Overview to New York City: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
- New York City Information
- Eating & drinking in New York City
- Night life in New York City
- Getting around in New York City
- Things to do in New York City
- Where to stay in New York City
- New York City street map
What can be said about New York City that hasn't already been said, or sung? The unceasing activity of Manhattan, the almost rural feel of Central Park, the sheer variety between each and every one of the five boroughs… it is, quite simply, an incredible place.
Stepping out into Times Square (in Midtown West) is a truly remarkable big-city experience. Impossibly large advertising hoardings and revolving billboards sparkle and glitter alluringly; at night, particularly, there’s an eerie beauty to its unsleeping luminescence.
A visit to the Financial District and Wall Street, the commercial heartbeat of the city – and indeed the world – is essential. In Midtown, meanwhile, the iconic Empire State Building proudly overlooks the city, while the nearby Art Deco Chrysler Building glints and glistens in the sun.
At the center of New York, the massive Central Park sprawls among the skyscrapers, offering a brief respite from all the frantic activity. Large enough to lose yourself in for an entire day, it’s full of joggers, rollerbladers and, in summer, people sunbathing and picnicking.
The Bridges – Brooklyn and Queenboro – with the soaring buildings of Manhattan as a backdrop, offer some of the world’s best-known (and most spectacular) views. Out in the bay, meanwhile, New York's most famous resident stands majestically on her plinth: the Statue of Liberty.
And then, of course, there are the fantastic galleries and museums; the Museum of Modern Art (off 5th Avenue) and the Met (east of Central Park) are unbeatable, while on the other side of the park sits the vast American Museum of Natural History.
But New York is not just about its big-name sights; it’s a city of real neighborhoods. Downtown Manhattan changes subtly block by block, from the swanky shops of Tribeca to the restaurants and lively sounds of scruffy Chinatown and Little Italy.
Soho is all upmarket galleries, while the Village mixes great bars and restaurants with more excellent (and slightly alternative) shopping. To the north, beyond West Village and the achingly trendy Meatpacking District, lies Chelsea, the city’s vibrant gay neighborhood.
Off the island, though, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island all offer something different and also demand a visit. Ultimately, they show that there’s a completeness about New York City that makes it an almost unmatchable backpacking destination.
