New York Short Travel Guide – The Great Apple

Probably the most famous modern city of the world, New York has gained its international fame mostly due to the forest of skyscrapers that make up Manhattan, to the iconic Statue of Liberty and to the bustling street life that never seems to stop or dim down. While many other cities and destinations are popular for their landmarks and culture, New York, although also offering plenty of cultural sights, is mostly known for the experience, for the unique atmosphere that first time travelers seem to fall in love with. Located on the eastern coast of the United States of America, New York is a big metropolis, but for travelers it’s mostly represented by the Manhattan area, where most of the attraction comes from. Exploring New York is one of the top tourist experiences in a lifetime and there are many places to see and things to do in this jungle of steel, glass and neon lights.

First and foremost, the symbol of New York and to some degree, the United States, is the Statue of Liberty, actually a gift from the people of France. Located on a small island off southern Manhattan, there are special ferry lines that take tourists over the short distance, with magnificent towards the skyline of New York. No visit to New York is complete without a trip to the Liberty Island and maybe a short stop on Ellis Island, for a history lesson over immigration towards New York City. Most tourists make the journey to the island simply to admire and photograph the Statue from close range, although it is also possible to enter the inner museum or climb the stairs up to the crown observation deck, for unparalleled views of Manhattan.

Back in the city, another important landmark of New York has always been the Empire State Building, the most famous skyscraper of New York and for a long time the tallest structure in the city and even the world. A trip to the top floors observation decks can reveal unique panoramas of lower skyscrapers the already tiny streets of the city. For those that do not fear heights, it is certainly worth taking the elevator to the 86th floor and admiring the 360 degree view of surrounding Manhattan and the rest of New York. From the Empire State Building, one can also admire the unique top of the Chrysler Building, another famous structure of its skyline.

The record for tallest building were topped in the 70s by the twin towers of World Trade Center, where the tragic attacks of September 11th 2011 occurred. Today, the One World Trade Center tower, built recently on the site of the previous towers, near the memorial complex. It is the fourth tallest structure in the world and a magnificent sight for all who arrive in New York City. The city might have all these impressive and somewhat dazzling scrapers, but it also has a green heart located in Central Park, the huge garden of Manhattan, where most people come to relax and exercise. With its paved winding alleys and horse chariots, restaurants and carousel, as well as other leisure or sporting facilities, Central Park is a also a great destination for travelers in search of a peaceful time away from the streets.

In terms of cultural activities and visits, New York holds some of the best museums in the world, with the fascinating Metropolitan Museum of Art at the top of the list. It holds an overwhelming number of exhibits and collections of art from around the world and from almost all time periods. Other interesting museums of New York include the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History and many others.

Manhattan holds several extremely exciting and interesting areas, like the world famous Broadway, where many entertainment venues are located, the marvelous Times Square, or the elegant and somewhat intimidating Wall Street. Throughout the other boroughs of New York, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queen and Bronx, there are surely other amazing places to see, but the majority of attractions are inside Manhattan. The Brooklyn Bridge is also worth a visit for a unique view towards the city. There are definitely many other highlights of New York City worth mentioning, but some are best discovered on site, while visiting this fascinating destination. It is truly a world metropolis, where people of all races, cultures, religions and languages meet to form an unbelievable community.