USA - NY - New York City

New York City Maps

Where to Stay

Hostel Reservation

Other Places

Getting Around

Trip Guides

Places to go

Architecture

Bar & Restaurant

Cultural Building

Entertainment

Film / TV Location

Museum

Park

Public Art

Religious

Shopping Centre

Stadium

Tower

Suggested Itineraries

Frommer’s

In One Day

In Two Days

In Three Days

Ricardo Freire

In Two Days: Manhattan - North to South

Marcelo Lopes

Luiza Valeriano

Broadway Shows

New York City Maps

Back to Top

Where to Stay

Back to Top

Getting Around

Back to Top

Getting Around (http://www.frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity/0021020015.html)

Frankly, Manhattan's transportation systems are a marvel. It's simply miraculous that so many people can gather on this little island and move around it. For the most part, you can get where you're going pretty quickly and easily using some combination of subways, buses, and cabs; this section will tell you how to do just that.

But between traffic gridlock and subway delays, sometimes you just can't get there from here -- unless you walk. Walking can sometimes be the fastest way to navigate the island. During rush hours, you'll easily beat car traffic while on foot, as taxis and buses stop and groan at gridlocked corners (don't even try going crosstown in a cab or bus in Midtown at midday). You'll also see a lot more by walking than you will if you ride beneath the street in the subway or fly by in a cab. So pack your most comfortable shoes and hit the pavement -- it's the best, cheapest, and most appealing way to experience the city.

Sidewalks of New York -- What's the primary means New Yorkers use for getting around town? The subway? Buses? Taxis? Nope. Walking. They stride across wide, crowded pavements without any regard for traffic lights, weaving through crowds at high speeds, dodging taxis and buses whose drivers are forced to interrupt the normal flow of traffic to avoid flattening them. Never take your walking cues from the locals. Wait for walk signals and always use crosswalks -- don't cross in the middle of the block. Do otherwise and you could quickly end up as a flattened statistic (or at least get a ticket for jaywalking).

Always pay attention to the traffic flow. Walk as though you're driving, staying to the right. Pay attention to what's happening in the street, even if you have the right of way. At intersections, keep an eye out for drivers who don't yield, turn without looking, or think a yellow traffic light means "Hurry up!" as you cross. Unfortunately, most bicyclists seem to think that the traffic laws don't apply to them; they'll often blithely fly through red lights and dash the wrong way on one-way streets, so be on your guard.

By Bus

Less expensive than taxis and more pleasant than subways (they provide a mobile sightseeing window on Manhattan), MTA buses are a good transportation option. Their big drawback: They can get stuck in traffic, sometimes making it quicker to walk. They also stop every couple of blocks, rather than the 8 or 9 blocks that local subways traverse between stops. So for long distances, the subway is your best bet; but for short distances or traveling crosstown, try the bus.

Paying Your Way -- Like the subway fare, bus fare is $2, half-price for seniors and riders with disabilities, and free for children under 44 inches (up to three per adult). The fare is payable with a MetroCard or exact change. Bus drivers don't make change, and fare boxes don't accept dollar bills or pennies. You can't purchase MetroCards on the bus, so you'll have to have them before you board.

If you pay with a MetroCard, you can transfer to another bus or to the subway for free within 2 hours. If you pay cash, you must request a free transfer slip that allows you to change to an intersecting bus route only (transfer points are listed on the transfer paper) within 1 hour of issue. Transfer slips cannot be used to enter the subway.

Take a Free Ride -- The Alliance for Downtown New York's Downtown Connection offers a free bus service that provides easy access to downtown destinations, including Battery Park City, the World Financial Center, and South Street Seaport. The buses, which run daily, every 10 minutes or so, from 10am to 7:30pm, make dozens of stops along a 5-mile route from Chambers Street on the west side to Beekman Street on the east side. For schedules and more information, call the Downtown Connection at tel. 212/566-6700, or visit www.downtownny.com.

For More Bus & Subway Information -- For additional transit information, call the Metropolitan Transit Authority's MTA/New York City Transit's Travel Information Center at tel. 718/330-1234. Extensive automated information is available at this number 24 hours a day, and travel agents are on hand to answer your questions and provide directions daily from 6am to 9pm. Customers who don't speak English can call tel. 718/330-4847. For online information that's always up-to-the-minute, visit www.mta.nyc.ny.us.

To request system maps, call the Map Request Line at tel. 718/330-3322 (although realize that recent service changes may not yet be reflected on printed maps). Riders with disabilities should direct inquiries to tel. 718/596-8585; hearing-impaired riders can call tel. 718/596-8273. For MetroCard information, call tel. 212/METROCARD (638-7622) weekdays from 7am to 11pm, weekends 9am to 5pm, or go online to www.mta.nyc.ny.us/metrocard.

You can get bus and subway maps and additional transit information at most information centers. A particularly helpful MTA transit information desk is located at the Times Square Information Center, 1560 Broadway, between 46th and 47th streets, where you can also buy MetroCards. Maps are sometimes available in subway stations (ask at the token booth), but rarely on buses.

Using the System - You can't flag a city bus down -- you have to meet it at a bus stop. Bus stops are located every 2 or 3 blocks on the right-side corner of the street (facing the direction of traffic flow). They're marked by a curb painted yellow and a blue-and-white sign with a bus emblem and the route number or numbers, and usually an ad-bedecked Plexiglass bus shelter. Guide-a-Ride boxes at most stops display a route map and a hysterically optimistic schedule.

Almost every major avenue has its own bus route. They run either north or south: downtown on Fifth, uptown on Madison, downtown on Lexington, uptown on Third, and so on. There are crosstown buses at strategic locations all around town: 8th Street (eastbound); 9th (westbound); 14th, 23rd, 34th, and 42nd (east- and westbound); 49th (eastbound); 50th (westbound); 57th (east- and westbound); 65th (eastbound across the West Side, through the park, and then north on Madison, continuing east on 68th to York Ave.); 67th (westbound on the East Side to Fifth Ave., and then south on Fifth, continuing west on 66th St., through the park and across the west side to West End Ave.); and 79th, 86th, 96th, 116th, and 125th (east- and westbound). Some bus routes, however, are erratic: The M104, for example, starts at the East River, then turns at Eighth Avenue and goes up Broadway. The buses of the Fifth Avenue line go up Madison or Sixth and follow various routes around the city.

Most routes operate 24 hours a day, but service is infrequent at night. Some say that New York buses have a herding instinct: They arrive only in groups. During rush hour, main routes have "limited" buses, identifiable by the red card in the front window; they stop only at major cross streets.

To make sure that the bus you're boarding goes where you're going, check the map on the sign that's at every bus stop, get your hands on a route map, or just ask. The drivers are helpful, as long as you don't hold up the line too long.

While traveling, look out the window not only to take in the sights but also to keep track of cross streets so you know when to get off. Signal for a stop by pressing the tape strip above and beside the windows and along the metal straps, about 2 blocks before you want to stop. Exit through the pneumatic back doors (not the front door) by pushing on the yellow tape strip; the doors open automatically (pushing on the handles is useless unless you're as buff as Hercules).

Most city buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts, making buses the preferable mode of public transportation for travelers in chairs. Buses also "kneel," lowering down to the curb to make boarding easier.

By Taxi

If you don't want to deal with public transportation, finding an address that might be a few blocks from the subway station, or sharing your ride with 3.5 million other people, then take a taxi. The biggest advantages are, of course, that cabs can be hailed on any street (provided you find an empty one -- often simple, yet at other times nearly impossible) and will take you right to your destination. I find they're best used at night when there's little traffic and when the subway may seem a little daunting. In Midtown at midday, you can usually walk to where you're going more quickly.

Official New York City taxis, licensed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), are yellow, with the rates printed on the door and a light with a medallion number on the roof. You can hail a taxi on any street. Never accept a ride from any other car except an official city yellow cab (livery cars are not allowed to pick up fares on the street, despite what the driver tells you when he pulls over to see if he can pick up a fare).

The base fare on entering the cab is $2.50. The cost is 40¢ for every 1/5 mile or 40¢ per 60 seconds in stopped or slow-moving traffic (or for waiting time). There's no extra charge for each passenger or for luggage. However, you must pay bridge or tunnel tolls (sometimes the driver will front the toll and add it to your bill at the end; most times, however, you pay the driver before the toll). You'll pay a $1 surcharge between 4 and 8pm and a 50¢ surcharge after 8pm and before 6am. A 15% to 20% tip is customary.

Most taxis are now equipped with a device that allows you to pay by credit card, though some drivers will claim the machine is broken (there is a transaction fee for credit cards that cuts into their income) and ask you to pay in cash. You can choose to either add the tip to the credit card, or tip the driver in cash.

Many, if not most, taxi drivers may not have the best grasp of English. If their driving is scaring you, ask them to slow down, stop slamming on the brakes quite so hard, and taking off like a rocket when the light turns green. Wear your seat belt -- taxis are required to provide them.

The TLC has posted a Taxi Rider's Bill of Rights sticker in every cab. Drivers are required by law to take you anywhere in the five boroughs, to Nassau or Westchester counties, or to Newark Airport. They are supposed to know how to get you to any address in Manhattan and all major points in the outer boroughs. They are also required to provide air-conditioning and turn off the radio on demand, and they cannot smoke while you're in the cab. They are required to be polite.

You are allowed to dictate the route that is taken. It's a good idea to look at a map before you get in a taxi. Taxi drivers have been known to jack up the fare on visitors who don't know better by taking a circuitous route between points A and B. Know enough about where you're going to know that something's wrong if you hop in a cab at Sixth Avenue and 57th Street to go to the Empire State Building (Fifth Ave. and 34th St.), say, and suddenly find yourself on Ninth Avenue.

On the other hand, listen to drivers who propose an alternate route. These guys spend 8 or 10 hours a day on these streets, and they know where the worst traffic is, or where Con Ed has dug up an intersection that should be avoided. A knowledgeable driver will know how to get you to your destination quickly and efficiently.

Another important tip: Always make sure the meter is turned on at the start of the ride. You'll see the red LED readout register the initial $2.50 and start calculating the fare as you go. I've witnessed unscrupulous drivers buzzing unsuspecting visitors around the city with the meter off, and then overcharging them at drop-off time.

Always ask for the receipt -- it comes in handy if you need to make a complaint or have left something in a cab. In fact, it's a good idea to make a mental note of the driver's four-digit medallion number (usually posted on the divider between the front and back seats) just in case you need it later. You probably won't, but it's a good idea to play it safe.

A taxi driver is obligated to take you to your desired destination. If a taxi driver is on duty but refuses to take you to your desired destination (which happens on occasion when you want to go to an outer borough destination or very far uptown), get the driver's name and medallion number and file a complaint with the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

For all driver complaints, including the one above, and to report lost property, call tel. 311 or 212-NEWYORK (outside the metro area). For further taxi information -- including a complete rundown of your rights as a taxi rider -- point your Web browser to www.ci.nyc.ny.us/taxi.

Taxi-Hailing Tips -- When you're waiting on the street for an available taxi, look at the medallion light on the top of the coming cabs. If the light is out, the taxi is in use. When the center part (the number) is lit, the taxi is available -- this is when you raise your hand to flag the cab. If all the lights are on, the driver is off-duty. Taxi regulations limit the number of people permitted to take a cab to four, so expect to split up if your group is larger.

By Car

Forget driving yourself around the city. It's not worth the headache. Traffic is horrendous, and you don't know the rules of the road (written or unwritten) or the arcane alternate-side-of-the-street parking regulations (in fact, precious few New Yorkers do). You don't want to find out the monstrous price of parking violations or live the Kafkaesque nightmare of liberating a vehicle from the tow pound. Not to mention the security risks.

If you do arrive in New York City by car, park it in a garage (expect to pay at least $25-$45 per day) and leave it there for the duration of your stay. (In our hotel chapter, we note if a hotel has a garage, or offers discounted parking, and the rate). If you drive a rental car in, return it as soon as you arrive and rent another when you leave.

Just about all of the major car-rental companies, have multiple Manhattan locations.

Traveling from the City to the Suburbs

The PATH (tel. 800/234-7284; www.panynj.gov/path) system connects cities in New Jersey, including Hoboken and Newark, to Manhattan by subway-style trains. Stops in Manhattan are at the World Trade Center, Christopher and 9th streets, and along Sixth Avenue at 14th, 23rd, and 33rd streets. The fare is $1.75 one way.

New Jersey Transit (tel. 973/275-5555; www.njtransit.com) operates commuter trains from Penn Station, and buses from the Port Authority at Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street, to points throughout New Jersey.

The Long Island Rail Road (tel. 718/217-LIRR; www.mta.nyc.ny.us/lirr) runs from Penn Station, at Seventh Avenue between 31st and 33rd streets, to Queens (ocean beaches, Citi Stadium [the new home of the New York Mets], Belmont Park) and points beyond on Long Island, to even better beaches and summer hot spots such as the Hamptons. You can also connect to the Fire Island ferry from the LIRR.

Metro-North Railroad (tel. 800/METRO-INFO or 212/532-4900; www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mnr) departs from Grand Central Terminal, at 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, for areas north of the city, including Westchester County, the Hudson Valley, and Connecticut.

Trip Guides

Back to Top

Places to go

Back to Top

Suggested Itineraries

Back to Top

I've lived in New York for more than half my life and I still haven't seen it all. That's not because I don't want to; it's just there is so much to see. So it's understandable if you feel a bit overwhelmed by all the options. Seeing the best of New York requires endurance, patience, perseverance, good walking shoes, a MetroCard Fun Pass, and a subway map. For some attractions -- such as the Empire State Building or a Broadway play -- you should score tickets before you come to New York to avoid long lines or a shutout. Besides your own two feet, the subway will be your best bet to cover the most ground. I also recommend a few bus routes that will not only get you to some of New York's best attractions, but will also act as your own tour bus on which you'll see sights on the way.

Once we've given you the lay of the land, we'll give you some itineraries that make the most of your time in New York City, whether you're here for just a day or a bit longer than that.

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity/0021010007.html 

In One Day

If you want to have any chance of seeing the best of New York in just 1 day, you need to get an early start. You also need a plan of attack. You don't want to waste time zigzagging around the city to various attractions. So we recommend taking on New York by thirds. On the first third, we will concentrate on the best of midtown Manhattan. Start: Pier 83 on 42nd Street.

1. Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise

By starting your day on the water on a 2-hour half-island "Semi-Circle" cruise, you'll get a good overview of Manhattan. You'll pass by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; see the lower Manhattan skyline; head up the East River, where you will go under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges; and view the United Nations and the East Side skyline, including the Empire State and Chrysler buildings.

Afterward, take the M42 42nd Street crosstown bus to Fifth Avenue, where you'll come to the:

2. New York Public Library

You'll recognize this building by the lion sculptures guarding its gates. Step inside for more grandeur, especially the incredible Main Reading Rooms, where you might want to take a break and read the paper (if you have time). While you're here, take a look at the library's backyard, Bryant Park. If there are tents up, it means you're here during one of the two Fashion Weeks. Or between November and January, the Pond ice-skating rink will be up.

3. Grand Central Terminal

Before stepping into this magnificent working train station, take a look east toward Lexington Avenue and then crane your neck up. You'll see my favorite skyscraper, the Chrysler Building. Okay, now enter Grand Central, where approximately 500,000 commuters dash through daily. I hope it's not rush hour . . . but even if it is, you really won't have to worry about colliding with a commuter: The building and the stupendous main concourse were constructed so cleverly that despite the perceived chaos, people rarely bump into each other. You'll want to spend hours examining the beautiful detail throughout the terminal, but you don't have hours to spare. A walk through the main concourse and a look at the sky ceiling will be evidence enough.

Grand Central Terminal -- You're hungry now and the choices in the Grand Central Terminal dining concourse are plentiful and good. Chow down on anything from Indian food to pizza. Or opt for a heartier (and more expensive!) lunch at the legendary Oyster Bar & Restaurant or upstairs overlooking the concourse at Michael Jordan's -- The Steakhouse.

4. Empire State Building

It's an 8-block walk down Fifth Avenue from Grand Central Station to the Empire State Building. Let's hope it's a beautiful day because I want your view from the top of this historic structure, the tallest building in New York, to be pristine. You already have your tickets (don't you?), so you don't have to wait at the ticket booth. The elevator will zip you up to the 86th story, where you will get a panoramic view of Manhattan.

Take the B or D train uptown to Seventh Avenue. Walk east across 53rd Street to the:

5. Museum of Modern Art

Yes, the $20 suggested admission is outrageous, but this is New York and you are getting used to outrageous. And you'll forget about the admission charge once you peruse the exhibits in this beautiful museum. Airy and expansive, with sky-lit, open galleries along with smaller, intimate rooms, the museum is one of a kind.

6. Rockefeller Center

A short walk from MoMA is the Rockefeller Center complex. If you are here during the Christmas holidays, you'll fight the crowds for a glimpse of the Christmas tree and the skaters in the small rink. If your timing is right, you might be able to squeeze in the 70-minute NBC Studio Tour. If not, you'll see Radio City Music Hall and30 Rockefeller Plaza. If you did not have advance tickets for the Empire State Building and the line was much too long, take the elevator up 70 floors to Top of the Rock for, arguably, as good a view as you would have at the Empire State Building. Across the street (Fifth Avenue) you'll see St. Patrick's Cathedral.

7. Fifth Avenue

Is a street an attraction? When it's one of the most famous in the world, it is. Walk north up Fifth Avenue from Rock Center and pass such big-name stores as Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, the NBA Store, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Bergdorf Goodman, FAO Schwarz, and the Apple Store. You'll also see Trump Tower from the popular Apprentice TV series. At 59th Street, you'll see the ornate Plaza Hotel, which, after extensive (read $400 million) renovations, reopened as a hotel/condo in 2008. Across the street you'll see the southern end of Central Park.

King Cole Bar -- Now would be a good time to rest your legs as well as your senses. Head back down Fifth Avenue a few blocks to the lounge at the St. Regis Hotel. This is where the bloody mary was supposedly invented, and it's the perfect place for a late-afternoon or early-evening cocktail. 2 E. 55th St., at Fifth Avenue. tel.212/753-4500.

8. Times Square

You've got tickets for a Broadway show, so before you head into the theater, this is your chance to see what Times Square is all about. The lights are blinding, the crowds are thick, and the noise is infernal, but that's Times Square. There's nowhere like it in the world. But don't linger too long! Broadway curtains rise promptly!

Map: http://www.frommers.com/images/destinations/maps/jpg-2006/487273mp0402best1day.jpg 

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity/0021020766.html

In Two Days

On your second day, you'll head downtown and explore the city where it began. You'll wander through streets that are as old as any in New York, and some that are curiously towered by ultramodern, gleaming steel-and-glass skyscrapers. Again, you'll want to get a very early start because there is so much to see and always too little time. Start: Subway: 1 to South Ferry or 4 or 5 to Bowling Green.

1. Statue of Liberty

You saw Lady Liberty on your Circle Line half-island tour yesterday, but now you want to get up close and personal with her. Ferries leave from Battery Park every half-hour beginning at 8:30am. On Liberty Island, you can take one of two tours. The Promenade Tour takes visitors through the monument lobby, past the original torch to the Statue of Liberty exhibit for a 20- to 30-minute ranger-guided tour, and then outdoors to the lower promenade. The Observatory Tour incorporates the promenade tour and makes a visit to the pedestal observation platform where you can view the statue's interior framework through a new glass ceiling portal.

2. Ellis Island

Your Statue of Liberty ferry ticket also includes a stop at Ellis Island; ferries to Ellis Island leave Liberty Island every half-hour. The Immigration Museum is one of the most touching in the city. Incredible, personal details of the immigrant experience are on display, from personal letters and jewelry to battered valises. You could spend all day there, but you don't have time! Wander through the Registry room and you'll hear the echoes of hundreds of different languages of immigrants who came through these doors to a better life.

3. Wall Street

Back in Manhattan, the walk up to the Financial District is not long. Along the way you'll see structures such as Castle Clinton National Monument, the remnants of a fort built in 1808 to defend New York Harbor against the British, and the impressive U.S. Customs House, which houses the Museum of the American Indian, part of the Smithsonian Institution. Once on Wall Street, stop for a photo op at the Federal Hall National Memorial, with the statue of George Washington in front, and the New York Stock Exchange, across the street. Unfortunately, the exchange is no longer open for tours, but if you are a person of some significance, they might let you ring the opening day's bell.

Take the free Downtown Connection bus that travels from Battery Park to South Street Seaport, with stops along the way including one at Wall Street.

4. South Street Seaport

Here the streets are really old -- so old they are rough with cobblestones. This is a 17th-century historic district with restored 18th- and 19th-century buildings still standing. The interesting South Street Seaport Museum will fill you in on more of the 11 square blocks of seafaring history. Also part of the seaport complex is Pier 17, a historic barge that now is the home to various stores that you are probably very familiar with.

Take the A or C train at Broadway-Nassau Street toward Brooklyn and get off at High Street, the first stop in Brooklyn.

Grimaldi's Pizzeria -- You are now in Brooklyn and probably very hungry. You'll need nourishment for your next adventure, and where better than this famed pizzeria, in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge? 19 Old Fulton St., between Front and Water streets. tel. 718/858-4300.

5. Brooklyn Bridge

You have been well fed, so now you have the energy to make the approximately half-hour stroll back to Manhattan across one of the greatest suspended bridges in the world. The view of the Manhattan skyline is spectacular -- make sure you have plenty of room in the card of your digital camera.

6. Lower East Side Tenement Museum

When you visited Ellis Island, you learned about the immigrants' struggles to gain entry into this country. Now visit the prototype of a Lower East Side tenement where many of those immigrants lived. The only way to see the museum is by guided tour, which takes place every 40 minutes on weekdays and every half-hour on weekends.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato -- Just across the street from the Lower East Side Tenement Museum is a wonderful ice-cream-and-gelato shop where you can experience a multitude of homemade ice cream and sorbet flavors. Pick up a cone or cup for the walk to the subway. 95 Orchard St., between Broome and Delancey streets. tel.212/343-9922.

Take the F or V train at Second Avenue and Houston Street two stops uptown to West 4th Street.

7. Washington Square Park

Welcome to the center of Greenwich Village. This neighborhood's bohemian tradition is best represented by this park and the characters in it. On the north end of the park, you'll see a row of elegant late-19th-century town houses and Washington Square Arch, patterned after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

8. Union Square Park

About 10 blocks north of Washington Square Park, you'll find this small but welcome bit of park. And if it is a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday, you'll be in for a treat because the city's best greenmarket, the Union Square Greenmarket, will be buzzing with activity.

Pete's Tavern -- A few blocks east of Union Square Park is Pete's Tavern, the city's oldest continually operating establishment. Look familiar? You may have seen it in an episode of Seinfeld, Sex and the City, or Law & Order or else on the big screen. Stop in for a pint to quench your thirst after that full day of walking. 129 E. 18th St. (at Irving Place). tel. 212/473-7676. www.petestavern.com. Subway: L, N, R, 4, 5, or 6 to 14th St./Union Sq.

Map: http://www.frommers.com/images/destinations/maps/jpg-2006/487273mp0403best2day.jpg

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity/0021020790.html

In Three Days

You've seen a sizable chunk of the best of Manhattan, but there's still plenty left to fill up a day. We haven't even gotten to some of the city's great museums or that urban oasis called Central Park. We'll do all that and maybe even escape to the wilds of the Bronx before the day is done. If the weather's nice, plan on a picnic in Central Park. Start: B or C to 72nd Street.

1. The Dakota

We'll start our day in front of this 1884-built apartment building. This was standing when the only thing around it was greenery. The building has a dubious past: It was here where John Lennon lived (and where Yoko Ono still lives) and where he was shot and killed. Across the street in Central Park is Strawberry Fields, named in honor of the former Beatle; fans gather here every year on the anniversary of his death, December 8.

2. American Museum of Natural History

Don't try to cover too much ground at this 4-square-block museum; you'll be here all day. Pick a few of the highlights, like the Fossils Halls where the dinosaurs reside, the Hall of Biodiversity, and the Culture Halls. On the 81st Street side of the building, you'll find the Rose Center for Earth and Space, where you can marvel at the beauty of the cosmos in the grand Hayden Planetarium.

3. Central Park

From the Museum of Natural History, cross the street to Central Park and enter at 81st Street. Follow the path east, and just south of the Delacorte Theater, you'll see Belvedere Castle. Climb to the top and soak in the view of the park. To the north, you'll see the Great Lawn, sight of so many concerts, and beyond that the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. To the south you'll see the lake with its rowboats (rent one if you have time) and the skyline of Manhattan.

A Picnic in the Park -- If you didn't pack a lunch, stop in the Zabar's (at 80th and Broadway), and get your lunch to go. Head to the park and grab a bench, or spread out a blanket and take in the sunshine.

4. Metropolitan Museum of Art

Continuing east across Central Park, you'll hit Fifth Avenue and the Met. As with the Museum of Natural History, there is no way you can see all the Met has to offer in one visit, but stop by the renovated Greek and Roman Galleries, and the museum's collection of European paintings -- including 37 Monets and 20 Rembrandts. There are various free (after the admission charge) museum highlight tours. They last an hour and will give you a pretty good overview of this great museum.

5. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Continuing on our mini-tour of Museum Mile, that stretch of artistic real estate that runs on upper Fifth Avenue, is the Guggenheim. You'll know it when you see it; there's nothing else like this Frank Lloyd Wright-designed museum, and now you have the chance to walk the spiraling rotunda. But get off the rotunda and take a look at some of the permanent collection that includes works by Picasso, Chagall, and Klee. Or wander into the new Kandinsky Gallery for a dose of the master's eye-opening works.

Take the M96 crosstown bus at Fifth Avenue and 97th Street West. Get off at Amsterdam Avenue and 96th Street and transfer to an uptown M11 or M7 bus. Get off at 110th Street.

6. Cathedral of St. John the Divine

On the east side of Amsterdam, you will see the world's largest Gothic cathedral. Construction began in 1892 and is still not finished. You can explore the inside of the cathedral on your own or opt for a tour. If you're here at Easter or during the Feast of St. Francis in October, don't miss the blessing of animals -- where the creature congregation has been known to include an elephant or camel.

Take the M11 or M7 uptown bus to 125th Street

Lenox Lounge -- Stop at this classic (circa 1930s) Harlem bar for a beer or cocktail. You might get lucky and Patience Higgings and the Sugar Hill Quartet will be playing some straight ahead Bebop when you're there. 288 Lenox Ave., between 124th and 125th streets, tel. 212/427-0253.

7. Apollo Theater

Walk a few blocks east of the M&G and you will arrive at a city landmark that is as well known as La Scala or the Taj Mahal. And if it's Wednesday, make sure you have tickets, because Amateur Night at the Apollo is an experience not to be missed. There would be no American Idol without this Harlem institution. But even if it's not Wednesday, you can tour this historic theater where Bessie Smith, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and so many other greats played.

Map: http://www.frommers.com/images/destinations/maps/jpg-2006/487273mp0404best3day.jpg 

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/newyorkcity/0021020791.html 

In Two Days: Manhattan - North to South

1. Tour Estatua da Liberdade

2. Central Park

3. 5th Avenue

4. Rockfeller Center

5. LOVE by Robert Indiana (6th Avenue and 55th Street)

6. Times Square

7. United Nations building

8. Grand Central Station and Chrysler building

9. Empire State Building (comprar ingresso pela net antecipado p/ fugir de fila)

10. Wall Street e o buraco do WTC (não vale muito a pena)

11. Brooklin Bridge

Museums: MoMA, Guggenheim, Metropolitam

Mapa de NY, Marcelo Lopes: http://goo.gl/maps/fGkk 

Visitar:

Century 21 Department Store

Chelsea Market

Fao Schwarz Toy Store

Perfumania

Rockefeller Center (Ao invés de ir ao Empire State Building, visitar este, com melhor vista - no fim da tarde, para fotos de NYC ao sol e à noite)

Dizzy's Club Coca Cola (Jazz com ótima vista do Central Park)

Flor De Mayo Restaurant (Muito bom e barato)

South Street Seaport (Ir no TKTS Booth - Half-priced Broadway Tickets)

Almoça ou janta no “UNO”, no South Street Seaport

http://www.maxbrenner.com 

Restaurante com diversos pratos com Chocolate.

Comentário: Visita obrigatória!

Indicação: Marcelo Lopes

Sugestão: Profiterólis

http://www.maosdevaca.com 

Site com informações para descontos e redução de gastos em viagens!

http://www.virtualtourist.com 

Nao sei quais os seus planos para transporte, mas em NY, realmente o metro é uma boa escolha. Você consegue ir a praticamente todos os lugares. Para usar o metro, você precisa do Metro Card, que você compra nas maquininhas nas estações, o melhor é comprar o ilimitado (tem para 7 dias, 15 dias, 1 mês), eu diria que esse Metro Card foi uma das minhas melhores aquisições... rsrs. E para se localizar no metro também é fácil: é só pedir o mapa nas estações (é de graça). Lá explica quais metros param em quais estações (cuidado com os expressos, tem metros que param em apenas algumas estações da linha, mas está escrito no mapa).

Quanto aos passeios, eu comprei o New York City Pass (http://www.citypass.com/new-york), foi bem útil! Tem um que chama New York Pass, mas é bem mais caro e no meu caso não compensava, porque não ía dar tempo de fazer tudo. Gostei bastante de ir ao Empire State à noite, a vista é muito muito linda, mas leve uma blusa porque venta demais, quase morri de frio... rsrs. Dos museus o que eu achei mais legal foi o Metropolitan, os ambientes criados são muito perfeitos. A Estatua da Liberdade dá realmente a impressão de que você está nos Estados Unidos, como dica posso dizer para ir pra lá cedo, senão depois os barcos ficam muito cheios e o parque também.

O Hard Rock café é um lugar legal de visitar e bom pra comer também, o lanche é gigante e os pratos são gostosos, mas bem apimentados! Fora a Time Square que é algo meio surreal, parece a mistura da Paulista com a 25.

Se você tiver um tempinho a mais e quiser comprar coisas, tem 2 shoppings de outlet: eu só conseguir ir no Jersey Gardens (é bem fácil de ir, tem um ônibus em uma estação de metro que deixa as pessoas no estacionamento do shopping e pra voltar também é a mesma coisa, e os ônibus passam regularmente) o outro é o Woodbury, um amigo meu foi e gostou muito, mas é um pouco mais complicado pra ir e voltar. Outros lugares legais pra comprar são a Century 21, J&R e a Best Buy.

Broadway Shows

Back to Top