Remembering September 11 brought back memories of New York City, a city we once called home. New York City attracts millions of visitors from all over the world each year. Nobody comes to this city to sleep…it’s a city that never sleeps!
Here are 27 of our favorite things to see and do in New York City:
1. Statue of Liberty-symbol of freedom, Lady Liberty with her golden torch stands 305 feet tall and dominates the sky in New York harbor.
2. Ellis Island- you may be able to trace your roots in this island (not me) with nearly 12 million people passing through in the 1800s and early 1900s.
3. South Street Seaport- one of our favorite places to hang out with stores and restaurants, cobblestone streets and ‘great street performances’.
4. Staten Island Ferry- no time to visit Statue of Liberty? Take this ferry and have a ‘close-up’ look of the Statue and the harbor for free.
5. New York Stock Exchange- see how the “bear” and “bull” works here.
6. Trinity Church- located on Wall Street showing Gothic Revival architecture.
7. Wall Street- the very heart of New York Financial District. Walk over to Broadway (cross street) and check out the McDonalds with a piano.
8. Battery Park-cannons, statues and monuments are found in this park. The World Trade Center Plaza’s Sphere is now located in here.
9. Brooklyn Bridge- take a walk across this suspension bridge.
10. Chinatown- lots of great cheap Chinese foods, fresh fruits and vegetables.
11. Little Italy- great place for Italian dessert.
12. Washington Square-New York has an arch too!
13. Bryant Park- yearly fashion show in spring and fall are held here.
14. New York Public Library- other than the hundreds of thousands of books, the main door in this building is worth checking out. Also the two stone lions named Patience and Fortitude.
15. Times Square- located at the heart of the theater district where neon lights and billboards illuminate in the night.
16. Rockefeller Center-great place to hang out. NBC is here and The Top of the Rock has a great 360 degrees view of the city. Radio City Music Hall is just around the corner.
17. St. Patrick’s Cathedral- walk through the 20,000 lb. doors into one of the most magnificent Catholic church in the country.
18. Central Park- nobody should miss New York City’s backyard.
19. Empire State Building- get the best bird’s eye view of New York City.
20. United Nations Building- you don’t have to go around the world to meet the people of all the nations. They are all here!
21. Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum- great place for young and old.
22. American Museum of Natural History- love this place especially the huge dinosaur skeletons.
23. Grand Central Terminal-check out the two Grand Staircases and the Main Concourse.
24. Metropolitan Museum of Art- one of the best in the United States.
25. The Museum of Modern Art- over 150,000 works of art, from abstracts to sculptures.
26. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum-modern and contemporary art and a beautiful New York landmark.
27. Full island cruise – take a three-hour full island cruise or a two-hour harbor lights cruise of Manhattan.
The above are listed with no particular order. Let us know your favorite places in New York City.
Carolyn Hughes says
What a fabulous list of things to see and do! Would love to visit New York - it is a million miles away from my life in Ireland and it would be a great experience!
Thank you for all the information Claudia!
Olga Hermans says
oh my, what a timing this is; my family have been talking to go to New York and here is my list to visit places of interest! Awesome!
susan McKenzie says
The East coast is still a place I have yet to explore! I love this picture of New York, seen through your eyes, Claudia. I would love to experience it one day... but I don't think I'd like to live in a metropolitan area again!
One of the things I love most about living in the United States is the diversity of cultures, languages, food, and everything. It's almost limitless. There is beauty everywhere.
Jenny Shain says
I can't WAIT to do a tour of Ellis Island! That's on my bucket list! I'd like to do a historical tour of NYC, but I never hear of anyone doing it. I really want to hear all the history with St. Patrick's Cathedral too. There's so much history in NYC! Wow!
I'd like to be an audience member to the late night talk shows too 🙂
Claudia Looi says
Oh yes Jenny,an audience in a live show would be fun.
Penny says
Claudi...you make me want to take a trip to NYC.. I am not that far, you have provoked an idea for a weekend away with my kids! thanks 😉
Claudia Looi says
Great place for teens Penny!
Ron says
Awesome list Claudia! And how cool is it that you posted it just as Olga and her family are preparing to go! I love it.
Golda Smith says
You CANNOT come to NYC without seeing a Broadway show! Also, come across the bridge into Brooklyn. We've got a lot to offer in the most diverse borough. The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Library at Grand Army Plaza, the Botanical Gardens,Coney Island, The Aquarium, Park Slope, the various Farmer's Markets, the hundreds of restaurants, and you can take the water taxi from Ikea back to the city 🙂
Gary Bembridge (www.tipsfortravellers.com) says
Great list! Thanks for this. I will add a link to my 48 Hours in New York post as this adds more to that too: http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/2012/04/new-york-in-48-hours-ultimate-guide-for.html
Claudia Looi says
Thanks for sharing Gary.