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New York sights

New York has become a symbol of freedom, a city where dreams come true and hard work is rewarded. There are excursion programs for tourists covering most of the sights that are a must-see when visiting New York City.

A vibrant and bustling city with a mixture of serious financial and political organizations, jazz festivals, a huge number of shopping and entertainment centers and exhibition centers of various themes. Many of New York’s landmarks are known far beyond its borders. Be prepared for every little square, alley, or intersection to seem familiar-you’ve probably seen them in the movies before.

About New York City

A densely populated metropolis with a crazy rhythm of life grew out of a small European colony formed in the 17th century. For this they chose a picturesque place, sounding like “Manhattan” or “City of Hills” in Mansi Indian language. New York got its modern name in 1664. The population was actively involved in the political life of the country, there was a struggle to abolish slavery, it was in New York that George Washington took the presidential oath.

In the 19th century, the population began to grow rapidly due to the wave of immigrants who brought their traditions and cultural elements with them. Thus a unique fusion of cultures unique to this city emerged. Another distinguishing feature was the large number of skyscrapers. They became a symbol of success in business and shaped the modern look of the city center. A little closer to the periphery, the number of storeys gradually decreases, turning into slightly provincial estates.

What should a tourist see in New York City?

The question of what to see in New York is difficult to answer unequivocally. Personal preferences will play a major role. As tourists leave the airport, they immediately plunge into the crazy whirlwind of the metropolis. Momentary change of impressions in this city of contrasts has long been the norm. To see as many sights as possible, it is worth making a plan to visit them or use the services of travel agencies that organize package tours, covering several sites. In addition, they will cost less than visiting each attraction separately.

New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world, so saving on excursions does not hurt.

Top 22 Sightseeing in New York

Today’s New York City is a trendy, cultural, educational, financial, and entertainment center in the United States with a fast-paced lifestyle. Unhurried dreamers are left out of the opportunities that the city is saturated with. Walking alone through deserted streets is a luxury here: the metropolis, like a living organism, draws you into a whirlwind of colorful emotions and ambitious aspirations. Headquarters of global corporations, stock exchanges, scientific and cultural institutions in this city at every step. So, our journey through the outstanding places of New York begins.

Most tourists who have visited New York have fallen in love with the city forever. And no wonder, since it is called the second capital of the United States. In New York City, you can find literally anything you want.

Central Park

Central Park - New York

A luxurious oasis in the midst of the stone jungle of Manhattan, the 3.41 km² area has long been a favorite place of American filmmakers. On its expanses are located several artificial lakes, countless alleys, two ice rinks and even a zoo. Picnic lawns and wilderness areas attract tourists and citizens alike.

The 10-kilometer road around the perimeter of the park is a favorite route for cyclists, rollerbladers, and health joggers.

Empire State Building

New York sights - Empire State Building

The 103-story structure is the fourth tallest in the United States and one of the leaders among New York City’s top attractions. The grandiose marble lobby is decorated with eight panels depicting the Seven Wonders of the World, and the eighth depicts none other than the Empire State Building itself.

The skyscraper is equipped with two panoramic platforms: on the 86th and 102nd floors, which can be climbed by elevator. Since 1964, the tower has been illuminated by a system of spotlights: each day of the week has its own color, and on remarkable events the building lights up in special combinations – an incredibly spectacular spectacle.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York City

A colorful corner of New York City, steeped in a sweet palette of floral fragrances, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010. More than 11 thousand plants from all over the world are collected in this place. The Botanical Garden consists of separate themed gardens, including: The Rose Garden, the Shakespeare Garden, the Children’s Garden, the Palm Greenhouse with its collection of bonsai trees, the Stone Garden and many others.

In 1980, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of friendly relations between New York and Tokyo, a gift was accepted from the latter city in the form of a 500-year-old Shogun stone lantern, which now adorns the Japanese Garden.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art - New York

The opening of one of the largest and fourth most visited art museums in the world was in 1872 thanks to a company of American businessmen and art lovers. Today, the museum’s heritage consists of more than 2 million items. There are Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works, a collection of Egyptian art, and a myriad of prints.

In 2013, the museum received 78 Cubist paintings, 33 of which were by Picasso.

Statue of Liberty

New York's main attraction, the Statue of Liberty

The copper sculpture stands on Liberty Island, a few kilometers off the coast of Manhattan. Presented by France in 1876, for one hundred years of American independence, the Statue of Liberty is the most recognizable landmark in New York City around the world. The height of the structure, including the pedestal and torch, is 93 meters. You get here only by ferry.

The observation deck in the crown of the statue, which is accessed by a staircase of 356 steps, offers a panoramic view of the city harbor. At the base is a museum of the history of the legendary sculpture.

Radio City Music Hall

New York - Radio City Music Hall

The opening in 1932 of what is now the most famous theater and movie theater with a capacity of more than 6,000 people attracted the interest of almost the entire elite of America, including stars from the Pacific coast. Today, the theater is home to a variety of concerts and social events, such as the Grammy Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards.

The house is proud of its colossal organ, consisting of 4,410 pipes: no other theater in the world is lucky enough to possess such a musical instrument.

Museum of Modern Art

Museum of Modern Art - Attractions of New York

One of its debut and most authoritative in its direction, the third most visited museum in the United States was introduced to the general public in 1928 in the six rooms of an office building in Manhattan with the financial support of the Rockefeller family. In 2004, the museum changed location, making its area incomparably larger. Here you can see the showy works of the last century: Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Malevich’s White on Black, Matisse’s Dance, Picasso’s Girls of Avignon, and many other illustrious creations.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

St. Patrick's Cathedral - New York

The Gothic spires of the Catholic Church, one meter high, make it stand out against the countless skyscrapers of Manhattan. Construction of the cathedral began as early as 1858, but the Civil War had other plans. It was not until 1879 that the doors opened to the religious public, but construction work lasted well into our century.

The size of the structure is staggering: it can hold 2,200 people. The church’s measured spiritual life is interrupted only once a year, on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. On this date, a celebratory Mass precedes the two-million dollar Fifth Avenue parade.

Flushing Meadows – Corona Park

Flushing Meadows - Corona Park in New York City

The second largest park in the city stretches across the expanse of Queens. The history dates back to the 1939 World’s Fair, for which its future site was envisioned. For two years, the area has been dynamically upgraded, so that by the event the area of the park reached 486 hectares. Today it has grown to 508 hectares.

One of the buildings erected for the exhibition hosted the first UN meetings. It now houses the Queens Museum. In 1964, the World’s Fair returned to this corner. In 1968 there was a zoo, and in 1997 the largest tennis arena in the world.

Times Square

Times Square - Sights of New York

The square at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, a symbol of the United States and the undisputed landmark of New York City named after the popular New York Times. It began in 1904, when the newspaper’s headquarters moved into the building on this square. Broadway theaters, an abundance of neon signs rivaling Las Vegas, and TV-style signs transformed Times Square into the center of the city’s boiling life. More than half a million people come here every day, making the square a true “crossroads of the world.

Rockefeller Center

New York City - Attractions - Rockefeller Center

A huge complex of 19 office buildings stretches imposingly in the middle of Manhattan. It was built in the 1930s by the Rockefeller family. This is where you can find the city’s main Christmas tree every Christmas, the ceremony of lighting the lights on which is solemnly broadcast by the NBC television channel. The Rockefeller Center is famous for the chic ice rink and the magnificent Top of the Rock observation deck on the 70th floor of one of the buildings. You can’t get a better view of the green expanse of Central Park than from here.

Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium - New York

The 97 km² baseball stadium serves as a private field for the New York Yankees. In 2009, it replaced the club’s former stadium. The structure cost $1.5 billion, making it the most expensive baseball stadium in the world. The opening game already happened on opening day, in which the Yankees defeated the Chicago Cubs 7-4. Since 2015, the sports arena has served as a transient soccer field for the New York City club.

Central Station

New York sights - Central Station

The Grand Central can rightly be called a cultural and historical landmark of New York City. The most famous train station in the heart of Manhattan was built back in 1913. The 44 platforms and 67 tracks leave any other railway terminal in the world beyond competition. The luxurious waiting room, with its high arched windows and broad columns, resembles a vaulted temple.

The reconstruction of the station in 1998 revealed to the world previously hidden under a thick layer of plaster, dust and nicotine tar pristine vault with images of constellations of the night sky, which never ceases to amaze residents and visitors to the city to this day.

Chrysler Building

Chrysler Building - New York

The 320-meter skyscraper was built in 1930 for Chrysler, but now it does not belong. The steel spire atop the structure is one of New York City’s leading landmarks. The unusual tower ornaments are identical to those in the design of the hubcaps on the rims of rarity Chrysler cars. In those days, such a design was considered reckless. It wasn’t until 2007 that the building was given its due, being named the most picturesque skyscraper in Manhattan.

High Line Parkway

High Line Parkway - New York City Landmarks

In 1980, one of New York City’s elevated rail lines was closed. In the 1990s it was planned to dismantle the railroad, which had been written off the city balance sheet, along with the overpass, but a very unusual decision was made. In 2009, a beautiful parkway with trees and shrubs, benches, seating areas, and views of the Hudson River was laid out ten meters above the ground, along old tracks that preserve the history of times past.

Today, the length of this amazing park, floating in the air, reaches more than two kilometers, thanks to which it is called “the longest roof in the world.

Manhattan neighborhood

The Manhattan neighborhood in New York City

This is the business center of the city, where the most prestigious offices and representative offices of world-renowned companies are located. Also:

  • Times Square;
  • Central Park;
  • Wall Street;
  • 5th Ave;
  • Broadway.

In a relatively small area is located so much interesting that it is impossible to see everything at once.

9/11 Memorial

9/11 Memorial - New York (USA)

It was built on the site of the 2011 tragedy, when a terrorist attack killed many people under the rubble of 2 skyscrapers. The complex consists of 2 swimming pools and a museum. Cascades of water flow into the pools – foundations, symbolizing mourning for the dead. The names of those who died that day are immortalized on plaques. There are oaks planted around, which will eventually turn into shady alleys.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

New York - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The building is located on 5th Avenue and catches the eye with its unusual design. The originality of the form is quite understandable when you consider that the basis of the collection consists of works by Chagall, Kandinsky, Mondrian and other representatives of modern art. The founder of the gallery was a gold mining businessman, and his name is immortalized in the museum’s name.

American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History in New York

Over 1 million. of the exhibits are in the exhibition halls and storage rooms of the museum. Interestingly, this very room became the setting for the movie “Night at the Museum. Each room is dedicated to only one area, there is a library, planetarium, dioramas and an IMAX movie theater.

Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera House is one of New York City's iconic venues

Enrico Caruso and Fyodor Chaliapin sang on its stage, and the audience applauded Diaghilev’s Russian Ballet. The opera is one of the three most famous venues in the world, along with La Scala and the Vienna Theater. Opened in 1880, it is regularly restored, the interiors, stage equipment, and lighting system are updated. The theater season runs from September through the 20th of April, except Sundays. In July, the troupe comes out to open venues and you can see the play for free.

Ellis Island

Ellis Island - New York

The island has a special place on the list of things to see in New York. It became at one time a reception point for immigrants. History claims that the ancestors of more than 40 percent of Americans checked in working from 1892 to 1954 for immigration. To commemorate this time, there is a museum with an interactive “American Flag” panel in the central room, made up of the faces of the inhabitants of the country.

Coney Island

Coney Island Amusement Park in New York City

The area was originally an island, but in the 19th century a channel was filled in and turned it into a peninsula, where wealthy city residents who quickly appreciated the benefits and beauty of south Brooklyn settled. There is Brighton Beach and the famous Luna Park, chic beaches, and an oceanarium. The oldest attraction is the Ferris wheel, which was built in 1920 and is still in operation.

What is there to visit on your own in New York City?

Among the attractions that you can see on your own in New York City are:

  • The Macy’s Mall in Manhattan;
  • Plaza Hotel;
  • Staten Island Ferry;
  • The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist;
  • Madison Square Garden.

The multifaceted city of contrasts is ready to share vivid impressions with all who are interested in its history.

Video overview of New York sights

First of all, tourists try to see the symbols of the city: the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, suspension bridges. Their pictures are most often found on postcards and advertising brochures. In addition, the city has historically formed several ethnic neighborhoods that are islands of a different culture in this multi-million and multiethnic city. To determine what to see in New York City first, it is worth looking at the list of tourist attractions.

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