New York is one of the most exciting and cosmopolitan cities in the world. It is often called the city that never sleeps. In fact, Times Square at midnight seems more vibrant and active than most other cities at noon. New York has many tourist attractions like the Statue of Liberty, the United Nations headquarters, the Empire State building and over 300 museums. It is renowned for its wide variety of entertainments including the world famous Broadway theatres. There are over 30,000 restaurants in New York City plus countless bars and clubs. If you like big cities and lots of excitement, the Big Apple is a great place to visit.
Midtown Manhattan is home to Broadway, Times Square, Central Park and the famous Empire States building and Radio Music City Hall. On Fifth Avenue the designer boutiques line up alongside the major department’s stores creating a shoppers paradise. Lower Manhattan and Wall Street, a good 20 minutes south of central Manhattan, is possibly New York’s most famous address, the historic Battery Park is the point to board an excursion boat to Ellis Island and the Statue of liberty.
Looking for history? Then look no further than lower Manhattan where the old Trinity Church stands in the middle of the modern Financial District and the span of the Brooklyn Bridge can be seen as a tribute to the engineering marvels of the Industrial Age.
Washington Square is the former stomping grounds of such writers as Henry James, Mark Twain and Eugene O'Neil. The square's famous white marble arch provides a formal entrance way into Greenwich Village, giving it an almost London-like flair. The square is the cultural and social heart of the Village, for this is the place where residents gather to watch street performers or eat lunch. Greenwich Village is still a cradle of the bohemian beat and the Upper East Side is about as upper-crusty as an Edith Wharton novel. Liberally sprinkled throughout, you'll find the city's ethnic enclaves which continue to be the spice that livens up the great melting pot.
Central Park - This famed 843-acre rectangular park offers a variety of beautiful recreational opportunities amid the bustle of Gotham. Kids young and old enjoy riding the Friedsam Memorial Carousel (near 65th Street), and the Belvedere Castle (near 79th Street) affords great views of the city. The Central Park Wildlife Centre (Zoo) at 5th Avenue and East 64th Street (212-861-6030) is open daily year-round. A ticket from CPWC gets you in free to the nearby Tisch Children's Zoo. The two and a half-acre Strawberry Field contains the black-and-white "Imagine" mosaic, a tribute to John Lennon. Ice skate in the winter and in-line skate throughout the year at Wollman Rink (6th Avenue at 59th Street) Race mini-yachts or rent a boat of your own at Conservatory Water (near 5th Avenue and 74th Street). The Conservatory Garden (212-360-2766) at 104th Street is open 8am-dusk and holds tours of its six-acre grounds every Sat (April-October) at 11am. Central Park Conservancy Visitor's Centres are located at: the dairy, mid-Park at 65th Street, Belvedere Castle, mid-Park at 79th Street, mid-Park at 97th Street, the North Meadow Recreation Centre, and the Charles A. Dana Discovery Centre (off Fifth Avenue). TRAIN: A, B, C, D to 59th St, 66th St-Lincoln Centre, 72nd St, 81st St-Museum of Natural History, 86th St, 96th St, 103rd St, 110th St-Cathedral Pkwy; 2,3 to 110th St; N, R to 5th Ave
Spanning from the South Street Seaport to Brooklyn Heights, the famous Brooklyn Bridge has ushered New Yorkers across the East River since 1883. A must for any visitor to the Big Apple is to take the 30-plus minute, 3,455-foot walk across the bridge. The view you get of Manhattan is incredible, and it's easy to understand why decades of poets and painters have been fascinated by it. The great Walt Whitman even described the view from the bridge as the "most effective medicine my soul has yet partaken."
Getting Around New York:
Transferring from JFK or Newark airport into central Manhattan is usually achieved by taking one of the infamous yellow taxi's from outside the airport. There are regular shuttle services although they can be time consuming with multiple stops at city hotels.
The metro is an easy way to get around Manhattan itself however; it’s worth considering taking a water taxi for the views alone.
Useful Information:
- Time difference is -5 GMT UK to E.S.T
- Flying time 7½hrs UK to New York
- Direct flights from Heathrow & Manchester
- UK passport holders must complete an ESTA costing $14.00 to enter the USA on holiday
New York Hotels we recommend:
A Small Selection of Our Holiday Suggestions:
For more information on holidays that include New York call 01243 779 737
