Manhattan Attractions

Visitors to the Big Apple are always amazed at what the city has to offer. From the hustle of Wall Street to the bustle of Harlem, Manhattan has something for everyone.

At the southernmost tip of the island, Battery Park City boasts several museums of note, as well as scenic walking paths with breathtaking views of the Hudson River. Close by is South Street Seaport, where tourists can visit historic ships that are open to the public several times a year, or check out a free concert in the summertime. Nearby Tribeca offers many upscale bars and restaurants, and of course is home to the annual Tribeca Film Festival founded by Robert DeNiro.

Traveling north, one can explore the marvels of Chinatown, which hosts one of the largest Lunar New Year celebrations outside of China itself, complete with firecrackers, dragon dancers and parades. A few blocks away in Little Italy one can enjoy a pastry at the renowned Ferrara Cafe, or, if it’s the end of the summer, buy a souvenir at the San Gennaro Festival.

Within walking distance is Greenwich Village, a community constantly reinventing itself, and the home to many renowned poets, artists and writers of ages past. A few blocks further up into Midtown is Herald Square, where Macy’s flagship store, Penn Station and Madison Square Garden are located.

Ten blocks ahead is the world-famous Times Square, the setting for countless movies and television series. At night, the neon lights illuminate the landscape as if it was mid-afternoon. The Broadway Theater District is nearby, and whether it’s a blockbuster musical or a one-man stage play, this is the ultimate destination for every kind of theatergoer.

On the East Side of 42nd Street is the historic Grand Central Terminal, where one can admire the majestic façade from the outside, then walk inside and marvel at the extravagant ceiling, with its detailed map of the constellations in all their splendor.

Central Park, with its many attractions like the zoo, the carousel, the Great Lawn, and the Bandshell, is an ideal place to relax. Along the northeast side of the park is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, probably the best-known museum in New York City — although the Guggenheim Museum, the Fricke Collection and the Cooper-Hewitt Museum are all within walking distance and are well worth visiting too.

Further north is Harlem, the Mecca of African American culture and history. The world-famous Apollo Theater is here, as well as the Studio Museum of Harlem and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. For the soul food aficionado, Sylvia’s Kitchen, frequented by politicians and celebrities alike, is not to be missed.

A trip up to 207th Street in Washington Heights will bring you to the George Washington Bridge, grand and majestic like New York City itself. There you can walk across the Hudson River, gaze at the beautiful Manhattan skyline, and understand why New Yorkers proudly call their home the greatest city in the world.

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