New York is very much
a walking city, so hit the pavement.
Stay alert! Half the
fun is uncovering the sights between the sights.
Ellis Island and the Statue of
Liberty: Trace the steps of
immigrant ancestors. Take the
Circle Line Statue of Liberty Ferry at Battery Park (Lower West Side of
Manhattan). Access is limited to the crown of the statue from May-Labor
Day. Ferry information: +1
212 269 5755. Empire State
Building: Incredible views from observatories; call for schedule and
ticket information:+1 212 736 3100. Also a Skyride flight simulator; phone
+1 212 279 9777.
New York
Stock Exchange: Get free tickets for Visitors Gallery starting at
8:45.Walk among the humbling skyscrapers of Wall Street .The Exchange is
at 20 Broad St., phone +1 212 656 5165.
Rockefeller
Center: Famous for its Christmas tree, ice-skating rink
and NBC Studios.5th Avenue between 47th and 52nd Streets.
NBC Studio
tours: phone +1 212 664 7174.
Times
Square: Cleaned up, and still the bright-light heart of
Midtown. Broadway to 7th
Avenue between 42nd and 47th Streets.
Grand Central
Station: After its cleanup, the station is a
destination in itself. Don't
miss the Sky Ceiling, an aquamarine image of the night sky with lights for
stars and major constellations outlined in gold.
Many stores and restaurants.42nd Street and Lexington Avenue.
Central
Park: Flowing meadows, bridges, lakes, ponds and playing
fields produce a fragile serenity in the heart of the metropolis.
Do not go after dark. Between
5th and 8th Avenues and 59th and 110th Streets, phone +1 212 246 0520.
Metropolitan Museum of
Art: Art and artifacts covering 5,000
years of world culture.5th Avenue at 82nd Street, phone +1 212 570 3711 or
+1 212 879 5500.
Museum of
Modern Art (MOMA): Famed showcase for art from the 1880s to the present.11
W.53rd St., phone +1 212 708 9400 or +1 212 708 9480.
American Museum of Natural
History: The largest collection of
dinosaurs, fossil mammals and whole skeletons in the world. See the renovated dinosaur exhibit on the 4th floor.
Central Park West at 79th Street, phone +1 212 769 5100.
Frick
Collection: Henry Frick's fabulous collection of 14th-19th
century European paintings, objects d'art and furniture.
Lovely inner courtyard.1 E.70th St., phone +1 212 288 0700.
Bronx
Zoo: Largest urban zoo in the country. All creatures in natural habitats. Fordham Road and Bronx River Parkway, phone +1 718 367 1010
or +1 718 220 5100.
Saint
Patrick's Cathedral: Enormous and ornate Gothic-style cathedral.5th Avenue
at 50th Street, phone +1 212 753 2261.
Greenwich
Village: Longtime artist community; lovely place to
stroll and browse. Houston
Street north to 14th Street, Broadway west to the Hudson River.
Chinatown: A labyrinth of narrow streets with frenetic shopping
activity and restaurants galore. Between
Canal and Pell Streets and 6th Avenue and the Bowery. Major streets are Canal, Pell and Mott. Parking is impossible. Take
the subway
Top
The city that never
sleeps hums to the trendy, daring and fickle club scene. Topflight jazz, salsa and blues clubs and neighbor- hood bars
stay open and lively as late as 4am.
Comedy Clubs: Caroline's Comedy Club (up-and-coming comedians),1626
Broadway, phone +1 212 757 4100;Comic Strip Live (small, popular),1568 2nd
Ave., phone +1 212 861 9386.
Live
Music: The Bitter End (blues, folk, jazz),147 Bleecker St., phone +1 212
673 7030;The Blue Note (top jazz performers), 131 W.3rd St., phone +1 212
475 8592; Sounds of Brazil (S.O.B.) (live Reggae, Latin and Caribbean),204
Varick St., phone +1 212 243 4940;Sweet Basil (high-profile jazz),88 7th
Ave. St., phone +1 212 242
1785;Village Vanguard (jazz institution), 178 7th Ave.
St., phone +1 212 255 4037.
Nightclubs
and Dancing: Au Bar (international crowd),41 E.
58th St., phone +1 212 308 9455;China Club (beautiful people, aging
rock stars),2130 Broadway, phone +1 212 877 1166;Webster Hall (hip
clientele, popular),125 E.11th St. (Village),
phone +1 212 353 1600; Rainbow Room/Rainbow and Stars Club (romantic
views, ballroom dancing, expensive, jacket recommended), 30 Rockefeller
Plaza, phone +1 212 632 5000,American Express only; The Tunnel (two dance
floors in an old railroad terminal; gays welcome),27th and West Side
Highway (Chelsea/Midtown), phone +1 212 695 2963.
Taverns and Pubs: Joe's Pub (cabaret-like performance space in The
Public Theatre),425 Lafayette Street, phone +1 212 539 8500;Fraunces
Tavern (George Washington was a regular), 54 Pearl St., phone +1 212 269
0144;North Star Pub (vast selection of British beers), 93 South St., South
Street Seaport, phone +1 212 509 6757;Chumley's (warm and inviting), 86
Bedford St. (corner of Bedford and Barrow, West Village), phone +1 212 675
4449;White Horse Tavern (has a literary pedigree), 567 Hudson St. (at 11th
Street, West Village), phone +1 212 243 9260.
Top
New York City is an
international showcase of the arts and has a long-standing custom of
demanding excellence in performance, and it shows the moment the lights
dim, the curtain rises, the first actor speaks or the first note sounds.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: This complex houses the
Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, two ballet companies and the
Julliard School, besides many other performing arts organizations.
Tours given (phone +1 212 875 5350).
Columbus Avenue at 64th Street, phone +1 212 875 5000.
Carnegie Hall: Continuous performances of classical, pop and
jazz.881 7th Ave. (at 57th Street), phone +1 212 247 7800.
Radio City Music Hall: Flashy art-deco hall hosts everything from
Christmas concerts with kicking Rockettes to Reggae festivals.
1260 6th Avenue (at 50th Street), phone +1 212 247 4777.
City Center: Alvin Ailey and other dance companies.131 W.
55th St. For City
Center information, call +1 212 247 0430.
For tickets, call City Tix, +1 212 581 1212.
New York Philharmonic: Season runs September-June at Avery Fisher
Hall in Lincoln Center. In
mid July the Philharmonic per- forms in many of New York's parks.
For information, call +1 212 875 5030.For tickets, call Center
Charge at +1 212 721 6500.
Metropolitan
Opera House: The Metropolitan Opera Company's season runs late
September-April. Performances
Monday- Saturday. Lincoln
Center, phone +1 212 362 6000.
Brooklyn
Academy of Music (BAM ):Avant-garde dance, music, opera and theater
productions. Worth a subway
ride.30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, phone +1 718 636 4100.
Central Park Summerstage: Performs free at Central Park
June-August. Phone +1 212 360
2777. Broadway, Off-Broadway
and Off-Off-Broadway theaters: Check with your hotel concierge for the
most current shows and ticket availability.
