New York on America’s east coast has the highest population of any city in the country. Its cityscape is like no other with each skyscraper taller than the next and with many of its landmarks being recognised throughout the world. The Statue of Liberty was the first sight that greeted immigrants in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries offering hope of a better life. New York is a city that never seems to sleep. There is so much to see and do that visitors will need every minute of the day, and half of the night, to complete their busy sightseeing schedule.
A New York City holiday has something for everyone. It is a vibrant city offering a wide range of cultural activities as well as ‘second to none’ shopping and entertainment. It has shows and concerts catering for all tastes and restaurants catering for all palates.
A New York holiday has wide-ranging appeal. It is popular with couples of all ages as well as groups of young men and women who go to celebrate their ‘stag’ and ‘hen’ weekends. The city is a shopper’s paradise with its endless number of good quality department stores, boutiques and speciality shops.
A New York holiday can be taken at any time of year although the summer months are the most popular. Christmas shopping trips are also popular from late November onwards.
There is a wide variation in the seasonal temperatures of New York City. In winter there can be snow with temperatures near or below freezing, and in the summer the mercury can soar to over one hundred degrees.
New York City lies at the mouth of the Hudson River in the south eastern corner of New York State. Much of the city is built on three islands, Manhattan, Staten and the imaginatively named Long island. New York has more skyscrapers than any other city in the world and until recent times had the tallest. There are many different styles of architecture in the city. The Woolworth Building, built in 1913, has a gothic exterior with details so large that they can be seen from the street, hundreds of feet below. The famous Chrysler Building is an Art Deco design with a tapering top and a steel spire.
New York has a number of landmarks, famous throughout the world, that are on the sightseeing list of most visitors. These include the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Empire State Building, Times Square, Central Park and a trip on the Staten Island Ferry.
There are a number of fine museums and art galleries including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum of modern and contemporary art.
Whether or not you are travelling with children, the Bronx Zoo is worth a visit. New York City has over twenty-eight thousand acres of parkland and fourteen miles of beaches.
A New York City holiday promises fun and excitement among friendly helpful people.
Whatever your penchant you will surely find it in the nightlife of New York City. There are bars and clubs with live music and dance floors, wine bars and gay bars, karaoke and venues with stand up comedians. Broadway, in Manhattan, has a huge selection of shows, many of them long running and there are a large number of first class restaurants. Many visitors enjoy people-watching as they walk around New York when darkness falls and the lights go up.
New York will delight shoppers with its range and quality of goods. There is every major department store including Macey’s which is said to be the largest store in the world. You can choose from the internationally famous Bergdorf and Goodman with its elegant old world charm or Century 21 where you can rummage for discounted designer bargains. Even if you can’t afford the prices, you should visit the jeweller Tiffany& Co.
The choice of food in New York City is endless providing for every taste, appetite and pocket. It is possible to find menus from almost every corner of the world as well as every kind of fast food. If you choose carefully you can eat well on a very low budget particularly as portion size is much larger than in England. Americans must be very disappointed the first time they buy an English sandwich. They will assume the filling has been forgotten.
Tipping in America is expected and is calculated at twice the local tax rate, roughly fifteen to twenty percent.
