New York
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Introduction
New York, New York, the city so great they named it twice, goes by many other names as well. Probably most interesting to the traveller is the unofficial declaration of being the "world's capital." New York is the largest city in the USA, the fourth largest city in the world, and one of the most ethnically diverse cities on earth. The city is made up of five boroughs: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx and Staten Island.
New York is the largest city in the state of New York.
Boroughs
Manhattan
The island borough of Manhattan is one of the most important financial and business centers in the USA and major center for international business. It is home to the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, as well as numerous skyscrapers in the southern end of the city (called "downtown") and the Midtown centered around Times Square at 42nd Street and Broadway. One of the reasons New York is called the "World's Capital" is the presence of the United Nations headquarters, in addition to the ethnically diverse neighbourhoods like Chinatown and Washington Heights. Newly hip areas like SoHo, TriBeCa mix with old money in the Upper East Side. The high rents of the Upper West Side eventually meld into Harlem, the once off-limits area of New York that is slowly becoming a tourist attraction. In the middle of it all is Central Park, a large natural oasis in the otherwise concrete jungle of Manhattan.
Queens
The most ethnically diverse of the 5 boroughs, Queens offers the traveller a chance for great ethnic cuisine. It is also home to the New York Mets baseball team, the US Open Tennis tournament and the Aquaduct horse racing track. As the location for both John F. Kennedy International Airport and La Guardia Airport, it is also a likely arrival point for most travellers.
The Bronx
The Bronx (officially just Bronx, but locals will always use "The Bronx") is the northernmost borough in New York City.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn, the largest of the five boroughs is separated from Manhattan by the East River, over which the Brooklyn Bridge spans. Coney Island is home to amusement parks, beaches and hotdogs, including the famous 4th of July Hotdog eating contest held every year at the original Nathan's Hotdogs. Brooklyn also contains a botantical gardens and a world-class museum.
Staten Island
Staten Island is the southern most borough in New York, and the only borough not served by the expansive New York Subway system. Ferries crossing from the southern tip of Manhattan to Staten Island provide excellent (and free) views of the both Ellis Island the the Statue of Liberty. The Staten Island ferry runs 24 hours a day and is every half an hour from 8 am to 9 pm.
Tuttoriso is a nice little hip cafe across the street and east of the ferry landing at 36 Richmond Terrace making it a good place to spend some time before taking the ferry back to Manhattan. The major selling point of all the great food is that the food is a hundred percent gluten free at an extremely reasonable price.
Suburbs
Sights and Activities
Museums and Galleries
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met)
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Guggenheim Museum
- Ellis Island Immigration Museum
- American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street
- Lower East Side Tenement Museum
- Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
- Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Corner of 91st Street and Fifth Avenue
- New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West at 77th Street
- American Museum of the Moving Image, 35th Avenue at 36th Street
- Museum Of Sex is a nice museum completely devoted to every aspect of sex, 233 Fifth Avenue at 27th street
Other
- Central Park - The first urban landscaped park in the United States. An icon of New York and a great place to settle down from the hustle and bustle. (Location: From 59th Street to 110th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue.)
- Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Ave, at 42nd Street
- Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue - The world's largest cathedral.
- Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Ave, at 34th Street - A magnificent Art Deco skyscraper.
- Ellis Island
- New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street
- New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street between Wall St. and Exchange Pl.
- Rockefeller Center, Between 5th and 6th Avenues, and between 49th and 50th Streets
- Staten Island Ferry
- The Statue of Liberty
- Theater District
- Times Square
Events and Festivals
- New York's Village Halloween Parade - A yearly event which kicks off at 7 pm on Halloweed Day (October 31).
Weather
Getting there
By Plane
There are three major airports in the New York City Area.
John F. Kennedy International
John F. Kennedy International Airport (airport code: JFK) is located in Jamaica, Queens. For terminal information and options for getting from JFK to Manhattan, see the detailed JFK Airport page
La Guardia Airport
La Guardia Airport (airport code: LGA) is located in Flushing, Queens. For terminal information and options for getting from LGA to Manhattan, see the detailed La Guardia Airport page
Newark Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport (airport code: EWR) is located in Newark, New Jersey, just across the Hudson river from New York City. For terminal information and options for getting from Newark to Manhattan, see the detailed Newark Airport page
By Train
Most intercity train service will arrive at Pennsylvania Station, located at 7th Avenue and 34th Street. There are easy connections from Pennsylvania station to the subway network. From Pennsylvania Station, Amtrak runs a number of services, including the Acela train connecting Washington DC to Boston.
Some train service (mostly from Long Island or points east) will arrive at Grand Central Terminal.
By Car
By Bus
By Boat
Getting Around
By Car
Driving around in New York is not only unnecessary but also not advisable. Finding a car park is hard and street parking is non-existent in tourist attractions or crowded areas. If car park is available, charges are very high and paying $40 a day is not at all uncommon. The entire city is a Tow Away zone and you can expect your car to be gone when you return if you leave your car parked illegally. Car rentals are generally more expensive than the rest of the country and a high deposit of up to $500 is required if you do not have a credit card. Driving in the city can be intimidating for the timid. Many city cab drivers are aggressive drivers, while traffic in the city centre and during rush hours can be overwhelming for the inexperienced.
In other words, don't get a car unless really necessary. Public transportation is the best choice for visitors to get around New York City.
By Public Transport
New York has one of the most expansive subway systems in the world, and especially for travellers is an ideal option, with many of the main tourist sites covered by the subway system, though with 422 stations and 26 different lines, the subway can be confusing, but free maps of the system are available at most hotels, or online in both interactive and PDF format.
MTA NYC Transit
The Metropolitian Transit Authority (MTA) is the organization that runs the NYC Transit, an extensive subway and bus system in New York City and the surrounding area.
Rides on the subways cost $2.00. To pay your fare, the subway system uses the MetroCard, a yellow paper card that has a "stored" value of money on it. For $10.00, riders get $12.00 deposited on their MetroCard (in essence, a free ride). Riders swipe the card when entering the subway station, and $2.00 for the ride is deducted. MetroCards can also be used on the MTA buses, as well as PATH trains, JFK AirTrain and the Roosevelt Island Tram.
In addition the subway system, there is an extensive network of bus routes running above ground at street level.
Use the MTA NYC Transit Trip Planner to plan your itenerary get detailed information on routes to take, schedules and fares for your journey.
PATH
The PATH Rapid-Transit System is run by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and connects Manhattan with New Jersey. The PATH system runs 24 hours, and makes staying in Jersey City, Hoboken or Newark an option for travellers wanting to see Manhattan and looking for cheaper accomodations.
There are 4 different lines in the PATH system, connecting Mid-town Manhattan (33rd Street) and the World Trade Center to Newark, New Jersey and Hoboken, New Jersey. The cost of service is $1.75 one way. PATH fares can be paid using the following options:
- Cash - $1.75 for a single ride
- MTA MetroCards (obtained at NYC Transit subway stations)
- PATH QuickCard/SmartLink ($13 for 10 trips; $26 for 20 trips; $52 for 40 trips)
- SmartLink Card unlimited ride pass ($6 for 1-day pass, $18 for 7-day pass, $54 for 30-day pass)
New Jersey Transit Trains and Buses
NJ Transit connects Manhattan with the cities and towns across the Hudson River in New Jersey. Bus service runs from the Port Authority Bus Terminal at 8th Avenue and 42nd Street through the Lincoln tunnel into New Jersey. Train service runs into Pennsylvania Station at 7th Avenue and 34th Street.
Use the NJ Transit Trip Planner to plan your itenerary get detailed information on routes to take, schedules and fares for your journey.
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)
Running from Manhattan and Brooklyn out to the communities on Long Island, the LIRR is mostly a commuter service for workers living in the suburbs and working in New York City.
For travellers the LIRR can provide easy access to areas in Queens, specifically the US Open Tennis tournament or Shea Stadium for a NY Met's baseball game. The LIRR can also be used in commuting from the New York area airports.
By Taxis
Taxi cabs in New York City are bright yellow. They can be found at taxi stands, or hailed off the street (generally by raising your hand and whistling or yelling). Available taxis can be identified by the numbers on the roof of the cab. If they are lit, the taxi is available.
All yellow taxi cabs in New York City use a meter to determine the rate to be paid. Rates for taxi cabs are as follows:
- Initial fare: $2.00
- Each 1/5 mile (4 blocks): $0.30
- Each 1 minute idle: $0.20
- Night surcharge: $0.50 (from 8pm until 6am)
- Additional riders: FREE
There may be additional charges for tolls if you cross a bridge or tunnel. It is generally expected to tip the driver an additional 10% - 20% of the amount on the meter.
Many of the taxis to the airports are flat fee.
Taxi costs sound a bit confusing so here is a list of a few standard taxi fares, these are only approximate and can vary due to traffic and other factors outside of the driver's control.
- Across Manhattan, 1st Ave. to West End: about $15
- 70's (East Side) to South Street Seaport: about $18
- 100's (West Side) to Port Authority: about $12
By Foot
By Bike
Eat
Drink
West Village
Fat Cat Billiards is a great basement bar with live jazz, pool, table tennis and chess to keep you entertained. Remember that once you get the pool balls from the bar you start paying for them.
Sleep
New York City can be expensive for the budget traveller. Hostels generally cost about $25 to $35 per night for shared, dorm accomodations. Hotels start at $70 and run upwards, though location, time of year and day of week will change the rates.
A unique compromise between hotel and dorm hostel is Bowery's Whitehouse of New York, providing single or double accomodations in miniscule rooms with open, lattice ceilings, offering the security of an enclosed, locked room with the space of a dorm room. Rates are around $30 per person, plus taxes, depending on time of year. Reservations are highly recommended as far in advance as possible, as the Whitehouse fills up quickly. Reservations and rates can be found at the Bowery's Whitehouse of New York website.
Brooklyn and Queens, both well serviced by the subway system are good alternatives to staying in Manhattan. As well, the PATH system running 24 hours means that travellers could also look at staying in Jersey City, Newark or Hoboken and still have great access to Manhattan.
Budget
Mid-Range
Upscale
Work
Learn
This is version 31. Last edited at 6:00 on May 15, 08 by Peter (+68). 59 articles link to this page.
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