Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10118
212-736-3100
This well known building stands 1,453 feet high and is one of NYC?s main tourist attractions. Since 1931, nearly 110 million visitors have looked out over the city from the observatory on the 86th floor, 1,050 feet above ground. Restaurants, coffee shops and art exhibits round out your visit to this national landmark.
The observatory is open 365 days a year from 9:30 am to midnight.
Statue of Liberty
Liberty Island
New York, NY 10004
212-363-3200
Liberty Island and the statue are open to visitors. Visitors may tour the main building on Ellis Island and the grounds and outdoor exhibits of both Ellis Island and Liberty Island.
Open daily except Christmas
Hours vary.
Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10025
212-316-7590
This awe-inspiring church is the largest cathedral in the world, and it is the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. On guided tours, visitors can explore the cathedral?s nave and chapels and learn its history, dating back to 1892.
New York Stock Exchange
11 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005
212-656-5000
Docent- and self-guided tours available
NY Vietnam Veterans Memorial
55 Water Street
New York, NY 10004
www.nyvietnamveteransmemorial.org
This memorial is an emotionally moving tribute to those who died during the war in Vietnam. The memorial was dedicated in May, 1985.
Times Square
Broadway & 7th Avenue
42nd-47th Street
timessquarebid.org
You know you want to visit Times Square during your stay in NYC, but you?re not sure where to begin. A good start is with the Visitors? Center, open daily 8 am to 8 pm, located at 1560 Broadway, between 46th and 47th Streets.
NBC Studio Tour
30 Rockefeller Center
New York, NY 10112
212-664-3700
The tour of the NBC network headquarters includes a look inside working television studios and a hands-on experience that illustrates what is involved in producing a TV show. (Visitors can actually sit in front of a green screen and have their image appear next to Jay Leno.) Occasionally, visitors have the opportunity to watch SNL comedians during rehearsal as they pass through Studio 8H. There are several TV show tapings that you can attend for FREE, but the ticket lines are often long but worth the wait! Call ahead to check show taping times, etc.
Bronx County Historical Society
3309 Bainbridge Avenue
The Bronx, NY 10467
718-881-8900
bronxhistoricalsociety.org
Step back in time to the 18th century and learn Bronx history through guided walking, bicycling, bus, train or boat tours. Edgar Allen Poe?s final home is featured as well as a wide variety of Bronx landmarks and artifacts.
Check Web site for tour times and prices
New York Yankees Baseball
Yankee Stadium
East 161st Street & River Avenue
Bronx, NY 10451
718-293-4300
Whether you want to catch a game or just admire the stadium, the home of the Yankees is worth visiting. Take the tour of the stadium and learn behind-the-scenes trivia, and then pick up a few souvenirs at the gift shop. Check Web site for games dates, tour information and more.
New York Mets Baseball
Shea Stadium
123-01 Roosevelt Avenue
Flushing, NY 11368
718-507-METS
This $25.5 million stadium opened in 1964 in Flushing Meadows, Queens. On opening night the New York Mets played the Pittsburgh Pirates in front of nearly 49,000 fans. For a fun family outing, catch a game in this historic ballpark. Check Web site for game dates and ticket information.
USTA National Tennis Center
Flushing MeadowsPark
Flushing, NY 11368
718-760- 6200
usta.com
Since 1978, the US Open has been held at the USTA National Tennis Center, the largest public tennis facility in the world. The center is open to the public, and its professional staff provides training programs, tennis camps, private lessons and more. Check the Web site for more information on game schedules and available programs.
Coney Island
1208 Surf Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11224
718-372-5159
Coney Island is the perfect amusement park for those who want to experience a little nostalgia. The park opened in the 1920s, and it remains a popular destination today. Coney Island?s famed roller coaster, The Cyclone, was named an official New York City landmark in 1988, and a National Historic Landmark in 1991.
Historic Richmond Town
441 Clarke Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10306
718-351-1611
historicrichmondtown.org
This living history village and museum takes visitors back to colonial times. In addition to a museum, the village includes 15 restored buildings. Interpreter-led tours explain the history of the area.
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West
New York, NY 10024
212-769-5000
Visit one of the biggest and most innovative natural history museums that includes famous dinosaur halls, Akeley Hall of African Mammals, Rose Center, and space show!
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028
212-535-7710
metmuseum.org
The Met?s collection contains more than two million works of art from all over the world. Ancient through modern times are represented in the paintings, sculptures, furniture, textiles, jewelry, instruments, photographs and many other items displayed in the museum?s galleries.
Neue Galerie New York
1048 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028
212-628-6200
This museum features early 20th century German and Austrian art and design.
International Center of Photography
1133 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
212-857-0000
This is the only museum in New York devoted exclusively to photography with changing exhibits, education programs, resource library, collections, and more.
New York City Police Museum
100 Old Slip
New York, NY 10005
212-480-3100
The building was actually the NYPD?s first precinct and now holds an inside look into the history and culture of the largest police force in the country by showing exhibits of vehicles, weapons, law enforcement techniques, and much more.
The Skyscraper Museum
39 Battery Place
New York, NY 10280
212-968-1961
This is the only institution devoted to skyscrapers and skylines ? the past, present, and future! It welcomes visitors with views of the downtown skyline in NYC and is just six blocks from Ground Zero.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10128
212-423-3500
guggenheim.org
The famous Guggenheim Museum features revolving exhibits and collections of art. Check their website for current works on display.
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution
2 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
212-849-8400
cooperhewitt.org
This branch of the Smithsonian Institute is the nation?s only museum dedicated to historic and contemporary design. The museum was founded in 1897 and today includes more than 250,000 items.
The Jewish Museum
1109 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10128
212-423-3200
thejewishmuseum.org
Jewish culture is represented here via 28,000 objects, including many works of fine art. The museum takes a contemporary look at the Jewish faith as it has been portrayed through the years in broadcast media.
Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10029
212-534-1672
This museum has been preserving the history of New York City since 1923. More than 1.5 million paintings, prints, photographs, costumes, toys, rare books, manuscripts, sculptures, decorative arts objects, and other artifacts depicting life in NYC are on display.
Louis Armstrong House & Archives
34-56 107th Street
Corona, NY 11368
718-478-8274
His music, photos, films, trumpets, and awards on view ? jazz legend Louis Armstrong.
Madame Tussaud?s
234 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
800-246-8872
This is the only place in NYC where over 200 of the top celebrities in the world provide you with an interactive experience that you?ll never forget!
FDNY Fire Zone
34 West 51st Street
New York, NY 10020
212-698-4520
This original experience will be enhanced with hands-on exhibits; you actually become part of a fire-fighting team and learn important things!
El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10029
212-831-7272
El Museo del Barrio was founded in 1969 by a group of Puerto Rican educators, artists and community activists. It is New York City?s only Latino museum dedicated to Puerto Rican, Caribbean and Latin American art.
TV Show Tapings:
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
Daily Show Studios
733 11th Avenue
New York, NY 10019
212-586-2477.
This show tapes every Monday through Thursday at 5:45 PM. To request free studio audience tickets, call the number above.
The Early Show (CBS)
General Motors Building
767 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10153
212-975-4061
This show is taped Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and deals with issues of the day and offers viewers the opportunity to reach out and be part of the show. Call for more show information.
Good Morning America (ABC)
ABC Times Square Studios
1500 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
212-930-7700
Join in on the show weekday mornings from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday.
Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC)
NBC Studios
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
212-664-3056
Call to order tickets in advance. For standby tickets, get in line under the NBC Studios marquee on 49th Street side of the Plaza. One standby ticket is allotted per person; standby tickets do not guarantee admission. Tapings are held every Tuesday through Friday at 5:30 pm (standby ticket holders must arrive at the studio by 4 pm). Regular ticketholders must arrive by 4:15 p.m. You must be 16 or older to attend a taping.
Live With Regis and Kelly (ABC)
ABC Studios
320 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023
212-456-3054
For advance tickets send a postcard to:
Live Tickets
Ansonia Station
P.O. Box 230777
New York, NY 10023-0777
Include your name, address, date of the show you'd like to attend, telephone number, and number of tickets you'd like (limit four). Same-day tickets are available by getting to the corner of 67th Street and Columbus Avenue as early as 7am to request a standby number. After ticket holders are seated, standbys are seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Children under 10 are not allowed in the studio.
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
212-664-3056
SNL tickets are among the toughest to snag. Written requests are accepted only during the month of August, and then lotteries are held throughout the season. If your postcard is chosen, you will be notified one to two weeks in advance of the taping. E-mail requests to snltickets@nbc.com with all of your contact information.
The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)
Ed Sullivan Theater
1697 Broadway
New York, NY 10019
212-975-5853
The wait for Letterman tickets can often be as long as a year, unless you?re one of the very few fortunate enough to land a ticket. Standby tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tapings take place Monday through Wednesday at 5:30 pm and Thursday at 4:30 pm and 7 pm.
Beaches:
Coney Island
Coney Island USA
1208 Surf Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11224
718-372-5159
coneyislandusa.com
Coney Island is more than just a beach. Visitors to the area will also find rides, games, a museum, a boardwalk, flea markets and more.
Gateway National Recreation Area
Public Affairs Office
210 New York Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10305
718-338-3799
This expansive 26,000-acre recreation area is located in the heart of the New York City metro area. The park extends through three New York City boroughs and into northern New Jersey. A variety of recreational activities abound: swimming, sailing, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, boating, surfing, biking, camping and more. The famous boardwalk also has rides and games of chance including the Cyclone Roller Coaster.
Orchard Beach
Pelham Bay Park
Bronx, NY 10464
718-885-2275
This mile-long beach is the area?s most popular summertime spots. When you tire of sand and surf, hit the boardwalk for people watching, listen to a weekend concert, or play tennis, paddleball, or basketball.
Rockaway Beach
Queens, NY 11694
718-318-4000
Located at the southernmost point in NYC
Whether you want bathe in the sun, jump the waves, build sand castles or just people watch, Rockaway Beach offers almost ten miles of beachfront for summertime fun.
Gardens:
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
1000 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
718-623-7200
www.bbg.org
This is more than a garden; it is a 52-acre living museum. Soak in the beauty of a vast array of plants, flowers and trees and leave the rush of the city behind.
New York Botanical Garden
Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road
Bronx, NY 10458
718-817-8700
Adults will marvel at the beautiful variety of plants, and children will enjoy the Adventure Garden, where they can explore nature. With its extensive collection of plants, the Garden is the region's leading horticulture educational center and an international center for plant research.
Queens Botanical Garden
43-50 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11355
718-886-3800
queensbotanical.org
More than 320,000 people visit this 32-acre park each year. The Garden began as an exhibit at the 1939-40 New York?s World?s Fair, and a few years later was developed into a permanent horticultural showcase. Among other features, the Garden includes seasonal displays of tulips, roses, and annuals, as well as plants and trees exhibited in five teaching collections and six backyard demonstration gardens.
Staten Island Botanical Garden
1000 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
718-273-8200
sibg.org
The Staten Island Botanical Garden was founded in 1977 and is a combination of gardens that represent man?s relationship with nature. The Garden is often used as an educational tool or an event backdrop in addition to being an oasis from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Wave Hill
West 249th Street and Independence Avenue
Bronx, NY 10471
718-549-3200
wavehill.org
A large variety of gardens beckon visitors to this park, which includes a public garden and cultural center. Wave Hill is open year round and offers several educational programs in addition to being a scenic resting spot from the rest of the world. There is a café, shop, art exhibits, dance performances, and more held here throughout the year.
Parks:
Battery Park City Parks Conservancy
2 South End Avenue
New York, NY 10280
212-267-9700
BPC parks include nearly 32 acres of open space in southern Manhattan. Within this area are more than a dozen parks and gardens, as well as playing fields, walkways and playgrounds. All BPC park areas are open to the public. Check Web site for specific information on each park.
Central Park
Between 5th & 8th Avenues & 59th & 106th Streets
New York, NY 10024
212-360-3456
centralparknyc.org
Probably the most well known park in New York City, Central Park spans 834 acres. Visitors to the park are never at a lack for something to do; the park boasts a zoo, carousel, skating rink, theater, lake, pond, reservoir, castle, gardens, fountains, food, visitor centers, walking and biking tours, entertainment and special events. You can even take a romantic horse drawn carriage ride through the park.
Pellham Bay Park
Middletown Road & Bruckner Boulevard
Bronx, NY 10465
212-639-9675
This park is the area?s largest with 2,765 acres of woodland. Bodies of water found at the park include the Long Island Sound, Eastchester Bay, Hutchinson River, a lagoon, Turtle Grove and saltwater marshes. Park activities include swimming, cycling, boating, fishing, horseback riding, picnicking and tennis.
Prospect Park
95 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-965-8951
This 526-acre park is located in the heart of Brooklyn and attracts more than six million visitors a year. Whether you want to lounge in a shady spot or watch a waterfall, Prospect Park is the place to go. The Audubon Center and the Prospect Park Zoo are popular features of the park, and many visitors enjoy horseback riding, skating and pedal boating during their visit as well.
Alley Pond Environmental Center
228-06 Northern Boulevard
Douglaston, NY 11363
718-229-4000
The center provides educational programs, and the surrounding park includes 650 acres of woodland, meadows, fresh/saltwater marshes and nature trails. Monthly environmental events are held to educate both adults and children about nature.
Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Gateway National Recreation Area
Floyd Bennett Field
Brooklyn, NY 11234
718-318-4340
This refuge encompasses more than 9,100 acres and is known as a prime birding spot. Over the past 25 years, thousands of water, land and shorebirds, representing more than 325 species, have stopped here during migration. Refuge trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Blue Heron Park and Nature Center
222 Poillion Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10312
718-967-3542
This is a must-stop for bird watchers. At the edge of the woodlands is a bird feeding station that attracts a wide variety of birds, including the Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. The feeding birds can be seen from the Nature Center. Hiking trails and picnic areas are also located on this 147-acre park.
Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
83 Nielsen Avenue
Staten island, NY 10309
718-354-4500
Hiking and horseback riding are popular pastimes in this 260-acre preserve that includes bogs, ponds, sand barrens, woodlands and spring-fed streams.
Shopping:
Macy?s
151 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10001
212-695-4400
Macy?s Herald Square in NYC is the world?s largest department store and it?s no wonder, with ten floors and a half-million items for sale. If you immediately feel overwhelmed when you enter this retail giant, head to the Visitor?s Center on the 34th Street balcony, where you?ll find consultants who will help you find your way.
Bloomingdale?s
1000 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
212-705-2000
Any serious shopper simply must stop at Bloomie?s. The handbag department alone is touted as the best in the city, and the shoe salon stocks an array of shoe apparel, ranging from flirty to functional.
Lord & Taylor
424 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
212-391-3344
If you?re in the city at Christmas time, chances are you?ll be one of the thousands who line up to see the store?s popular window displays. If you make it inside, look for seasonal sales on both moderate and upscale merchandise, and you may walk out with a bargain.
Sak?s Fifth Avenue
611 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10022
212-753-4000
saksfifthavenue.com
The first Sak?s opened in 1924, and it has since spawned more than 60 locations. When it?s time for upscale shopping, and only the finest designer labels will do, head to Sak?s.
Grand Central Terminal
101 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
212-935-3960
grandcentralterminal.com
For a unique shopping experience, look no further than Grand Central. Find an array of gourmet chocolate, pastries, coffees, wine and cheeses in addition to quaint boutiques and retailers in this former train station that is truly ?grand? once again.
Soho
Boundaries: Houston, Canal Street, Lafayette Street, 6th avenue
New York, NY 10012
It?s small, but it packs a punch. Approximately 250 art galleries, four museums, nearly 200 restaurants and 100 stores are located within a quarter of a square mile. Check out Vintage New York for wine, cheese and wine accessories. The Scholastic Store is a fun, interactive, multi-media store, where shopping is fun for both kids and adults.
Greenwich Village
Boundaries: Broadway, Hudson River, Houston Street, 14th Street
New York, NY 10012
For one-of-a-kind items, think Greenwich Village. Here you?ll find jewelry, accessories, trend-setting designer outfits, vintage wear and more.
Chinatown
Boundaries: Worth Street & Broadway
New York, NY 10013
The largest concentration of Chinese in the western hemisphere is found in Chinatown, located on the lower east side of Manhattan. For a different experience and inexpensive souvenir shopping, take a stroll around Chinatown. You?ll find everything from T-shirts, purses and mugs to porcelain figures and silk slippers. The sights and smells set it distinctly apart from any other area of New York City.