Things to Do in New York

A four-mile strip of elegant public green space between the Hudson River and Riverside Drive on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, this designated scenic landmark was first proposed in 1865, laid out in 1910 (using designs by Frederick Law Olmstead), re-designed in the 1930s by Robert Moses (who incorporated an underground train tunnel still in use by Amtrak), and enlarged by Donald Trump in the 1990s.

In addition to purely scenic paths landscaped with trees, flowers, terraces and bridges, the park includes a wide variety of recreational options, like baseball diamonds, basketball, tennis and handball courts, skate ramps, kayak and canoe launch sites, playgrounds, and fitness paths. As part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, the park contains car-free bike routes, and its 110-slip public marina at 79th Street is part of New York State’s Water Trail.

There are several graceful monuments within the park, including Grant’s Tomb, at West 122nd Street. This Grecian rotunda with ionic columns, visible from the Hudson River, contains the actual tombs of Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant.

Short for “North of Little Italy,” the name Nolita was coined in a 1996 article in The New York Times that aimed to label this then-newly trendy little area. Bordered by Houston Street (pronounced house-tun), the Bowery, Broome Street, and Lafayette Street, this Lower East Side neighborhood includes the famous Puck Building (at the corner of Houston and Lafayette) and the original St. Patrick’s Cathedral (at the triangular intersection of Mulberry, Mott and Prince Streets).

One of the smallest retail districts in the city, Nolita is light on green space and elbow room, but is nonetheless home to some of New York’s hippest restaurants and cafes, like Nolita House and Bowery Coffee, and shops, such as fashion boutiques Duncan Quinn and Creatures of Comfort, as well as independent bookseller McNally Jackson.

Arguably the most luxurious department store in the city, Saks Fifth Avenue is the result of a partnership between two powerful New York City department store families: the Saks’ and Gimbel Brothers. In September 1924, Horace Saks and Bernard Gimbel opened this famous chain’s flagship store in Midtown Manhattan, next door to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and across the street from the site that would become, in 1939, Rockefeller Center.

Saks’ flagship building occupies an entire city block and is decorated in the Art Deco style, inspired by the 1925 Paris Exposition. The store’s layout is divided into a series of high-end specialty shops, each highlighting individual designers of clothing, accessories and home wares. The 8th floor shoe department, 10022-SHOE, is a fantasy-inducing collection of the world’s greatest luxury shoe designers, and is named with the zip code of the surrounding neighborhood.

Though utilizing ground floor windows for elaborate product displays had become common practice by the 1920s, the flagship has since become especially famous for its window scenes, which feature entire room sets, costumes, mannequins, a wide variety of art and craft materials, video projection screens and more. Especially at Christmastime, the window displays here are a tourist attraction all on their own.

Like its neighbor Chinatown, Little Italy is a vibrant remnant of Manhattan’s legendary multicultural makeup. A great area for city walks, the focus is Mulberry Street and Old St Patrick’s Cathedral.

It’s a historic neighborhood of cobblestone streets, tenements, pizza bars, and Italian restaurants. The most authentic remnant of Little Italy is the section of Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal streets.

In September Mulberry Street hosts the 11-day San Gennaro street festival, with parades, street vendors, and outdoor food stalls.

The largest city in the United States, New York boasts one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. A major center for food, music, culture, fashion and business, the city known as the “Big Apple” truly is a city that never sleeps. With a plethora of world-class museums, cultural institutions, quirky neighborhoods and shopping and dining opportunities to suit any budget, New York has something for everyone!

How to Get Into New York City
The New York City Cruise Terminal is located on the west side of Manhattan, between West 48th and West 52nd Streets. It should take you just 15-20 minutes to walk into Midtown from there. If you prefer not to walk or you are heading to another area of the city, taxis are readily available. The subway doesn’t extend to the port, but buses can be found at 42nd, 49th and 50th Streets.

Some ships may dock at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, south of Brooklyn Heights, or at the Cape Liberty Cruise Port, on the New Jersey side of New York Harbor.

One Day in New York City
One could easily spend a week or more in New York without running out of things to see and do – with so many options, it is nearly impossible to see the city in just one day. Many of the most popular attractions also come with long lines, so keep that in mind as you are planning your visit.

Start by heading to the heart of Manhattan, Times Square. Grab a cup of coffee and a New York bagel and enjoy some people watching before moving on to one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, the Empire State Building. Located at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street, the building’s 86th floor observation deck offers sweeping views of the city – but be prepared to stand in line for a ride up!

From there, walk up Fifth Avenue, home to many of New York’s most prestigious shops and one of the most expensive streets in the world. Eventually you’ll find yourself at the southern end of Central Park. The park, covering over 800 acres in the center of the city, offers a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle of the crowded Manhattan sidewalks. You could easily spend much of the afternoon there.

Not far from Central Park, you can find two of New York’s best known museums, the Guggenheim Museum (Fifth Avenue & 89th Street) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Fifth Avenue & 82nd Street). The latter boasts over two million works of art displayed throughout more than 50 galleries. Other museums of interest include the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (the world’s largest naval museum), the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Museum of the City of New York.

If museums aren’t your thing, instead take a ride on one of the oldest subway systems in the world down to the Financial District. There, pay a visit to the 9/11 Memorial commemorating those who were killed in the World Trade Center attacks of September 11, 2001. Then, take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry and enjoy an incredible view of both the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.

Finally, make your way back towards Times Square to grab a slice of New York style pizza and do a little souvenir shopping before it’s time to set sail again.

Port Information
English is the official language and the currency is the US dollar. ATMs are widely available, but to change currency, you will likely need to head to a major bank or to the Times Square Visitors Center on Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets. Telephones and bathrooms can be found at the cruise terminal.

The New York Public Library is actually comprised of four major research libraries and about 100 branches spread throughout Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, but the Beaux Arts-style Stephen A. Schwarzman Building generally takes the title for itself. Home to a non-circulating collection of volumes on the humanities and social sciences, as well as a circulating children's collection, this landmark library is renowned both for its signature stone lions out front and for its free access to some of the most fascinating research materials in the world.

Set in a decommissioned subway station in Brooklyn, the Transit Museum was opened in 1976 as part of America’s Bicentennial celebration. The original intention was for the museum to be temporary, but its displays of New York City transport memorabilia, subway dioramas, vintage streetcars and more proved so popular that the museum was made a permanent attraction.

In addition to a large archive of vintage photos, artifacts and documents (available to the public by appointment only) and rotating contemporary art exhibits, the museum presents three permanent exhibitions. Steel, Stone & Backbone: Building New York's Subways 1900-1925 is a thorough exploration of how the New York City subway was planned and implemented; the interactive Fare Collection features vintage turnstiles and modern-day MetroCard kiosks; and On the Streets: New York's Trolleys and Buses presents a simulated traffic intersection replete with a 12-seat bus, street signs, parking meters and fire hydrants, as well as histories of the men who electrified buses and streetcars.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the world’s largest stock exchange, a symbol of capitalism and commerce in the United States. This iconic NYC building is both a landmark of the world financial industry and the epicenter of American finance.

The Basics
Although the stock exchange trading floor is closed to the public due to security regulations, guided tours of New York City frequently combine an exterior photo stop at the stock exchange with tours of Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial, Lower Manhattan, the Federal Reserve, and the greater Financial District. The building’s Roman design and impressive columns bearing fluttering US flags make for picture-perfect photo ops.

• History buffs will benefit from the narrative that comes with guided tours of the stock exchanges exterior.
• Most guided walking tours of the area last about two hours.
• Tours that also visit sights such as Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty generally depart from nearby Battery Park.

How to Get to the New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is in Lower Manhattan on Wall Street, between Broad and New streets. New York City isn’t the easiest to navigate by car, so arriving by cab, on foot, or via public transit is the way to go. The closest subway stations are at Wall Street, Broad Street, and Rector Street.

When to Get There
The external facade is equally impressive in the daylight and when lit up at night. Visit by day with a guided tour to see the goings-on around the active building, or at night for a quieter experience.

Expand Your Knowledge
In lieu of witnessing the action on the trading floor, visit the nearby Museum of American Finance to get your financial history fix.