Discover New York

New York - the Big Apple, and the city that never sleeps

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Major sights

Museums & galleries

Other things to see and do

    New York is the most visited city in the Americas, and the only US city to figure in the top ten most visited cities in the world.
   For over a hundred of the formative years of the modern United States, it was the key point of entry into the USA for immigrants, businessmen, merchants and tourists, giving it a particular place in American life and culture, and a cosmopolitan heritage that no other big world city can match.
    Not only is it the biggest city in the USA; it is also the most culturally diverse and culturally richest city in North America. It was here, in the 19th and 20th centuries, that many of the richest men in America lived, and here that they established their art and craft collections – bequeathing to the city of New York some of the priceless collections and artefacts that can be seen in the city today.
    But while new York offers a hundred or so world-class museums, they are just the icing on the cake. Many of those who visit New York never set foot in a museum – or at least not a traditional museum. New York has so much more to offer; its vibrant districts, its music scene, the amazing views from the top of its skyscrapers, its theaters, it's streets and squares, its restaurants and bars, its water-front. It even has one of the biggest gothic cathedrals in the world..
    It's hardly surprising that New Yorkers will tell you that a lifetime is not long enough to see everything there is to see in New York. You could see quite a lot in a lifetime, but in a week or two, a tourist visitng New York will hardly have time to scratch the surface. Written for those with no more than a few days to spend in the city, this page provides a quick introduction to some of the most interesting or exciting things to see and do in New York City.

What's where?  Major landmarks and monuments in New York

Here is a selection of the most popular

• The Statue of Liberty -
  Donated to the USA by France and opened in 1886. It is the result of collaboration between three great engineers of their time, Viollet le Duc, Eiffel, and Bartholdi, symbolizing the USA as the land of liberty. Trips by ferry from Battery Park, at the tip of Manhattan. See on map

Skyscrapers to visit:

• The Empire State Building.  Central Manhattan. Once the tallest in the world, now one of several skyscrapers offering a ride almost to the top.See on map
• The Chrysler Building. Another historic and distinctive skyscraper that was once the world's highest.  See on map
• The Rockefeller Center, and Top of the Rock viewing deck. Another option for going to the top of a skyscraper; but the Rock is also home to shops, restaurants, exhibitions and events. See on map

  Other landmarks

• Wall Street and the NY Stock Exchange. Free  Visit the throbbing heart of the US economy, 800 m north of Battery Park. See on map
• Greenwich village. Free The offbeat and artists' quarter of New York, half way between the Empire State Building and Battery Park.See on map
• Times Square.  Free   Emblematic square close to the center of New, at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 47th St. A sqauare that never sleeps. See on map
• Brooklyn Bridge.  Free .  Opened in 1883, and with a main span of 486 metres, it was at the time the longest suspension / cable-stay bridge in the world. It has a popular pedestrian and cyle deck, and is open to cars, but not to trucks.  See on map
• High Line Park  Free . Running through Chelsea from West 30th St in the north, past Chelsea Market, and to near the Whitney Museum of American Art, this is New York's 2.3 kilometer (1.5 mile)  rurban hiking trail, following the line of a now-closed aerial railroad ten metres above street level. See on map
• Central Park  Free  - and zoo.  Though not the biggest of New York's parks, this is the most central; and covering 341 hectares (843 acres), it is a remarkably big park for a city-center location, and over twice the size of London's Hyde Park.See on map
• St John the Divine Cathedral. Beside Morningside Park, 800m from northwest corner of Central Park. The biggest cathedral in the USA, and one of the six biggest in the world. Like medieval gothic cathedrals, this one is taking centuries to build, though the main neogothic building is complete. Free for worshippers. See on map

Museums

Though New York boasts less museums than Los Angeles, the advantage of New York is that most of the best museums in the city are located in a fairly compact area, making them easily accessible – which is not the case with LA.

    a) Best art museums -  Here are six of the most interesting and centrally located general art museums in New York.  

• The MOMA - Museum of Modern Art -  between Times Square and Central Park - the finest modern art museum in the USA, with top class international collections  .See on map
• The MET - the Metropolitan Museum of Art - Free for local residents  -  in Central Park. This is the largest museum of art in the Americas, and its collection covers multiple fields of art, architecture and artefacts from ancient times to the twentieth century, making it on a par with the Louvre or the British Museum.  See on map
• The Guggenheim museum on Fifth Avenue, on the east side of Central Park, - another great modern art museum, in an iconic building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. See on map
• The Morgan library and museum, 400m from the Empire State Building. A dazzling collection of historic books and manuscripts, including the Manuscripts of Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll & Mr.Hyde and Milton's Paradise Lost, plus a gallery old master paintings. See on map
• The Frick Madison, on 5th Avenue, one block from the east side of Central Park. World-class art collection covering Renaissance to 20th century, including works by Duccio, Rembrandt, Vermeer, El Greco, Whistler and a lot more.  See on map
• Museum of the city of New York  on the east side of Central Park. A very interesting museum pertaining to the history of New York, with over a million items including art, artefacts, photos, dioramas and more .

    b)    Museums for special interests         
    Museums are not just for works or art and antiquities; they can cover any field of culture, life or history, and New York has a great and interesting selection of special interest museums. Here are five covering a trange of interests, and easily accessible from central Manhattan.

• American Museum of Natural History - Free for local residents  - one of the world's great natural history museums, located on the west side of Central Park See on map
• National Museum of the American Indian - Free  A museum that tells the story of the American Indian. At the tip of Manhattan, next to Battery Park. See on map
• Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration - Tens of  millions of immigrants passed through Ellis Island for screening on arrival in the United States. Visit best done in conjunction with the Statue of Liberty - using round trip ferry from Battery Park. See on map
• 9/11 Memorial and Museum -  A memorial (free) and  museum to the terrible events of 11th September 2001, which changed New York and the world. 800 metres north of Battery Park. See on map
• New York Transit Museum - For those with an interest in urban transport; housed in an underground station. Brooklyn - 1000 metres south of Brooklyn Bridge. See on map
• The National Jazz Museum in Harlem. East 129th St, off Malcolm X Bvd, a mile north of Central Park. See on map

And so much more...

The sites and sights listed above sould keep most visitors to New York going for at least two weeks... but this being New York, there are so many more interesting places that do not make the top twenty-four we've chosen for you. So here are some more that you might like to check out, depending on why you're planning to visit New York, and what your interests are.

For kids (and parents)

• The Manhattan Children's museum - West 83rd st, two blocks northwest of the Natural History museum, another kids' favorite.
• Coney Island - it's a bit outside of Manhattan, but Coney Island is New York's seaside playground, with a beach, an aquarium, and a theme park amother attractions.
• The Roosevelt Island Tramway - take a 3 minute aerial ride 80 metres up in the sky above the East River on New York's cable-car. Departs from 59th St.
• Spyscape - For adults and adolescents - the museum of espionage, with all kinds of interactive games. Test yourself against a lie detector, and lots more! On 8th Avenue, 4 blocks south of Central Park

Other cities...

► Discover more east coast city destinations

For more background to the USA.....

► Book / ebook     A Background to modern America -  people, places and events  that have played a significant role in the shaping of modern America. A C1-level Advanced English reader for speakers of other languages, and anyone wanting to  learn some of the background to today's USA.  Twenty-two texts, with vocabulary guides and exercises.

For California, discover About-California.com, a short guide for visitors.