What to see in United States

New York

Travel to New York is to travel to the great city par excellence. Icon of the United States and the world in general, to this great city you have to travel at least once in your life.

Even if it is done, you run the risk of wanting to return again and again to discover new corners, to stroll through its charming neighborhoods, to feel protagonist in one of its innumerable movie sets, to know one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Because a package holiday to New York is not enough to soak up everything you have to offer.

 

What to see on a trip to New York

 

Central park

The green heart of Manhattan, an enormous park that runs from 59th Street in the south to 110th Street in the north. A total area, which is twice the size of Monaco.

A favourite spot for New Yorkers to relax and go running, as portrayed in numerous television series such as Sex and the City, where they go to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, the large lake where celebrities such as Robert de Niro have also been spotted.

This is not the only lake, however, there are another four where you can rent a rowing boat, or remote-controlled boat. The park also boasts numerous bridges and sculptures, such as those of the author Hans Christian Andersen, or Alice in Wonderland, or the famous Strawberry Fields memorial, dedicated to ex-Beatle, John Lennon, who was assassinated just metres from here, in front of the Dakota building.

Central Park is also an ideal spot for sports fans, as there are various fields where locals play baseball or American football. At weekends, you can also find, groups of friends who come to picnic on the fields, whilst a huge ice rink is installed every Christmas.

 

5th Avenue

The coolest street in Manhattan, loaded with luxury brand name shopping, grand hotels, galleries and luxury apartments. It evokes the most prosperous times of New York City and, ever since, has remained a symbol of singularity.

This is the street that hosts the Thanksgiving Parade, amongst other important events. What's more, 5th Avenue is home to emblematic buildings such as the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the recently closed FAO Schwarz and the Apple Store Cube, to name just a few.

 

Time square

Times Square is the most famous junction in New York City. This is where New Yorkers see in the New Year and the area which is home to many of the most popular theatres, cinemas, restaurants or shops in Manhattan.

In the beginning, the square was called Longacre Square Nevertheless, after the New York Times moved into office buildings nearby, it was soon christened Times Square. Until the year 2000, the area was poorly reputed, as it suffered significant problems with delinquency, drugs and prostitution.

Nowadays, however, not only has it been cleaned up, but it is also home to a wealth of attractions for the visitor who travel to New York. To begin with, Broadway is the avenue which boasts the most musicals in the world, this is also home to ABC television studios, and a myriad of well-known shops and restaurants such as Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, based on the Forrest Gump movie, or the M&, Ms shop.

 

Wall Street

The financial quarter of New York City, home to the New York Stock Exchange and the famous Bull of Wall Street. The name refers to the time when the city was a Dutch colony and was still called New Amsterdam, at which time there was a wall to protect the city from invasion.

Very close by, you can also find, emblematic buildings such as Trinity Church, or the lost World Trade Center (Twin Towers), which in its day was the greatest construction project since the Great Depression.

Nowadays, two huge ponds stand in the place of the towers, with the name of every victim of the attack engraved around the base.

 

Empire State

Together with the Chrysler Building, this is one of the best-known skyscrapers in New York City. Its fame can be attributed to the numerous films and TV series that have always related the building to love and romance, so much so, in fact, that in recent years the rooftop has become a popular spot to propose to your partner. Its height, of 103 floors, meant that it was the tallest building in the city until the construction of the Twin Towers.

It is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. To enter and climb to the rooftop, from where there are impressive views of the whole city, you will have to pay an admission fee.

The illumination of the upper floors is another characteristic of the Empire State Building. On special dates, the upper floors are illuminated with the corresponding colours: St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, New Year, etc. Also following large-scale sporting events, for example, the colours of the Spanish flag when they won the world cup, or following the death of a celebrity such as Fay Wray, the actress from King Kong, the film that popularised this architectural marvel the world over.

 

Rockefeller Center

A complex of buildings occupied by offices, radio and television studios, shops and leisure spaces created by the magnate John D. Rockefeller, although he died before seeing his empire completed.

This is currently a popular spot not only for the amount of shopping on offer, such as Lego, but because one of the worlds most famous Christmas trees can be found in its square, its illuminations enchanting visitors from all over the world, not to mention the ice rink which is erected every year.

Another key attraction, is the roof terrace, from where there are incredible views over all of Manhattan including emblematic buildings such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, the Chrysler Building and the Hudson River.

 

Brooklyn Bridge

One of the icons of New York City. Brooklyn Bridge, which links Manhattan island with Brooklyn, is practically a mandatory visit. The best time to go is at sundown, to catch the best views of the illuminated city just across the other side.

The construction is considered a great example of 19th-century engineering. It was the largest suspension bridge in the world for years, the best lit and also one of the first constructions to use steel on a large scale. The image of the bridge has been, and remains to be, used in a number of North American films and series, often coinciding with the best scenario to evacuate the city in case of catastrophe.

The bridge has featured in films such as Gangs of New York, I am Legend, Godzilla, How to Marry a Millionaire, Saturday Night Fever, Sleepless in Seattle or Annie Hall, to name a few. 

 

MoMa

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City was one of the first museums in the world to dare to exhibit contemporary and cubist works, moving away from the fairly rigid opinion that previously constituted the definition of art. Some of the most prominent works in the collection include The Starry Night, by Van Gogh, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, by Picasso, Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans, The Persistence of Memory, by Dali, Drowning Girl, by Roy Lichtenstein, Fulang-Chang and I, by Frida Kahlo, as well as numerous works by Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin, Jackson Pollock and Kandinsky.

 

The Statue of Liberty

The symbol of the United States. The statue represents the American Dream, the freedom and wishes of immigrants that arrived on Ellis Island in search of a better life.

The statue is found on Liberty Island, which can be visited on a four-hour return boat trip.

 

Soho

The most exclusive neighbourhood in Manhattan. Meaning ‘South of Houston Street’, the area borders Little Italy, Tribeca and Lafayette Street, amongst others.

Although during the 19th century this was an industrial area, full of factories and considered a nightmare to live in, In the 1970s much of the industry began to move out and the old offices and warehouses began to be converted into loft apartments.

At this same time, artists began to move in, taking advantage of the cheap rents. Over the years, the workshops, galleries and other businesses brought a certain prestige to the neighbourhood which, over time, lead to a steady rise in prices to the point where Soho is now one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in the city.

 

Tribeca

Tribeca is one of the most modern and popular neighbourhoods in Manhattan. The place everyone wants to live. This is due, in part, to the abundance of art galleries, book stores and businesses which are slightly unusual.

Its exclusivity, however, is granted by actors such as Robert de Niro who, having moved to the neighbourhood, created the Tribeca Film Center and the TriBeCa Film Festival. Other actors that have not hesitated to move in to the neighbourhood include Scarlett Johansson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Meryl Streep, to name a few.

Nevertheless, the people that really made Tribeca a different, art-filled, area are precisely the painters, sculptors, musicians and designers coming from Soho. As Soho became increasingly exclusive, the subsequent rise in apartment prices obliged many to move out, leading to Tribeca becoming the new Soho.

 

Brooklyn

One of the main areas of New York City. Located just across the water from Manhattan over the famous Brooklyn Bridge,an icon of the city.

Despite often being considered as a second choice to Manhattan, Brooklyn has its own identity and is characterised by being the antithesis of Manhattan: instead of skyscrapers, there are residential areas of large houses with gardens.

 

Bronx

The most infamous neighbourhood of New York CIty, mainly due to a long-standing association with delinquency, drugs and violence. Nevertheless, having starred in numerous films such as A Bronx Tale, the area has become something of a destination for the most intrepid of tourists.

Its main attractions include: the Yankee stadium, located close to the main street, and the graffiti alley, where most of the street art in the borough is found.

 

Queens

The second most populated borough in New York City and home to the city's airports. Although often thought of as peripheral with little to recommend, there is no doubt that this residential area has a diverse ethnic mix and lots of history.

For example, in the 1940s, it enjoyed a boom thanks to the jazz movement and artists such as Louis Armstrong. What's more, fore several years now, Queens has been home to the New York Multilingual Book Fair, a literary movement which shows off the most cultural side of the borough, which has long been underrepresented.

One of the main tourist destinations in Queens are the Kaufman Astoria recording studios, where many Woody Allen films have been shot.