New York City Tourist Attractions

Mon, Jul 12, 2010

New York City is not only one of the greatest tourist destinations, but it is also a city with a large variety of attractions to satisfy the tastes of any age group.

There are, of course, the usual sightseeing of the Statute of Liberty, Central Park, the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Centre, Times Square, Wall Street, United Nations, the fashionable shops of Fifth Avenue, Broadway theatres, the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Bronx Zoo, and so much more.

The South Street Seaport gives an opportunity to tour historic ships or take a boat trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. There are up-scale stores and plenty of restaurants and cafes along cobblestone streets as well as festivities and exhibits. Pier 17 often has live entertainment.

The Metropolitan Museum has permanent exhibits as well as large collections that are rotated from time to time. You can walk in its Temple of Dendur, an Egyptian Temple from 15 B.C. with carved graffiti that goes back to the early 19th century. The American Art wing has the famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware. Fashions from all ages are in the Costume Institute, and there are historical and rare instruments in the Musical Instruments exhibit. The finest armour exhibit in the United States is in the Arms and Armour section.

For the “techies”, plan to go to the Apple Store where you can take an elevator to go underground to view the most recent high tech offerings and use computers for free. The Nintendo World Store has many displays as well as the latest games that you can stop and play. The Virgin Megastore is not only one of the largest record stores in the city but also has clothes and video games.

For young children there is the Big Apple Circus which is in town in the fall and winter with its circus favourites including clowns and acrobats; also the Disney Store on Fifth Avenue with activities and “the happiest store clerks on earth”. The younger folks would also enjoy the free Sony Wonder Technology Lab with a movie studio, simulators, robot control, and other wonders. Girls enjoy the American Girl Place with each doll coming with its own stories and accessories. Your daughter or grand-daughter can spend time in the doll salon with her new purchase or in the attached cafe. Although located away from the main strip, the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory presents a “fun” time.

For chocolate lovers of all ages there is Max Brenner’s (Chocolate by the Bald Man) on East Broadway between 13th and 14th Street. This unique place grinds its own cacao beans and churns its own chocolate and then offers a mouth-watering menu including chocolate mousse, fruit and marshmallows for dipping in a chocolate fondue, a steamed chocolate pudding with a molten centre of dark chocolate mixed with raspberry sauce, and other decadent items.

Walking food tours are very popular and give you a chance to sample a large variety of local favourite foods while touring neighbourhoods and learning about their history and culture.

For cheap flights to New York visit Netflights and for cheap hotels visit Hotels.com.