My New York Guide

Our Local Expert Says:

For views that rival the Empire State Building's famous 86th-floor observatory, head to Top of the Rock, which boasts a more spacious observation deck and equally stunning views (from a slightly lower height).

Description:

A major commercial center covering 22 acres between 48th and 51st Streets and 5th and 7th Avenues in Midtown Manhattan, Rockefeller Center is one of the city's foremost shopping and entertainment destinations. Oil billionaire and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. leased the site from Columbia University in 1929 with plans to build a new home for the Metropolitan Opera. After the stock market crash of that year, plans were changed. Now, 19 buildings constructed in the Art Deco style house shops, restaurants, and offices, along with Radio City Music Hall.

The centerpiece of Rockefeller Center is the 70-floor, 872-foot GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (aka "30 Rock") - formerly known as the RCA Building - centered behind the complex's sunken plaza. The building is the headquarters of NBC and houses most of the network's New York studios, including the legendary Studio 8H, home of Saturday Night Live. The windows of the studio where NBC's Today Show is filmed are usually mobbed by crowd jostling for a look of the show's hosts and guests. Tours of the NBC studios are also available, and many visitors choose to wait in line for tickets to one of the many shows taped in the building.

Description:

This large facility in the heart of Times Square provides all the information visitors need to get around the city. In addition to the dizzying array of free brochures and maps, visitors may book guided tours, purchase theater and concert tickets, find information on local events and shop for NYC souvenirs. Airport transportation can also be booked here.

Description:

Bear Mountain State Park is situated in rugged mountains rising from the west bank of the Hudson River. The historic Bear Mountain Inn overlooks Hessian Lake and provides fine food and overnight accommodations. The park features a large play field, shaded picnic groves, a dock on the Hudson for mooring small craft, lake and river fishing access, a swimming pool, a zoo and nature, hiking, mountain biking and cross-country ski trails and ski-jumps. An outdoor rink is open to ice skaters from late October through mid-March. The Perkins Memorial Tower atop Bear Mountain affords spectacular views of the park, the Hudson Highlands and Harriman State Park. Adjacent to Bear Mountain is Harriman State Park that offers 46,000 acres of recreation year-round.

Bear Mountain State Park offers a wonderful historic inn for overnight accommodations, spectacular mountain and lake views from a number of recreation locations including a network of multi-use trails available year-round. The park has fishing opportunities including boat rental, swimming opportunities, and a variety of winter sports including a beautiful ice rink, trails and ski-jumps. There is even a zoo at this state park.

Located along the shores of the Hudson River (US 9W), Bear Mountain State Park lies 45 miles north of New York City.

Description:

New York's Chinatown is a cultural haven full of ancient and exotic traditions, and a huge amount of restaurants. This bustling and crowded neighborhood is home to over half of the city's Chinese population. In the grocery stores and fruit stands, you will find many food items available nowhere else in the city—from exotic fruit and vegetables to live snails and dried shrimp. In recent years, excellent Thai, Vietnamese and Korean restaurants have joined the mix.

Our Local Expert Says:

The glass-enclosed Winter Garden hosts a number of musical and other performances, and is a popular destination for brides getting their picture taken on the circular marble staircase.

Description:

This modern complex features office towers, as well as a shopping plaza and dining complex inside, and a marina overlooking the Hudson River. Located across the street from the former site of the World Trade Center, the World Financial Center sustained major damage when the twin towers were destroyed by terrorists on September 11, 2001. Designed by architect Cesar Pelli and first opened in 1988, the World Financial Center has become a popular destination in lower Manhattan. A number of corporations are headquartered there, most notably American Express.

Description:

This is undoubtedly New York City's best free ride. The 25-minute one-way trip across New York Harbor should give you ample opportunity to see such nearby sites as the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan's skyscrapers. The fare for the ferry, which runs every 20 to 30 minutes, actually went down from 50 cents a few years ago. During rush hour, it is filled with Staten Island residents going to or from work in Manhattan. Cars and motorcycles are no longer allowed on the ferry.

Our Local Expert Says:

For just a few of the many diversions available in the park, check out some advanced roller blading skills at "The Hill" west of Sheep's Meadow, or have a drink/meal at the Boathouse, near 74th Street on the east side of Rowboat Lake and open all summer.

Description:

The idea for Central Park was born in 1858, which a competition was held to choose a design for what would be the first public park built in America. The winners were Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, whose Greensward plan proposed an entirely man-made park that would be intended only for public use, as a refuge from the relentless rhythms of New York City's already overcrowded streets. It took more than 15 years and $14 million (the equivalent of about $200 million today) to build the Park, with its 843 acres and six-mile perimeter extending from Central Park West to Fifth Avenue and from 59th Street to 110th Street. Those 843 acres include 136 acres of woodlands, 250 acres of lawns, and 7 different bodies of water totaling some 150 acres.

Starting in 1980, a public-private partnership between New York City and the Central Park Conservancy restored and preserved Central Park, and attendance has only been rising in recent years. Now, more than 25 million visitors per year stroll its 58 miles of pedestrian paths, go horseback riding on 4.5 miles of bridle paths, bike or jog on its 6.5 miles of winding roads, or simply relax on the grass or on the nearly 9,000 benches provided. The famous Tavern on the Green restaurant - the location of the finish line for the New York City Marathon - was originally a sheepfold, housing the shepherd and the flock that grazed Sheeps Meadow until 1934. In nice weather, the still lush meadow now welcomes hordes of sunbathers, picnickers, and people-watchers, all of whom enjoy lounging underneath some of the only sky in Manhattan unmarked by tall buildings. Other special features of the park include the Central Park Carousel, the Marionette Theater, the Central Park Wildlife Center, the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, the Delacorte Theater, the Great Lawn, the Central Park Zoo, the Henry Luce Nature Observatory, Wollman Rink, Lasker Rink, the Loeb Boathouse, and the North Meadow.

Our Local Expert Says:

The best views are from the outdoor observatory on the 86th floor (1,050 feet high), which spans the building's circumference. High-powered binoculars (bring quarters!) offer views of up to 80 miles on clear days.

Description:

This 102-story Art Deco skyscraper, located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street, has been one of New York's most notable landmarks since its completion in 1931. Built as part of an intense competition to build the world's tallest building, the Empire State Building overtook its rivals - 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Building - to gain the distinction, which it held for four decades, before the World Trade Center towers were completed in 1971. With the destruction of the World Trade Center in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Empire State Building again became the tallest building in New York City. It was designed by Gregory Johnson and his architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon.

The building's façade is classic, with modernistic stainless steel canopies marking the entrances on 33rd and 34th Streets and leading to corridors surrounding a core of 67 elevators. Though the Chrysler Building is undoubtedly the more attractive of New York's two Art Deco towers, the Empire State Building has earned its reputation as a top destination largely due to the popularity of its indoor and outdoor observation decks. The outdoor observatory on the 86th floor, with its sweeping 360-degree views of the city, is one of the most popular in the world, and has been visited by more than 110 million people. The second observation deck, on the 102nd floor, is completely enclosed and much smaller, and it may be closed on days with especially high traffic. In addition to the observation spaces, the building has 85 stories (2,158,000 square feet) of commercial and office space. In 1964, floodlights were added to illuminate the top of the building at night; special colors are chosen to match seasonal and other events, such as Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, or victory by any one of New York's sports teams.

Description:

This massive cathedral, located at the corner of 50th Street and Fifth Avenue, is the largest decorated Neo-Gothic cathedral in North America, the seat of the Archdiocese of New York, and one of the city's most visited landmarks. Construction of the cathedral began in 1858, was halted for the duration of the American Civil War, and was finally completed in 1878. Its elaborate marble façade and 330-foot spires dwarfed the Midtown Manhattan of that time, and they still stand out today, even in a district packed with office buildings, shops, and tourist attractions, such as MoMA, Rockefeller Center, and Radio City Music Hall.

Stand-out features of the cathedral's interior include the St. Michael and St. Louis altar, designed by Tiffany & Co., the St. Elizabeth altar, designed by Paolo Medici of Rome, and the stained glass windows. The spectacular rose window is acknowledged to be the finest work designed by Charles Connick, the 20th century genius in stained glass window design. The Archbishops of New York are buried in a crypt under the high altar, and their honorary hats, called galeros, hang from the ceiling over their tombs. St. Patrick's seats about 2,200 people, and every year more than three million visitors step inside its doors.

Description:

A four-story sign on the side of the building trumpets MACY'S, THE WORLD'S LARGEST STORE -- a hard fact to dispute, since the 10-story behemoth covers an entire city block, dwarfing even Bloomie's uptown. Macy's is a hard place to shop: The layout impedes traffic flow, the service is forgettable, and the best part about its Herald Square location is usually leaving it. But they do sell everything. Renovations over the past few years has redesigned many departments into more manageable "ministores" -- there's a Metropolitan Museum Gift Shop, a Swatch boutique, and cafes and makeup counters on several floors -- but the store's one-of-a-kind flair is just a memory now (with the exception of the wooden escalators on the Seventh Ave. side of the building). Still, sales run constantly, holiday or no (1-day sales are popular on Wed and Sat), so bargains are guaranteed. And because so many feel adrift in this retail sea, the store provides personal guides/shoppers at no charge. My advice: Get the floor plan and hopefully it will keep you from wandering off into the sportswear netherworld. At Christmastime, come as late as you can manage, because the store is usually open until midnight in the final shopping days before the holiday.

Description:

If your time in NYC is limited, hop aboard for a quick, 75-minute harbor cruise to the Statue of Liberty from Midtown Manhattan. On this fully narrated cruise, your knowledgeable tour guide will bring New York's sights and fascinating history to life.

You'll see and hear about the majestic Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the historic immigration center, the World Financial Center and the awesome skyscrapers that give Manhattan the most famous skyline in the world.

Sightseeing highlights:

• Intrepid Sea-Air Space Museum
• Empire State Building
• Jacob Javits Convention Center
• World Financial Center
• Battery Park City
• Museum of Jewish Heritage
• Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty
• Verrazano Narrows Bridge
• Castle Clinton
• Staten Island Ferry
• Governors Island
• Castle William
• Downtown Heliport
• Wall Street
• Old Trinity Church
• South Street Seaport
• Brooklyn Bridge

Beverages, food and souvenirs are available for purchase on board. There are ramps available to enable wheelchair access; however, the toilets are not wheelchair accessible.

Our Local Expert Says:

The Statue of Liberty's original 1886 torch is included among the exhibits contained in the statue's base.

Description:

This iconic copper statue was presented to the U.S. by France in 1886 as a commemoration of the U.S. centennial and a gesture of friendship between France and the U.S. Since then, it has stood at Liberty Island in New York Harbor as a welcome to all visitors, immigrants, and Americans returning from abroad. Construction of the statue, supervised by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and engineer Gustave Eiffel (mastermind of Paris's famous tower), began in France in 1875 and was completed in 1884, after which the statue was dismantled and transported across the Atlantic to be reassembled.

Lady Liberty stands approximately 151 feet tall and weighs 225 tons (450,000 pounds). Visitors used to be able to climb the 354 steps to peer at the view through the windows in her crown, but this option is no longer available. Currently, the museum and ten-story pedestal are open for visitation but are only accessible if visitors have a "Monument Access Pass" which is a reservation that visitors must make at least two days in advance of their visit and pick up before boarding the ferry. There are a maximum of 3000 passes available each day (with a total of 15,000 visitors to the island daily).

Description:

The heart of this well-known Italian neighborhood is Mulberry Street. Years ago, the vast majority of people who lived here were Italian, but expansion of Chinatown and Italian migration to the suburbs has changed the make-up of the neighborhood. Still, cafes, restaurants and bakeries line the street. Take a walk and smell the fresh baked bread, garlic and sauces. Stop for a glass of wine or tiramisu at a sidewalk cafe, or gaze longingly at the salamis hanging from store windows.

Our Local Expert Says:

This museum offers a diverse selection of visiting exhibitions (fun past ones include the history of chocolate and a hall of butterflies) and a great IMAX theater, as well as its famous dinosaur halls.

Description:

Founded in 1869 by a group that included J.P. Morgan and Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., father of the 26th U.S. president, the American Museum of Natural History is a remarkable architectural landmark, with its combination of Neo-Gothic and Neo-Romanesque styles and its grand white-columned entrance on Central Park West, marked by a statue of President Theodore Roosevelt. The museum complex contains 27 interconnected buildings housing 45 permanent exhibit halls, a planetarium, temporary exhibition halls, research and collections facilities, and a library in the natural sciences; add parking and service amenities and the area totals 1.6 million square feet.

The museum's vast selection of permanent exhibitions and its various special temporary exhibitions focus on illuminating various aspects of the earth's evolution, from the birth of the planet through the present day. Those that have the energy and perseverance to tour all of the museum's four floors of gallery space will be rewarded with a "field guide to life on Earth, the cultures of humanity, and the latest discoveries in the cosmos," according to the museum's Web site. In addition to the expansive galleries of dinosaurs, whales, birds, snakes and aquatic life, the museum features the recently revamped Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth. Other permanent exhibits are the Fossils Halls, the Arthur Ross Hall of Meteorites, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Hall of Minerals, the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, Biodiversity, Mollusks, and Our World.

Our Local Expert Says:

If you're in the mood for a little exercise, walk or ride your bike across this famous bridge for some of the best views of the city.

Description:

Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. It stretches 5,989 feet (1825 meters) across the East River and connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. At the time of its construction, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world and the first steel-wire suspension bridge. The bridge was designed by the New Jersey architect John Augustus Roebling, who died before construction began after he contracted tetanus from a wound sustained in a ferry accident during surveys for the bridge project. Built from limestone, granite, and cement, the Brooklyn Bridge is an example of Gothic-style architecture, with its characteristic pointed arches topping twin passageways through huge stone towers. Because Roebling designed a bridge and truss system six times stronger than he thought it needed to be, the Brooklyn Bridge is still standing, while many other bridges built around the same time have had to be replaced.

In the past, the inside lanes of traffic on the bridge carried the elevated trains of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transport (BMT) Corporation from stations in Brooklyn to a terminal at Manhattan's Park Row. Streetcars shared the other lanes with other traffic until the elevated trains stopped using the bridge in 1944 and the streetcars moved to the center lanes. Six years later, the streetcars also stopped running, and the bridge was rebuilt to its present configuration, with six lanes of automobile traffic. A separate walkway runs along the centerline for pedestrians and bicyclists, and boasts some of the best views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines.

Description:

This peninsula in southernmost Brooklyn boasts a diverse community of 60,000 people and a broad, sandy beach with a historic boardwalk. Its selection of amusement parks and attractions may have seen better days, but they can still provide a rich slice of Americana and a day of family fun during a spring or summer visit. As a major resort and amusement destination, Coney Island reached its peak in the early 20th century. Its popularity declined after World War II and for many years it was sorely neglected, but in recent years the area has been revitalized with the opening of KeySpan Park, home of the minor league baseball team the Brooklyn Cyclones. In addition to the Cyclones fans that swarm the area in spring and summer, Coney Island attracts thousands to its annual Mermaid Parade, which takes place on Surf Avenue every summer and features an array of floats and performers in crazy costumes. Another star attraction is the original Nathan's Famous hot dog stand, which opened in 1916 and quickly became a landmark. Its annual hot dog eating contest, held every July 4th since Nathan's opened, has recently attracted widespread attention, including international television coverage.

Those coming to Coney Island shouldn't miss the Astroland Amusement Park, with its selection of rides including the historic Cyclone, built in 1927 and one of the oldest roller coasters still operating in the United States. Wonderwheel Amusement Park provides an even bigger selection of thrill rides, while the Coney Island Aquarium houses dolphins and sea lions. The Riegelmann boardwalk, another landmark, stretches continuously along the beach from West 37th Street in the community of Seagate through Coney Island proper and Brighton Beach to the beginning of the community of Manhattan Beach, a distance of approximately two-and-a-half miles.

Description:

This Clarion Hotel is located in Queens, less than a half-mile from LaGuardia Airport; it is also 1 mile from Shea Stadium and approximately 7 miles from midtown Manhattan. See this hotel on a map. The hotel provides complimentary 24-hour shuttle service to and from La Guardia, complimentary Continental breakfast, and complimentary daily newspapers. More hotel information. The 170 guestrooms offer wireless Internet access and complimentary HBO. Guests can dine on site at the sports-themed restaurant, or order delivery from a variety of local eateries.