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City Guide - New York - Key Attractions | ||
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Key Attractions The Statue of Liberty The ultimate symbol of the American Dream, Lady Liberty, who stands majestically over New York Harbour, is probably the most famous landmark in America. The Statue was donated to the United States by the people of France in 1886 to commemorate the alliance of the two countries during the American Revolution, and was the first sight of the new world to be seen by the 12 million immigrants who passed through Ellis Island. Visitors can climb the statue or take the lift and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, located at the base of the statue documents the history of the immigration station that operated from 1892 to 1954. Tel: (212) 363 3200. Transport: Circle Line Statue of Liberty Ferry (tel: (212) 269 5755), 15-minute ferry ride from South Ferry at Battery Park to Liberty and Ellis islands, costing US$7. The 24-hour Staten Island Ferry (tel: (718) 815 2628), from Battery Park, offers passengers views of the statue as well as the Manhattan skyline for free. Opening hours: 0930-1700 daily. Admission: Free. Brooklyn Bridge Dubbed the eighth wonder of the world when it was completed in 1883, Brooklyn Bridge remains a masterful feat of engineering. The world's first steel wire suspension bridge links Manhattan to Brooklyn over the East River and the mile-long wooden promenade offers stunning views of the city. Park Row Transport: Subway 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge or City Hall. Empire State Building Immortalised in celluloid by Hollywood (from King Kong and Fay Wray to Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan), the world's once highest building really is an experience to remember. Completed in 1931, the 102-storey Empire State Building is a wonderful example of period architecture, and the observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors offer magical and spectacular views of the city. Fifth Avenue at 34th Street Tel: (212) 736 3100. Fax: (212) 947 1360. Web site: www.esbnyc.com Transport: Subway B, D or F to 34th Street. Opening hours: 0930-2400 daily. Admission: US$7 (concessions available). Rockefeller Center Built in 1932-40, the Rockefeller Center is a masterpiece of urban design. Approach from the Channel Gardens, opposite Saks on Fifth Avenue, a popular lunchtime haunt flanked with shops and services, and arrive at the focal point of the complex - the sunken plaza, used as an ice rink in winter and an open-air restaurant in summer. Behind, the sumptuous GE building dominates the scene with its Art Deco ambience inside and out. Fifth Avenue, 47th to 52nd Streets Transport: Subway B, D, F or Q to Rockefeller Center. Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) houses the most important modern art collection in the USA and covers a variety of media from the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with impressive touring exhibitions. 11 West 53rd Street, between 5th and 6th Street Tel: (212) 708 9400. Web site: www.moma.org Transport: Subway E or F to Fifth Avenue or 53rd Street. Opening hours: 1030-1745 daily (until 2030 Fri); closed Wed. Admission: US$10 (concessions available); Fri 1630-2015 pay what you wish. Soloman R Guggenheim Museum The Guggenheim Museum, a seven-storey conical building designed by US master architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is worth visiting if only for the building alone. Inside, it features an acclaimed collection of late nineteenth- and twentieth-century art works, as well as touring exhibitions. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street Tel: (212) 423 3500. Web site: www.guggenheim.org Transport: Subway 4, 5 or 6 to 86th Street. Opening hours: 0900-1800 Sun to Wed; 0900-2000 Fri and Sat. Admission: US$12 (concessions available). Metropolitan Museum of Art Home to more than two million works of art spanning five millennia, 'the Met' is a cherished New York institution. It is the largest art museum in the western hemisphere and its collections are outstanding. 1000 Fifth Avenue, at 82nd Street Tel: (212) 535 7710. Web site: www.metmuseum.org Transport: Subway 4, 5 or 6 to 86th Street. Opening hours: 0930-1715 Tues-Sun (until 2045 Fri and Sat). Admission: US$10 is suggested. Central Park New York's famous playground, Central Park (web site: www.centralparknyc.org), which stretches from 59th to 110th Street in the centre of Manhattan is a magnificent garden and a sanctuary from the city. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it opened in 1876 and now offers numerous recreational and cultural outlets. The Belvedere Castle, a stone castle built on Vista Rock in the middle of the park offers excellent views from its lookout and the Shakespeare Garden, located behind the castle, contains flowers and herbs mentioned in the Bard's plays. The Central Park Conservancy Tour (tel: (212) 360 2727) offers various free walking tours of the park. The park also has a theatre and sports facilities, including tennis courts, ice rinks and lakes, in addition to the celebrated Central Park Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Center (tel: (212) 861 6030). Considered to be one of the world's most appealing small zoos it features a 2.2-hectare (5.5-acre) animal garden and the beautifully landscaped Central Garden and Sea Lion Pool is flanked on three sides by a glass-roofed colonnade making it accessible even in wet weather. Transport: Subway N or R to Fifth Avenue; or 4, 5 or 6 to 59th Street. Opening hours: 1000-1630 daily. Admission: US$3.50 (concessions available). |