Welcome to NYC
The Sinus Forum is excited to welcome you to New York City. This city was selected for its easy access from many locations, its electrifying atmosphere and its many activities for families.
The Sinus Forum has partnered with NYC & Company, to assist you with finding activities and attractions in New York City for you and your family. There are several ways to get connected and have them help you find activities and attractions to fit your interests and budget.
VISIT THE NYC & COMPANY WEBSITE.
See an overview of travel information as well as the latest events and attractions. Plan before you get to NYC and go to http://www.nycgo.com.
VISIT AN OFFICIAL NYC INFORMATION CENTER.
A wall-size computerized map that flies you through the City to your destination of choice. Touch-screen FAQ stations that direct you to top NYC attractions in 10 languages. Giant interactive tables where you can explore restaurants, shops, museums and more on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis to create a personalized itinerary. The closest center to the Waldorf=Astoria is:
Official NYC Information Center–Midtown
810 Seventh Ave. (bet. W. 52nd and W. 53rd Sts.)
North of Times Square
212-484-1222
Subway: B, D, E to 7th Ave.; 1 to 50th St.; N, R, W to 49th St.
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 8:30am–6pm; Sat.–Sun., 9am–5pm; holidays, 9am–3pm
Top Attractions
New York City's five boroughs are home to some of the most recognizable and cherished landmarks and attractions in the world. Visitors marvel at the stunning icons they’ve come to know through TV and the movies, while locals revel in the historic sights that define the place they call home. From the Statue of Liberty to Broadway, from Central Park to the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City exudes visual magic. Don't miss these must-see attractions.
THE NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE
Recognized the world over, the high-rising New York City skyline is an attraction unto itself. Many of Manhattan's skyscrapers are national landmarks, dating to different eras in NYC history and representing diverse architectural styles. Among the oldest are the Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower and the Woolworth Building, both built in the earliest years of the 20th century. Other famed stops include the Empire State and Chrysler buildings-considered some of the finest examples of art deco architecture-and the sprawling Rockefeller Center. Viewed from street level, each offers an impressive sight. But taken in collectively from on high, the City's buildings—along with its many bridges and open expanses like Central Park-offer a sweeping beauty unlike anything in the world. See it from the Empire State Building Observatory or the Top of the Rock Observation Deck.
TIMES SQUARE/BROADWAY
Lit up 24 hours a day with animated screens, oversize billboards and theater marquees, Manhattan's Times Square is considered by many to be the heart of New York City—and the crossroads of the world. Visitors can shop in flagship locations of such stores as Toys"R"Us and Virgin Megastore, take pictures with wax celebrities at Madame Tussauds, play arcade games at Dave & Busters or dine at one of the area's many restaurants.
Times Square is also synonymous with Broadway—the area is home to many historic theaters and top-ranked shows. From long-running favorites and musical revivals to dramas and fairy-tale productions, there is something for everyone. To get the full experience, take in a pre- or post-theater meal along Restaurant Row (46th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues), where many eateries offer three-course, prix-fixe meals. Another spot to consider is the legendary Sardi’s (234 West 44th Street), located in the heart of the Theatre District for more than 80 years.
STATUE OF LIBERTY/ELLIS ISLAND
Since 1886, the Statue of Liberty has been a beacon for countless immigrants. The statue was created by two Frenchmen, painter-sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and master iron engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel (who later produced the Eiffel Tower in Paris). View the Statue of Liberty up close in a tour or from the shoreline of Manhattan’s Hudson River Park, the Brooklyn Bridge or the Staten Island Ferry.
Nearby in the harbor is the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, housed in the building that served as the historic gateway and actual disembarkation point for millions of people looking to start a new life in America. Walk the Great Hall, feel the spirit of the many immigrants who lined its corridors and see photographs in the family history center, where you can also search ship manifests for passenger names.
CENTRAL PARK
Spanning more than 800 acres (3.24 square kilometers) in the heart of Manhattan, Central Park encompasses a diverse landscape of rolling fields, walking trails and tranquil waterways. Designed in the mid–19th century by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the park today is the centerpiece of the City's public parks system. Among its landmarks are Wollman Rink, the Central Park Zoo and the Friedsam Memorial Carousel—great for kids of all ages. Sheep Meadow and the Great Lawn, meanwhile, offer sprawling expanses where visitors can relax and enjoy the outdoors. In summer, the Great Lawn plays host to free shows courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic. Elsewhere in the park, Rumsey Playfield is the site of SummerStage, a free performing arts festival featuring music, dance, film and more.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
The Brooklyn Bridge, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2008, holds a singular place in New York City history. The oldest of the three bridges linking Brooklyn and Manhattan, it stretches nearly 6,000 feet (1828.8 meters) across the East River. Upon its completion in 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, and in 1964 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. Today, it stands as one of the City’s iconic attractions, a sweep of steel cable and Gothic archways as inspiring as when it first opened to the public.
Automobiles share the span with pedestrians and bicyclists, who cross via a center walkway that's all their own. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll and an up-close look, or take it in at a distance from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The panoramic view of the bridge and river—set against the skyline of Lower Manhattan—is one of the City's best.
PROSPECT PARK/GRAND ARMY PLAZA
Located in the heart of Brooklyn, the 585-acre (2.38 square kilometers) Prospect Park is a destination for relaxation and recreation, as well as a place to get back to nature. Among its attractions are the expansive stretch of lawn known as the Long Meadow; the Kate Wollman Rink, which offers skating in winter and boating in the summer; and the Bandshell, popular for outdoor concerts in the warmer weather. Grand Army Plaza, with its soaring archway commemorating the Civil War, forms the main approach to the park.
The plaza is also a short walk from the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The museum is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country, featuring an outstanding collection of Native American art and an Egyptian collection that’s recognized among the world’s finest. The botanic garden, meanwhile, encompasses more than 50 acres (0.20 square kilometers or 202343 square meters). Highlights include the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, the Fragrance Garden and the Steinhardt Conservatory, home to one of the largest bonsai collections in the US.
LOWER MANHATTAN/WALL STREET
Centered at Wall and Broad Streets, the Financial District is Manhattan's original neighborhood—here, historic sites and high finance sit side by side on narrow streets that hark back to Peter Stuyvesant and the City’s days as a Dutch outpost. Among its attractions are Trinity Church, the New York Stock Exchange and the Charging Bull sculpture as well as Federal Hall, the first capitol of the United States of America and also where George Washington took his oath as the nation's first president. More recent additions include the African Burial Ground National Monument and the Sports Museum of America, home of the Heisman Trophy. Visitors can also shop at the nearby South Street Seaport or walk to Battery Park, where ferries depart for Liberty Island, Ellis Island, Governors Island and Staten Island.
Lower Manhattan is also home to the World Trade Center site. A street-level viewing wall is set up on Church Street; Ground Zero may also be seen from the World Financial Center's Winter Garden, a vast steel-and-glass atrium that doubles as a performing arts space. The Tribute WTC Visitor Center offers on-site walking tours, exhibits and programs.
BRONX ZOO AND NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
Located in the City’s northernmost borough, the Bronx Zoo is the nation's largest metropolitan wildlife preserve. Its 265 acres (1.07 square kilometers) are filled with more than 4,000 animals, from Siberian tigers and African storks to California sea lions and Nile crocodiles. Many roam naturalistic habitats that recall their distant homes around the globe; notable among these areas are the Congo Gorilla Forest and Madagascar! Just north of the zoo is the New York Botanical Garden, where sun-soaked greenhouses, educational exhibits and a peaceful 250-acre (1.01 square kilometers) landscape of colorful plants make for a fun day for the family. Highlights of this year-round destination include the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden and the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, a Victorian glasshouse whose indoor exhibition offers an ecotour of the world. Visitors can see tropical rain forests, arid deserts, aquatic plant displays and more.
FLUSHING MEADOWS–CORONA PARK
Designed to host the 1939–40 World's Fair, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens is an essential stop for visitors interested in the latest in art, science and sports. The Queens Museum of Art boasts cutting-edge contemporary artwork and its centerpiece, the Panorama of the City of New York, an intricate 9,000-square-foot (836.13 square meters) architectural model of the five boroughs that faithfully represents every building and byway in the City. The New York Hall of Science, meanwhile, features hundreds of hands-on exhibits—including a 60,000-square-foot (5574.18 square meters) outdoor science playground for guests of all ages. At the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center—home of the US Open—tennis lovers can practice their backhand on the same courts where greats like Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert and Venus Williams have competed.
MUSEUM MILE
Bordering Manhattan's Central Park, the stretch of Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 105th Streets—home to nine cultural institutions—has come to be known as Museum Mile. Together they form a diverse group, offering some of the City’s finest collections of art, history, design and culture from around the globe.
Anchoring the lower end of the Mile is the world-renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art, whose permanent collection comprises nearly two million works. Must-sees include an impressive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, highlighted by the famed Temple of Dendur, and the museum’s latest addition, the New Greek and Roman Galleries. Lovers of art—and architecture—will also want to visit the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, known as much for its distinctive building (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) as for its collection of modern and contemporary art. For those looking to experience other cultures, there’s El Museo del Barrio, devoted to Latino—and particularly Puerto Rican—art and culture; the Jewish Museum, one of the world’s largest collections of Jewish fine and ceremonial art and historical Judaica; and the Neue Galerie, dedicated to early-20th-century German and Austrian art and design.
Other stops include the Museum of the City of New York, the Cooper-Hewitt, the National Academy Museum and the Goethe-Institut New York.
STATEN ISLAND FERRY
More than a means of transportation, the Staten Island Ferry provides an attraction unto itself. For no charge, visitors can voyage by water from Lower Manhattan to Staten Island and take in the Statue of Liberty and the stunning vistas of New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline. The ferry drops visitors at the St. George Ferry Terminal, just a short bus ride from the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. This cultural and entertainment destination—a former seamen’s retirement home—actually encompasses a number of institutions whose diverse offerings should appeal to all interests and ages. Among them is the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, the Noble Maritime Collection, the Staten Island Botanical Garden and the Staten Island Children’s Museum.
UPTOWN: HARLEM, WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, INWOOD
Uptown Manhattan’s broad boulevards and lower cityscape create an atmosphere that’s distinct from the midtown and downtown areas. The campus of Columbia University—one of the nation’s premier academic institutions—is a great place to start; many of its buildings are designed in the Beaux-Arts style and the central quad in particular is perfect for a stroll. Just around the corner is the Church of St. John the Divine. Construction on the massive cathedral—the largest in the world—began in 1892 and continues to this day. Among its notable architectural features are its long Gothic nave and stained-glass windows—including the Great Rose Window, made from more than 10,000 pieces of colored glass.
North of Central Park, the streets fill with the sights, sounds and tastes of Harlem. The Studio Museum in Harlem features contemporary African-American art, while the landmark Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture—a branch of the New York Public Library—provides a window onto African-American history. Elsewhere, visitors can try soul food on Lenox Avenue, spend an evening at the legendary Apollo Theater or take in one of the area’s jazz clubs. Music also takes form Sunday mornings at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, whose celebrated gospel choir is a weekly draw. Continuing north through the sidewalks of Washington Heights and into Inwood, the Cloisters makes for an ideal final stop. Situated on a bluff with sweeping views of the Hudson, this branch of the Metropolitan Museum houses thousands of medieval works of art.
Content is courtesy of NYC & Company.
