From the point of view of attractions, New York probably has no rivals in the world and the incredible offer of the city, with its many places of interest, can easily put anyone planning a visit to the Big Apple into crisis.
The question is not a small one, because much depends on personal tastes and orientations. Below are the top five New York attractions, the ones you can’t miss and absolutely can’t miss! A day or many: no matter how long you stay in this impressive city, there are some iconic places and attractions in New York that you can’t miss!
They are part of its more touristy “face”, but they are also the classic image of the Big Apple that we all have!
STATUE OF LIBERTY
A deserved first place
On top of the list, there could only be her: Lady Liberty, the Statue of Liberty. The symbol of freedom is undoubtedly known throughout the world for millions of immigrants arriving in America and today it is the symbol of New York and the United States. The Statue of Liberty dominates the entrance to New York on an island of her own.
The history and the structure
Gustave Eiffel and Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi designed the imposing structure, inaugurated in 1886, as a gift from France to the American people. The elegant female figure is composed of steel armor covered with three hundred copper sheets shaped and joined together. The statue holds a golden torch, the symbol of the eternal fire of freedom.
Visit
The ferries to visit it leave regularly from Battery Park and access to the crown has been reopened but to go up it is necessary to book months in advance via the website. If you do not have much time available or the idea of spending hours in line is not ideal, we recommend that you take the ferry to Staten Island: it is free and you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline. However, the best times to visit are early in the morning or at sunset.
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
The unrivaled New York building
Probably the most famous building in New York, a real symbol of the city, an unmissable attraction among the things not to be missed in New York, it is not by chance that it ranks in second place. Immediately recognizable in the New York skyline, it has long remained the tallest skyscraper in the world and the city, surpassed for some years by the Freedom Tower.
Structure
A classic example of the Art Deco style, it was inaugurated in 1931. Since then, hundreds of millions of visitors, including the Queen of England, have admired the city from her observers. Yes, because there are 2 observation platforms: one on the 86th floor and one on the 102nd floor. The 86th-floor observatory is located at a height of 320 meters and allows you to enjoy a breathtaking 360 panorama. The one on the 102nd floor, at 381 meters high, can be reached with a surcharge, it will give an even wider and deeper New York panorama. Admire the entrance on Fifth Street, with a relief image of the skyscraper superimposed on a map of New York. Elevators take you to the 86th floor in 45 seconds.
Tourism
The queues to enter are usually very long, so many recommend the Top Of The Rock, the observatory on the roof of the Rockefeller Center, as an excellent alternative. The cost is lower, there is less queue and you can also admire the Empire State Building itself.
FIFTH AVENUE
The best-known way
New York’s most famous thoroughfare is Fifth Avenue. Walking along this street, you can admire some of the most important buildings in the city. Easily accessible on foot, the most interesting part runs from the Grand Army Plaza, dominated by the Plaza Hotel facing Central Park, to 34th street. They are about 1.6 kilometers. Fifth Avenue is overlooked by the New York Public Library, the Gothic St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the luxurious Trump Tower.
Shopping
Impossible not to notice then, the succession of shop windows, shops, malls: Fifth Avenue is the real shopping center in New York and beyond! Among the most famous shops: Saks, Cartier, and the unforgettable Tiffany and Co.
TIMES SQUARE
The most famous square of the Big Apple
If New York is the city that never sleeps, Times Square is its watch. You can’t say you’ve been to New York without seeing the explosion of neon lights that illuminate Times Square and the Theater District. The most famous square in New York is one of the must-see things in the city. It is here that the arrival of the new year is celebrated every year, it is dominated by huge giant screens that broadcast advertising messages, NASDAQ indexes, news in real-time: there is to get lost in all those lights! The square also overlooks the MTV studios, Madame Tussaud’s, and the opulent Broadway theaters: there are so many things that you can see in Times Square.
CENTRAL PARK
A green oasis among the skyscrapers
Even those who don’t particularly like parks will be delighted: Central Park is another must-see attraction in New York. 340 hectares of greenery in the heart of one of the most hectic and urbanized metropolises in the world: Central Park is a magnificent oasis for New Yorkers and beyond.
The park
Designed as a place of relaxation, the park was built in 16 years with over 500,000 trees and shrubs. There are lakes, hills, skating rinks, play areas, a zoo, tennis and football courts. It almost seems to not be in the city, even if the profile of the skyscrapers will remind you of still being in Manhattan!
Don’t miss it
A nice walk in Central Park is ideal to take a break from the chaos of the city, it is best to visit it during a nice day. Among the places to see: the Bethesda Terrace, seen and reviewed in many films, Strawberry Fields, with a tribute to the memory of John Lennon and the Statue of Christian Andersen, surrounded by children.