Sightseeing
New York Sightseeing
It can be a challenge trying to figure out what to do in a city that has more sightseeing, activities and attractions than any other city on earth. Here are a few tips:
* Do your research! The internet has a wealth of information on major and off-beat sightseeing in New York. Arrive in the city with a plan on what you’re going to do.
* Wear Comfortable Shoes. New York is a city of walkers and some of the best sightseeing tours are walking tours. Don’t even think of visiting one of our massive museums with the most comfortable shoes you own. If you want to dress like a celebrity, great! Wear jeans, athletic shoes, a t-shirt, baseball cap and sunglasses.
* First Time Visitors. If your time is limited I recommend taking a motorcoach tour, especially the “hop-on, hop-off” tours.
* Be Creative. In “101 Very Cool Things To Do” you’ll find all sorts of things to do, many of them off-beat.
* Bathroom Breaks. Large department stores and all Starbucks have bathrooms. If you opt for the latter, I suggest buying a cup of coffee or tea.
There’s a wealth of information on the Internet about Nightlife, Sightseeing, Dining, Hotels and Transportation. Here are the best sources:
101 VERY COOL THINGS TO DO
Ride A Bike Around Manhattan: The 32-mile bike path that encircles Manhattan is on the waterfront. Some of the most spectacular sightseeing in New York.
Big Onion Tours: Two-hour tours of New York by neighborhood (e.g., Greenwich Village, Financial District, Harlem) and by topic (Immigrant New York, Revolutionary New York, Multi-ethnic Eating Tour) led by experts. At a leisurely pace you’ll walk through neighborhoods, stopping at sites of historic significance. All but the eating tour is $15 per person ($12 for seniors).
Big Apple Greeter. Spend a half-day or so with a New Yorker seeing his or her neighborhood. Some 300 New Yorkers have volunteered to show visitors the city through the eyes of a native. Best of all, it’s free. Founded in 1992, some 62,000 visitors have been warmly welcomed by locals who love showing off their city.
Brunch Yacht Tour: Cruise around Manhattan while having brunch
A Phototrek Tour: A walking tour of New York led by a local professional photographer.
Guided Bike Tour Ride along the Hudson River and through Central Park, with stops at Strawberry Fields, Belvedere Castle and Shakespeare Gardens.
Good Morning America: Join Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer on this popular morning program.
Kramer’s Reality Tour. Kenny “The Real” Kramer, who inspired the Jerry’s next-door neighbor on Seinfeld, takes visitors motor coach tours of New York sites used in the show. You’ll get backstage information on how the show was created and which characters came from real life. The three-hour tour, scheduled Saturday and select Sundays, is $37.50.
Central Park Celebrity Tour: Residences of celebrities who live on the park, including Denzel Washington, the Dakota, where John Lennon was shot, Tavern on the Green, Regis & Kelly’s studio.
Chocolate Tour: A tour of the top chocolate stores and restaurants led by a cookbook author.
Harlem Heritage Tour: Locals lead walking, gospel, jazz, art and hip hop tours.
New York Rock ‘n’ Roll Walking Tour. A three hour walking tour of the lower East Side focusing on buildings, bars and nightspots associated with famous musicians: Madonna and Blondie’s home, clubs where groups like the Doors, The Who and Led Zeppellin played till dawn. Plus, the inside scoop on the music scene today. Wednesday through Saturday, $37.50 per person.
Sex and the City Hotspots. Sit on Carrie’s apartment stoop and visit local sites frequented by the girls in the popular TV program. The 3- to 3.5-hour tour lets you walk in Carrie’s stiletto heels. Daily tours priced at $37.
History Tours: New York has 400 years of history and these walking tours make the past
come alive.
The People’s Court: Be part of the courtroom audience as Judge Marilyn Milan settles
cases.
Chelsea Gallery Tour: With over 300 art galleries in a concentrated area, it’s much easier to separate the wheat from the chaff with an expert in tow.
Culinary Class: The French Culinary Institute has classes for non-professional chefs who want to improve their skills.
Tour Soprano Sites. Of course you want to visit Bada Bing, Satriales and the diner in the last show where Tony did – or didn’t — get shot. This four-hour motor coach tour visits Tony’s New Jersey haunts. $40 per person.
Tour New York by Helicopter: Get a bird’s eye view of the top attractions.
NBC Studio Tour: First learn the history of Rockefeller Center then visit studios where The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Saturday Night Live and Conan O’Brien are produced.
Newrotic New York City Tours take you places the mainstream tours don’t venture sampling local cuisine, culture, history and neurosis
Live Sports. Go to a New York Yankees game at Yankee Stadium or see the N.Y. Knicks score at Madison Square Garden
Running Tours: All you need is athletic shoes to tour New York while running with a knowledgeable guide.
Grand Central Terminal: One of this country’s most beautiful building, the terminal opened in 1913 and was saved from the wrecking ball by prominent New Yorkers such as Jackie Onassis. Take a free tour then shop the dozens of stores and pop into the Oyster Bar, which has been serving seafood since 1913.
John Lennon & The Beatles Stops include the Ed Sullivan Theatre and Carnegie Hall where they performed plus the Dakota and Strawberry Fields
History Cruise A 90-minute cruise focusing on New York’s history.
New York TV & Movie Sites: Via motor coach, visit sites of your favorite movies and TV shows.
Bird Watching in Central Park: Since 200 species of birds can be found in Central Park during the year, bird watchers come from all over the world to spy on the avian tourists.
Patriot Tours – Revolutionary war era walking tour of downtown Manhattan
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: Truly bizarre, strange things for people who have seen everything.
National Museum of the American Indian. Part of the Smithsonian, it is said to be the largest collection in the world devoted to North, Central and South American Indians.
Daily Show with Jon Stewart: This comedian livens up the news each day with his humorous take. Join the audience.
Travelgoat Urban Safari Download the tour to your Ipod then check the Google map for your own offbeat tour of the Upper West Side, the Village or Historical Hotspots of the West Village
World Trade Center Tribute: Walking tours and exhibits at Ground Zero
Gay & Lesbian Art Gallery Tours. Tour the Chelsea art gallery scene with an art critic for the New York blade.
Walking Broadway: Audio tours of Times Square and Broadway’s Theater District
Restaurant Tours We Ate New York takes you behind the scenes at some of the city’s top restaurants and of course, you get to sample the fare
Visit the Gold at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the Financial District. The world’s largest accumulation of gold, worth some $166 billion, is kept here plus, the world’s most valuable coin, a 1933 double eagle, worth $7.6 million. Free tours when you order tickets in advance.
The Museum of Sex: Of course New York has a museum devoted to sex!
Rock ‘n’ Roll Tour: This walking tour visits Village pubs where the Doors, The Who, Led Zeppelin and other rock luminaries played till the wee hours.
Sunday Gospel Tour in Harlem: Join a local church congregation for gospel music and tour other sites in Harlem
The Late Show: Get tickets to the David Letterman show in the historic Ed Sullivan Theater.
Kayak Sightseeing Tour: Manhattan Kayak Company offers 30 tours of New York Harbor covering over 150 nautical miles.
Tour NY Food Shops: New York’s famous food stores in the Lower East Side, Chinatown and Little Italy.
FIRST TIME VISITORS
It’s your first visit to the Big Apple and you only have a day or so. Of course you want to see some the major sites and get a feel for the city and its people. To get the most of your limited time, it’s critical to plan ahead.
Whenever I visit a city for the first time, I take a half-day sightseeing tour. Even though I won’t be able to visit everything, at least I’ll have a sense of the distance between one attraction and another. Whenever I’ve deviated from this plan, I’ve regretted it since I later learn that while I was strolling around, I missed wonderful sites.
However, there are so many attractions you’ll have to choose between touring upper Manhattan (above 42nd Street) and lower Manhattan (below 42nd Street). To help you select one or the other, here are some of the attractions in each area.
Upper Manhattan:
Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Modern Art Museum, Radio City, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth and Madison Avenue Stores, United Nations, Harlem, Times Square, Empire State Building
Lower Manhattan
Greenwich Village, Wall Street, Ground Zero, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Staten Island Ferry, South Street Seaport, Chinatown, Little Italy, hundreds of cool stores and art galleries in Soho and Tribeca.
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises: For a laid-back view of Manhattan and its beautiful harbor, I recommend a two- or three-hour Circle Line boat ride. The company also offers a 75-minute cruise to the Statue of Liberty.
Gray Line Sightseeing Tour: Gray Line has been offering New York City tours for decades. The popular hop-on-and-off double decker bus tour provides lots of flexibility.
A1 NYC Sightseeing Tours: Terrific walking tours with certified New York tour guides plus coach and boat cruises. You can also hire a private guide.
All New York Tours: The best price hop-on, hop off double decker bus tour ($49 for two days); helicopter and bike tours, Harlem music and food tours plus movie and TV tours.
Bike The Big Apple Tours: As the name implies, touring regional areas of New York by bicycle. Included in the price is a bike, helmet and licensed guide.
Chris Limousines: Since New York is home to some of the wealthiest people on the planet, touring by limousine is an option for well-to-do visitors. And, for private tours by Mercedes Sedan, check out My Kind of Town.
GPS Tours: For $50 per day, tour on your own with a rented GPS guided tour.
Luxury Harbor Cruises: Choose between a three-masted schooner, the Adirondack, or a vintage motor yacht for several different cruise options.
Custom Tailored Tours: These folks will create custom tours of the areas you most want to see.
New York Pass: For those who have one or two days and want to tour on their own, the New York Pass includes free entry to over 40 attractions and line skipping privileges. One day, $18.50; two days, $45.00
Copyright Anne Campbell, 2009. All rights reserved.