Of the five boroughs in NYC, Manhattan is the best known. Manhattan is the center of the city and the New York metropolitan area. This borough alone is enough for a traveler to get a glimpse of what this city offers. Whether you are planning to travel luxuriously or on a budget, Manhattan offers various options harboring plenty of restaurants, shopping areas, shows, and attractions for all types of travelers.
Obviously there are tons of things to see in NYC, but if you have only a few days, I would recommend checking out the following:
Main attractions
Statue of Liberty:
No visit to NYC is complete without a visit to one of New York's most famous historical landmarks. There are ferries and cruises offering departures throughout the day from New York and New Jersey to Liberty Island. But for those who would be satisfied by simply getting a glimpse of the national monument from afar, I suggest you to take a stroll along the Battery Park City area located in lower Manhattan or take a free round trip ferry to Staten Island. (You can take the downtown #1 subway line to South Ferry or #4 or #5 subway lines to Bowling Green). If you choose to take the ferry, simply take the ferry to Staten Island and back because there is nothing to do in Staten Island. The 25 minutes one-way ferry ride is worthwhile offering you views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Governor's Island, and both New York and New Jersey's Harbor. Rockefeller Center Observation Deck:
Known as the Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center Observation Deck would be the best place to check out an unobstructed view of NYC. Most visitors would probably visit the Empire State Building's Observatory, however, I think the Top of the Rock would be a better choice. Though the ticket price at Rockefeller ($21 per adult) might be ~$1 more than ESB's, you can actually see Empire State Building from the RCO deck and get a closer view of Central Park. If you visit during Christmas, you can also see one of the largest tree lights. It is definitely worth checking if you never seen a giant Christmas tree before. (Take the subway lines B, D, F, V to 47-50th Street Station).Around this neighborhood:
After visiting the observation deck, you can take a walk along 5th ave and do some shopping. However, shopping along 5th avenue can be very expensive. Most famous brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany & Co., Henri Bendel, Bottega Veneta, Prada, and the likes are located here. For the budget travelers, you can walk south toward 34th Street/6th Ave to visit Macy's or for some less expensive shops. Otherwise, take a nice stroll in neighboring Central Park Chinatown/Little Italy:
If you never been to Asia or visited San Francisco's Chinatown, then you cannot miss NYC's Chinatown located in lower Manhattan. There is another Chinatown in Flushing, Queens worth mentioning, but should be visited by those who have the extra time or desire Taiwanese cuisine. (You can take the #7 subway line to Main St. Station in Queens - 50mins one way). Chinatown is worth visiting if you never experienced the Chinese culture and is the best gastronomical place for Cantonese food. There are also some great Vietnamese and Malaysian restaurants here. For budget travelers, Chinatown is also one of the places where you can purchase the cheapest food and groceries in Manhattan. Two reputable streets that I recommend to walk along are on Mott St. and Canal St. You can experience what Chinese culture is like by simply walking along those streets. There are plenty of Chinese stores for you to buy souvenirs and tons of Asian restaurants to choose from. One hidden mall is located inside 15 Elizabeth Street, a good place to buy cute Asian trinkets. And if steam shrimp dumplings with shark fin, roasted pork buns, egg tarts, beef rice noodle rolls or soy sauced chicken feet sounds intriguing to you, then one of the things you must do while you are in Chinatown is try the dim sums, Chinese tapas, which usually serves between 8am - 3pm in some restaurants. Along the borders of Chinatown walking west along Canal Street or Grand Street, you can stop by Little Italy. Besides eating Italian food or getting a gelato, Little Italy is worth stopping by since it is close to Chinatown, and Soho, which is one of the best shopping areas in the city.
by subway to Chinatown:
Grand Street Station: B, D
East Broadway Station: F
by subway to Chinatown/Little Italy:
Canal Street Station: 6, J, M, N, Q, R, W, Z
Soho/Noho Village:
The areas known as soho and noho, the famous fashion playgrounds, are my favorite destination to go shopping. This long section of shopping area stretches from Chinatown to 14th Street. If you are near Chinatown/Little Italy, you can walk toward Canal St. until you reach Broadway and head north. If you are near Union Square 14th Street, you can walk south on Broadway. Along Broadway and West Broadway, which is a parallel street from Broadway, harbor tons of low and high end boutique shops, department stores, and art stands. You can seriously spend the whole day doing some serious shopping here, as well as checking out the younger trendier crowd in town.
Time Square on 42nd Street:
A city does not feel like a city if you do not visit Time Square. Though it can be viewed as a tourist trap and an extremely crowded place, Time Square is a must see if you never been to a city before. I suggest visiting this area during the night time. The scene is astonishing, huge animated neon lights and television screens screams out at you. The Broadway theater district is also located here if you want to check out a show. (Unless it is popular, cheaper same-day shows can be purchased at the TKTS Discount Booth on 47th. However, the one located at South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan is a lot less crowded). Despite the crowd, I would visit this area because here you can experience how it feels to be in a city that never sleeps.
Museums/Galleries:
If you like the arts or prefer to stay indoors during a rainy or cold day, then visiting museums is a good way to fill up the time. I would recommend The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on 53rd Street or The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art on 82nd Street and 5th Ave. If visiting galleries is more of your thing, then visit the Chelsea area around 9th-11th Ave between 20th Street and 23rd Street. Galleries filled with pieces of unique and upcoming talents occupy this area, as well as standing constructions of modern architecture resembling those of Copenhagen. Whitney Museum is scheduled to build a new museum around the area as well, but it would not be done until 2015. After visiting the galleries, you should visit the Chelsea Market, a gourmand's mecca, on 9th Ave between 15th-16th Street. The Thai restaurant inside is one of the best ones I have eaten in the city. It is reasonably priced and delicious. If you can splurge, Morimoto, Buddhakan, Pastis, and Macelleria is within walking distance. Food Channel is also located there. Two blocks away is also the Meat Packing District, which has become one of the trendiest places to go for brunch and a night out in the city.
Bleeker Street:
Besides 5th avenue and Soho/Noho village, I also like to walk along Bleeker Street because it is less crowded and a great stroll by the West Village. Walking along Bleeker Street you will see plenty of boutique shops and great eateries. Marc Jacobs, Juicy, Coach, Ralph Lauren, and Intermix to name a few of the shops. John's Pizzeria at Bleeker and Keste Pizza and Wine are two of my favorite places to grab a pie of pizza. If you have a sweet tooth, the famous Magnolia Bakery is also located along Bleeker Street. The best thing is: from Bank Street you can walk along Bleeker Street toward Broadway to continue with more shopping.
