to New York," built in just 30 months during the great economic depression or the 1930s, rises more than a quarter of a mile. The Observatory on the 86th and the 102nd floor offers panoramic views and the most popular place for proposals and marriages on Valentine's Day. ESB features the New York Skyride, a simulated helicopter ride in a virtual-reality movie theater. lobby.
Web: www.esbnyc.com |
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| | Grand Central Terminal (and Market) |
| | A northern gateway to the city and a monument to the country's preeminence in overland transportation, opened in 1913 in the heart Manhattan. The Main Concourse rises to an elliptical vault 125 feet high, and is decorated by constellations. An award-winning restoration has turned the terminal into its own destination with fine food and dining.
Web: www.grandcentralterminal.com |
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| | Institutions |
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| | United Nations |
| | When you enter the U.N. complex, technically, you leave U.S.territory. The headquarters were built in 1947-48 on land donated by John D. Rockefeller. Tours take visitors to the General Assembly and Security Council chambers. A lovely garden stretches along the East River. There is a large U.N. publications bookstore and multi-cultural gift shops. Web: www.un.org |
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| | New York Stock Exchange |
| | Visitors can watch the trading floor from a narrow, sound-proof balcony that makes you feel as if you are watching a television show. Still, the bustle of traders and the amassing of video terminals, LED displays and raw computer power is impressive. Tours not currently operating
Web: www.NYSE.com |
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| | New York Public Library |
| | One of New York's classical treasures. Visitors ascend the marble stairs, view murals in the high corridors, attend lectures and exhibitions, follow tour guides and purchase unique literary gifts. Request a book from the collection of several million and sit in the 2-block long reading room (Quiet please!) next to writers, researchers and an eclectic cast of city philosophers.
Web: www.nypl.org |
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| | Federal Reserve Bank of New York |
| | Gold bullion. Millions and millions of dollars worth is stored in the deep basement of the fortress-like headquarters of the "New York Fed." The gold belongs to different countries and visitors on the ever-popular tours can observe as it is moved from one country's vault to another. No touching, please.
Web: www.ny.frb.org/aboutthefed/ny_tours.html |
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| | Outdoors |
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| | South Street Seaport and Museum |
| | A riot of souvenir shops, fashion boutiques, eateries, and musical entertainment, set in a restored neighborhood with many pre-19th Century buildings. Lovely views of the Brooklyn Bridge from the multi-level pier, access to riverboat cruises and bording of anchored square riggers. Easy bus parking make for an ideal unstructured group stop.
Web: www.southstreetseaport.com |
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| | Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum - Grand Reopening - Veterans Day, November 11, 2008 |
| | An aircraft carrier in Manhattan!! The 37,000-ton Intrepid, which saw action in World War II is Scheduled to return to Pier 86 (West 46th Street) September 26th 2008. The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum welcomes kids of all ages onto its flight deck to view fighter jets, helicopters and all sorts of war machinery. Nearby, the USS Growler, SSG 577 is the only intact strategic diesel powered submarine that fired nuclear missiles open to the public anywhere in the world. Great outdoor fun. (Caution: Strong sun and big crowds Summer afternoons)
Web: www.intrepidmuseum.org |
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| | Central Park |
| | An oasis for Manhattanites that, since the 1860s, offers something for everyone. A small, handsome zoo, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, an ice skating rink, playgrounds, statues, boating and walkways. The Sheep Meadow and the Great Lawn offer beautiful open views of the tree-framed skyline. Park rangers offer nature tours for adults and students.
Web: www.centralpark.org |
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| | Hudson River Shoreline |
| | The great North River, became the commercial gateway to America in the 19th Century when the Erie Canal allowed products to be shipped to the Great Lakes. The shore, once lined with railroad tracks and giant docks is being transformed into a continuous band of parks, bike- and walk-ways from the tip of Manhattan to the George Washington Bridge. In the Summertime, you can go kayaking, rollerblading or running. There are outdoor movies, concerts, children's entertainment and dancing on the restored piers.
Web: www.hudsonriverpark.org |
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| | Bronx Zoo (Wildlife Conservation Society) |
| | The 265 acres of the Zoo (one of the of the largest in North America) allows animals to be kept in relatively expansive habitats. Monorails take you over and around tropical forests, African plains and a Lion's Island. There is a separate children's zoo with many pedagological activities. And, of course, there is "Congo," the gorilla habitat where the huge glass windows let you go eyeball to eyeball with distant cousins. You're sure to recognize one of your own. Plan the better part of the day for a visit.
Web: www.wcs.org/home/zoos/bronxzoo |
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| | New York Botanical Garden (Adjacent to Bronx Zoo) |
| | Here you will find wilderness, lawns, gardens, an arboretum and the magnificent landmark glass Conservatory. This is also a research institution. A visit can be not only a delight to the senses, but an educational foray into the botanical sciences to learn about how plants are used for flavors, fragrances and medicines. Interesting outdoor option for the wheelchair bound.
Web: www.nybg.org |
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| | New York Aquarium |
| | Located on the ocean front at Coney Island in Brooklyn. Changing exhibits and daily marine mammal demonstrations and narrated feedings.
Web: www.nyaquarium.com |
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