As far as vacation spots are concerned, you really can’t do much better than New York. This boisterous city has it all – art, technology, and even plenty of spaces where Nature runs things; such as Central Park and Sakura Park. Most people who’ve been here once make it a point to return, as places such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Frick Collection can consume the bulk of a single visit all by themselves. The following tour of New York City is just a blip on the screen of what the Big Apple truly has to offer – but it’s a good start, at least.
Central Park
If you’re an outdoorsy kind of person, then New York’s Central Park is one of the places you must visit. Unique in the sheer expansiveness it manages in the midst of a boisterous city, it’s also a slice of history with the attractions from the War of 1812 and the mysterious Belvedere Castle on the grounds.
You might enjoy activities as simply as people-watching and socializing in the 15 acres that defines Sheep Meadow, a verdant green clearing in the foreground of soaring buildings rising above the trees that encircle. While here, check out the beauty and serenity of Shakespeare’s Garden.
If you’re in it for more active fair, check out ice skating at Wollman Rink or try your hand at rowing on Central Park’s Lake. Then, of course, there’s the Central Park Zoo that houses exotic animals from the temperate, tropical and polar zones of the planet. That means there’s a polar bear, mountain goats and even sea lions inside.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
A huge art museum, the Met (as it is affectionately called by New York residents) has no equals in America. Housing several million distinct works of art from all areas, it functions as a place for permanent exhibits as well as guest traveling art shows and exhibits.
The primary building sits right at the edge of Central Park, so you can actually step right from one tourist destination to the other – but beware that the Met can eat up the rest of your day before you’ve seen even a fraction of what it has to offer. There are over a dozen different curatorial departments – 17 at last count, and growing – with pieces from as far back as Egypt in antiquity and even the Byzantine Empire. There are scholars of the particular time periods in each one of the curatorial departments.
One World Observatory – World Trade Center
There’s no way around it – visiting the magnificent One World Trade Center can be a tad expensive. It costs just to ride the elevator up; and, there are viewing prices once you reach the top levels. This isn’t unconventional, of course, as it costs to see the scene from the Empire State Building, as well.
The cafe is recommended – even at the prices of the various foods they serve. Not surprisingly, one of the things you’re not allowed to bring with you on a visit is your own food! Understandably, though, as operation costs must come from somewhere.
The view from floors 100-102 is absolutely breathtaking, You can see all of the New York skyline since the Observatory rises well above every other building in its vicinity.
