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THE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD: NEW YORK CITY
8 GREAT VACATIONS!

Discover the South Street Seaport Visit the Great Neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan
Hear the Sounds of Music -- Manhattan Style Explore Ethnic Heritage
Tour the Great Museums See the City for the First Time -- Again and Again
Shop 'til You Drop View New York City from a New Perspective

 

Discover the South Street Seaport

South Street Seaport is a celebration of America's swashbuckling maritime heritage, with the great tall sailing ships and the bustle of a thriving seaport.

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Energetic and exciting; the South Street Seaport is must for any NYC visitor.

Today, street performers -- jugglers, violinists, unicyclists -- cavort on cobblestone roadways, while indoor entertainment includes everything from galleries and eateries to the South Street Seaport Museum (212/669-9400). This is much more than a seaport: It is a complete shopping experience. Popular national chains are side-by-side with small specialty shops.

The cobblestones lead to Schermerhorn Row, the first block in the country to be lit by electricity. Today it offers restaurants, a pub, fine specialty stores and museum visitor center. The sloping roofs and tall chimneys of the buildings that line the street define the seaport with 19th-century charm.

Step aboard the tall sailing ships -- the Peking or the Wavertree -- or try a schooner, such as the Lettie G. Howard. The schooner Pioneer, launched in 1885, carries visitors across the New York Harbor.  At night or in the pre-dawn hours, examine fresh seafood at the Fulton Fish Market -- right on the docks. Sail around Manhattan. Board the ships at the end of Pier 15 and 16. Stroll, or dine, along Pier 17, and look out at the sea.

For more information about the marketplace and the area, contact 212/732-8257.

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Visit the Great Neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan

The great neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan are huddled so closely together that you can walk them in an hour, but you won't want to. You will want to take your time and savor the delicacies, breathe in the aromas, revel in the rich colors and delight in the bargains.

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Connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan, the venerable Brooklyn Bridge is as famous as New York City itself.

Greenwich Village

Bohemian: that's the atmosphere at Greenwich Village. Nestled between the skyscrapers of lower and mid-town Manhattan, the Village is distinguished by its two-story brownstones and winding streets, in stark contrast to the grids of Manhattan. The Village roads follow paths that date back to colonial times, when they were boundaries along tobacco farms.

Today, the Village is a shopper's adventure. Sixth Avenue and Christopher and Bleecker streets have, within walking distance, a plethora of quaint shops that sell records, old books, offbeat clothing, ephemera and works by classic and contemporary artists.

Searching for great entertainment? You can find it in the Village, in an assortment of jazz cellars, coffee houses and small boutiques. The music can be anything from blues and jazz to rock, folk and more. Grove Street is known for four adult-oriented piano bars, where the clientele ranges from the conventional to the deliberately outrageous.

Coffee shops dating back to the Beatnik era dot Mac Dougal and Bleecker streets. This is the place to sample a cappuccino, delicate pastry or health food concoction.

SoHo

South of Greenwich Village is SoHo, once an industrial district, now a haven for artists. The huge buildings have been transformed from manufacturing plants into lofty artist studios. Above street level are galleries prized by artists for the lighting and vast openness.

Visitors to the area will want to see Washington Square, with Greek Revival houses that are among the nation's finest. A tour of the Cast-Iron Historic District will impress admirers of unique architecture. The invention of the elevator -- the device that made it practical to construct today's modern towers -- inspired the first skyscrapers in this neighborhood, buildings that stood high above the two-story Greenwich Village homes.

In addition to its architectural allure, SoHo also offers great shopping, art galleries and fine restaurants. Shoppers throughout New York City travel to Broadway south of Spring Street for Dean and DeLuca's, world famous epicurean center famous for its jams, teas and pastries.

Little Italy

Pay close attention to Little Italy, located (with SoHo) directly to the south of Greenwich Village. Once distinguishable for its residents of Italian heritage, today it embraces a multitude of ethnic backgrounds.

Mulberry Street is at the heart of Little Italy, nestled between Grand and Center. This spot in the city has hundreds of cafes with everything Italian, from pasta to pesto to pastries.

June and September are festival times, with visitors and residents alike feasting on sausage, cheese and pasta delights. This is a place to grab a sidewalk table and watch the crowds.

Chinatown

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Get a taste of the Orient-right here in the Big Apple.

To walk from Little Italy to Chinatown -- home of one of New York City's fastest growing ethnic communities -- simply cross Canal Street. For the true flavor of Chinatown, stroll up Mott, Pell and Bayard Streets. This is the center of New York's Chinese community, with bustling streets presided over by Buddhist temples.

The aroma of Chinese delicacies is pervasive -- Peking ducks, dim sum and szechuan delights can be enjoyed throughout this city within a city.

After eating, shop along the streets for silk, bamboo and other Asian specialties.

Immigrant Community of the Lower East Side

The Lower East Side Tenement Museum, 97 Orchard Street (Delancey and Broome), stands as a monument to the urban immigrant community that has for generations entered the country through New York City's harbors.

The Lower East Side is the original melting pot, and is still home to newcomers to this country. Savvy shoppers on a bargain hunt can choose goods from push carts or from the factory buildings on Oxford and Delancey streets.

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Hear the Sounds of Music -- Manhattan Style

The Big Apple -- this is the music capital of the world. The nickname itself was coined by jazz musicians who took their "bites" of the apple at gigs. New York was -- and is -- the biggest apple of them all.

New York is known for Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, and such gala award celebrations as the Grammies. Music is everywhere in New York, in world famous halls, in small clubs, along the streets by performers.

Here are a few of the music hot-spots:

Apollo Theatre, 253 West 125th Street, 212/864-0372. Since 1934, talent here has included Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Sammy Davis Jr. and more. Wednesday is Amateur Night, where would-be and will-be stars can get their start.

Carnegie Hall, 154 West 57th Street, 212/247-7800. The world's greatest music talents have showcased here, including everyone from Enrico Caruso to the Beatles.

CBGBs, 315 Bowery, 212/982-4052. Punk haven of the 1970s, this exotic nightspot continues to feature new talent.

Cotton Club, 656 West 125th Street, 800/640- 7980,212/663-7980. Blues, jazz and gospel music reverberate off the walls.

Greenwich Village, at the corner of Bleecker and MacDougal streets. The clubs in the village are at the center of the jazz, beat, rock and folk movement. Jazz clubs include the Blue Note, 131 West Third Street; the Bitter End, 149 Bleecker Street and the Village Gate, 160 Bleecker Street.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, 140 West 65th Street, 212/875-5000. Built on 12 acres, this marble monument to music is home to the Metropolitan Opera House, New York State Theater, Julliard School, and other concert and recital organizations. In summer, there are bandshell concerts and in winter the Big Apple Circus.

Palladium, 126 East 14th Street, 212/473-7171. Once the Academy of Music, this dance club has a leather floor, "mood walls" and holograms. Rock greats come to this cavernous building to make the walls rumble with sound.

Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas, 212/247-4777. This famous Art Deco structure is recent home of the Grammy Awards, the Rockettes and some of the great musical artists of all time.

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Explore Ethnic Heritage

The rich variety of ethnic backgrounds that make up America are chronicled in a host of New York City museums dedicated to the art, history, fashions, customs and traditions of other cultures. We suggest the following (call first for directions and hours):

Americas Society, 680 Park Avenue, 10021, 212/249-8950. See exhibitions from Central and South America, Canada and the Caribbean.

Asia Society, 70th Street at Park Avenue, 10021, 212/288- 6400. Three galleries are dedicated to ancient Asian art.

China Institute Gallery, 125 E 65th Street, 10021, 212/744-8181. Changing exhibitions highlight fine arts and folk traditions of China.

Hispanic Society of America, 613 W 155th Street, 10032, 212/926-2234. Exhibits date to prehistory.

Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue, 10128, 212/423- 3200. Ancient and modern Jewish art and culture are described in a Beaux Art mansion.

Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Avenue, 10029, 212/831-7272. This is the only museum in the country dedicated to Puerto Rico and Latin America.

Museum for African Art, 593 Broadway, 10012, 212/966-1313. Exhibitions display traditional and contemporary African art.

National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Bowling Green 10004, 212/668-6624. The museum features the world's largest collection of artifacts devoted to North, Central and South American Indian cultures.

Shomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Lenox Avenue, 212/491-2200. This research library offers changing exhibits on Black culture.

Tibetan Museum, Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, 338 Lighthouse Avenue, Staten Island 10306, 718/987-3500. Asian art gardens and buildings resembling a mountain temple create an atmosphere of tranquility.

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Tour the Great Museums

New York City is home to some of the greatest museums in the world. From medieval art and architecture at the northernmost museum, the Cloisters, to the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration, New York City museums have range, depth and incredible variety.

American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West, 10024, 212/769-5100. Dinosaurs, mastodons and saber-tooth tigers "live" in this museum. This cavernous structure documents the cultural history of each continent. The IMAX Theater and the Hayden Planetarium are located here.

Cloisters Museum, Fort Tryon Park, 10040, 212/923- 3700. This Metropolitan Museum branch exhibits medieval art and architecture.

Ellis Island Immigration Museum, Ellis Island, 10004. One of the most significant moments in the life of an immigrant was passing into this country via Ellis Island. A museum on the island chronicles the genealogical background and history of immigration.

Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, 10128, 212/423-3500. Modern masterpieces of art are displayed in this landmark building, which was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Guggenheim Museum Soho, 575 Broadway, 212/423- 3500. Modern and contemporary art exhibits are drawn from the Guggenheim.

Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, Pier 86 at West 46th Street and 12th Avenue, 10036, 212/245-0072. This WWII aircraft carrier was converted to display naval technology and history as it was employed to keep the country free.

 

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The Metropolitan Museum is world-class in every regard.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street, 10028, 212/535-7710. Often described as the greatest art museum in the world, hundreds of world-famous masterpieces are on display. Musical instruments throughout the centuries and exhibits on the world's great religions are housed here.

Museum of the City of New York, Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street, 212/534-1672. New York City's development from Dutch settlement to the present is on display.

Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd Street, 10019, 212/708-9480. Great art from the 1880s to the present is displayed in paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints and more.

Museum of Television and Radio, 25 West 52nd Street, 10019, 212/621-6800. Some 70 years of radio and television programming are described.

Statue of Liberty Museum, Liberty Island, 10004, 212/363-3200. Accessible by ferry, this museum tells the story of the statue, a gift from the French in 1886 and now an American icon.

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See the City for the First Time -- Again and Again

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Times Square-located in the heart of the Big Apple

-- Marvel at the pulsating excitement of Times Square, where bustling crowds are dwarfed by glittering neon. You can pick up a half-price ticket for a Broadway evening performance at TKTS Ticket Booth in Times Square. For more information, call the Broadway Line, 212/563-2929.

-- Meet the city on a bus tour (most companies offer several to choose from), then spend time exploring those that captured your imagination. You can try Gray Line/Short Line Tours, 212/397-2600, which offers trolley tours, double decker buses and bus tours of the city from two to nine hours long. On New York Apple Tours, 800/876-9868, visitors can see the sights by hopping on and off authentic London double-decker buses at 48 locations an unlimited number of times for two consecutive days. New York Double Decker Tours, 212/967-6008 runs a continuous loop throughout Manhattan; pay one price and step on and off at your leisure.

-- Wander through Grand Central Terminal at 42nd and Lexington, with its ornate early urban architecture and cavernous grand concourse.

-- You will love a quiet carriage ride around Central Park, then watch wildlife in their natural habitats recreated at the Central Park Wildlife Conservation Center, at 64th and Fifth Avenue.

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Get a bird's-eye view from one of New York's numerous skyscrapers.

-- Tour Rockefeller Center, between 42nd and 57th Street and from 5th to 6th Avenue, 212/632-3975. Here you will find Radio City Music Hall and the NBC studios, where you can watch the live broadcast of the Today Show from ground-floor studios at Rockefeller Plaza. The building itself is one of the great art deco masterpieces of the city.

-- Take an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building, 212/736-3100, once the tallest but still with the most spectacular view in the world. Walk out on the deck and see the city from above.

-- See the city from the perspective of the World Trade Center Observation Deck, 212/435-7397, on the 107th floor. Enjoy a rooftop promenade more than one-quarter-mile long.

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Shop 'til You Drop

New York has some of the greatest shopping in the world.

Nothing is quite like shopping on Fifth Avenue, between 40th and 59th streets, in the heart of Manhattan, where you will find Tiffany's, 727 Fifth Ave at 57th Street, and F.A.O. Schwarz, 767 Fifth Avenue at 58th Street.

Macy's, the world's largest department store, 151 West 34th Street, is located at Herald Square, famous for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Other great uptown shopping can be found on upper Madison Ave., from 59th to 79th street, where you will find the Giorgio Armani Boutique, 815 Madison Avenue; or on Third Avenue, where Bloomingdale's is located at 1000 Third Avenue at 60th Street.

On 57th Street from Sixth Avenue to Second Avenue, there's a plethora of boutiques, with everything from sporting goods to electronics.

For bargains, try the Lower East Side between Orchard and Delancey streets. Expert shoppers will come prepared with a list and will enjoy haggling over a staggering assortment.

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View New York City from a New Perspective

New York is spectacular from any vantage point. Choose from one or more of the following delightful ways to see Manhattan:

Helicopter Tours - Sweep past giant skyscrapers on a helicopter tour of the city. The New York skyline is dazzling by day, glittering by night. Meet the Statue of Liberty close up as the helicopter flutters near her torch -- symbol of hope to generations of Americans.

Island Helicopter Sightseeing, 212/683-4575.

Liberty Helicopter Tours, 212/967-6464, 800/542-9933.

Boat Tours - Sightseeing boat tours combine the drama of the New York skyline with the leisure of a cruise. Enjoy fine dining, entertainment and evening sightseeing aboard Spirit Cruises, 212/727-7735. Or try luxury dining and dancing with a narrated tour of New York Harbor on a World Yacht Cruise, 212/630-8111.

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An American icon- the Statue of Liberty.

Some tours will take you around Manhattan while others explore New York Harbor where you will see the Statue of Liberty from the same perspective as newcomers to this country:

TNT Hydrolines Catamaran Cruise, 800/BOATRIDE, circumnavigate Manhattan in 75 minutes.

Circle Line Sightseeing Yacht, 212/563-3200, the classic three-hour cruise around Manhattan.

The Staten Island Ferry, 718/390-5253, a scenic round trip to Staten Island.

For a boating experience with an historical perspective, depart from South Street Seaport on the Pioneer, 212/669-9400. Launched in 1885, this schooner still regularly carries visitors across the New York Harbor.

Across the East River - Waters Edge Restaurant, 718/482-0033, in Queens with its walls of windows features a spectacular view of Manhattan from across the East River.

From the Tallest Buildings - See the city from the 107th floor of the World Trade Center Observation Deck, 212/435-7397. Take a rooftop promenade more than one-quarter-mile long. Or take an elevator to the top of the Empire State Building, 212/736-3100, once the tallest but still with the most spectacular view in the world. Walk out on the deck and see the city from above.

From a Double Decker Bus - Double decker tour buses offer a riding view of the City. Gray Line/Short Line Tours, 212/397-2600, offers tours from two to nine hours long. Hop on and off New York Apple Tour's open-top London double decker buses, 800/876-9868, an unlimited number of times for two consecutive days of sightseeing and shopping fun. The New York Double Decker Tours, 212/967-6008, runs a continuous loop throughout Manhattan, pay one price and step on and off at your leisure.

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