GUIDES

New York Guide

New York - Out and About

New York, or as it is often referred to “The Big Apple”, is situated in the state of New York, in the north-east of The USA. The city is located at the mouth of the river Hudson and is sub-divided into five districts: Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan and Richmond (Staten Island).

New York, the main destination for European and Asian immigrants, has, during the last century, become one of the biggest and most cosmopolitan cities in the world. The lay-out of Manhattan is easy to understand. The avenues run from north to south and are numbered from east to west, from First Avenue to Eleventh Avenue. Some of the avenues have names and not numbers, such as York, Park, and Madison Avenues; the avenues all operate a one- way traffic system.

The streets, which run from east to west, are for the major part all one- way. The roads in Lower Manhattan until Houston Street all have names. From Houston Street travelling north, the streets are all numbered.

Manhattan Island, divided into 23 historic districts, is the main tourist attraction in New York. The city has only few buildings which date back before the 19th century; the more noteworthy are: Saint Patrick’s Cathedral(1879),and the Trinity Church (1846). The city is best known for its skyline, made up of tall and impressive skyscrapers: The Flatiron Building (1902), The Woolworth Building(1915), The Chrysler Building(1930), The Empire State Building (1931) and The Rockfeller Center (1931). Until the events of the 11th of September 2001, the Twin Towers of The World Trade Center (1977) were the city’s tallest buildings.

The New York Transit Authority runs a scheme which provides a quick and efficient way to visit Manhattan. The scheme consists of two bus routes, which operate at week-ends and national holidays. Upon buying a ticket it is possible to get off the bus at any of the designated stops along the route, visit the area and hop on the next bus that passes.

New York, the economic and financial capital of the country, hosts the seat of The United Nations, The Stock Exchange (Wall Street) , The Federal Reserve Bank and other important financial institutions. The major television networks and the principal publishing companies have their head offices in the city.

New York is also host to the prestigious Columbia and New York University and contains a vast array of important museums: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the USA’s art museum looks out over Central Park, The Guggenheim Museum in Park Avenue, The Museum of Modern Art or MoMA, among one of the richest contemporary art museums and The American Museum of Natural History, the world’s largest natural history museum. Broadway, the city’s theatre district, contains over 30 theatres.

The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, near Central Park, houses The Metropolitan Opera House, The New York City Opera and The Avery Fisher Hall. Carnegie Hall, built in1890 and one of the country’s most prestigious concert halls, is located on 7th Avenue.

Due to the chaotic traffic and the lack of car parking , it is advisable to travel around the city using public transport . Taxi cabs are probably the best means of travelling around New York, however they are conditioned by the traffic situation and therefore should be avoided during rush hour. The bus service, reliable and economical, is often too slow. Most routes operate 24 hours a day and those buses painted blue and white are the most comfortable, as all of them are fitted with an air-conditioning system. The subway is the quickest and most efficient way of moving around the city. The network consists of 469 stations and many lines are operational 24 hours a day. The carriages are modern, well- lit and fitted with air-conditioning.

The other districts, although less interesting, form a tourist’s point of view, play a fundamental role in making up this varied metropolis. Brooklyn, connected to Manhattan by both a series of bridges and The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, is the most well-known and populated district of New York. It is located along subway Lines 2 and 3 . Brooklyn Bridge, built in 1869, crosses The East River and is the most famous bridge linking Brooklyn with Manhattan. The least built-up district is Richmond, on Staten Island, linked to Brooklyn by The Giovanni da Verrazzano Bridge.

The Bronx district is situated on the mainland but, unfortunately,does not enjoy a good reputation. It is worthwhile visiting The New York Botanical Gardens, an immense park which boasts 230 varieties of roses, 58 varieties of peonies and a world famous herb garden. In order to arrive at the gardens, catch the Metro North which leaves from Grand Central Terminal. Queens is the largest district and is host to over 120 ethnic groups. The N line of the Metropolitan(subway) serves this area or it is possible to arrive in Queens by either crossing The Queensboro Bridge or by driving through the Queens-Midtown tunnel.

New York is serviced by three airports: John Fitzgerald Kennedy (referred to as JFK) situated in The Queens district; Newark Airport, situated to the north in New Jersey, which handles international flights and La Guardia situated in Queens, which handles domestic flights. In order to arrive in Manhattan, from either of the three airports, it is advisable to catch a bus. The two Manhattan bus terminals are: Grand Central Station, located between Park Avenue and 42nd Street, close to a subway station serving the east of the city, and The Port Authority Bus Terminal, on 8th Avenue. The buses leave every 30 minutes from 6am to mid-night.

New York - Not to be missed

The Empire State Building on Fifth Avenue is one of the symbols of New York. From the observatory on the 86th floor, the view, both during the day and at night, is truly breath-taking. A boat trip around the island of Manhattan, allows the visitor to admire the city’s skyline and to visit Liberty Island, where the famous statue is located. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, was designed by the Frenchman Frederic Bartholdi and given to the USA in 1876.

A stroll in Central Park is not to be missed: this green heart of the city stands in 340 acres, in the centre of Manhattan. This large park alternates between grassy open spaces, woods and artificial lakes. A system of bridges and arches links the paths, lanes and the paved roads. The visitor can take a ride on one of the horse-drawn carriages for an unforgettable tour of the park. Take a walk along Fifth Avenue, passing the Rockfeller Center, an extraordinary complex of 19 buildings built between 1931 and 1940, which houses among others The NBC television studios and The Radio City Music Hall, which is accessed from 6th avenue (Avenue of the Americas). The heart of the complex is The Rockfeller Plaza, with its famous ice-skating rink dominated by the golden statue of Prometheus. Travelling south, along Broadway, having crossed lively and bustling Times Square, the visitor meets Greenwich Village, the artistic district of the city; Little Italy, the Italo-American stronghold of New York and Chinatown, home of the busy Chinese community. The New York City Hall, a beautiful building, open to the public, is located on the corner of Broadway and Murray Street.

Visit The Museum of Modern Art (entrance in W53rd St between 5th and 6th avenue), Guggenheim Museum(entrance in Park avenue) and The Metropolitan Museum Of Art (entrance in Park Avenue).

New York - Walks and tours

Coney Island is in reality a peninsula to the south of Brooklyn. It is located one hour’s train journey away from the centre of Manhattan. It is the destination of the New Yorkers, who, during sunny days, flock to Brighton Beach. The real attraction of Coney Island is its old- style fair ground , with an enormous Ferris wheel, which operates from Spring to Autumn.

Ellis Island, a small island close to Liberty Island (both can be reached by boat), hosts the historic Immigration Office which, from the period 1892 to 1954, saw the arrival of 12 million people. Today it has become a museum, dedicated to those people, who travelled to the New World, in search of hope and fortune.

The Queens district houses The Flushing Meadows-Corona Park which, between 1939 and 1964, hosted The Universal Exhibition. The USTA National Tennis Centre, home of the US Open, and The Shea Stadium, home of The Mets, are located within the confines of the park. The Richmond Museum, an open-air town museum, is located on Staten Island and consists of 39 historic buildings, 15 of which are open to the public, where actors, in period costume, help create the atmosphere of a by-gone age.

New York - The traveller's notebook

Currency : the unit of currency is the US$, subdivided into 100 cents.

Climate : winters are harsh and summers are sultry. The best time to visit is spring or autumn

Opening hours : the majority of the shops are open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. The large stores in Midtown remain open until 8pm on Thursday. The banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm. The museums are closed on Monday, one time a week they remain open until late in the evening, offering reduced prices or free admission.

Telephones : Telephone code. 212 Manhattan and Bronx, 718 Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island

New York - A pocket guide

A trip to Soho is not to be missed. Take the subway, lines C and E to Spring street; lines N and R to Prince Street, lines B, D, F, Q to Broadway- Lafayettte. It is the focal point of the colourful artistic district of the city and a peaceful pastime can be had strolling among the numerous art galleries. The “Time Out” magazine, with its “Gallery Guide” details what is on offer in this area. Some addresses for the shopping enthusiast: Macy’s, the largest department store in the world (Herald Square at 34th st.- tel 212.6954400), Bloomingdale’s ( 1000, 3rd Av. At 59th st- tel. 212.7052000), Saks Fifth Avenue ( 611, 5th Av. – tel. 212. 7534000), Barney’s (660, Madison Av. – tel.212.8268900) and Brooks Brothers, (346, Madison Av. –tel. 212.6828900), Nike-Town (6E 57th st, tra 5th Av e Madison Av. –tel-212.8916453), Original Levi’s Store ( 3E 57th st- tel 212.8382188), F.A.O. Schwartz (77, 5th Av –tel 212.6449400) a famous toy store, Annex Antiques Fair and Flea Market ( 6th Av, tra 24th e 27th st) has 600 stalls,open Saturday and Sunday, The Showplace (40W, 25th st at 6th Av), The Garage (112W, 25th st at 6th Av).

National holidays. New Year’s Day, 1 January Matin Luther King Memorial, third Monday in January G.Washington Birthday, third Monday in February Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May Memorial Day, last Monday in May Flag Day, 14 June United States of America’s Independence Day, 4 July Labor Day, first Monday in September Columbus Day, second Monday in October Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November Christmas Day, 25 December

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