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City Guide - New York - Sightseeing | ||
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Sightseeing New York evokes a whole gamut of emotions but boredom is certainly not one of them. The city is packed with things to do and places to see and each street and neighbourhood can offer a different sight and flavour although most tourist sites are found on Manhattan Island. Its streets, running east-west, are numbered 1st-240th. Avenues stretching north-south, run 1-12 and A-D. South of Canal Street, the grid scatters and street names are used. The remaining four boroughs are primarily residential - the Bronx to the north, Queens to the east, Brooklyn to the southeast and Staten Island to the southwest. The Manhattan skyline is one of the world's few instantly recognisable sights. Many of the skyscrapers are architecturally memorable and offer superb views of the city. Visitors can enjoy a cool cocktail at one of the high-rise bars in the World Trade Center or take the lift to the top floor of the Empire State Building for a spectacular view of the city by day or night. As the cultural capital of America, the city boasts an extraordinary number and range of museums and galleries, from the huge and very famous to the tiny and obscure. Manhattan has several distinct areas that are worth wandering around. From the ritzy shopping and residential districts uptown, to the financial district of downtown, taking in the Villages in between. SoHo is famous for its art galleries, shopping and café/bar culture. Greenwich Village traditionally contains a literary community and has the cafés to go with it. East Village retains a Bohemian feel reflected in its quirky shops and drinking spots. Chelsea is up-and-coming, warehouse conversions mingling with more cutting-edge art galleries. Active visitors will revel in the city's outdoor facilities notably Central Park, which offers numerous leisure facilities all year round. Tourist Information New York Convention and Visitors Bureau 810 Seventh Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd Streets Tel: (212) 484 1222. Fax: (212) 246 6310. Web site: www.nycvisit.com Opening hours: 0830-1800 Mon-Fri, 0900-1700 Sat and Sun. Passes City Pass (tel: (707) 256 0490; web site: www.citypass.net/ny.htm) offers a combined ticket to six New York attractions - the Met, the MoMA, American Museum of Natural History, Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, Top of the World Trade Center and Empire State Building Observatories. It costs US$26.75 (concessions available) and is valid for nine days. CulturePass (tel: (877) 278 7277) offers unlimited admission to a number of New York museums, as well as discounts of up to 50% on musical performances and Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. Passes can be purchased at the New York City Visitor Information Center, or at American Express offices in Manhattan and cost US$25 (three-day pass) or US$40 (five-day pass). |