With a skyline that's recognizable worldwide and more than 8.3 million people from all corners of the globe who call it home, New York City is a one-of-a-kind destination. Each of the five boroughs has its own distinctive flavor, while individual neighborhoods, streets and even single blocks maintain identities all their own. Whether it's your first visit or your hundredth, there's always something new to see and do. From world-class dining to shopping to nightlife to culture, New York City's streets pulsate with an unmistakable rhythm that attracts more than 45 million visitors annually.
A number of iconic stops belong on first-time visitors' to-do lists. The Empire State Building, Central Park, the Top of the Rock Observation Deck and the South Street Seaport—to name just a few—never fail to dazzle, while strolling around Wall Street, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side offers a window into the City's past. For your photo op with the Statue of Liberty, or a family history lesson at Ellis Island, take Statue Cruise's official Liberty Island ferry or one of Circle Line's year-round scenic harbor cruises.
Though it's home to myriad familiar sights and neighborhoods, Manhattan is actually the smallest of New York's five boroughs. The majority of the City's land mass and population are found in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, and each of the boroughs boasts countless reasons to visit. Head to the Bronx to catch a baseball game at the new Yankee Stadium or to explore 265 acres of wildlife at the Bronx Zoo. Queens lays claim to Citi Field (the new home of the New York Mets), a spectacular 9,000-square-foot scale model of the City at the Queens Museum of Art, a burgeoning arts scene in Long Island City and one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the country. Taking a stroll over the historic Brooklyn Bridge is a great way to start exploring the City's most populous borough, home to Coney Island, the Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Park and picturesque brownstone-lined streets. And finally, a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry offers sweeping vistas of New York Harbor, the downtown skyline and the Statue of Liberty, while attractions such as Historic Richmond Town, Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden and the Staten Island Children's Museum await you on shore.
No trip to New York City is complete without sampling its cultural offerings. Alongside such world-class museums as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the  Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, fresh artistic perspectives are in bloom at hundreds of galleries in Chelsea, SoHo and the Lower East Side. Meanwhile, newcomers like the Museum of Arts and Design and the New Museum of Contemporary Art keep visitors and locals on the cutting edge of the art world. Discover new music at indie rock clubs; enjoy classical music, opera and ballet at Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall; or get your groove on at a Harlem jazz club. And, of course, don't miss the chance to see the bright lights of Times Square and take in a Broadway show in the Theatre District.
New York City is also a shopper's paradise. Options range from tea shops in Chinatown to chic designer flagships on Fifth and Madison Avenues. SoHo's artistic legacy inspires the many boutiques that now line its streets, while hip vintage and thrift stores abound in the East Village and Williamsburg, in Brooklyn. In Midtown, Grand Central Terminal's marketplace offers a range of stores and food vendors, so you can buy gifts on the go.
And lastly, with some 20,000 restaurants, New York offers a culinary experience like no other city. Splurge at a Brooklyn classic like Peter Luger Steakhouse, tuck into soul food at Sylvia's in Harlem, indulge in the perfect slice of cheesecake at Junior's, discover ethnic foods from around the world in Queens or nosh on a pastrami sandwich and a knish at Katz's, one of the City's oldest, and most beloved, delis. |
