Why
Travel to New York City?
The self-appointed Capital of the World has an
energy like no other city and a skyline and sights that you've already
seen a thousand times on screen.
Sometimes you have to realise the virtual images and walk in the
shadow of the skyscrapers, down a Manhattan cocktail, see a Broadway
show, eat
pasta in Little Italy, climb
the Empire State, window shop on 5th Avenue, and all the rest...
The clear grid system makes city walking easy,
and a bonus - New York is now safer than any other large American
city.
'Where
everyone mutinies but no one deserts' Hershfield
Downsides:
- the famous subway [metro/underground] system
is very poorly signposted, both outside and inside, so travellers
used to European subways may experience difficulties. For
2 or 3 people over short distances taxis are faster, more pleasant
and almost the same cost.
- New Yorkers have a notoriously self-centred
attitude and will pass by on the other side if you have a
problem, while service personnel [such as subway staff] can be ill-mannered.
- Manhattan suffers an endless white
noise of traffic hum, air conditioners, sirens, while the canyons
of brick can be claustrophobic.
When
to Travel to New York City:
Best: May/June, Sept/Oct
Worst: Jan - March,
[short dark days, can get very cold and stormy]
Length
of stay not incl. flights:
Minimum: 2 days of madness.
Recommended: 7 days to fit in sufficient shopping, sightseeing and
just strolling some of the more relaxed locations.
New
York Main Attractions:
Manhattan*** this borough [district] contains nearly all of New Yorks City's
main attractions.e.g.
The Financial District for amazing
skyscrapers as well as the massive building site of 9/11's Ground
Zero, while Battery Park on the tip of the island is a green,
fresh base for ferries to The
Statue of Liberty. Get there by ferry - as early as possible
for a hope of a climb to the top. Also visit the Ellis
Island Immigration Museum to see just how much of New York
is imported and how it happened.
Chinatown offers cultural colour, SoHo, Greenwich
and the trendy Meatpacking district are arty and packed with
funky shops, bars and restaurants.
Around Manhattan's Midtown further
famous attractions include Times
Square [now sanitised and revitalised with plenty of
kid's stuff], Broadway for musicals
and the Empire State Building - the
granddaddy of the skyline.
Central
Park is an enormous and delightful space of trees, lakes,
rock outcrops, funfair, baseball pitches, and cafés - full
of dog walkers, joggers, skaters and cyclists, with horse drawn
carts for romantics.
The Upper East Side warrants a visit
for window shopping and museums along 5th
Avenue, while the dreaded Harlem has metamorphosed from ghetto to residential haven, with Bill Clinton among other lodgers.
Grand Central Terminal has a
fantastic concourse that's worth a visit and some large, fine restaurants.
Brooklyn** a
walk or bike across the famous, iconic Brooklyn
suspension Bridge, will take you to Brooklyn for 19th C buildings
at Brooklyn Heights, and the greenery of Prospect Park.
Staten
Island* - by
bridge or the more visually stimulating ferry crossing from Manhattan,
try Greenbelt for bird watching walks and Richmond Town, a collection
of early historic buildings.
Short
Trips:
Long
Island* beyond Queens and Brooklyn on the southwestern tip of the
island lies New York's main seaside recreation area, with popular
beaches and resorts.
Main
Festivals and Events Guide:
Chinese New Year, Chinatown
17th march, St Patricks Day Parade, 5th Avenue
mid May, International Food Fair, 9th Avenue.
June, Comedy and Jazz Festivals
June, Change your Mind Day, Central Park
4th July, Independence Day [great fireworks]
September, New York Film Festival
31st October, Halloween Parade, Greenwich Village
November, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
Dec 31, New Year's Eve, Times Square
For
some precise dates see: English
Speaking Festivals
Arts
and Culture Guide:
Museums: the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art are stars
of New York's wonderful collection
of museums.
Some of the buildings are works of art in themselves, like the Museum
of Modern Art and the Guggenheim.
The American Museum of Natural History
has grand dinosaur exhibits, while the Rockefeller Cloisters
Museum is gorgeous and has amazing views over the city.
Classical
Music, Dance,Theater:
the New York Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Chamber
Music Society, Little Orchestra Society, Metropolitan Opera, New
York City Opera and New York City Ballet, at the Lincoln Center;
inbound orchestras at Carnegie Hall; the American Ballet Theater
at the Metropolitan Opera House.
Shopping:
One of the best cities in the world for shopping, with
a great variety of goods at generally reasonable prices.
Shoes/trainers are eternally fashionable here and are particularly
interesting.
Exclusive: Bergdorf-Goodman and SAKS on Fifth Avenue.
Famous: Macy's, Bloomingdales
Shop as Art: Prada's block long showroom in Soho and Apple's store
in SoHo.
Shoppers
Beware!
If you are not living in America and buy electronic goods, such
as a camera, you may find that there is no international warranty
on it. i.e. if it breaks down you've got an expensive repair to
handle.
An option offered by some shops, for example
B&H cameras, is to buy a separate and extended international
warranty. Avoid this like the plague, especially
the warranties produced by Mack.com
for B&H and other
stores.
Mackcam.com will do all in their power to avoid paying, however
valid your problem. They will ignore mail, demand endless
papers or details you've already provided, ramp up demands to actual
paper evidence even if you're living 8,000 miles away and are electronically
registered. On and on... It's not worth it! Save
yourself wasted money and loss of hair, don't buy generic warranties!
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