Recently we talked about ten attractions in London and this time around I am bringing you ten awesome destinations to visit in New York City. I am actually planning to cover many other cities and countries as well but all in good time. New York City is one of the major cities of the world. It also happens to be the top tourist spot in United States. The city attracts around 47 million international and local tourists in a year. If you are in the Big Apple, make sure you visit the places mentioned in the list. If you leave the New York City without doing so, it will not be the same. Enjoy the read!
10. BROOKLYN BRIDGE
This is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the USA. It was complete in the year 1883 and connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn across the East River. It happens to be the first steel-wire suspension bridge too. It has been referred to as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge and the East River Bridge over time. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in the year 1964 and it remains that to date. It also earned the National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark honor in the year 1972.
9. METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
It is also known as The Met (reminds me of F.R.I.E.N.D.S.). It is located in the NYC and contains over two million pieces in the permanent collection and they are further divided between nineteen departments. It is located on the eastern side of the Central Park (discussed below). If you consider the area, it is one of the largest art galleries in the world. The Museum was founded in the year 1870. The museum opened for public on 20th February, 1872. The museum occupies around 2,000,000 square feet of area.
8. CENTRAL PARK
It is a public park in the center of Manhattan. It opened in the year 1857 initially and covered an area of 843 acres. The park was designated to be a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and it is being managed by Central Park Conservancy. The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux. The streets along the borders of the park are known as Central Park North, Central Park South and Central Park West. It is a beautiful and green area right in the middle and worth a visit.
7. AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
The American Museum of Natural History is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It happens to be one of the largest museums of the world. The museum is comprised of a total of 25 different interconnected buildings that house around 46 exhibition halls, research laboratories and the library. There are over 32 million specimens in the museum. Only a small portion of them can be displayed at a time. The museum has a scientific staff of 200 people. I am not a big fan of museums, are you?
6. STATEN ISLAND FERRY
It is operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. It runs between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island. If you haven’t been on this ferry, you missed a lot. If you are in NYC right now, and haven’t been on it, please book a ride. You will get fabulous view of the harbor and the Statue of Liberty (Discussed Below). Besides, it is a ferry ride and when are they ever not fun?
5. ELLIS ISLAND IMMIGRATION MUSEUM
It was the gateway for millions who migrated to the United States into this city and others. The island was expanded by landfill between 1892 and 1934 before which it was much smaller. The island was the site for Fort Gibson initially. Interesting bit is that in the year 1998, the United States Supreme Court decided that the island was to be a part of New Jersey. That’s certainly interesting. I have heard that folks from New Jersey and New York hate each other as in city-to-city. Is that true?
4. ROCKEFELLER CENTER
It is a complex of nineteen different buildings and covers an area of around 22 acres. It is located between the 48th and 51st streets of New York City. The complex was built by the Rockefeller family and was declared to be a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The complex is named after John D. Rockefeller Jr. The space where the complex is built was leased from the Columbia University in 1928. It is a fantastic place to be around at, there’s nothing you won’t find here.
3. GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL
It is a rail station for commuters. Usually it is shortened to Grand Central. If you consider the number of platforms, it happens to be the largest train station in the world. There are 44 platforms with 67 different tracks. The train station is on two levels, the ground and underground. There are total of 41 tracks on the ground and 26 on the underground level of the station. According to a survey in October 2011, this is the number sixth most visited tourist attraction in the world.
2. STATUE OF LIBERTY
If you mention the New York City, the first thing that would usually come to the minds of many travellers would be the Statue of Liberty. I recently had the pleasure of seeing her sister in Paris. The Statue of Liberty was designed by Frederic Bartholdi and was dedicated on the 28th October in 1886. It was a gift from the government of France to the United States of America. The statue is of a robed female that represents Libertas. Libertas is the Roman Goddess of freedom. At the feet of the statue lies a broken chain (another symbol of freedom).
1. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
At the first spot we have the Empire State Building. It is a 102-story building at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. The roof height of the building is 381 meters although if you include the antenna spire, the height reaches a whopping 443.2 meters. People usually go to the roof of the building to get this mind blowing view of the city. The name of the building came from the nickname for the New York City, Empire State. It was completed in the year 1931 and remained as the tallest building for the next forty years.