1. Central Park: It’s 8,000 acres of greenery in the middle of a bustling city. This is my favorite place in New York, if I’m in New York for my birthday this is where I always spend the day. There is much to see and do in Central Park. You can just take a walk, which can be so romantic, almost in any season of the year. If you are with the kids, during the summer you can sit on any of the grassy areas and have a picnic or play ball. There are benches around the park under large oak trees, where you can sit and enjoy the music of local musicians, watch people dance on their skates, or just people watch. There are 2 zoos for children: Tisch Children’s Zoo and Central Park Zoo, which is free for children under 3 years of age. If you don’t want to go in, you can still enjoy watching the free seals and sea lions, which are visible. from outside. If your children like to sail in toy boats, there is a small pond just for this. For children ages 6 and up who like to bird watch, if they stop by Belvedere Castle, they will lend you binoculars, a guide book, a map, and sketch pads. In summer, if you want to cool off next to a fountain, there is a beautiful one. During the winter, there are 2 ice skating rinks in the park.
2. Staten Island Ferry: It’s a great way to see the wonderful view of New York Harbor along a 5-mile stretch, on this 25-minute trip, as it goes from Manhattan to Staten Island and back. . It’s free, you can’t beat that! This is one of the main modes of transportation used by Staten Islanders to get to Manhattan, so try to avoid rush hour.
3. Times Square: Yes, it’s very touristy, but I’m still in awe of all the lights and tall billboards every time I see it. If you want to take a break from the bright lights and go shopping, you should visit the multi-story Virgin Store, Toys R Us, Hershey’s, MTV, etc. If you want to go see Broadway, tickets can be purchased at a reduced price, up to 50% off, at the large TKTS ticket booths on 42nd Street on the day of the show.
4. Rockefeller Center: If you can get up early enough, the Today Show on NBC hosts Rockefeller Plaza. We went there once with 3 month old Seth, although he was pretty cold that morning, I guess it was worth being on TV for 2 seconds! To see the view of New York from the observation deck at Top of The Rock, purchase the Sunrise Sunset ticket, this allows you to visit the deck twice in the same day. If you don’t want to spend that money on the NBC Studio Tour or Radio City Tour yet, there’s plenty to do in and around Rockefeller Center. My favorite thing to do is sit in the food court near a window that overlooks the ice skating rink. Or, instead of paying full price for the $10-$14 ice skating ticket, go during the lunch hour Monday through Thursday (excluding holidays) between 11:30am and 1:00pm, and you can get in for just $5! The subway stop is right at Rockefeller Center, a few levels down. The Cathedral Church of St. Patrick is just across the street.
5. St. Patrick’s Cathedral – This 125-year-old Gothic-style Catholic cathedral built with white marble has the most amazing architecture, stained glass windows and marble sculptures. It is very quiet and gives you a sense of calm from the hustle and bustle right outside your door. After 9/11, many people found comfort in visiting this quiet cathedral.
6. Brooklyn Bridge – Get an up-close look at one of the oldest suspension bridges in the country. It spans the East River that connects Brooklyn with Lower Manhattan. There’s a water taxi you can take from here to Manhattan. You have a spectacular view of Manhattan from this side of the East River. It’s also nice to walk through Brooklyn Heights and see all the beautiful Brownstone houses.
7. South Street Seaport: Most recently, the evacuation scene for Will Smith’s I Am Legend was filmed here. We were just there while filming was going on with thousands of extras. Look, you never know what you’re going to find in New York! In the Pier 17 pavilion there are many places to shop and eat. It’s nice to sit by the window in one of the restaurants overlooking the river and Brooklyn. Or you can get this view from one of the decks. You can see and enjoy some street artist or live music during the summer. The South Street Seaport Museum consists of 12 blocks of artifacts and a collection of historic fleets. It shows the history of New York as a port city. It’s quite a sight to see skyscrapers, tall ships and the Brooklyn Bridge all in one view.
8. Grand Central Station: The interior of the main concourse with a beautifully painted high ceiling, tall arched windows, marble floors, is just as impressive as the exterior design, with a large Hercules sculpture among others surrounding a clock of 13 feet and a great Corinthian. columns It’s amazing how this hub connects all forms of transportation; it is the busiest train station in the world, with 150,000 daily commuters. On Wednesdays and Fridays, at 12:30 p.m., there is a free tour of the station.
9. Metropolitan Museum of Art: If you love art, and it’s never too early to start exposing your little one to it. The museum is free the first weekend of every month if you are a Bank of America customer and have a BOA debit, ATM or credit card under the Bank of America, Museum on Us program. We have visited and enjoyed more museums now than ever, once our son was born.
10. Window Shop: As long as you’re up for it and enjoy walking around, there are plenty of places to window shop in New York City. Take your husband or boyfriend to the Diamond District on 49th Street, walk down Fifth Avenue or the Upper West Side, down Columbus Avenue and Broadway. Sometimes just being there among all that makes you feel like a million bucks! Of course, during the holiday season, you want to take a window tour, with beautiful Christmas-themed displays at stores like Bloomindales, Barney’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue, etc.
How has your experience been in some of the places mentioned above?
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