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These vtravellers love New York City
Overview
The great metropolis of the USA, New York casts a long shadow over the cities of the world. Besides being a global financial capital, the urban island of Manhattan is an unrivalled dynamo for the arts, making it one of the world’s great cultural centres.
The restless city moves at a frenetic pace, ever on the edge of invention. Its creativity has secured the reputation of its venerated restaurants, chic nightspots and cutting-edge theatre. Architectural masterpieces abound, with Manhattan a veritable drawing board for the great architects of the 20th century.
New York has always been a city of the world with multinational, multicultural inhabitants. Residents from some 170-odd foreign countries, speaking over 130 languages, call Gotham home. Like millions of immigrants who came before them, they help make the city what it is today, working among the 20,000 restaurants, 10,000 stores and 150 museums scattered about the metropolis.
The epicentre of New York life always has been the island of Manhattan, which is surrounded by four other distinct city boroughs (the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island) all of which have their own character and attractions.
The first European settlement on Manhattan was by the Dutch, during the 1620s. They named the city New Amsterdam. In 1664, the British took over and renamed it New York. The settlement rapidly flourished, expanding from south to north along the island. Over the next few centuries, Manhattan rapidly developed into the USA’s economic and cultural capital, housing an entire world within its 58 sq km (23 sq miles).
Today, New York still grapples with the events of 11 September 2001, when the USA suffered its worst ever terrorist attack. Although New Yorkers will never forget that day, the city has regained its vitality, and marches forward to confront a new set of issues (among them, making the city ’greener’ in the face of global warming). After years of wrangling, construction finally began in 2006 on the 541m (1,775ft) Freedom Tower (a name that strikes many New Yorkers as rather Orwellian), which will rise above the former site of the World Trade Center.
New York is an excellent place to visit at any time of year, although it is particularly pleasant during the spring and autumn, when temperatures hover around 21ºC (70ºF). New York winters tend to be unpredictable, although cold temperatures bring less snow here than to other nearby cities, while summers are hot and muggy, often lasting until September.
© Columbus Travel Media Ltd.
Click on the links below for exclusive features on New York City:
10 "Must See" Experiences for Kids and Teens in NYC
Brooklyn: A Different New York
How to Choose A Family-Friendly Hotel in NYC
Do you have anything to add to this overview? Let us know.
Locations within New York City
Feature
Guide
Public Transport
Public transport in New York is run by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA),New York CityTransit (tel: (718) 330 1234; website www.mta.nyc.ny.us). Services are cheaper and more efficient than the number of private companies also operating in the city.
New York’s subway is fast, air conditioned, cheap and much safer than it used to be, although it is still best avoided late at night (after 2400). The vast network of 24 routes, identified by letters or by numbers, serves over 400 stations throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Staten Island is served by the small-scale MTA Staten Island Railway (tel: (718) 966 7478/SIRT; website: www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/sir/index.html), operating 24 hours a day. Although central Manhattan stations are typically passable, platforms are not always comfortable in terms of temperature or condition. You gain entrance using a MetroCard, available at subway station kiosks (cash and credit cards accepted) and newsagents. Services operate 24 hours; on average, subway trains run every two to five minutes during rush hour (every 10 to 15 minutes during off-peak times and every 20 minutes daily 0000-0500).
Bus services are extensive and bus stops are located on street corners approximately every two or three blocks. Bus fare are paid with a MetroCard or exact change (no bills accepted). If you buy the ticket on board the bus, you will get a transfer that cannot be used on the subway without paying an additional charge. Buses operate 24 hours daily.
There are three kinds of MetroCard passes. Unlimited Ride MetroCards are valid for seven or 30 days and expire at midnight on the final day of validity. The one-day unlimited-ride Fun Pass is valid until 0300 the following day. Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards are available in US$10 increments - free transfers to connecting bus or subway routes is included if used within two hours. Spending $7 or more on a Pay-Per-Ride Metrocardwill earn you a 15% discount. All passes are available at subway stations and newsagents.
Taxis
A trip to New York is not complete without a ride in one of the city’s famous yellow cabs. Taxis are governed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission (tel: (212) 692 8294/NYC TAXI or 311; website: www.nyc.gov/taxi) and are hailed on the curb, preferably at intersections. Drivers are required to take passengers to any destination within the five boroughs of New York City or Nassau County, Westchester County and Newark Airport. Passengers should provide drivers with the street address and with the nearest cross streets of their destination (for example: ‘Fifth Avenue, between 22nd Street and 23rd Street’). A 10-15% tip is expected. There is a US$1 surcharge for weekday trips between 1600 and 2000 and a $0.50 surcharge for trips between 2000 and 0600. In the event that there is a problem with the ride, passengers should note the driver’s four-digit licence number (located on the roof of the taxi, on the exterior of both passenger doors, on the dashboard and printed on the receipt) and report it to the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Private car services, unlike taxis, can be called directly and offer point-to-point pre-arranged transport for a fixed rate throughout the five boroughs and beyond. The cost is comparable to that of a metered taxi trip and should be confirmed before pickup. Car services are particularly handy in the outer boroughs, where taxi service is unavailable for trips into Manhattan, or when pre-arranged transport is needed. There are numerous car service companies and hotel concierges can recommend a reliable one.
Driving in the City
Driving in Manhattan is not recommended to visitors. The traffic is horrendous and the quintessential New York City experience is to be stuck in traffic. Add to that the impatient drivers and exorbitant parking fees, and you get the picture. Street parking is elusive. The business and entertainment areas get particularly congested and the fast pace can prove intimidating for tourists. In the unfortunate event of having a car in New York, visitors might want to enquire with their hotel about reasonable local parking and plan to use public transport instead of driving. Drivers should avoid parking on the street, as there are restrictive rules, rampant ticketing and a danger of theft.
Car Hire
A valid national driving licence is required for driving in New York, although an International Driving Permit is required by some car hire firms. Minimum third-party insurance is required and drivers must be at least 25 years old. Branches are located throughout the five boroughs.
Major providers include Alamo (tel: 1 800 462 5266; website: www.alamo.com), Avis (tel: 1 800 331 1212; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: 1 800 527 0700; website: www.budget.com), Dollar (tel: 1 800 800 3665; website: www.dollar.com), Enterprise (tel: 1 800 261 7331); website: www.enterprise.com), Hertz (tel: 1 800 654 3131; website: www.hertz.com) and National (tel: 1 800 227 7368; website: www.nationalcar.com).
Bicycle Hire
Many New Yorkers brave the traffic on bicycles, but this is not recommended to visitors. Nevertheless, there are 40km (25 miles) of bike paths around the city, where no motorised vehicles are allowed, plus an additional 145km (90 miles) of dedicated bike lanes on city streets. Cycling around one of New York’s parks is also a safe and pleasant option. Bite of the Apple Tours/Rentals, 203 West 58th Street (tel: (212) 541 8759; website: www.centralparkbiketour.com), offers individual bicycle hire for the day, as well as a leisurely two-hour guided bike tour of Central Park (summer only), including bicycle hire. Pedal Pusher Bike Shop, 1306 Second Avenue (tel: (212) 288 5592), rents bikes too.
Introduction
New York City continues to be one of the most diverse and heavily textured urban cultural centres in the world. As author Tom Wolfe wrote: ‘Culture just seems to be in the air, like part of the weather.’
The principal entertainment district is the Theater District in the Broadway/42nd Street/Times Square area, with Off- and Off-Off-Broadway theatres sprinkled throughout Manhattan. More high-brow culture is headquartered in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, Columbus Avenue at 64th Street.
You can buy tickets through Telecharge (tel: (212) 239 6200 or 1 800 545 2559; website: www.telecharge.com) and Ticketmaster (tel: (212) 307 7171; website: www.ticketmaster.com). Reduced-priced tickets for same-day Broadway and Off-Broadway are available for purchase at the TKTS booth, near 46th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue (open Monday to Saturday 1500-2000, also Wednesday and Saturday 1000-1400, Sunday 1100 until 1930). Cash or traveller’s cheques only.
Information on cultural events in the city is available online (website: www.nycvisit.com). Time Out New York (website: www.timeoutny.com) also is a good source of information published weekly and sold at newsagents and kiosks.
Music: The Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, Columbus Avenue at 64th Street (tel: (212) 875 5456; website: www.lincolncenter.org), is the permanent home of the New York Philharmonic (tel: (212) 875 5656; website: www.newyorkphilharmonic.org) and a temporary one to visiting orchestras and soloists.
The greatest names from all schools of music, from Toscanini to Gershwin, have performed at Carnegie Hall, 154 West 57th Street, at Seventh Avenue (tel: (212) 247 7800; website: www.carnegiehall.org), which boasts an astonishing and eclectic repertoire.
Known as the Met, the Metropolitan Opera House, in the Lincoln Center (tel: (212) 362 6000; website: www.lincolncenter.org), is New York’s premiere opera venue and home to the Metropolitan Opera (website: www.metopera.org), from September to late April. The New York State Theater, also in Lincoln Center (tel: (212) 870 5570; website: www.lincolncenter.org), is where the New York City Opera (tel: (212) 870 5570; website: www.nycopera.com) perform. Its wide and adventurous programme varies wildly in quality but seats go for less than half the Met’s prices.
Theatre: Theatre venues in the city are referred to as Broadway, Off-Broadway or Off-Off-Broadway - groupings that represent a descending order of ticket price, production polish, elegance and comfort and an ascending order of innovation, experimentation, and theatre for the sake of art rather than cash.
Manhattan Theatre Club performs at the Biltmore Theatre, 261 West 47th Street, and Stages I and II at City Center, 131 West 55th Street (tel: (212) 581 1212; website: www.mtc-nyc.org), produces some of the finest new plays in American theatre. For a more ethnic flavour, Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, 253 West 125th Street (tel: (212) 531 5300; website: www.apollotheatre.com), has celebrated the legacy and culture of African-American music and entertainment since 1934.
Dance: New York has five major ballet companies as well as dozens of contemporary troupes. The Metropolitan Opera House, in the Lincoln Center (tel: (212) 362 6000; website: www.lincolncenter.org), is the home of the renowned American Ballet Theater (tel: (212) 362 6000; website: www.abt.org), which performs the classics from early May into July. New York State Theater, also in the Lincoln Center (tel: (212) 870 5570; website: www.lincolncenter.org), is home to the revered New York City Ballet (website: www.nycballet.com), which performs more contemporary ballet for a nine-week season each spring.
Universally known as BAM, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Street, between Flatbush Avenue and Fulton Street, Brooklyn (tel: (718) 636 4100; website: www.bam.org), is America’s oldest performing arts academy and one of the busiest and most daring producers in New York. During autumn, BAM’s Next Wave Festival showcases the hottest international attractions in avant-garde dance and music.
The most eminent and celebrated troupes in modern dance perform at New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues (tel: (212) 247 0430; website: www.citycenter.org). Big-name companies include Merce Cunningham Dance Company (tel: (212) 255 8240; website: www.merce.org), Paul Taylor Dance Company (tel: (212) 431 5562; website: www.ptdc.org), Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (tel: (212) 405 9000; website: www.alvinailey.org), Joffrey Ballet (tel: (212) 254 8520; website: www.joffreyballetschool.com) and Dance Theater of Harlem (tel: (212) 690 2800; website: www.dancetheatreofharlem.com).
Film: New York has hundreds of modern cinema complexes and art house cinemas. Cinemas worth visiting include Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street (tel: (212) 727 8110; website: www.filmforum.org), the IFC Center, 323 Sixth Avenue at Third Street (tel: (212) 924 7771; website: www.ifccenter.com), and the Angelika Film Centre, 18 West Houston Street (tel: (212) 995 2000; website: www.angelikafilmcenter.com), all of which screen independent and art house cinema. General information, show times and advanced tickets are available from Moviefone (tel: (212) 777 3456/FILM; website: www.moviefone.com).
New York has been portrayed through celluloid in a number of ways, beginning most famously with King Kong, swinging from the Empire State Building, in the 1933 classic starring Fay Wray. Other intriguing films include Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976), where Robert De Niro plays the part of a mentally isolated New York cabbie amid the decadent metropolis. More recently, films shot in NYC have included Gangs of New York (2002), Spiderman 1, 2 and 3 (2002, 2004 and 2007 respectively), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), I Am Legend (2007) and Sex in the City (2008).
Literary Notes: New York has spawned some of America’s most celebrated writers. Washington Square, at Fifth Avenue and Waverley Place, was home to the 19th-century aristocracy and provided the inspiration for the classic study of the American upper classes, Washington Square (1881), by New Yorker Henry James. Bohemian Greenwich Village has long been the favoured haunt of America’s literati and is featured in the works of writers like Dawn Powell and later Jack Kerouac. The Chelsea Hotel, on West 23rd Street, is something of a writers’ emporium. Here Arthur Miller penned After the Fall (1964) and William Burroughs worked on Naked Lunch (1959). One of New York’s top contemporary novelists is Paul Auster, who won acclaim for The New York Trilogy (1987), a book comprising three novellas all set in New York. Recent novels set in the city include Richard Price’s Lush Life (2008) and The Invention of Everything Else (2008) by Samantha Hunt.
© Columbus Travel Media Ltd.
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reviewed by tjenness, 54 weeks ago
manhatten
Fantastic city! So much to do, you could visit many, many times and always find something new to see.
If you are a first time visiter, the hop on-hop off tour buses are a great way to get your bearings and learn some of the city's history. They depart from Times Square and there are several to choose from-downtown, uptown etc.
Shopping is obviously amazing! Fifth ave has it all, many shops having their flagship stores here, so set aside a whole day if poss!
If you'd like some (relative) peace and quiet then Bryant Park and Central Park will offer you space to read a book or watch the world go by.
I've never done it, but I wouldn't recommend hiring a car-their are plenty of taxis at all 3 airports with fixed prices to take you into the city and once there, so so many cabs and the subway is v easy to navigate. Even if you are not planning on taking a train/the subway then Grand Central Station is definitely worth a look-beautiful architecture and some good restaurants and shops.
If you've time, then seeing a show on Broadway is a must. We saw Rent and it was a really good experience.
Spring to autumn is probably the best time to visit, but Christmas is absolutely magical (and you can skate in Central Park!), january and febuary are normally bitterly cold!
reviewed by Jeanette, 55 weeks ago
New York
Great destination, loads to do and amazing shopping. Christmas time is a good time to go if you don't mind the cold.
reviewed by Jeanette, 54 weeks ago
Beautiful place to escape the city, you could spend hours if not days just wandering round.
There are lots of different things to do around the park. In the winter go ice skating or take a boat out on the lake in the summer.
reviewed by Jeanette, 54 weeks ago
Excellent views of Manhattan, definatly worth a visit
reviewed by daniel, 74 weeks ago
Try and go on a sunny day and take your best camera. The views are spectacular.
reviewed by ben, 79 weeks ago
Less well known that the Empire State building, but has just as good views with the advantages that (a) you can see Central Park better, and (b) you can see the Empire State building.
reviewed by Jeanette, 53 weeks ago
Great views of the city. Make sure you go on a clear day and remember your camera
reviewed by Jeanette, 54 weeks ago
Great zoo definatly worth a visit. Very reasonably priced.
reviewed by ben, 79 weeks ago
Boat tours of varying lengths from a simple jaunt to see the Statue of Liberty up to a full loop of Manhattan Island. A great perspective of New York and very informative guides.
Latest Reviews
reviewed by Maxine, 76 weeks ago
Legendary hotel in Manhattan. Walking distance to all the Chelsea art galleries, the Meatpacking district and Union Square. Amazing lobby adorned with weird and wonderful artwork created by many of its famous residents and guests.
reviewed by Maxine, 78 weeks ago
Brilliant location in Greenwich Village right next to Washington Square. Really cosy with friendly staff and a great restaurant and bar. Complimentary breakfast. Free wi-fi in the lobby. Subway is just a couple of minutes walk away.
reviewed by owngig2009, 79 weeks ago
Located in SoHo and easy walking distance to the markets, galleries and boutique shops of Greenwich Village and Tribeca. Stylish rooms, good food and a great outdoor area in the back for chilling out after all that shopping.
reviewed by owngig2009, 79 weeks ago
Great location near Broadway and Fifth Avenue for the shopping. Whiskey Bar is great for people spotting. Rooms are small and recently going through a refurbishment.
The Plaza Hotel, 768 Fifth Avenue at Central Park South, New York, New York 10019
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Find out moreLatest Reviews
reviewed by Jeanette, 52 weeks ago
Lovely restaurant set on the lake in Central Park. Try and get a table outside in the summer.
reviewed by mtravels, 54 weeks ago
August is a wonderfully cozy place in the West Village serving up some great food from a wood-fire oven. You can't go wrong with the pizzas (my favorite has a duck egg on top). A great spot in winter or summer, as there's a nice greenhouse in the back.
reviewed by barnabypull, 75 weeks ago
Cafe SFA on 8 situated in the famous store Saks on Fith Avenue. A great spot for ladies who lunch while having a break from shopping! If you manage to get a window seat you have a great view of the surrounding buildings of New York. If not there is plenty of people watching to be done. It's usually quite busy but you generally don't have to wait too long for a table. Good lunch and reasonably priced.
reviewed by Jeanette, 51 weeks ago
Very popular restaurant especially for brunch. Sex and the City was often filmed here.
reviewed by Jeanette, 51 weeks ago
This is the cupcake shop from Sex and the City. The cupcakes are delicious but expect to queue for a while to get in especially if you arrive at the same time as one of the bus tours.
reviewed by owngig2009, 79 weeks ago
Buzzy place and well located in Soho district. Good place for brunch with friends
reviewed by daniel, 79 weeks ago
Recommended for breakfast or brunch, great interior, food was well cooked.
reviewed by daniel, 74 weeks ago
Great atmosphere - very lively, food is very pretty good, a very wide menu (not really somewhere for vegie's however). If you don't have a reservation be prepared to wait, its always busy, but there's a good bar that you can pass the time at while waiting for your table to come up.
Latest Reviews
reviewed by daniel, 74 weeks ago
From the humblest point and shoot camera, to full professional video and photographic key, B&H stocks it all. Its got a pretty innotative stock delivery system, the staff are knowledgable. I went in to get a new lens for my SLR and was well looked after, I tried a couple of different options out and came out happy with my choice. I'd definitely recommend paying a visit, even if its just for the experience!
reviewed by NėilMajor, 63 weeks ago
Some people stay the staff in here are moody but I have to say I've never found that.I guess as long as you're cool with them they'll be fine with you.
reviewed by NėilMajor, 79 weeks ago
Classic streetwear and skateshop. The best in town and one of the best in the world.