New York City

From MyVacationsTo

The metropolis of New York [1] (also referred to as "New York City" or "the Big Apple") is at the bottom of the Hudson Valley in New York state. It is part of the Mid-Atlantic region on the Eastern Seaboard of the USA. The New York Metropolitan Area extends across four states—including lower New York (including parts of Long Island), northern New Jersey, parts of southwestern Connecticut and northeastern Pennsylvania.

It is the USA's largest metro area, with a population of 18.7 million As of 2007, it was ranked 5th in the world, after Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Seoul. 1.6 million people live within Manhattan.

New York is easily one of the world's greatest cities, and is a major center for media, culture, food, fashion, art, research, finance and trade. It also has one of the largest and most famous skylines on earth, dominated by the iconic Empire State Building.

Contents 1 Districts 2 Understand 2.1 Orientation 2.2 Climate 2.3 History 2.4 People 2.5 Economy 3 Get in 3.1 By plane 3.2 By train 3.3 By bus 3.3.1 Super cheap buses 3.4 Parking in the city 4 Get around 4.1 On foot 4.2 MetroCard 4.3 Navigating the Subway 4.4 Getting around on weekends 4.5 Buses 4.6 Commuter Rail 4.7 Ferries 4.8 Taxi 4.9 Limousine 4.10 Car 4.11 Bicycle 5 See 5.1 Landmarks 5.2 Museums and galleries 5.2.1 Arts and Culture 5.2.2 Science and Technology 5.3 Neighborhoods 5.4 Parks 6 Do 6.1 Tours 6.2 Entertainment 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Sleep 9.1 Hostels 9.2 Budget 9.3 Mid range 9.4 Splurge 10 Buy 10.1 Shopping 10.1.1 Buying Art 10.2 Outlets 10.3 Convenience Stores 11 Contact 12 Cope 12.1 Information 12.2 Babysitting 12.3 Smoke? 13 Stay Safe 14 Get out

[edit] Districts

New York City is divided by its residents into various districts and quarters, as well as into several official governmental divisions. New York City proper consists of five boroughs, which are actually five separate counties. Each borough has a unique culture—each could be a large city in its own right. Within each borough individual neighborhoods—some only a few blocks in size—have "personalities" lauded in music and film. Where you live, work and play in New York says something to New Yorkers about who you are.

The five New York boroughs are:

• Manhattan (New York County) — located on the famous island between the Hudson and East Rivers; includes many diverse and unique neighborhoods and is the most-visited area of New York City.
• Brooklyn (Kings County) — the most populous borough, at one point a separate city. Located south and east of Manhattan across the East River.
• Queens (Queens County) — U-shaped, located to the east of Manhattan, across the East River, and north, east, and south of Brooklyn.
• The Bronx (Bronx County) — located immediately north of Manhattan Island. This is the only part of New York City that is physically connected to the continental U.S.
• Staten Island (Richmond County) — a large island situated within New York harbor, south of Manhattan and just across the narrow Kill Van Kull from New Jersey.

[edit] Understand

New York City is one of the global centers of international finance, politics, communications, music, fashion, and culture, and is among the world's most important and influential cities. It is home to many world-class museums, art galleries, and theatres. Many of the world's largest corporations have their headquarters here. The headquarters of the United Nations is in New York and most countries have a consulate here.

Immigrants (and their descendants) from over 180 countries live here, making it one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Travelers are attracted to New York City for its culture, energy and cosmopolitanism.

[edit] Orientation

The focus of interest for most travelers are the areas in and around Manhattan island. When most people think of New York, they think of Manhattan and in fact, Manhattan is generally referred to as "the city", while the other four boroughs are typically called "the Outer Boroughs". The island of Manhattan is long and narrow, positioned squarely within the harbor of New York and separated from the Outer Boroughs and New Jersey by the Hudson River (to the west), the East River (actually a tidal strait between Manhattan and Long Island) and the Harlem River (actually a tidal strait between Manhattan and the Bronx).

[edit] Climate

New York City has a humid continental climate, marked by warm summers and cold winters. New York experiences all four seasons. Average highs for January are around 38°F (3°C) and average highs for July are about 84°F (29°C). However, temperatures in the winter can go down to as low as 10°F (-12°C) and in the summer, temperatures can go as high as 100°F (38°C). New York can also be prone to snowstorms and nor'easters, which can dump as much as 2 feet of snow. Hurricanes can also hit New York City in the summertime, although they tend to be weak. Overall, New York is warmer than inland cities like Chicago and Cleveland, but it sees its fair share of weather events.

[edit] History

[edit] People

The diverse population includes some of America's wealthiest celebrities and socialites, as well as hundreds of thousands of immigrants. New York's population has been diverse since the city's founding by the Dutch. Successive waves of immigration—first Dutch, then British, African, Irish, German, Italian, Jewish, Eastern European, Jamaican, Chinese, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican, Haitian, Korean, Indian, Arab—make New York a giant social experiment in cross-cultural harmony.

The city's ethnic heritage illuminates different neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs. In Manhattan, Little Italy remains an operating (if touristy and increasingly Chinese) Italian enclave, though many New Yorkers consider Arthur Avenue in the Bronx to be the "real" Little Italy. Chinatown remains a vibrant center of New York's Chinese community, though in recent years the much larger Chinese neighborhood of Flushing in Queens has rivaled if not eclipsed it in importance, and two other Chinatowns have formed in Brooklyn. Traces of the Lower East Side's once-thriving Jewish community still exist amid the newly-gentrified neighborhood's trendy restaurants and bars, but there are Chassidic communities in Borough Park and Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Harlem has been gentrifying and diversifying lately but remains a center of African-American culture in New York. East (Spanish) Harlem still justifies its reputation as a large Hispanic neighborhood. Little known to most tourists are the large Dominican neighborhoods of West Harlem and Washington Heights in upper Manhattan. Brooklyn and Queens are known for being home to many of New York's more recent immigrant groups, which since 1990 have included large numbers of Russians, Chinese, Arabs, Indians, Pakistanis, Africans, Mexicans, Jamaicans, Koreans and Japanese, amongst others.

[edit] Economy

Home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other place in the country, the Big Apple is the engine of the US economy. Its gross metropolitan product of US$488.8 billion in 2003 was the largest of any city in the United States and the sixth largest compared to US states. If it were a nation, the city would have the 16th highest GDP in the world, exceeding that of Russia.

New York is the national center for numerous industries. It is the home of the three largest American stock exchanges (NYSE, NASDAQ, and AMEX) and a wide array of banking and investment firms. Though these companies have traditionally been located in the area around Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, many can also be found in Midtown and other parts of the city. In recent years, much of the financial sector's growth has centered around hedge funds, which are largely located in Greenwich, Connecticut, an extremely wealthy area 25 miles north. In addition to the financial sector, New York is also the hub of the country's publishing, fashion, accounting, advertising, media, and legal industries. The city also has an impressive collection of top-tier hospitals and medical schools, which provide more training to physicians than any other city in the world.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

New York City is served by several airports, both international and domestic. Most international flights are found in John F Kennedy and Newark Liberty Airport while LaGuardia Airport serves a lot of domestic flights:

John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA: JFK) [2] is located to the east of the city. There are a number of options for getting from JFK to the city.

Taxicab The most flexible route into the city from JFK is a taxi, although the wait for one can be long. Cab fare runs a standard $45 anywhere in Manhattan, not including tolls or tips.

Note that the arrivals terminals are filled with drivers hawking illegal livery rides at grossly inflated prices that prey on newly arrived tourists, so beware. But if you don't want to wait a half hour for a Yellow Cab and the black livery car has a sticker of a car service name - you can usually bargain down the price to $35 - 40.

Coach services that provide bus service from JFK and La Guardia to Grand Central Station and Penn Station. As of December 2005, the cost is $15 ($27 roundtrip).

Subway JFK AirTrain [3] runs to Howard Beach station to connect with the "A" subway and to Jamaica station to connect with the "E" and "J/Z" subways (Sutphin Blvd station), the Long Island Rail Road and buses. If you are travelling to the downtown area (the financial district), use the "A" train from Howard Beach. If heading to the midtown area (including Times Square) use the "E" train. However, as the E train makes so few stops in Queens, it could be faster to take the E regardlessly. The JFK AirTrain costs $5; the subway costs $2.

Commuter rail From Jamaica station, you may connect to Long Island Rail Road trains to Long Island or to Penn Station. You may also get trains to Downtown Brooklyn or to Hunterspoint Ave in Queens. This last option is useful if your destination is in downtown Queens or on the east side of Manhattan. The Hunterspoint and Brooklyn trains are less frequent than the Penn Station trains. Taking the train can be significantly faster than a taxi if your ultimate destination is in Midtown Manhattan, especially during peak travel times. This route is less attractive if you have a lot of baggage, however. You can also save a lot of money over a taxi if you are travelling alone or with one other person. You may also take trains to Ronkonkoma, where you can get shuttles to Islip airport, useful for catching flights on Southwest Airlines. The Long Island Railroad is sometimes substantially more expensive than the Subway—it costs $7.50 to travel from Jamaica to the city center during peak periods. On weekends, any travel within city borders on any MTA railroad is $3. Other times, the fare is $5.

While traveling to the airport from the city, it is important to board "A" trains with destination signs marked with Far Rockaway via JFK Airport or Rockaway Park via JFK Airport. If you catch a Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd A, you will need to transfer to a train headed to the Rockaways. If you do end up on a train to Lefferts and miss an opportunity to transfer, IT IS OKAY. At Lefferts Boulevard, transfer to the Q10 bus on street level, which travels to JFK Airport. Or you can backtrack as well. When using the "E" train to connect to the AirTrain, exit at the penultimate Sutphin Blvd. stop (the stop that the subway map calls Jamaica is not served by the AirTrain). Subways serve both the Jamaica and Howard Beach station 24 hours a day, so you will always be able to take a train, even if you have an early departure. However at nights, the trains will run slowly (local) and infrequently (every 20 minutes). When taking this route into or out of Manhattan during the overnight hours be alert of your surroundings as you will be passing through some rough neighborhoods.

For JFK, if you really want to slum it and avoid the $5 AirTrain ticket, you can take NYCT buses ($2 or a free transfer from the subway) to Lefferts Boulevard station where you can catch an A train, or to New Lots Avenue, in Brooklyn, where you can catch a 3 train. Note that the latter option is right in the middle of East New York, which may not the best place to be if you're not a local. You may also remain on the bus, and transfer to either the "L" train at Van Sindren Avenue (New Lots Avenue station), the (C) at Kingston-Throop Avenues or the (J) or (M) trains at Flushing Avenue, the last stop on the bus. 'Transferring between bus and subway requires a MetroCard; the single ride ticket does not allow transfers.

JFK Airport is also a major business airport center and many visitors engage in business meetings near the airport; thus, there are numerous hotels close to JFK with amenities that are aimed at the business traveler.

Newark Liberty International Airport (IATA: EWR) [4] is located to the west of the city in Elizabeth, New Jersey. From Newark Airport, take the AirTrain to the Newark Airport Train Station (about 10 minutes) to connect to a NJ Transit or Amtrak train running along the Northeast Corridor line to Penn Station. Expect to spend at least 15 minutes getting ticketed and changing trains. One-way fares to Penn Station are $14.00 if you take a NJ Transit train, and between $20 and $30 on Amtrak. Note that if you take the NJ Transit train there is also a stop at Penn Station, New Jersey - stay on till Penn Station, New York. The NJ Transit train from Newark Airport to Penn Station, New York takes about 30 minutes.

Two bus options are also available from Newark. For the most direct route, Olympia Trails [5] ($14 one way, $23 round trip) runs buses every 15 minutes to Manhattan, with stops at the Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd St. & Eighth Avenue), Bryant Park, and Grand Central Station. One-way trip time is about 40 minutes depending on traffic. For the most inexpensive option possible, however, take NJTransit bus #62 to Newark Penn Station (one-way fare $1.25). From there, you may take a PATH subway train either to World Trade Center station in lower Manhattan, or, by transferring at the Journal Square station to the 33rd St. train (across the platform), to one of several stops along Sixth Avenue (last stop 33rd Street & 6th Avenue). The combined fare for the bus/PATH option ($2.75) is significantly lower than the EWR AirTrain with NJTransit, but will take longer —plan on 1.5–2 hours — and requires 1-2 transfers. As a word of caution, note that this is not a well-publicized option; you may well find yourself to be the only tourist on the bus, so don't expect much help or companionship in finding your way.

When choosing how to get into the city you should also keep in mind where you are going. If you are staying at the New Yorker, which is right next to New York Penn Station, it would make sense to take the EWR AirTrain and a NJTransit train that will take you right to Penn Station. If you are staying at the Millennium, then it is right across from the WTC station, so it might make sense to take the NJTransit bus and the PATH, instead of slugging from Penn Station to WTC on the subway. If you want to use the PATH to get midtown to 6th Ave stops, you will need to change trains in Journal Square.

There is a difference between NJTransit trains and Amtrak Trains serving the EWR airport station. You may not use tickets for one carrier to board the other. Amtrak trains are much more expensive than the NJTransit trains. Both northbound trains will stop at Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station. The Amtrak trains will be less frequent also, however the upholstery on them will be much more luxurious than the NJTransit trains, however the NJTransit trains are quite serviceable, even if the carriages are not new and updated. The Amtrak services are useful from EWR if you are going more intercity to other parts of the metropolitan area—such as to Philadelphia, Princeton, or Poughkeepsie.

Newark Airport and its surroundings can be an intimidating place for the first time traveler. Newark Airport is surrounded by a network of highways, roads and ramps that can leave the unfamiliar feeling a bit lost. Because Newark is a major international gateway airport, travelers often arrive or depart after a night's stay at a local hotel facility at or near the airport. In addition, Newark is a popular business traveler's hub.

Airport information can be obtained by calling 1-888-EWR-INFO (1-888-397-4636) OR +01-973-961-6000.

LaGuardia Airport (IATA: LGA) [6] is a smaller, older airport providing many of the domestic services for the city including the shuttles to Boston and Washington (D.C.).

From LGA, the M60 bus connects with Astoria N and W trains, and crosses Manhattan using 125th St. It connects with the Lexington Line (4, 5, and 6 trains) at Lexington Av., the 8th (the A and C) and 6th Av. (B, D) Lines at St. Nicholas Av., and the 7th Av. Line at Malcolm X Boulevard aka Lenox Av. (for the 2 and 3) and Broadway (for the 1). This is a useful service if you are staying in Harlem, the Columbia University area or Hostelling International New York, as it goes south on Broadway (west side) to 106th St. Like all other regular MTA buses, this is a $2 service by exact change or MetroCard. The bus does not accept dollar bills. You will need to use coins if you do not already have a MetroCard. There is a change machine in the airport terminal. The M60 stops in front of all the terminals. Timetable

A taxi from LaGuardia can be affordable, especially if traveling in a group. The fare to Midtown will range from $20–30. Make sure to tell the driver to take the 59th St (officially called Queensboro) Bridge to save the $4.50 toll on the other river crossing. The bridge is also more direct and usually faster coming from LGA.

There are also shuttle buses that will take you straight into Manhattan and cost $12. These run about every 10-15 minutes from LGA and stop off at Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station.

All airports. It would be wise to allow a minimum of 90 minutes for trips between midtown and the airports. Rush hour traffic in New York is notorious, especially on the congested Van Wyck Expressway to Kennedy airport. Also the lack of elevators will make bringing luggage up and down subway stairs difficult. Taxis and suburban shared ride vans are available. Use the phones provided near baggage claim for shared ride vans, or go to the taxi dispatcher. Do not accept offers of rides from people hanging around in the terminal, sometimes these people will take you to a bad neighborhood and demand more money to get to your desired destination, or lock your luggage in the trunk and demand extra payment to release it. See taxis below.

Bus services are available to the major airports from Midtown and Downtown. Grand Central Terminal services do not stop right in front of Grand Central Terminal, but around 41st or 40th Street and Park Avenue, due to police regulations. Prices are competitive with the AirTrain services and there is at least one departure an hour through the day. The driver will help you with your bags. These may be helpful for you if you don't wish to negotiate stations and transfers.

If leaving for an early flight with a two-hour check in, you may need to take a taxi. Check the running hours of the buses.

More detail on the airports and travel from the Port Authority. Authority info

In addition to the big three airports, New York City is also served by Teterboro Airport, in Teterboro, NJ, Westchester County Airport, in White Plains, NY, and MacArthur Airport, in Islip, NY.

[edit] By train

New York has two major rail terminals, Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal, served by four primary passenger services: Amtrak, Metro-North Commuter Railroad, Long Island Rail Road, and New Jersey Transit. Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, and New Jersey Transit operate from Penn Station and Metro-North Commuter Railroad operates from Grand Central. New Jersey Transit is a service of the State of New Jersey. Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North are both parts of the Metropolitan Transit Authority which also operates city subways and busses. Penn Station is located at 32nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues; Grand Central at 42nd Street and Park Avenue. There are several smaller stations in all other boroughs except Staten Island and additional terminals on the Long Island Rail Road in Brooklyn and Queens.

Amtrak operates from New York Penn Station, which is the largest hub in Amtrak's east-coast system, with dozens of arrivals and departures daily. Amtrak's Acela express train provides regular fast commuter service between major points on the east coast from Washington, DC up to Boston, including intermediate stops such as Philadelphia and New Haven. Other lines provide less frequent service to points as far away as California (a three-day sleeper trip) and Canada. (Service on the lines other than the lines to Boston and Washington (known as the Northeast corridor) can be a little haphazard, to say the least!) Beware that popular trains leaving near rush hours can fill up quickly: it's a good idea to make reservations online and pick up your ticket at one of the electronic kiosks.

Services to California will require a change of trains in Chicago.

If you have any sleeper ticket or a first class Acela ticket, you may use Amtrak´s Metropolitan Lounge. Business First customers on Continental Airlines flights departing from EWR may also use Amtrak´s Metropolitan Lounge, but this may have changed. This does not apply to plain domestic first class flights offered by Continental, only their Business First services transatlantic, to Hawaii and Guam, and to Tokyo and Hong Kong. The Metropolitan Lounge has a much nicer bathroom than the other Penn Station facilities. It also has drinks, newspapers, and seating. It is located on the side of the station with the big security desk. You may not use the Metropolitan Lounge with a coach ticket or an Acela business ticket.

You may walk up to Amtrak QuikTrack machines at Penn Station and purchase your northeast corridor tickets with a credit card and without waiting in line for a ticket agent. You may also book tickets online at their website and pick up the tickets at these machines (if you have the credit card you used to book and/or the reference number). Because Acela has lowered prices, demand has increased, and it is always a good idea to try booking ahead if you know when you want to leave. The first class Acela tickets include a meal served at your seat for Washington and Boston services.

MTA Metro North provides frequent service between Grand Central and the suburbs of New York City to the north, as far as Poughkeepsie and Wassaic, and into Connecticut as far as New Haven, Waterbury and Danbury. At New Haven, passengers may transfer to Amtrak or to the Shore Line East (Shore Line East provides weekday service only), providing local service between New Haven and New London, Connecticut. The Metro North trains to New Haven and Poughkeepsie share tracks with Amtrak trains that operate from Penn Station.

MTA Long Island Rail Road provides commuter rail service connecting Penn Station with Long Island destinations. The Long Island Rail Road also operates trains to Long Island destinations to and from terminals in Brooklyn and Hunters Point in Queens. Most Long Island Railroad trains pass through a transfer hub at Jamaica in Queens.

New Jersey Transit provides trains between Penn Station and many New Jersey points. One line on New Jersey Transit operates on the same tracks as Amtrak trains to Philadelphia and Washington, making many local stops where Amtrak does not stop. New Jersey Transit also joins with Amtrak in connecting Penn Station with Newark Liberty International Airport. New Jersey Transit also provides an extensive network of busses all over New Jersey, many of which operate from Port Authority Bus Terminal. You can get to Philadelphia and beyond via commuter rail connecting to Philadelphia SEPTA Public transit in Trenton. Atlantic City can be reached by train by using Amtrak or NJT/SEPTA to Philadelphia, and transferring back to NJT to travel from Philadelphia to Atlantic City.

PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) is a subway type system connecting Newark and various points on the New Jersey shore of the Hudson River with New York City. Two lines pass under the Hudson and enter the city, one terminating at a temporary World Trade Center site station in downtown, the other at 33rd Street in midtown. The 33rd Street Station was once connected underground to Penn Station, but now, presumably due to security concerns, the underground passage is closed and you must walk a block west on the surface of 33rd.

[edit] By bus

Greyhound is the largest and oldest private bus company in the US, and operates its east-coast hub out of Manhattan's Port Authority Bus Terminal. Recently Peter Pan Bus Company has come to dominate bus travel from New York to Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, coordinating some schedules with Greyhound, while competing vigorously against Greyhound on many routes. The terminal operates on a 24-hour schedule, with regular departures to practically every city in the country, as well as to Toronto and Montreal, Canada. Big cities like Boston, DC, Chicago and LA will have multiple departures daily—smaller cities may only have one or two, so be sure to check the schedules in advance! Remember that distances in the USA are large and you could be on the bus a long time—a very long time.

The Port Authority Bus Terminal also hosts a dozen or so smaller bus companies, which generally offer service along the Boston-to-DC regional axis.

Limoliner is a bus service geared to the high end and business travelers with on board attendant, on board food service and Internet connectivity. It travels between New York and Boston daily.

[edit] Super cheap buses

A cheaper group of bus companies known as the "Chinatown Bus" go to Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and a few other destinations, usually picking up and dropping off passengers in ethnic Chinese neighborhoods. If you are going to Boston, the buses no longer drop you off on the street, but at the Boston South Station bus terminal, which is pretty close to Chinatown anyway, however it is sheltered. Prices have increased and are no longer $10. Some of these bus companies are:

• The Fung Wah Bus, granddaddy of all Chinatown buses, which arrives every hour until 10:00 p.m. from Boston at the corner of Canal and Bowery streets.
• The Vamoose Bus from Washington D.C.
• The Today's Bus from Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Richmond and Atlanta.
• The Apex Bus from Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Richmond and Atlanta.
• The Boston Deluxe, connecting New York with Boston and Hartford.
• The Washington Deluxe from Washington D.C.

[edit] Parking in the city

If you are thinking of coming to New York by car, you may want to consider that traffic in Manhattan is very bad, and parking is quite expensive (up to $40 per day) and extremely difficult to come by. Parking tickets if you park illegally can be $150; if towed $300. When entering New York from New Jersey, as well as with many bridges and tunnels within New York City, you will incur tolls (up to $6) [7] and associated traffic delays. Most New Yorkers don't even own cars, and driving from one attraction to another in Manhattan is all but unheard of. Driving to one of the stations served by the Metro North railroad, New Jersey Transit, or Long Island Railroad (see above) and taking the train in is a better option. There are often secure parking areas in some of these stations.

As a general rule, hotels in New York do not supply parking. The few that do will charge you handsomely for the privilege. It is suggested that you look at the following three websites:

http://www.NYCGarages.com is a free service that allows users to search and compare all daily and monthly rates and locations for parking facilities in Manhattan, NYC. The website's instant rate comparison clearly displays the rates on a Google map and the interface is extremely user-friendly. Regular rates, early bird specials, weekend specials, night Specials, SUV/oversize/luxury vehicle rates, motorcycle rates, and all additional posted charges are included in their instant rate comparison. Cheap parking can be found in all areas of Manhattan and parking in New York City doesn't have to be expensive.

At http://www.iconparking.com/ you can book your parking time (if you know it) by the block, date, time, and even choose which garage within the iconparking system has space and they MUST honor it. One traveler says, "I've gone into garages that have initially said they're full up and then I said I booked it online and they shrugged and honored it." A hint, when you book online with this company take the printout with you. Most times the attendants/valets will assume you know what you're talking about, but sometimes they want to see the printout. Also, when you pay, they may feign ignorance as to the price you were quoted online. This is another reason to print out the reservation. Utilizing this service, it is possible to pay $10 on a weekday for 8 hours of parking on John Street in the Financial district showing up at 10am and leaving at 6pm. If initially the valet says they don't have to honor that rate, be persistent and you should get it.

The third site is http://www.parkfast.com. This site is for Edison Parkfast. The site isn't as feature-rich and you can't pick your hours or dates, but at least they have some basic rates and locations.

[edit] Get around

Left luggage long gone Note that, due to security concerns, there is no longer any left luggage, storage lockers, or coatcheck service at any New York train station. This includes Penn and Grand Central stations; however the Amtrak checked luggage point at Penn Station is still operating, and while their policy is to only take baggage from ticketed passengers, they will often overlook this. There are left luggage services in the Arrivals area of Terminals 1 and 4 at JFK Airport. The left luggage office in Terminal 4 is open 24 hours. There is also a luggage storage at Building 4 of JFK, which will require photo id. There is also a store J & S Rent-A-Locker, Located on 147 W. 35th St., between 7th Ave and Broadway in Midtown, where you can store your baggage for $5 a day. Most hotels will store luggage for customers who have checked out of the hotel.

Most of Manhattan is laid out in a grid. Accounting for Manhattan North, which is the convention stating that the island of Manhattan is oriented exactly north to south (it's actually northeast to southwest), streets run east to west and avenues run north to south. This makes it relatively easy and straightforward to find your way. Both streets and avenues are numbered. Building numbering on avenues starts generally at Houston St., and their addresses rise as you move north. Fifth Avenue divides Manhattan into east and west; numbering starts at Fifth Avenue on each side (except where Central Park interrupts) and increases in either direction. Addresses west of Fifth are written as, for example, 220 W. 34th Street, while those east of Fifth are written as 220 E. 34 Street. Because of this dual-numbering system, it is always advisable to keep in mind the closest intersection to your destination (6th Avenue and 34th Street, Broadway and 51st, etc.). In downtown Manhattan (generally considered as below Houston (HOW-ston) Street), all bets are off as streets meander, dead-end and intersect themselves. Streets in Greenwich Village are particularly notorious for defying logic. For instance West 4th Street intersects with West 10th Street and West 12th Street, and you can stand on the corner of Waverly Place and Waverly Place. As a convenient guide to distance, there are 20 blocks per mile along the avenues (walking North/South). The average person can walk roughly 1 block per minute. Walking East/West on the streets, the blocks are generally much longer.

[edit] On foot

For shorter distances, there is no better way of getting around New York than hitting the sidewalk. If you use the subway or buses, you will almost certainly need to walk to and from stations or stops. In all areas of New York a traveler is likely to visit, all streets have wide, smoothly paved sidewalks. For long distances, walking is also fine and a great way to see the city.

Jaywalking is extremely common among New Yorkers, but can be extremely dangerous. If you cannot properly gauge the speed of oncoming cars it is recommended you wait for the walk signal. An average New Yorker typically jaywalks 10-15 times a day, so do not blindly follow one as they are quite adept at making split-second choices. If you do jaywalk, driving is on the right-hand side of the road on two-way streets so remember to look left to check for on-coming traffic on your side of the road. Be aware that most streets are one way, so you may have to look right. Most New Yorkers who know which streets go which way will only look in the direction traffic is coming from rather than looking in both directions. A useful mnemonic to remember which way streets (not avenues) go is "evens go east". This helps about 98% of the time. Be aware of any bicyclists unlawfully going against the proper flow of vehicular traffic.

If you do not wish to jaywalk, be considerate of New Yorkers by not blocking them from crossing at an intersection while you are waiting for your signal.

[edit] MetroCard

New York City has a transit system consisting of subway and bus lines with many (but not all) lines operating 24 hours a day. A single ride on the transit system currently costs $2. The rules on transfers between different lines can be complex (see below), but the good news is that the visitor can avoid these by purchasing a daily, weekly or monthly MetroCard which allows unlimited use of the New York Subway and buses operated within the city by New York City Transit, MTA Bus Company (several former private operations that have since been brought under the MTA), and MTA Long Island Bus. MetroCards can be purchased from either a MetroCard Vending Machine (MVM) using cash, ATM or credit cards. You can also buy MetroCard at staffed subway station booths using cash only. For more information see http://www.mta.info/metrocard/. All the stations are served 24 hours a day (at least once every 20 minutes when service is the least in the middle of the night), but not all the lines operate 24 hours a day. Basically, this means at night you might have to transfer, compared with not having to transfer during the day. It might also take longer due to the transfer and the trains running less frequently, in addition to virtually all service running local.

If you purchase a cash fare on a bus, you may request a transfer for another bus, with a 2 hour time limit. This transfer cannot be used to transfer to subway. If you purchase a cash fare for the subway, you may make unlimited subway transfers with no time limit, as transfers are integrated into the structure. There are a few stations where you can exit the system and re-enter at a nearby station, using a free transfer. If you purchase a Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, you may use it on bus or subway, with time limited transfer (2 hours) between bus and subway. If you purchase Unlimited Ride MetroCards, you may make transfers, without time limit, and have unlimited rides for the period chosen, except that you will not be able to enter the same station twice within about 18 minutes. These unlimited cards expire at midnight on the last day (except for the 1 day pass (fun pass) which is valid until 3h00 the following morning). Current fares for the different metrocards may be found on the MTA's website

If you buy a monthly unlimited with a credit card and your ticket is lost or stolen, you may report it and have a pro-rated refund issued to your credit card. This is a nice layer of protection if you will be in New York for awhile.

[edit] Navigating the Subway

The New York subway is your key to the city and the best way to travel around it. It is one of its kind in the world that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It may look a bit grungy, but the much-feared subway crimes of the 70s and 80s are for the most part a thing of the past and it is almost always completely safe. Just use common sense when travelling late at night alone and try to use heavily travelled stations.

The New York Subway has 26 lines, all of which accept MetroCards. Most lines are identified by letter or number, although a few shorter lines, designated with the letter "S", are referred to as "shuttles". A subway map can be found at http://mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm. There is also a subway map that has been overlaid on top of google maps. This version can show you exactly where the train stops (and entrances/exits for Manhattan).

Generally, you will be able to get free printed subway and bus maps from station attendants. In most places the subway runs only just below street level and is entered by stairways from the sidewalks. In some stations, different sidewalk level entrances serve different platforms; the entrances display the lines and directions accessible from that entrance.

Unlike many other metro systems in Europe that work on an honor code, the New York Subway has turnstyles that must be passed in order to ride. To pass through the turnstyle simply swipe your metrocard with the logo facing you and the arrow facing toward the turnstyle. Be aware that New Yorkers will become impatient if you are clogging the entrances as you fumble with your metrocard. If your card is not working or you don't understand how to use it, step aside and let others through. Ask any MTA crew member for help.

Navigating the subway can seem like an intimidating task to newcomers, but visitors will find that New Yorkers are generally very helpful with directions, and will sometimes even volunteer information if they see you looking bewildered. First and foremost, given the skinny width and extreme length of the city, trains in Manhattan often travel Uptown (North) or Downtown (South) with certain lines like the L and 7 providing crosstown service. Before heading down the steps of a subway entrance, always double check the lines AND direction that service that station. Some station entrances might say, "Uptown only" which means you will have to cross the street to find the downtown station if you are travelling that way. In general, lines on the New York subway are identified and referred to by a letter or number (the N train, the 6 train, etc.). The lines are also color-coded for simplicity by their convergence in Manhattan. Therefore, the #1,2, and 3 lines are all colored red because they all run under Seventh Avenue in Manhttan. The color system can be helpful but while your destination in Manhattan might be reached by any train of a certain color grouping, it is best to pay attention to what number or letter train you are boarding. Also note that New Yorkers, especially those that grew up in the city, never refer to lines by color and will likely stare at you strangely if you tell them that you are looking for a stop on the "Yellow Line," so be sure to know the station name or at least where you want to go.

An interesting facet (and often confusing for tourists) of the New York subway is the local/express system, where certain trains skip stops along the main line. This can bring about a whole host of problems for tourists as they board a train on the green (4,5,6) line, only to watch as their stop goes flying by at 40 miles per hour. When referring to the subway map, always check your stop and take note if it is represented by a white dot or a black dot. Both local and express trains will stop at the white dots while only local trains will stop at black ones. Most of the larger subway maps will list the trains that service the station next to each dot. When in doubt, get on a local train line. Overhead signs at the station will let you know what trains stop there, where they are going, and if they will run local or express. Many stations, particularly in Manhattan might service multiple trains and lines so always be aware of what train you are boarding. The line number and letter will be prominately displayed both outside and inside the train. Announcements (automated on the newer trains) will keep you updated on the direction of the train and the next station stop. Don't get scared if you hear, "This is a Bronx-bound train." A bronx-bound train in Manhattan is just another way of saying it is travelling uptown. When transfering to a different line, follow overhead signs carefully as the system is filled with twists, turns, and long hallways.

Lastly, be aware that while most of the subway is available for use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, trains take on a life of their own during the weekends and late nights. Some trains don't run with other trains picking up the slack. Express trains often run local and some entrances to the subway are closed. For a detailed look at what exactly each train line does during the different hours of the day, consult the individual line maps located on the MTA website. http://www.mta.info

A very useful dynamilc map that, among other things, alows you to find the closest subway to any given address in New York City is available at http://www.cmap.nypirg.org/netmaps/Straps/Straphangers.asp complements of the Straphangers Campaign, a New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) that advocates for rider and commuter rights.

If you have the address of both destinations or know approximately where you want to go check out http://www.hopstop.com/ which will tell you exactly what subway station you need and where to walk after you get aboveground. However, sometimes these directions may take a little longer than the should.

Schedules for individual subway lines are available via http://mta.info/nyct/service/schemain.htm. Most subway lines in New York run so frequently that consulting a schedule is not necessary.

[edit] Getting around on weekends

Unless there is a major sporting event or a major snowstorm, there is always construction on weekends. With that in mind, you may encounter a situation where trains are replaced with shuttle buses or trains running on a different route or something even crazier. While this may be the dream for travelling railbuffs, others who prefer to get where they're going the direct way may find it to be too much. Before leaving on weekends, check the MTA website for diversions that might get you sidetracked. It's better to know before getting lost somewhere. Remember: If you do feel confused, ask someone for help. And, that there's always more than one way to get somewhere, especially here.

[edit] Buses

There are many different bus lines, which provide good transport away from the subway. Bus lines are identified by letters followed by numbers. The letters indicates the borough in which the line mostly operates (M=Manhattan; Bx=Bronx; B=Brooklyn; Q=Queens; S=Staten Island). Bus maps for each borough can be found at http://mta.info/mta/maps.htm.

Even in Manhattan, with its dense subway network, buses can often be the best way of making a cross-town (i.e. east to west or vice versa) journey. And outside peak hours, a ride by bus from the tip of Manhattan at Battery Park to the Midtown district is a good and cheap way of taking in the sights.

Buses are particularly useful when going across Central Park (e.g., going from the Metropolitan Museum to the Museum of Natural History). The buses that traverse the park are the M66, M72, M79, M86, and M96. These generally operate on 66th, 72nd, 79th, 86th, and 96th Streets respectively, however the eastbound M66 runs on 65th St, and the M79 uses 81st to go around the Museum of Natural History on the west side.

When boarding a bus with a MetroCard, insert the card into the card slot in the top of the farebox by the driver. The farebox will swallow the card, read it and return it to you. You should see the front of the MetroCard and the magnetic strip will be facing you and on the right side as you stick it in the machine. It will be vertically oriented. This is different from entering the subway where you don’t stick it in as much, but slide it horizontally oriented through the swipe device, with the front toward you and the magnetic strip on the bottom.

The fareboxes also accepts coins but not paper money as the fareboxes are unable to read paper money, and even so would be shredded in the "fare collection vacuum". As a safety precaution, drivers do not handle money. Change is not given, so exact fares must be paid. The fareboxes accept dollar coins, and will also add up your pennies, even though it says not to use pennies. Rarely used half-dollar coins cannot be used because the coin slots on the fareboxes are not big enough.

[edit] Commuter Rail

The Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road (operated by the MTA) are primarily commuter rail services between New York City and its suburbs. The Long Island Rail Road runs mainly out of Penn Station in Manhattan and the Flatbush Avenue terminal in Downtown Brooklyn eastward out to Long Island, the furthest point of service to Montauk, 118 miles from Manhattan. Some additional service runs from Long Island City (at the Hunterspoint Avenue and Long Island City stations to connect with ferries from Midtown) in Queens during weekdays. The Metro-North Railroad provides service from Grand Central Terminal north through The Bronx, Westchester County, the Mid-Hudson Valley, and New Haven, Connecticut, with connecting service to New London. Some service also operates from Hoboken, New Jersey in conjunction with New Jersey Transit to Spring Valley and Port Jervis, New York. Both railroads run on a fixed schedule, and fares are distance-based. Tickets must be purchased before boarding, at windows or at vending machines, to avoid a penalty of about $5 per ticket when bought on board a train. A special $3 weekend fare called CityTicket is available for travel within New York City borders, other times it's around $5 to travel. Like the subway, the Long Island Rail Road operates 24 hours a day, but service is infrequent late at night. The Metro-North Railroad however ends northbound service around 1:45am. West-of-Hudson service on the Port Jervis line however has some sporadic overnight service. New Jersey Transit provides commuter service from Penn Station into New Jersey and connects to SEPTA service to Philadelphia (although AMTRAK service to Philly is considerably quicker). Some lines terminate in Hoboken, New Jersey, where connecting PATH trains are available to New York. One should check maps and schedules before boarding a train. All three railroads also offer special getaway packages including admission to a venue (if applicable) and rail fare, often at a discounted rate.

[edit] Ferries

Ferries provide an interesting alternative to getting around New York. The most famous ferry is the Staten Island Ferry, running from the tip of Manhattan at Battery Park to Staten Island. The ferry carries passengers and bicycles only, runs every 15 minutes during rush hours, and is free. As it gives a really good view of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor on its way, this is a very popular trip for visitors. Ride on the starboard (right facing forward) side of the ferry from Manhattan and the port side from Staten Island for the best views (to the west).

Most of the other ferries you will see are operated by New York Waterway, connect the city with the New Jersey Hudson River Waterfront and are not free. Enquire as to fares before boarding.

New York Water Taxi runs ferries between points within Manhattan, with some connections to Brooklyn and New Jersey. Their boats are painted to look like taxis.

[edit] Taxi

Real NYC taxis are yellow, have a metal seal on the hood ("medallion"), a light with a taxi number on the roof, a meter for billing, stickers on the windshield for various licenses, special taxi license plates, and a divider in the car. Start off rate is $2.50 now (2004), and then $.40 for each 1/5 mile afterwards. "Yellow cabs" cruise in most of Manhattan and are available at dispatcher lines at airports, but not in the other four "boroughs." See "Livery or Black Car" below.

At the airport or any of the bus or train terminals, use the dispatcher line, and don't get into anything else. Airport trips are flat fare and expensive compared to taking mass transit, even with the AirTrain at JFK. Newark Airport offers direct service into Penn Station for around $10 from the Newark Airport Train Station. Info on fares, flat fares, group rides and rules is at http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/passenger/taxicab_rate.shtml

Any other type of car ("Livery or Black Car") may only be called by phone, for a trip and are flat rate rather than metered (ask for the fare before getting in), and are not allowed to cruise the street or airports for fares.

In some areas, hopping into livery cars is widely practiced. This is useful, especially in outside of Manhattan, where there are few yellow cabs. Negotiate the fare first. They are almost all Lincoln Town Cars, and can be very nice. However, be advised, that if you do get into a livery cab on the street or at an airport, there is a VERY HIGH chance you could be cheated out of up to $10.

Officially, taxicabs can take 3 passengers in the backseat, 1 in the front seat for a total of 4.

Be wary of unlicensed cars (known as 'gypsy cabs') cruising for passengers, especially near the airports. While drivers may claim to offer you a cheaper rate than an actual taxi, your chances of actually getting this rate (not to mention getting to your destination safely and quickly) are slim. If you are in doubt, ask an airport staffer for help finding a cab or cabstand. Major airports have taxi information cards for passengers.

For all cabs, you pay the tolls for bridges, tunnels and highways, even if the cab has an E-ZPass to use the express toll lane. Be careful of being overcharged by cabbies for toll crossings—on some bridges and tunnels (like the Queens-Midtown Tunnel) rates are not posted in plain view. So, a crossing which actually cost the cab driver $4 is easily passed onto the unsuspecting passenger as a $5 charge. Outside the city, other than flat fare destinations, meter rates are doubled (when going to Westchester or Nassau County).

Tipping 10 to 15% of the fare is customary, even though the Taxicab Driver Rule 2-34 requires a driver to give the correct change to a passenger who has paid the fare but not to ask a passenger for a tip nor indicate that a tip is expected or required. As only very few yellow taxis are equipped to accept credit cards and drivers are very unlikely to accept personal checks, passengers should always carry cash. Always take a receipt when paying the taxi fare.

There are also bizarre van and shuttle services in different parts of the city. You will have to ask where it is going and how much it costs. Usually, you will see people lining up and some mysterious van will appear and they will board. There are services between Chinatown and Queens (you won’t have to make any transfers if it goes where you need to go!), and also there are separate services in Brooklyn, and Queens. Many of these services are branded as "Dollar Vans" (actually costing $1.25), and follow major bus routes. One should use good judgment before using these vans to prevent getting cheated out of money, or something considerably worse than losing money.

[edit] Limousine

What many travelers to NYC do is that they hire or book a limousine or towncar. This is without a doubt one of the most convenient ways to explore the city though it is the most expensive. In this way you will always have your car available, your chauffeur will pick you up and drop off you off wherever and whenever you want. Mostly these services are hired by the hour and there are over a hundred such companies offering this service. A few notable ones are listed below:

• Zerve Limo Tours
• CLS
• BLS
• Capricorn Limousine Service
• Tri-State Limo, Inc.
• Music Express
• Paris Limousine Service
• 1-800-BOOK-A-LIMO
• SuperVIP Limousine Service

[edit] Car

Best advice is that a car is not only unnecessary but also inadvisable; street parking is practically nonexistent near crowded areas and tourist attractions, and garage parking ranges from very expensive to prohibitively expensive. Note that a large percentage of city cab drivers are aggressive drivers. Traffic can be mind-blowing for the uninitiated, especially in midtown and around rush hours. Manhattan is compact and has excellent public transportation. While this is somewhat less true of the other boroughs (particularly Queens and Staten Island, the only boroughs to be developed with auto and expressway in mind), visitors to New York do not need a car and indeed will be hampered by having one.

Traffic in New York City roughly follows a hierarchy of precedence, which is unwise to challenge. Fire engines, ambulances, and police cruisers are at the top of the heap, followed by other public service vehicles such as buses, road crews, and sanitation trucks. Beneath them are the cabbies and the delivery trucks. Below those are the locals and the "bridge & tunnel" crowd, but even they will devour you alive if you don't know what you're doing. Driving in New York is not for the timid, frightful, or otherwise emotionally fragile.

The major car rental agencies have offices throughout the city. Smaller agencies are also well represented. Be warned that car rentals in New York are generally more expensive than elsewhere in the United States, and frequently require a deposit of up to $500, if you do not have a credit card. Insurance rates also tend to be higher in New York than in most other cities.

While cheap or free parking can be found in some parts of New York at some times, parking is generally extremely expensive. Paying $40 a day is not at all uncommon. Street parking can be free or at least much cheaper, but can be extremely hard to come by. Note also that New York has "alternate side of the street" parking rules, which may require street parkers to move their cars at different times of the day (such as early morning, or overnight in a few business districts). Alternate side rules are suspended on many obscure holidays, while parking meters and other weekday restrictions are only suspended on a few major holidays (not even on all Federal holidays). Parking enforcement officers are very efficient in New York and quite enthusiastic about their jobs - trying to leave a car parked illegally for very long will often end with a ticket, and a vehicle illegally parked in an overcrowded place is very likely to be towed away. In fact, the whole of the city is a Tow Away zone, so if you're parked illegally, it's safe to assume your car probably won't be there when you come back.

Also, note that gas stations are few and far between, especially in Manhattan, where only a handful exist around the perimeter of the island. Be prepared to pay much higher prices than in the surrounding suburbs, sometimes up to 50 cents per gallon more.

Words of Warning

Right turns on red lights are illegal within New York City limits, except where otherwise posted. Given the number of pedestrians on the streets, they are also dangerous, and will be met with a hostile reception and possibly a kick to the side of your beloved vehicle. Talking on hand-held cell phones (without a hands-free device) while driving is also illegal and punishable in New York State, and very dangerous, though this regulation is still fairly new and spottily enforced, and you will see other drivers doing this. But don't even think of driving while under the influence of alcohol! And please, if there is an emergency vehicle trying to get through with its siren blaring, pull over to the right and move forward as necessary. Pedestrians understand the need for emergency vehicles to go through red lights and are usually cooperative, mostly because dashing in front of a fire truck is a great way to leave your mark on the city (in a manner of speaking). There as many as 50 red light cameras in New York City.

Also, check all parking signs carefully, especially if you're lucky or persistent enough to score a parking spot in Manhattan. Parking meters demand constant feeding, and are hungry late into the night in some areas. In some parts of Midtown Manhattan, there are pay-and-display meters which are only in effect from 6 pm to midnight on weekdays (and all day on weekends) -- during the workday, parking is prohibited except for commercial trucks. It is a good idea to keep a roll of quarters in your glove compartment. Parking is permitted at broken meters, but only for one hour, even if the meter would have let you park longer. Parking is prohibited in bus stops and within 15 feet of fire hydrants. Yellow lines on the curb have no legal meaning in NYC, so they cannot be relied upon to tell you if you are parked far enough from a hydrant. Many motorists simply pay garaging fees to relieve the anxiety of finding a parking spot and avoid the risks of parking tickets, which can be expensive and serve as a major source of income for the city treasury!

Some avenues along Manhattan have only one-way traffic.

Buy a map

This advice is even more important for intrepid travelers to the outer boroughs, where the street patterns seem to have been designed by drunks playing pick-up-sticks. There is no north-south or east-west. In Queens, numbers identify not only avenues and streets, but also roads, places, and lanes, all of which might be near each other. Read the entire street sign. Outer borough highways are confusing and often narrowed to one lane; the potholes could trap an elephant; the signs are sometimes misleading; exits which should appear do not; signs directing a highway approach drag you through miles of colorful neighborhood (in the wrong direction) before finally letting you onto the highway with a stop sign and six inches of merge space.

That said, there are several points of entry/exit into the city from the New Jersey side: the Lincoln Tunnel (midtown/41st Street), the Holland Tunnel (downtown/Canal Street), and the George Washington Bridge (way uptown/178th Street) — all are accessible from the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95) and from I-80. The Midtown Tunnel under the East River is convenient for Long Island travelers, as it becomes the Long Island Expressway. The Queensborough Bridge (aka The 59th Street Bridge) also crosses the East River into Queens, is toll-free, and lands near the mouth of the Midtown Tunnel but requires some automotive manipulation to get onto the Long Island Expressway. Other routes head north and east out of the Bronx, including Interstates 87 (north to Albany) and 95 (northeast to Boston) and the Henry Hudson Parkway, which is along the Hudson River.

Travelling at off-hours makes sense to avoid rush hour traffic, but some highways and roads are surprisingly packed even so. The Cross Bronx Expressway, which is part of I-95 and leads to the George Washington Bridge, is almost always choked with traffic. The Long Island Expressway has heavy eastbound traffic between the morning and evening rushes. The Holland and Lincoln Tunnels are 10 minute waits on good days. The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) is notorious, and an accident on the Verazzano Bridge can cause a backup all the way through the northern part of Staten Island into New Jersey. It is a good idea to check radio traffic reports, especially before crossing a bridge or tunnel. Three different stations have reports every 10 minutes around the clock: 880 AM (on the 8's), 1010 AM (on the 1's), and 1130 AM (on the 5's).

Driving cross-town (east-west) in Manhattan during rush hours is especially troublesome because the street lights are optimized to move traffic along the north-south roads. Your best bet is to avoid driving in Midtown Manhattan (between the 30s and 50s) whenever possible.

[edit] Bicycle

Cycling in Manhattan can often be quicker than taking the subway or a taxi, but it isn't for the fainthearted. Some cities make cycling difficult because of topography (San Francisco), some because of weather (Seattle), and some others because of sheer size (Houston). New York City's traffic is what makes biking there difficult. Aggressive cab drivers, jaywalking pedestrians, potholes and debris on the roads create a cycling experience that might just as well have been taken from Dante's Inferno. If you do venture into the concrete jungle on a bike, make sure you wear a helmet and have sufficient experience in urban cycling. Despite the hazards, around 100,000 New Yorkers commute to work by bicycle every day, taking advantage of the reasonably flat geography and compactness of the island. Conditions are likely to improve in future, as the city expands the cycle lane network and completes the traffic-free greenway encircling the whole of Manhattan.

[edit] See

Like most of the great world cities, New York has an abundance of great attractions.

A number of multi-attraction schemes give reduced prices and line-skipping privileges.

• CityPass, [8]. Gets you into 5 top New York attractions within 9 days of first use for a much reduced rate. The attractions are American Museum of Natural History, Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises and Empire State Building Observatory. $53 adult, $41 youth aged 6–17 (reduced from combined regular admission of $105.50 and $82.50 respectively) Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum has been closed for renovation till May 2008.
• New York Pass, [9]. Admission to over 40 attractions. Passes for 1 day $65 (child 2–12 $45), 2 days $95 (child $75), 3 days $120 (child $95), 7 days $155 (child $120). Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum has been closed for renovation till May 2008.

• Historic House Trust of New York [10] is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 to preserve and promote the historic houses located in New York City parks.

See also the district pages for detailed information about attractions. Detail is gradually being moved from this page to the district pages.

[edit] Landmarks

• Statue of Liberty. [11] The ferry ($10) leaves every 25 minutes from Battery Park and stops at Liberty Island and Ellis Island [12] [13]. You must (in advance) reserve a time slot to enter the museum at the base of the statue, and then undergo cumbersome security procedures to actually enter the museum in the statue's pedestal (visitors are no longer allowed in the crown, much less the torch). The Immigration Museum at Ellis Island is worth a visit, and it is free. Both Liberty Island and Ellis Island are open every day of the year except December 25 from 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. (with extended hours in the summer).

• Brooklyn Bridge, [14]. You may walk across this historic bridge in either direction (takes about 30 minutes each way), or bike across it, for no toll. The view is quite nice going into Manhattan. On the Brooklyn side, you can get pizza, or dine by the waterfront in the DUMBO (Down Under [the] Manhattan Bridge Overpass) area, which is gentrifying with lofts and cool dining places. You can also take the F train to York St, hang out in the DUMBO area and then walk across the bridge back into Manhattan.

• Central Park with its lawns, trees and lakes is popular for recreation and concerts and is home to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park Zoo.

• Times Square, centered on 42nd Street and Broadway—a place filled with video screens and LED signs. A world wonder or a tourist nightmare depending on your perspective, the "New" Times Square is a family-friendly theme park of themed restaurants, theaters and hotels, as well as a developing business district. Those looking for the seedy Times Square of old will find it around the Port Authority Bus Terminal, and around Broadway several blocks to the south.

• Lincoln Center, Broadway at 64th Street. [15] The world's largest cultural complex. See theater, symphonies, ballet, opera, movies, art exhibits or just wander the architecturally beautiful buildings. Subway: 1 to 66th St. or walkable from A, C, and E trains at 59th St. or the 2 and 3 trains to 72nd St. The buildings are modern, and even have modern chandeliers. There are two opera companies, and the famous Julliard School of Music is also here. Within a few blocks are a large Barnes and Noble Bookstore, three "art-house" movie theatres and an AMC movie theater which includes New York's only commerical IMAX screen.

• Rockefeller Plaza, 630 5th Avenue. The Christmas Tree, the Skating Rink, the shops and hubbub—you can't miss it. The Christmas Tree and the Skating Rink are not year round. You may take skating lessons. There are several dining establishments overlooking this area. The art deco buildings of Rockefeller Center are quite cool. Saks Fifth Avenue is across the street, and there are many other stores throughout the complex. Subway: B, D, F, V to 47–50th Streets-Rockefeller Center.

• St. Patrick's Cathedral, Fifth Ave between 50/51st Streets. The largest Catholic cathedral in the United States. A big, grand Episcopal church is in this area as well. These churches are close to the reopened MOMA, now expanded and renovated after several years of being closed.

• The United Nations, 1st Avenue at 46th Street [16] offers a park overlooking the East River and tours of the general assembly and secretariat.

• Empire State Building Fifth Avenue at 34th Street. [17]

• Flatiron Building Fifth Avenue at 23rd Street. Reportedly the most photographed building in the world, the Flatiron perches over the intersection of Fifth, Broadway, and 23rd, necessitating its unusual shape. Stop in nearby Madison Square Park for a lovely rest.

• World Trade Center Site Trinity Place and Fulton Street. The site of the September 11th terrorist attacks has become popular with visitors. Various plaques are on display documenting the history of the WTC.

• New York Stock Exchange 20 Broad Sreet (at Wall Street). The most important stock exchange in the world, the NYSE is the most watched indicator of economic performance in the global economy. The activity on the trading floor is astonishing. Visitors should beware, however, that security is tight, and sudden closures are a possibility. Visitor admittance to the interior has been suspended indefinitely. Subway: 4, 5 to Wall Street; J, M, Z to Broad Street (weekdays only)

• New York Public Library Corner of Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets. After the Library of Congress, this is the largest non-academic library in the United States. It is housed in a beautiful building by Carrer and Hastings, which is seen as the greatest example of Beaux Arts architecture. The main reading room is magnificent, and the library contains numerous important rare items, like Jefferson's handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence.

• Grand Central Terminal 42nd Street and Park Avenue. One of the busiest train stations in the world, Grand Central is also a must for architecture lovers. Its vaulted ceiling, covered with a medieval zodiac design, is staggering.

[edit] Museums and galleries

New York has some of the finest museums in the world. All the public museums (notably including the Metropolitan Museum), which are run by the city, accept donations for an entrance fee, but private museums (especially the Museum of Modern Art) can be very expensive. In addition to the major museums, hundreds of small galleries are spread throughout the city. Many galleries and museums in New York close on Mondays, so be sure to check hours before visiting.

[edit] Arts and Culture

• Brooklyn Museum of Art, on Eastern Parkway (Eastern Parkway stop on the 2, 3 or 4 train) is a large museum which contains excellent collections of Egyptian art, Assyrian reliefs, 19th-century American art, and art from Africa and Oceania, among other things. Right past the museum are the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (separate admission charge), so you can easily visit both in one pleasant afternoon.

• The Cloisters, [18] Located on four acres overlooking the Hudson River in northern Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park, the building incorporates elements from five medieval French cloisters—quadrangles enclosed by a roofed or vaulted passageway, or arcade—and from other monastic sites in southern France. Its gardens are a great way to spend a nice afternoon. Pay for the Cloisters or the Metropolitan Museum and see both for the price of one.

• Guggenheim Museum [19], 1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street ("Museum Mile"), in the Upper East Side of Manhattan
• El Museo del Barrio [20], 1230 Fifth Avenue (at 104th Street) ("Museum Mile"), in the Upper East Side of Manhattan—the only US museum devoted to Puerto Rican culture
• Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum [21] in the Upper East Side of Manhattan
• The Frick Collection 1 E. 70th Street (at 5th Avenue) [22] Open T-R, Sa 10am–6pm, F 10am–9pm, Su 1pm–6pm. The former home of steel baron Henry Clay Frick, this sprawling mansion is filled with Frick's enormous personal art collection, displayed as he left it. It's worth a visit for the house alone, which is explained nicely in the audio tour. The collection is impressive, including works by Whistler, Corot, El Greco, Turner, Renoir, and Rembrandt.
• The Neue Galerie, 1048 Fifth Avenue (at 86th Street) ("Museum Mile"), in the Upper East Side of Manhattan—this recent addition to the Museum Mile houses exclusively German and Austrian art

• International Center of Photography 1133 Sixth Avenue (at 43rd Street)—devoted solely to photography, this museum a block from Times Square always has interesting exhibits running

• The Jewish Museum [23] 1109 Fifth Avenue (at 92nd Street) ("Museum Mile"), in the Upper East Side of Manhattan—the largest collection of Judaica in the United States includes a wide variety of artifacts from all periods of Jewish history

• Metropolitan Museum of Art [24], 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street ("Museum Mile") in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. There is also a separate branch, the Cloisters, in Upper Manhattan (the northbound M4 bus terminates directly in front of the museum or take the A train to 190 St. and walk through Fort Tryon Park). The largest art museum in the Western Hemisphere, the Met should not be missed, but bear in mind that it is simply too large to allow visitors to see everything in a single day, so plan your visit accordingly. The Metropolitan Museum is a public museum.

• Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53 St (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Subway: E or V to Fifth Ave/53 St; B, D, or F to 47–50 Streets/Rockefeller Center), (212) 708-9400, [25]. Sa–M, W–Th 10:30am–5:30pm, F 10:30am–8pm, closed every Tu and Thanksgiving Day and 25 Dec. In Nov 2004 the museum reopened after expansion and renovation. $20 adult, $12 student, free for under 17s; free for all Fr 4–8pm. Quite lengthy queue to get one's baggage checked. Moreover, all expensive items must be carried on person (laptops, phones, cameras) as the staff refuse to check such items. This is the most comprehensive collection of modern art in the world, and, like the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is so large as to require multiple visits to see all of the works on display. If you are in a hurry and want to see only the crowd-pleasers, head to the fifth floor, where you'll find works like Van Gogh's Starry Night and Picasso's Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.

• PS1 Contemporary Art Center 22–25 Jackson Avenue (Queens). (718) 784-2084. [26] Open noon–6pm Thursday through Monday.

• Whitney Museum of American Art [27], 945 Madison Ave. at 75th St. (800) 944-8639. Open Wed & Thur 11am–6pm; Fri 1–9pm; Sat–Sun 11am–6pm A collection of American art that would be the highlight of most cities, the Whitney is often overlooked for its more high-profile neighbors like the Met and the Guggenheim. It's definitely worth a visit, however, especially for fans of Edward Hopper, whose work has its own gallery here. The Whitney is also the home of the prestigious Whitney Biennial.

[edit] Science and Technology

• American Museum of Natural History in the Upper West Side of Manhattan [28]. Visits to the museum are by donation, You do not have to pay the recommended fee so you can only give them 2 dollars. Hayden Planetarium, immediately to its north on 81st St., charges a separate admission fee.

• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pier 86, 12th Ave & 46th St, (212) 245-0072, [29]. Apr–Sep M–F 10am–5pm, Sa–Su 10am–6pm; Oct–Mar Tu–Su 10am–5pm. $16.50 adult. The museum will close beginning Oct 1, 2006 until mid 2008 for renovations.

• Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (Museum at FIT), 7th Avenue at 27th St, (212) 217-5970, [30]. Open Tu–F noon–8pm; Sa 10am–5pm. Free.

[edit] Neighborhoods

Like all great cities, New York is made up of distinct neighborhoods, each of which has its own flavor. Many of the neighborhoods are popular with visitors, and all are best experienced on foot. The following are the most-visited Manhattan neighborhoods.

• Financial District Lower Manhattan below Chambers Street. Long the center of the American economy, the Financial District is full of impressive turn-of-the-century buildings and is a hive of activity during the day. At night it clears out considerably, though it is becoming an increasingly residential area, giving it more flavor than it has had in the past.

• Tribeca South of Canal, East of West Street, West of Broadway. Tribeca (which stands for the 'TRiangle BElow CAnal') is a former industrial area that has been turned into a fabulously expensive and celebrity-laden neighborhood, replete with fantastic restaurants. Unlike SoHo to the north, Tribeca is not over-filled with shoppers on weekends, and Greenwich Street could be mistaken for the main street of a beautifully preserved small town.

• Chinatown Centered around Mott Street. This is the largest immigrant enclave in the United States, and it is still growing. The name 'Chinatown' is a bit misleading as immigrants from a variety of Asian countries populate the area. There is food galore, and most of it costs less than the tax you would pay in other parts of the city. It's also a bargain center for shoppers, and haggling is de rigueur, especially on Canal Street. English is not the primary language here, so unless you speak Cantonese, be prepared to be confused.

• Little Italy Mulberry Street in Chinatown. Little Italy exerts a powerful tug on the American imagination, partly because of the Godfather movies, but most of the Italian immigrants have long since left for other areas. The strip on Mulberry Street is crowded with Italian restaurants and groceries, many of which cater to tourists rather than locals. The Feast of San Gennaro in the second week of September is definitely worth a visit.

• Lower East Side South of Houston, East of Bowery, North of Canal. Formerly the center for Jewish life in New York, the Lower East Side fell into disrepair in the middle of the 20th century, only to be rejuvenated by the Hispanic community (visitors may hear the neighborhood referred to as 'Loisaida'). It is increasingly becoming a trendy nightspot, with hipsters living cheek-by-jowl with aging Puerto Rican immigrants. Unlikely though it may seem during the day time, at night the LSE is filled with gourmands and partygoers.

• SoHo South of Houston, West of Centre, East of West Street. The ultimate urban gentrification story, SoHo was a rundown industrial area until the 1960s, when artists began inhabiting its spacious and then-cheap lofts. After the artists came the galleries, then the celebrities, then the shoppers, and now the visitors. Filled with gorgeous cast-iron architecture (Greene Street especially), SoHo is a great shopping and dining destination, even if many of the artists have moved on.

• Greenwich Village South of 14th, West of Broadway, North of Houston. One of New York's most famous neighborhoods (along with Harlem), Greenwich Village (also known as the West Village or just the Village) has maintained its charming bohemian character despite becoming incredibly expensive. Home to New York University and countless twenty-somethings, the Village is also popular with families. Its crooked and narrow streets are full of beautiful brownstones, great stores, and fabulous restaurants. The crooked streets are a result of the fact that the area developed before the City's grid system was instituted in the early 1800s.

• Meatpacking District A part of the "West Village". Its boundaries run from 16 street and 8th avenue on the north-east corner (below lower Chelsea), going down to Gansevoort street which is where streets become irregular. As the name implies, this area was dominated by heavy industry, including Poultry. Located on the far northwest of the Greenwich Village, "Meatpacking" has become the neighborhood people love to hate, as it is full of trendy restaurants, upscale shopping, and suburbanites in for a good time. The former warehouses are now home to exclusive clubs and lounges that make it a magnet for celebrities. It is very expensive to live in this area, and it has somewhat of a faster pace than its neighbors, SoHo and the Village, due to the better flow of motorized traffic.

• East Village South of 14th, East of Broadway, North of Houston. The East Village is one of the most infamous and historical neighborhoods in the world, giving birth to everything from advanced education, organized activism, and experimental theater, to the Beat generation, Folk music and Punk Rock. The East Village is now popular with college students and suburban teenagers who patron the area's hip bars and nightclubs each weekend. Despite that, it's still a great community neighborhood, with many delicious restaurants from dozens of cultures, vintage boutiques, off-beat novelty stores, and art galleries. St. Marks Place, The Bowery, and Astor Place are the most visited streets. Tompkins Square Park, formerly a homeless shantytown, is charming.

• Gramercy/Flatiron/Union Square North of 14th, South of 34th, East of Broadway. Centered around three parks—Union Square, Gramercy, and Madison Square—this area is full of lovely little pockets. Park Avenue South has become a restaurant hotspot, while Irving Place maintains its quiet and charming atmosphere. Third Avenue is popular with the bar crowds.

• Chelsea North of 14th, South of 34th, West of Broadway. The city's gallery scene has left SoHo for Chelsea and is now centered around 10th Avenue in the 20s. While Chelsea has gone upscale in recent years, it retains its vibrant gay scene, and boasts many great restaurants.

• Murray Hill North of 34th, South of 42nd, East of Madison. Probably the quietest neighborhood in all of Manhattan, Murray Hill has many lovely townhouses inhabited by Midtown office types and UN diplomats. Not a whole lot happens in Murray Hill, which is just how its residents want it.

• Midtown North of 34, East of 8th, West of Madison, South of 59th. Midtown is probably the only area of Manhattan that cannot be said to be residential. It is full of offices, theaters (Times Square is here, after all), and shopping, and the real estate is so expensive that only corporations or people with pied-a-terres can live here. That said, an increasing number of condos are popping up in the area, though it's too soon to tell how that will impact its character.

• Hell's Kitchen North of 34th, South of 59th, West of 8th. Though real estate brokers tried to change the name of the neighborhood to 'Clinton,' New Yorkers have wisely stuck with the more appealing Hell's Kitchen. A fairly derelict area until recently, Hell's Kitchen is undergoing major gentrification, and has numerous restaurants and nightspots on 8th and 9th Avenues.

• Upper West Side North of 59th, South of 96th, West of Central Park. Home to countless registered Democrats and baby strollers, the Upper West Side is packed with gorgeous brownstones and magnificent apartment houses. If you are a regular reader of the New York Times or have ever made a reference to Visconti in casual conversation, the Upper West Side is for you.

• Upper East Side North of 59th, South of 96th, East of Central Park. This is the ritziest neighborhood in New York, where all of blue-blooded high society (as well as wealthy upstarts: P.Diddy lives here) calls home. The buildings are beautiful, the stores are expensive, and kids are away at Choate and Andover.

• Manhattan Valley North of 96th, South of 110th, and bounded by Central Park on the East and Broadway on the West.

• Bloomingdale North of 96th and South of 110th, and bounded by Broadway on the East and Riverside Park on the West. The stretch between 96th and 106th had been fairly quiet until recently, when real estate brokers began pouncing on it.

• Morningside Heights North of about 110th, South of 123rd, West of Morningside Park. Home to Columbia University and several other schools, Morningside Heights has a distinctly shabby genteel intellectual atmosphere.

• East Harlem/El Barrio North of 96th, South of 125th, East of 5th Avenue. A jarring contrast from the patrician Upper East Side to the south, East Harlem is a major center of Hispanic culture in New York, and is full of great Latin American restaurants. Like Harlem proper, it is increasingly becoming populated by wealthier types on the lookout for the next big real estate deal.

• Harlem North of Central Park, East of Morningside Park, West of Fifth, South of 145th. The center of black cultural life for most of the twentieth century, Harlem is a vibrant and energetic neighborhood that has become popular with West African immigrants in recent years, resulting in a variety of good and inexpensive restaurants. The beautiful brownstones of Harlem have become popular with real estate investors.

[edit] Parks

Though the image many people have of Manhattan is endless skyscrapers and packed sidewalks, the city also boasts numerous lovely parks, ranging from small squares to the 850-acre Central Park, and there are worthwhile parks in every borough. From the views of the New Jersey Palisades from Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan, to the grand Pelham Bay Park in The Bronx, and the famous Flushing Meadow Park in Corona, Queens, site of the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, there is more than enough to keep any visitor busy. And most any park is a great spot to rest, read, or just relax and watch the people streaming past. To find out more about New York City parks, look at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation website and the WikiTravel pages for each borough.

[edit] Do

[edit] Tours

• <do name = "Gray Line" address = "777 Eighth Avenue" directions = "Between 47th and 48th Streets" phone = "1-800-669-0051" email= "GRAYLINENEWYORK@COACHUSA.COM" fax = "+1-(212)-445-0850" url = "http://www.grayline.com/franchise.cfm/action/details/id/22" hours = "" price="">offers open-top, double-decker bus tours. The traffic congestion makes this tour a bit slow at times. But you may want to take the tour to get the lay of the land and discover what you want to visit later. </do>
• <do name = "Big Apple Greeter" address = "1 Centre Street" directions = "" phone = "+1-(212)-669-8159" email= "visitrequest@bigapplegreeter.org" fax = "+1-(212)-669-3685" url = "http://www.bigapplegreeter.org/" hours = "" price="">is a non-profit organization that matches visitors with friendly and enthusiastic New Yorkers who are happy to share the city they love. Services are offered FREE OF CHARGE. </do>
• <do name = "HI Hostel" address = "891 Amsterdam Avenue" directions = "" phone = "+1-(212)-932-2300" email= "reservation@hinewyork.org" fax = "+1-(212)-932-2574" url = "http://www.hinewyork.org/" hours = "" price="">offers some unique tours to people staying there (see Hostels section), such as an interesting Harlem Gospel walking tour—a Sunday morning tour of south Harlem ending with a church experience in a Harlem church. Cost is $7 and the guide is quite knowledgeable. Try 'Jerry's Grand Tour', a full 16 hour tour of New York. They also often have discount coupons for various activities such as Broadway shows—check at the front desk. </do>
• <do name = "Big Onion Walking Tours" address = "476 13th Street" directions = "" phone = "+1-(212)-439-1090" email= "info@bigonion.com" fax = "+1-(718)-499-0023" url = "http://www.bigonion.com/" hours = "" price="">an inexpensive and engaging way to gain historical perspectives on several neighborhoods </do>
• <do name = "New York Fun Tours" address = "Greenwich Village" directions = "" phone = "1-800-979-3370" email="info@newyorkfuntours.com" fax = "" url = "http://www.newyorkfuntours.com/convertible" hours = "" price="$125">private exclusive chauffeured New York City Tour in a Classic Chevrolet Convertible.</do>
• <do name = "The Brooklyn Tour" address = "Greenwich Village" directions = "" phone = "1-800-979-3370" email="info@thebrooklyntour.com" fax = "" url = "http://www.thebrooklyntour.com/" hours = "" price="$75">includes round trip transportation from Manhattan and a comprehensive 3 hour tour of Brooklyn's unique history, food and culture. </do>
• <do name = "Foods of New York Tours, Inc." address = "Greenwich Village" directions = "" phone = "1-800-979-3370" email="todd@foodsofny.com" fax = "" url = "http://www.foodsofny.com/" hours = "" price="$40">Explore the winding tree-lined streets of the historic West Village. Seek out classic "mom and pop" specialty food shops, Italian eateries, and charming neighborhood restaurants. </do>

• <do name = "East Village Tours" address = "East Village" directions = "" phone = "646-810-2576" email="tour@evcm.org" fax = "" url = "http://www.east-village.com/tour" hours = "Tuesday thru Sunday at 11:00 AM" price="$5-$12">Tour one of the most infamous and historical neighborhoods in the world with an experienced and knowledgeable guide from East-Village.com. Native Americans, Dutch settlers, the Stuyvesant farm, the "melting pot", immigration, tenements, architecture, street gangs, social clubs, Yiddish Theater, cultural expansion, industrialization, labor movements, protests, riots, jazz, poetry, the beat generation, folk music, experimental theater, yippies, punk rock, urban art, pop-culture, squatting, Loisaida, community gardens, and much more.</do>

[edit] Entertainment

New York is the entertainment capital of the world, and no other city can match the number, range, and quality of its entertainment options. Be sure to check out Time Out New York (available at newsstands all over the city) for the latest listings information.

Theater and Performing Arts

New York's Broadway is famous for its many shows, especially musicals. You might want to visit TKTS that offers tickets for shows the same night at discounted prices, usually 50% off or visit BroadwayBox.com a community site posting all recent Broadway discounts. TKTS has two offices, one at Times Square with lines often hours long, and a much faster one (sometimes minutes) at South Street Seaport (Corner of John St., just south of Brooklyn Bridge). Note that only cash is accepted at South Street. Show up at opening time for best selection.

New York boasts an enormous amount and variety of theatrical performances. These shows usually fall into one of three categories: Broadway, Off-Broadway, or Off-Off-Broadway. Broadway refers to the shows near Times Square that usually play to theaters of 500 seats or more. These include the major musicals and big-name dramatic works, and are the most popular with visitors. Tickets for Broadway shows can run to $100 a seat, though discounters like TKTS (above) make cheaper seats available. Off-Broadway indicates performances that are smaller, not located in or near Times Square, and usually of a certain intellectual seriousness. Tickets to Off-Broadway shows tend to range from $25–50. Off-Off-Broadway refers to those shows that play to very small audiences (less than 100 seats) with actors working without equity. These can be dirt cheap and often very good, but some may be sufficiently avant-garde as to turn off conservative playgoers.

For current and upcoming Broadway and Off-Broadway info and