New York City
The Big Apple, the City that Never Sleeps... we all know the hype
- but what's it really like? Well apparently it's the world's most
important global city, and the largest with over 8 million people
contained within 309 miles² and widely considered one of the
finest natural ports in the world. The City is made of 5 boroughs,
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.
Basic Manhattan Geography: Streets run from
east to west and go up in number as they go north from Houston
Street. (Streets below Houston are named). East and West Side
is determined by Fifth Avenue. Midtown is home to Carnegie Hall,
Rockefeller Centre and the United Nations. Downtown is below 14th
Street and is home to Soho, TriBeCa, Greenwich Village and Wall
Street. Downtown may also mean south of wherever you are at the
moment !
Getting Around: The Subway is a safe, quick
and convenient way to get around the city with trains running
24 hours a day. The Subway routes are identified by letters and
by numbers and the different lines by colours. Free subway guides
are available at any subway station booth. There are over 200
bus routes across the City and if you use a Metro Card, you can
transfer free from bus to bus, bus to subway, subway to bus providing
you do so within 2 hours of buying the ticket. For the ultimate
experience, why not travel by helicopter? You get to see the fabulous
city in all its glory teeming with activity down below. There
are several helicopter agencies operating in the City.
Popular Attractions: Central Park, Empire State
Building Observatory, Times Square, China Town, Grand Central
Terminal, Brooklyn Bridge, Staten Island Ferry, New York Botanical
Garden, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum, Little Italy,
Greenwich Village, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Central
Park Zoo, Coney Island Aquarium and Bronx Zoo.
Entertainment: Broadway shows and special events.
World famous jazz clubs - the Blue Note and Lenox Lounge. The
Firebird Russian Restaurant is one of Manhattan's finest restaurants
with a piano bar on the first floor.
Shopping: Bloomingdales on Third Avenue, Cosmetics
Warehouse - 250 West 39 Street, DKNY - West Broadway or Madison
Avenue, Saks 5th Avenue - open 24 hours a day. Macy's - the world's
largest department store at 151 West 34 Street, Hell's Kitchen
Flea Market (every weekend) at West 39 Street, Christie's (Auctioneers)
at the Rockefeller Plaza, Lalique on Madison Avenue, Tiffany's
at 727 5th Avenue and Toys R Us Times Square - known as the centre
of the toy universe!
Dining: From corner hot-dog stands, to original
deli's and golden 5 star dining, there is something for everyone's
pallet and purse. There are over 20,000 restaurants in the city.
Chinatown represents good value for money, but beware of the tourist
trap restaurants around Times Square. Fancy a cuppa? There's plenty
of tea rooms around the city too!
New York is hectic and alluring with the famous song lyric "if
I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere..." which has
drawn people from all over the world. It is the multinational,
multicultural city, and an excellent destination any time of the
year. Temperatures in Spring and Autumn are usually around 21ºC
(70ºF). The summer months are often hot and humid, while
winters can be erratic.
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