This City is home to some of the best Netflix series we enjoy watching today – Friends, How I met your mother, Brooklyn nine nine, Suits, etc. This is the City that never sleeps and the city of dreams both. It is also known to be the best city in the world, so if you are planning to visit here, these are some places that you just can’t afford to miss
1. The Empire State Building
Located in Midtown Manhattan, this is one of the tallest buildings in the world and goes up to 102 stories and is 1454 feet high. The cost of a ticket to visit is $30 + taxes. It is open for 365 days in a year and is open from 8 am to 2 am Amazingly, this building serves as a lightning rod for the area around it. It is struck by lightning around 100 times every year. The 86th open air floor provides a unique view of all of New York City. Not only that, but you can also see these cities from the top of the Empire State Building : New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. You can go to the 102nd floor for an extra charge of $30. Visitors usually spend around an hour here but there is no limit to the amount of time you can spend here.
2. Times Square
There are 41 theatres in the Times Square and this is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world. Every one of them offers a different play or musical. It also has some of the best stores in the world like M&M’s store, Disney store, and Hershey’s Chocolate world where you can even get customized chocolates and candies.There are also quite a few things you can do here for absolutely free. The world’s largest digital exhibition is displayed here every night between 11:57pm and 12am. You can also participate in official Times Square events for entertainment. You can check here for availability.
3. Central Park
Remember the “Central Perk” coffee shop from the one and only popular sitcom Friends? The name was actually inspired from the 840 acre park. It is the largest public park in Manhattan. It is bigger than the country of Monaco! New animal species have been discovered in the Central Park zoo like the colorful Mandarin duck. Late October to early April is the best time to go ice skating. You can also go boating here in the Loeb Boathouse. Belvedere Castle is another must visit in Central Park. The weather for Central Park is measured from the top of this castle. This is not really a castle. It was made for lookout within the park. You can take a ride on the carousel and easily walk around the park without any assistance. You will keep coming across attractions along the way. A fun fact about here is that it has only one straight way, so you can’t get lost or miss anything. It is a 2 hour walk of 1.5 miles or 2.4 kilometers
4. Rockefeller Center
This is another popular spot for ice skating and it is open from 8:30 am to midnight, but that’s not all it’s known for. If you are planning to visit on Christmas, you can especially not afford to miss out the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center christmas tree which you can enjoy at any time besides the everyday timings of 6am to midnight. Tickets cost $38 for adults, $36 for seniors and $32 for kids ages 6 to 12. The 75 foot tall is visited by approximately 125 million people each year. It is lit up by 50k colorful LED lights.
5. One World Observatory
Although the Empire State Building will provide the best views of Manhattan, these two places are often compared. It has a 360° viewing platform and is open to the general public on Fridays. The ticket charges are $32 for adults, though seniors pay $30 and children aged 6 to 15 pay $26. There is no time limit for here either but tourists spend about 45 minutes looking around. It is 1368 feet tall. Unlike the Empire State Building, the One World Observatory has a food court at the 101st floor and a space for events on the 102nd floor. The viewing platform is on the 100th floor. An interactive instrument is used by Tour Ambassadors called the City Pulse to guide them through the history, stories and other information on New York.
6. New York Public Library
This is not just one the most popular free tourist destinations, but it is one of the best coworking spaces as well. It is so beautiful that couples get married here. The wedding cost starts from $60k. It has an e-reader app which makes it easier for you to browse through some of the collection. If not that, you can join a free guided tour departing from Astor Hall or get a free audio guide from the information desk. Regular seminars, lectures, and workshops are held here. It is a great place for you as a tourist to educate yourself about he New York culture or pretty much anything else. It was built to inspire learning and to encourage people to educate themselves.
7. Wall Street
This is the place where the world either gains or loses a fortune. This is located in lower Manhattan and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE. Some of the historically largest investment banks’ headquarters are located here. If you invest, trade, or are interested in Finance, this place will spike your interest even more. Top banks like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup are located here. The name “Wall Street” is a reference to a real wall built by Dutch settlers in the 17th century. They built it to defend themselves from the pirates and the British. It is not only the financially most significant destinations, but also a hub of international business transactions. You can also tour the NYSE, but you are required to have a major bank or firm to guide you through it.
