Google

Thursday, January 17, 2008

The best Tourist Spot on the Planet is Probably New York City

By : Kurt Clark
The best tourist hot spot on the planet is probably New York City, after all the Big Apple is the dubbed the Capital of The World. So, naturally millions of visitors flood the city each year and in turn, the city strives to satisfy their sight seeing needs. The top ten most visited sites in New York city are the Empire State Building, Statue Of Liberty, Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center, Ellis Island Immigration Museum, Staten Island Ferry, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art.

The Empire State building located in 5th avenue measures 1,453 feet in height and is the tallest building in all of New York City. The building has 102 floors, but this shouldn't intimidate one, for plenty of elevators are available to make touring much easier. In average about 15,000 people visit the building per day, so it's obvious that this is one of the most popular sites to visit. Probably one of the best things this structure has to offer is that once up on the observatory of the building, located on the 82nd floor, you can gaze down and observe the city in its entirety. Visiting the Empire State building is relatively cheap adults gain admission for $15.50, youth from 12-17 years of age for $14.50, children from 6-11 for $10.50 and anyone younger enters free of charge. A helpful tip to save some time waiting in line for tickets is that, you may buy admission tickets online and print them out yourself.

Probably the most popular icon of New York City is the Statue Of Liberty. This may be because; it represents what this country is all about, freedom. Following the Empire State Building most tourists visit Statue Of Liberty. To get to the Statue of Liberty, which resides on Liberty Island, you must take a ferry either from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey or Battery Park in New York City. If you plan on visiting Liberty Island, you should be aware that a visit on average is about three hours, if you take a tour. The Island provides plenty of area for picnics and small family gatherings and even a Junior Ranger program available for children. The observatory all the way on top of the Statue is closed to the public, due to security reasons. Admission to Liberty Island and all it has to offer is quite inexpensive. Adults pay $11.50, Senior Citizens $9.50, Children $4.50 and Children under 3 years of age gain free admission. Liberty Island opens at 8:30 am and the last ferry leaves its dock at 6:30 pm.

Admission to Grand Central Station is completely free, which might be one of the best bargains when touring New York City. Grand Central is located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, on 42nd Street and Park Avenue. The Terminal offers more than just train tracks. The walls and ceilings cathedral styled with rich colors of blue and green. Grand Central Station has a vast number of shops, boutiques, florists, restaurants and even art galleries. The Station built in 1913 is full of secrets. Atop the structure there is the Campbell Apartment, a luxurious hideaway for the 1930's tycoon John W. Campbell. When you visit keep your eyes peeled for anything else out of the ordinary of any other Station.

Rockefeller Center, another completely free destination located the Big Apple. Rockefeller Center consists of everything between 47th and 50th Streets and 4th and 5th Avenues. NBC headquarters are located in the premise and shows such as The Today Show and Saturday Night Live are broadcasted from there. Atop the GE Building is the famous Rainbow Room, the star of which is the silver and gold room itself, complete with a slow rotating dance floor. Rockefeller Center is most popular around the Holiday Christmas season. The gigantic tree is mounted at the center of the plaza each year overlooking the ice-skating rink. In order to skate you can bring your own gear or rent on the premise. The world famous Radio City Music Hall is another part of Rockefeller Center and there are almost an endless number of stores on the surrounding areas, making this one of the memorable places to visit in New York City.

The American Museum of Natural History is located in Central Park West at West 79th Street. This is the sixth most visited site in New York City. The Museum of Natural History is the perfect place for anyone in thirst of knowledge. The exhibits cover everything from the beginning of time to the present. The museum has the Hall Of Biodiversity, a visual representation of the scope of life on Earth and why it needs to be protected. Admission to the museum is $12.00 for Adults, $7.00 for Children and $9.00 for Senior Citizens and Students. Museum admission plus the Space Show at the Rose Center is $21.00 for adults, $15.50 for seniors and students and $12.50 for children. This Museum has the finest exhibits you'll find anywhere because, when Museum President Morris K. Jessup took his position in 1881, he directed the museum into an age of exploration, sending expeditions to every continent of the globe.

Central Park consists of over 800 acres of parkland. Don't expect to cover all of the land, but there are plenty of crucial points tourists must visit. The four corners of Central Park are 59th Street on the South, 110th Street on the North, Central Park West on the West and 5th Avenue on the East. There are a number of tours one can take in Central Park such as the Bike Tour, the Central Park Conservancy Guided tours which are free of charge and tours that cover either mid, south or north park. Central Park has two restaurants on its premise and an almost infinite number of concession stands throughout the park paths. Some things to do while in Central park other than walk around and take in its beauty are to take a row boat or Gondola ride in the Lake, visit the Central Park Zoo, rent a bike or roller blades and attend a concert at either Philharmonic In The Park, the Metropolitan Opera In The Park or Central Park Summerstage. A whole day or even a week might be spent visiting everything the park has to offer, but the stated above are the most popular attractions.

New York City has many more attraction than the ones stated above. Those are the top ten most visited and popular because of their easy access and relatively good deals. If you ever decided to visit New York City for the first time, those are the must go places. They cover the basics of what New York City stands for and is all about and are sure to leave a good impression and memorable events in your mind.

No comments: