". : New York City : ." Top 5 Page for this destination New York City by Christophe_Ons

New York City Travel Guide: 19,521 reviews and 30,170 photos

Empire State observatory view, facing south

Welcome to the city that never sleeps ...

New York City has to be the world's greatest, coolest, craziest and certainly most tempting city. On top of that it's the most diverse ethnic/cultural melting pot imaginable. NYC has everything for everyone : architecture, arts, cuisine, entertainment, shopping,... It's all here. While it can be an overwhelming place initially, chances are you'll feel right at home in no time, and as you're "settling in" you may even find yourself falling madly in love with this exciting city ... I know I did !

Five boroughs, dozens of neighborhoods

NY city grew northward from here : lower Manhattan

New York is made up of five distinct boroughs : Manhattan (where the vast majority of the sights are located), the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Even if you only visit the Manhattan island, the hard part is to fit everything you want to see / do in one visit. If you are short on time, you could restrict your sightseeing to one or two areas in Manhattan.
Many of New York's oldest and newest buildings rub shoulders in lower Manhattan. From here you can take the Staten Island Ferry for breathtaking views of the famous skyline and the Statue of Liberty. Downtown you'll also find Battery Park City, TheFinancial District with Wall Street, South Street Seaport and The Civic Center - from the latter, the Brooklyn Bridge connects Manhattan to Brooklyn. More to the north but still in the area around and below Canal St are TriBeCa, Chinatown, Little Italy and The Lower East Side - each of these neighborhoods has its own, distinct vibe. Still further u pnorth (but still in the lower half of the island) are SoHo, Greenwich Village and The East Village. 14th Street is generally considered the division line where the area of the Downtown neighborhoods ends, and Midtown begins - way up to 59th St / Central Park.

Movin' on Up

Midtown view south of the Empire State building

The Heart of the city pulses 24 hours a day to the beat of corporate America, but there's plenty of culture here, too. From 14th St upwards the neighborhoods Chelsea, Flatiron District and Gramercy are packed with some of the most stunning architecture. In the center of Midtown, around Herald Square / The Garment District, you'll find the Empire State Building. Further up north you have the Theater District with Broadway and Times Square, and north from the Empire State Building on Fifth Ave, along the stretch between 50th St and Central Park, the rents are among the highest in the world. This part of town is practically all skyscrapers, including another landmark in East Midtown : The Chrysler Building.
Alongside Central Park are the Upper West and East sides, havens of culture, museums and the NY University neighborhood Columbia. Here you'll also find some of the most expensive residential areas in NYC. North of Central Park you have Harlem, Hamilton Heights and El Barrio (East Harlem). Few tourists make it here and to the more northern parts of Manhattan : Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights and Inwood, home to the medieval "Cloisters" Museum. But that doesn't mean these parts of the city have to be dismissed.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Just about everything, really :)
Cons:Having to leave again :(
In a nutshell:This is New York - the rest of the world isn't.

Last visit to New York City: Nov 2005
Intro Updated Nov 22, 2005
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Reviews (76)

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Greenwich Village Things to Do (23)

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The building that never sleeps Off The Beaten Path (33)

The imposing, two block long (!) public building that houses the General Post Office of New York City is open 24/7... more travel advice

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World Financial Center Things to Do (23)

The World Financial Center, completed in 1988, consists of 4 glass-and-granite post modern office towers and sits near... more travel advice

Tourist Traps (3)
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Shopping (4)
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Hotels (1)
The Roosevelt Hotel

Travelogues (5)

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Comments (86)

rorbindo Apr 23, 2010 at 5:53 PM Report Abuse

thanks for a great page
jusdenise93 Jul 19, 2009 at 3:36 AM Report Abuse

WoW! amazing, truly deserving to be on top 5. I really want to visit NYC someday, and I was thinking about going to college at NYU. Thanks for the great insights on NYC
ctin May 18, 2009 at 11:29 AM Report Abuse

Im embarassed for the owners of the Roosevelt and the staff they hired. Their events and front desk staff are the rudest ppl ever and deserve to be fired. There are plenty of people looking for jobs and would be willing to apply friendly customer service.
GuthrieColin Feb 4, 2009 at 8:07 PM Report Abuse

Nice tip on the Brooklyn Bridge it was very helpful.
Birsen Jun 22, 2008 at 6:19 PM Report Abuse

I worked for 2 years right across this mural. You brought my memories back :)) Great tips by the way...Cheers
whitedove93230 Feb 21, 2008 at 11:01 AM Report Abuse

Hey Christopher, Thanks for your unique insight and pics. Hope to come to NYC soon. Later, AS
LaurenMaine Nov 9, 2007 at 11:39 AM Report Abuse

Hey Chris, great tips. Maybe you want to suggest this as well-- A romancing tour in NYC! http://www.realadventures.com/listings/1023725_Romancing-Manhattan-Tours RealAdventures has a lot of great NYC tips, I've found. Lauren www.chickdirectory.com
german_eagle Sep 20, 2007 at 12:54 AM Report Abuse

Excellent tips, thanks. You provide a lot of info here that's not easily available in guide books (if ever).
jcwarrior50 Apr 11, 2007 at 7:56 AM Report Abuse

Just a heads up - The web cam must be out of business cause the link says the page has moved. Just thought I'd let you know. If you find out where it went, please update it because I'd love to see it. Thanks, GP
moiraistyx Dec 7, 2006 at 6:03 PM Report Abuse

WOW, it took me forever to read each page, but your tips are wonderful and full of great information.