New York Destinations, Viewpoints, and Attractions for the Traveler

♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA

Major Attractions in New York

New York offers a variety of attractions, observation towers, museums, and more, which I will detail below. Entrance to these costs quite a bit of money, so it is advisable to buy a combined discount ticket for several attractions.

Discounted Entrance Tickets to Attractions and Museums in New York:

New York CityPASS - is a combined entrance ticket to six popular tourist sites in the city, including the Empire State Building, a cruise around Manhattan or to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and four museums. It is worthwhile for those planning to visit at least four of these attractions. The ticket can be used for 9 days from the day you visited the first attraction. There is also an option to purchase a ticket for 3 attractions only.

The ticket can be purchased directly from this site:

CityPASS - New York - 6 (or 3) great attractions in one ticket.

 

Booking Guided Tours in New York

Today in New York, it is mandatory to book in advance for popular sites and tours; otherwise, in the best case, you will stand for hours in lines, or in the less pleasant case, no tickets will remain for you.

♦ Booking from GetYourGuide.com:

♦ Popular Guided Tours in New York - for booking from the Viator website:

 

 

 

Recommended Observation Points over the City

Below are the most recommended sites from which you can overlook New York. It is recommended to visit several of them, as the urban view is stunning and the viewing angle differs from one observation point to another. It is worth overlooking the city from the tall buildings on a clear and bright day with good visibility.

The Viewpoint at Tower No. 1, One World Observatory

At the end of May 2015, the new observatory at the World Trade Center opened, "One World Observatory", at the top of the tallest tower in the complex - "One World Trade Center", located at the northwest corner of the new Trade Center, where the Twin Towers once stood. The tower is 104 stories high and its height is 1776 feet (541 meters), to mark the year the US Declaration of Independence was signed (July 4, 1776), and it is considered the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth tallest in the world. To reach the observatory on the 100th, 101st, and 102nd floors of the building, you arrive in less than 60 seconds in a particularly fast elevator. In addition to a stunning panoramic view of New York City over all its boroughs and the surrounding waters, you will experience unique multimedia experiences and various technological surprises during the visit. The tower also has a visitor center, a huge souvenir shop, a cafe, and of course a prestigious restaurant. The tower's motto is "See Forever", and within a few short months it was chosen by FOX NEWS to be included in the list of the 11 leading tourist sites in the USA.

 

Empire State Building

This is one of the tallest buildings in the world, designed in a special "Art Deco" style. Its construction was completed in 1931 and it serves as one of the city's symbols and a must-visit site for tourists. The building's construction rate was particularly fast: more than four floors per week, ahead of the planned schedule. When its construction was completed, it was the tallest building in New York. The 102 floors of the building reached a height of 381 meters, and with the antenna, its height reached 449 meters. In 1985 the antenna was replaced, and since then its height is "only" 443 meters. With the completion of the Twin Towers construction in 1972, it lost the lead, but after their collapse in the terrorist attack on 11.9.2001, it returned to being the tallest building in the city until the construction of the new Tower No. 1 at the Twin Towers site which is 541m high (which is 1776 feet, a number marking the year of US independence). The top 30 floors of the Empire are illuminated throughout the year from dark until midnight. The lighting colors change according to the season: at Christmas the building is lit in red and green, on national holidays in red, blue, and white, etc. An open observation deck is located on the 86th floor. The indoor viewpoint is from the 102nd floor (ascending to the 102nd floor is for an additional fee). The view is breathtaking! On clear days the range of vision is more than 100 km! In the building 73 service and passenger elevators operate. Passenger elevators are extremely fast: they ascend 86 floors in just 45 seconds. It is worth ascending for the observation at dusk, in order to witness the impressive sight of the city lights turning on one after another.

On the second floor of the Empire State Building there is a giant simulator called "New York Skyride" simulating a journey through the skies of New York while meeting its most famous sites. In the simulator, you will crash into "Wall Street" and ride a roller coaster in Coney Island.

More than 120 million visitors have already visited the building, which is open every day of the year (including all holidays) from 8:00 AM until 2:00 AM (the last elevator ascends for the observation at 01:15 AM). Security at the place is extremely strict. Large bags, bottles, and sharp objects are not allowed into the building. Entrance to the observation deck is for a fee. Discount for seniors over 62 and children up to age 12.

The Empire State Building is located on Fifth Avenue, corner of 34th Street.

 

"Top of the Rock"

At the top of Rockefeller Center, on the 70th floor, the historic observation deck was reopened in November 2005, offering a magnificent view of the northern part of Manhattan, including a panoramic view of Central Park. From the building, you can see the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Times Square, the Hudson River, the Brooklyn Bridge, and even the Statue of Liberty. The original observation deck was opened at the site by John D. Rockefeller Jr. already 70 years ago and was designed as an ocean liner's deck, including lounge chairs, funnels, etc.; it was closed about 20 years ago. The current observation deck was planned and designed by architect Michael Gabellini in Art Deco style. The famous "Swarovski" crystal factory prepared an impressive crystal wall in the first observation floor and a crystal waterfall at the building entrance. The observation is open every day of the year from 8:30 AM until midnight (the last elevator ascends for the observation at 11:00 PM). Entrance to the observation deck is for a fee. Discount for seniors over 62 and children up to age 12.

 Statue of Liberty

The famous Statue of Liberty, which is located on a small island in New York Harbor south of Manhattan, is a gift from the French people to the Americans, marking the long friendship between the two nations. The statue, in the figure of a woman holding the torch of liberty in one hand and a book in the other, was inaugurated in 1886 and has since greeted millions of immigrants who arrived in the land of dreams. The statue was created by French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi who assisted by French engineer Gustave Eiffel who planned and built the iron skeleton.

Bartholdi designed the statue's face inspired by his mother's face and designed the statue's body inspired by his mistress. On the statue's head is a crown with seven rays, symbolizing the seven continents and the seven oceans of the earth. The woman steps with her feet on chains, a symbol of liberation from slavery; the dress she wears symbolizes the Roman Republic and the torch symbolizes enlightenment for the world. At the base of the statue, the sentence is engraved: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." The height of the woman is 50 meters while the total height of the statue (including the base) is 93 meters. This is the tallest statue in the entire world. The weight of the statue is 225 tons (like the weight of 250 cars!), including 100 tons of copper and 125 tons of iron and steel. The statue was built over ten years in France and moved to the US dismantled into 214 parts. Some parts were moved by ship and some by plane. The island can be reached by a ferry departing from Battery Park. From Jersey City (located in New Jersey), a ferry leaves for Liberty Island every 30-45 minutes. You can climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty via 354 narrow, spiral stairs. In the busy summer months, the duration of the climb can be about 3 hours due to the long queues. You can certainly skip entering the statue and standing in queues and observe it from outside. The sight of Manhattan from the island itself and during the sailing is magnificent. The site belongs to the National Park Service of the USA. 

In 1984, towards the 100th anniversary celebrations of the statue's placement in New York, the statue was dismantled, renovated, and cleaned and then reassembled. The old torch was replaced with a new torch plated with gold decorations. In 2001, after the terrorist attack on the US, the site was closed to visitors for a long period out of fear that terrorists would want to harm the statue which had become one of the important symbols of the US. Gradually the site was opened to visitors, while maintaining particularly strict security procedures, but it was not possible to climb to the top of the statue. In recent years, they allow climbing to the top of the statue again while taking maximum safety precautions. For this, it is necessary to book places long in advance. Ascending to the crown is permitted for children aged four and up whose height is over 120 cm. In the fall of 2012 the statue was hit by the fierce hurricane storm that struck New York. It was closed for renovations until July 2013. Since the visitor load at the site can be very heavy, it is recommended to arrive as early as possible. To photograph the best scenic photos, it is recommended to sit on the right side of the boat during the sailing to the Statue of Liberty and on the left side on the way back.

 

 

Brooklyn Bridge

From the Brooklyn Bridge, the New York skyline is seen in all its glory. The bridge is in the East River at Frankfort Street, across from City Hall Park. The bridge connects Manhattan to Brooklyn. This is one of the busiest bridges in New York and every day it is crossed by about 144 thousand vehicles, 1500 bicycle riders and about 2000 pedestrians. For pedestrians and bicycle riders, there is a special path above the vehicle lanes.

The bridge, which opened to traffic in 1883, is considered one of the largest suspension bridges in the world; its total length is 1053 meters and the length of the central suspended section between the two towers is 486 meters. Bridge width: 26 meters. The bridge has two towers with double Gothic arches. The foundations of the Brooklyn tower are planted at a depth of 17 meters and those of the Manhattan tower at a depth of 24 meters. The two towers, designed to serve as entrance gates to the cities of Manhattan and Brooklyn, rise to a height of 84 meters above the river.

 

 

Roosevelt Island Tramway

Roosevelt Island is a narrow island located between Manhattan and Queens. In 1976, a cable car was built for the benefit of the residents connecting the island to Manhattan. The cable car ride lasts about 4 minutes, during which a wonderful view of Manhattan is seen. The cable car departs every quarter hour from 59th Street corner of Second Avenue. In 2006, the cable car was shut down for about half a year due to a fault that occurred in it and returned to operation after its control systems were renewed and improved. In 2010 the cable car underwent a further upgrade and renovation. When you arrive at the island it is worth walking around it a bit on the promenade overlooking Manhattan; the price of the cable car ride is like the price of a subway ride and you can use the MetroCard to pay for the ride.

 

 

Additional Streets and Attractive Destinations in the City

 

Fifth Avenue

The most famous avenue in the city where several renowned buildings are located, among them: the Empire State Building, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the New York Public Library, and Trump Tower. The main section of it, about 1.6 km long, begins at the Empire State Building at 34th Street and ends at 59th Street at Grand Army Plaza, and is considered the most prestigious shopping complex in the world featuring world-renowned high-end stores, such as: Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord and Taylor.

Another store loved by children on the avenue is the Disney Store. Sports fans will not miss a visit to the impressive NBA store. This is the best place in the city for "Window Shopping".

In the northern part of the avenue, from 59th Street to 100th Street, are luxurious residential buildings and many museums.

Rockefeller Center

This is a large complex, including 19 buildings, with offices, businesses, shops, restaurants, and entertainment sites. The center is between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and between 48th-51st Streets. The tallest building in the complex has 70 stories and at its top is an excellent observation deck overlooking Central Park and the Empire building. At Rockefeller Center, 65,000 people work and about 250,000 tourists visit daily. In its center, between the skyscrapers, is a small square named: Sunken Garden featuring an avenue of flags from all over the world.

 

 

In winter this is a popular site for ice skating. Towards Christmas, they place the largest spruce tree in the world in the plaza, and it is lit in a multitude of colors. In summer, bands play at the site and the plaza is used for dancing. In the square is an impressive statue of Prometheus, 5.5 meters high, made of bronze and gold. In Rockefeller Center there are more than a hundred artworks for the public's enjoyment. One of the center's symbols is a giant statue of Atlas carrying the world, 4.5 meters high, placed at the entrance of the International Building. The most famous site in the center is the Radio City Music Hall, which is a giant theater, with 2,000 seats, built in Art Deco style, with amazing acoustics and where musical entertainment shows and concerts are staged. Guided tours of about an hour are held daily at the site. The NBC television network studios are also located in Rockefeller Center. Hour-long tours go behind the scenes of the studios. Children under the age of 6 are not permitted to participate in the tours. Early birds can watch the recording of the popular Today Show through glass walls (Mondays to Fridays); admission is for a fee, it is recommended to book tickets in advance. The Nintendo World store is also located in the center, where you can try the latest Nintendo games.

In the center, the most famous toy store in New York also reopened at the end of 2018, which starred in children's movies ("Big" and "Home Alone 2"), FAO Schwarz toy store.

 

Times Square :

The most famous square in New York, considered by many to be the "center of the world," is located on Broadway from W. 42nd St. to W. 47th St.. In the square's vicinity is an abundance of theaters, shops, restaurants, glittering lights, giant advertisements with animation videos and giant television screens. It is recommended to visit at night, when everything is bright and glowing. There is a half-price ticket office TKTS, and you can also get discount coupons for various shows at the square's visitor center (between 46th and 47th Streets). MTV channel headquarters are located in Times Square, as are the NASDAQ headquarters, which have giant screens with financial news. The main bus station, Port Authority Bus Terminal, considered one of the busiest stations in the world, with about 60 million passengers a year, is also located in the square and no wonder the area is busy and crowded every day of the year. Keep a close watch on your children so they do not get lost in the bustle. "Madame Tussauds" wax museum and the massive Toys “R” Us toy store are also located in Times Square.

South Street Seaport

This is the historical port of New York City that was active mainly in the 19th century. All buildings at the site have been restored and renovated, and historic ships open to the general public anchor at the piers. The site features shops, galleries, restaurants, and street performances. It's a nice place to wander around. It is especially recommended to visit the ships: "Peking" from 1911 and "Gloucester," a fishing vessel from 1893. The site also includes a museum: The South Street Seaport Museum with galleries and ship models. Tourist ships leave the pier for a harbor tour several times a day. It is especially recommended to visit the site on summer weekends and holidays. Address: East River at Fulton Street.

The recommended traveling exhibition "Bodies- The Exhibition" has been displayed at South Street Seaport for several years and in light of its resounding success, it seems it will stay there for many years. The exhibition features 20 human bodies, 200 organs, and more than two thousand fascinating facts. A stunning educational experience! Address: 11 Fulton St.

 

"Ground Zero" - World Trade Center Site

In the past, a visit to New York was not complete if you didn't go up to the viewpoint at the top of the Twin Towers. Today, one of the must-visit sites for visitors to the city is "Ground Zero." In 2011, the impressive memorial site was inaugurated, including two sunken pools into which waterfalls fall from a height of about 10 meters (the tallest man-made waterfalls in North America). The two pools are located in the spot where the Twin Towers once stood. Around the pools are engraved the names of all the victims of the events of that tragic day. 400 trees surround the pools. Standing at the site is also the "Survivor Tree", a pear tree found in October among the rubble of the towers, burned, with broken branches and roots. The tree was taken for rehabilitation by the City of New York's Parks Department and returned to the memorial site in 2010. The tree, from which new branches grew among its gnarled stumps, has become a symbol of resilience, survival, and rebirth.

 

 

Visiting the memorial site is free of charge and it is open daily, between 07:30-21:00. In addition to the memorial site, there is also an impressive museum (see above) and six skyscrapers, including "One World Trade Center" which is the tallest among them. Each of these structures was designed by a world-renowned architect. Several tours exist: a tour of the memorial site only, or a tour of the entire complex including entry to the museum and ascending to the viewpoint from Tower ONE.

 

The United Nations Headquarters

The UN headquarters are located on First Avenue between 42nd and 48th Streets. The entrance to it is from 46th Street. The complex is considered international territory and has independent police and mail services. The complex has four buildings, the most famous being the tall Secretariat Building. Each building was planned and designed by a famous architect or artist. In the buildings and gardens are many sculptures and artworks. The Secretariat Building is an impressive glass structure. A limited number of entrance tickets to UN sessions are distributed free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. Guided tours (for a fee) in the complex, in English, take place Mondays to Fridays between 9:45 AM-4:45 PM. The tour lasts about 45 minutes. The visitor center is located at: 1st Avenue at 46th Street and is open from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Children under the age of 5 are not permitted to participate in the tour. It is recommended to book tickets for the tour in advance. Every year more than a million visitors visit the UN. On Thursdays at 4:00 PM an hour-long tour designed for children aged 5-12 is held at the site.

Chinatown

Chinatown is located in South Manhattan, between Canal, Pell, and Mott Streets. It is quite small and spans only nine blocks. The quarter features shops selling Chinese souvenirs, Chinese restaurants, tea houses, Chinese newspaper and book stores, and spice and medicinal herb shops. The quarter is decorated with Chinese murals and pagodas. Sundays are the busiest days. At the beginning of February, on Chinese New Year, colorful processions with fire-breathing dragons are held in the quarter, symbolizing the beginning of the lunar year. The Chinatowns of San Francisco and Vancouver are larger and more impressive; therefore if you intend to visit one of those cities, you should visit the Chinese quarter there, but if you are traveling only in the East US- visiting the quarter is definitely recommended.

 

 Street in Chinatown

 

Lincoln Center

An arts center considered the "culture capital of the USA" with theaters, concert halls, operas, and schools for the performing arts. Among the elegant buildings is a designed square with impressive fountains. Guided tours lasting about an hour are held at the center daily from 10:30 AM-4:30 PM. It is recommended to book tickets in advance. Many shows for children and youth take place at the center including jazz shows, circus shows, operas for children, and more. In summer, free shows are held in the adjacent park. Address: Columbus Ave (between 62nd and 66th Streets).

 

Grand Central Terminal

A beautiful 100-year-old railway station, considered one of the most impressive indoor public spaces in the USA. It opened to the public in 1913, but has since been renovated and expanded. The high ceiling (45 meters high) is dotted with 2500 stars and zodiac paintings. On the front of the station is a giant clock and statues of Greek gods. The station features many restaurants, specialty shops, and a recommended food market. Organized tours take place at the site free of charge on Wednesdays and Fridays. Avoid visiting during Rush hours. Address: Lexington Avenue, between 42nd and 44th Streets.

 

Museums in New York

Museum enthusiasts can spend many days among the many impressive museums in New York. The museums detailed in the article: Museums in New York are the largest and most famous in the city and most importantly, are the most suitable for the whole family. Most are concentrated in the heart of Manhattan, in the central tourist area. You can spend long hours in each of them.

 

Parks, Zoos, and Aquarium

Despite New York's density and many buildings, it has many "green lungs": expansive parks, zoos, botanical gardens, and playgrounds. 17% of its area is dedicated to parks and playgrounds.

Information about the city's parks and their facilities in the article: Parks, Zoos, and Aquarium in New York.

 

 Theater and Entertainment Shows

New York has an abundance of plays and entertainment shows of all types and levels and is considered one of the most important theater centers in the world.

Details in the article: Theater and entertainment shows in New York.

Tickets for popular shows in New York from the Viator site:

 

Recommended site for purchasing tickets for shows, theater, and sports events in New York:

Ticket Network

Sports in New York

New York is a paradise for sports enthusiasts. It has good and famous teams in all sports fields.

Additional details in the article: Sports in New York.

 

Guided Tours in New York

Many companies organize guided tours throughout the city. If your time is short, it is recommended to join one of these tours covering the main sites in Manhattan. Children will especially love a tour in an English-style double-decker bus.

Details about a variety of tours in the article: Fascinating guided tours in Manhattan.

 

Shopping in New York

Details in our article: Shopping and stores in New York City

Where to Eat

Thanks to New York's enormous ethnic diversity, it has restaurants of all types and kinds. It is considered the gastronomic capital of the USA and has more restaurants than any other city on the continent. Additional details in the article: Restaurants in New York.

♦ Recommended food tours in New York for booking from the Viator site:

 

 

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