The most famous city of New York State is the “Big Apple”, namely New York City. Its size is nearly 800 square kilometers, and it has a population of 20 million, which makes it not only the largest city of the USA, but it’s the third largest in the world. Although it’s not the capital of the United States, some people say it’s the capital of the world. It is the seat of several international organizations, like the UN. The city can be divided into 5 main parts, which are: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. The most famous of them is Manhattan of course with its giant skyscrapers and wonderful museums, theaters and rich variety shops. It’s recommended to take a taxi in the city, yet it’s also safe and affordable to take the metro or a bus.

Photo: New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by Mtl_Shag

The main sight and some advices are the following:

Statue of Liberty – „Liberty brightens up the world”
The symbol of liberty rises above the harbor. It was a gift from the French. The 93 meters tall state is called Lady Liberty, who has a torch in her hand and a book in the other one. We can climb up to the crow and the torch on multi-storey high stairways.
Grand Central Terminal
After a significant renovation, the world’s probably busiest railway station got a fantastic design. The sunlight simply floods in through the giant, arched windows, and the ceiling of the railway hall is painted with glimmering constellations. The Great Staircase was built according to the Opera House in Paris, and its information kiosk is decorated by a cubical clock. The Vanderbilt Hall is a secondary hall, which got its name after the railway magnate. The building is not exclusively a railway station; it also has a lot of shops and restaurants inside.
Ellis Island
The island had been operating as an immigration office of the country, and more than 17 million people stepped through its gates. One could enter the country after some security checks here. Nowadays we can visit the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, with the Great Hall and the Registration Room. The stories are displayed by photos and audio recordings, and computers help to look up the relatives. The American Immigrant Wall of Honor is a wall where the names of the immigrants are written on, it is to be found outside.
Civic Center
It is the center of the cities, states and federal judicial systems, and the center of the city police in Manhattan. Such huge buildings are found here as the Woolworth Building, the City Hall, which is the site of the governmental meetings, and the Municipal Building which is attraction of high towers and protrusions. The City Hall Park was one of the green belts of New York in the old times.
Wall Street
It is the financial center of the city. It got its name after the wall that was meant to protect everyone from the enemies. The most important building here is the Federal Reserve Bank, where they launch the new American bank notes. They keep the fortune of different nations here in gold blocks, on storey’s that are way below the surface level. The 17 storey building here is the New York Exchange, which still strictly limits its membership. The visitors may observe the commerce from an internal gallery. Near the building, we find the Federal Hall National Monument, with a state of George Washington making his oath, on its stairs. The Trinity Church is a quadrangular church belonging to the Church of England. Many famous people were buried here. It was the tallest building of New York for quite a long time.
Scene of the World Trade Center
The twin towers reached above Manhattan for more than 27 years. They were destroyed in a terrorist attack. Both of them collapsed. Besides the offices and hotels, there were also several shops and restaurants in the building on the ground floor. The buildings were connected to the World Financial Center with a bridge, which survived the attacks. The new skyscraper, that will be built instead of this was will be 541 meters (1176 feet) tall, and will be called the Freedom Tower. The constructions have already begun, and there will also be a memorial place set up for the memory of the victims.
Battery Park City
It is the latest part of New York; it’s a huge commercial and residential quarter. The Statue of Liberty is clearly visible from its long boulevards, and the building of the World Financial Trade Center is also here, in which the most important financial companies are to be found. The Winter Garden is a part of this area, where they organize concerts, and artistic events. It’s worth to visit the Skyscraper Museum of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The shops and restaurants are just fine, so as the market and port near the Hudson River.
Herald Square
It got its name after New York Herald, since their editorial office was situated here. It was the center of theatrical life in the past century. A lot of theatres, restaurants, dancing halls and hotels were built here. It featured a drift and buzz, which was changed by the introduction of the continuous monitoring of the authorities. The Herald Square became the largest shopping center in the city. They began to build the “largest mall of all”. The department of the Macy’s is the sponsor of some of the main festivals in New York, like the Marching on Thanksgiving Day, the fireworks on 4th July and the Flower Gala in spring.
Fifth Avenue
It was the home of the rich and famous, they’ve called it the Millionaires’ Row in the old times. After the fashionable society moved away, it became a commercial center, and nowadays the road is flanked by luxurious shops, which give people an inkling of social rank and wealth. The Fifth Avenue is the most famous boulevard in New York. The Empire State Building is near its middle, and it lasts till the Arm Plaza. The Cartier shop is situated in the 52nd Street, which sell jewelry. The fashion stores and toy shops all sell products of excellent quality.
Rockefeller Center
This is the largest complex on the world to be owned by a private person. It was meant to be an opera house, but the plan failed, and Rockefeller took over the construction, thus a huge estate, containing offices, restaurants and shops was built. The central part of the buildings in the area is the G.E. Building, which is the headquarters of the NBC. The Radio City Hall is situated next to it. A lot of people are interested in these buildings, where one may also see several hundred works of fine arts. Besides, there are shiny holiday shows before every Christmas and Easter. There is also an ice skate rink in the center, which offers pleasant recreation for the visitors. Flatiron Building People say it is the predecessor of modern skyscrapers. Due to its unique shape, many people said that it won’t stand the strikes of nature too long. There are ambitious and fashionable shops, like Armani and Paul Smith in the fifth avenue to the south from the building.
Empire State Building
This is the tallest, the most spectacular and the most outstanding building of New York. It was rapidly built in just 410 days, thanks to the steel frame, aluminum panels, sandwich panels and the 10 million bricks. First it was difficult to lease the offices, but the curiosity and popularity of the lookouts granted the income. The high speed elevator can travel 366 meters up within a minute. The TV and radio antennas broadcast programs to the next states as well. The annual Empire State Stair Climbing Race is quite popular in every February.

Photo: Empire State Building, New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by tgigreeny

United Nations – Building of the UN
The building is a common creation of famous architects and consultants. The organization holds the delegations of 189 member countries together, in order to preserve world peace, agricultural development and wealth. J.D. Rockefeller helped to buy the allotment. The Security Council seats in the Conference Building, where the delegation and their assistants hold consultations. The Guardian Council and the Social Council are also seated in this building. The guests may vita the rooms of the consultations every day. The building features a private post office and own stamps.
Times Square
People regard the most famous road-crossing to be the center of the theatrical life of the city. Its modern sights, and the nearby bar and restaurants also attract the tourists. It’s true, that the New York Times moved away a while ago, but the crystal ball, which was placed there after the opening, is still there. One may find the Studio of the MTV, the E Walk entertainment and shopping center and many offices here on the Times Square.

Photo: Times Square, New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by Michael McDonough

South Street Seaport
We’re now in the harbor of New York. They have a lot of luxurious shops and restaurants waiting for the tourists. The crowd of historical buildings and museums is a strange view between the huge cruisers. We may observe the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River from the cobblestoned steers in the harbor. We may talk a short walk in the riverside, or may buy fish in the Fulton Fish Market. They’d set up an exhibition of old works of fine arts and objects, which are displayed on the giant ships of the South Street Seaport Museum. The Sherman Row, which was once a row of warehouses has now become full of shops, restaurants and it has an ice skating rink too.
Madison Square
Madison Square is situated in the center of a residential area. It is bordered by the Fifth Avenue Hotel, the Madison Square Theatre and the Stanford White Madison Square Garden. There are several stylish restaurants here. The citizens like to wander around in the Madison Square Park. The building of the New York Life Insurance Company is next to Madison Square. It features a huge, pyramid shaped tower, which was designed by Cass Gilbert. Its characteristics are the internal bronze cover, the bronze gates, the hanging lamps and a stairway, that leads to the subway. The marble palace of the Court of Appeal of the New York State Supreme Court is just on the other side of the street. It is regarded to be one of the busiest courts. It has a beautiful interior, which the tourists may visit during the breaks of the trials. They can also see some presentations of the famous cases too. The Metropolitan Life Tower stands in the Eastern side of Madison Square. It was regarded to be the tallest building in the world for a long time. It has a historical series of frescos in its entrance hall. There’s a giant clock on all four sides of the building. It’s a unique piece, because its fingers weigh 454 kilograms each.

Photo: Madison Square, New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by diebmx

Union Square
It was originally a park, but quickly became the home of drug dealers and soap-box orators. Thanks to the renovations, it is now the market of Manhattan, where various resellers come here four times a week. Farmers usually sell spices, fruits, small vegetables, flowers and hand-woven fabrics. We may also find cookies and honey in the market drift, which are all home-made.

Photo: Union Square, New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by fadedpictures

Little Italy
Little Italy is an ethnic neighborhood, home of the South-Italian immigrants. The atmosphere is almost the same as in Italy, since they kept their native language, traditions and their food as well. One may buy the most stylish clothes and accessories in the boutique of NoLita. The Gennaro-festival attracts many people to the quarter each year. The Old St. Patrick Cathedral is the Church of the local’s, which is situated on Mulberry Street.
Chinatown
It is a special sight; a quarter created by the ethnic immigrants. The Chinese-American residents operate unique shops, which are a curiosity. One may find gifts, exotic foods, spices and souvenirs sold in the street. The main attractions are the Eastern States Buddhist Church, with more than a 100 golden statues of Buddha, and Doyers Street – bloody corner – which reminds everyone of the tong war.
East Village
The quarter was the home of ethnic groups of many nations. First it was the home of the Dutch, than the Germans, Jewish, Irish, Ukrainian, but the hippies and punks have moved in too. The multi-storey building of the Cooper Union was built by Peter Cooper, locomotive manufacturer. He also launched the first co educated collage as well. The great hall of the collage was inaugurated by Mark Twain, where the education is still free for the students. The Tompkins Square, which is an English styled house, became famous for several events inside it. The first was the American worker protest, than it became a meeting place of the hippies, later it became the scene of clashes between the police and the homeless people. The little statue is a tribute to the victims of the disaster of the General Scolum steam engine. The Merchant’s House Museum, which is furnished with traditional furniture, offers a collection of federalist and Victorian Aged objects. The St. Mark’s-in the-Bowery is one of the oldest Churches in New York.
Greenwich Village
It is a colorful quarter of the city, beloved by the artists, writers, musicians and jazz singers. It is also the favorite place of the homosexual people. The annual street festival at Halloween is a special experience in the narrow streets. The promenades are flanked by terraced houses, with smaller internal gardens. The Old Italian buildings on St. Luke’s Place were built around 1850. The center of the quarter is the “mouse trap”, the Sheridan Square, which has really entangled streets. The Stonewall Inn gay bar is also situated here, which was the scene of rioting due to the harassment of the police. The Jefferson Market Courthouse is the most outstanding, most famous and most beautiful building of the quarter. It was originally meant to be a court, but it became a library instead. Well-known people lived in the surrounding houses.
SoHo- old industrial and historical quarter
Its buildings were made of cast iron, which is a curiosity in the whole world. There are 50 houses made of iron, covering 5 blocks. They are located in a central area, near the Green Street. The cast iron was a much cheaper material to build from; therefore it was preferable to use it. The decorations of the façade could be created faster, and it was more special. (Most beautiful buildings are: 72-76, 28-30 “Queens”). The Singer Building is a 12 storey building on the Broadway. It is decorated by a dark green, arched creation, with wrought iron balconies. This was the office and the warehouse of the Singer sewing-machine factory. It’s important to mention the Museum of Art, which has a fantastic collection. The high-level presentation, which are carefully organized and the artistic exhibitions are absolutely unique. The quarter features tasteful and trendy cafeterias, shops, boutiques and elegant restaurants too.
Bronx
The main attraction of the suburb is the Bronx Zoo. The zoo of the largest city in the country has 531 animals. There are several endangered species here, and a greatly extended forest, stream and a park makes the environment various. The other areas of the city were once nicely built, but nowadays they are in a poor condition; however, the visitors like to explore the neighborhood, which is the home of the Yankee baseball team. The Haupt Greenhouse features wonderful tropical rainforests and a desert as well.

Photo: Rockefeller Fountain, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by wallyg

Brooklyn
It is a colorful district of New York City, with the most various ethnic groups. But not only are the inhabitants, the buildings are different too. They are historical houses with gardens. The Brooklyn Botanic features the largest collection of bonsai trees and roses in the world. The five storey building of the Brooklyn Museum of Art has treasures to show us from Africa, Oceania, the New World, Egypt and the Middle-East. There are valuable pieces on display from the works of contemporary artists. We may find the world’s first museum here, which was dedicated to children; it is the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, which is the largest playground in the world. The beautiful beaches and corners make it really special. Brooklyn Bridge – suspension bridge At the time of its construction, it was the longest bridge in the world to be made with a steel framework. The construction took 16 years, and demanded many lives, due to the effects of being in the underwater channel chamber for a long time. The framework is held by saddle disks and steel wire cables, protected by steel roofing. The lookout from the bridge is splendid; the sight of the skyscrapers is particularly nice.

Photo: Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by wallyg

TriBeca-Hollywood East
The quarter that is now the center of the movie industry was originally a land of abandoned warehouses. Nowadays it operates well, the restaurants are always full, and has many galleries and mainly flats built in the attics. Many famous celebrities choose to live here. They like the closeness of the Film Center, which was established with the help of Robert de Niro.
Edridge Street Synagogue
The first Moorish styled chapel in the USA was built by the Jewish immigrants. It was the most flashy and most beautiful in around the turn of the century. The building had been closed for a long time, since there weren’t any visitors. It was renovated to be a historical sight, and nowadays many people come to visit the synagogue. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral It is the largest Catholic Basilicas in the USA, and the most beautiful neo-Gothic building of New York. It is situated in the center of Manhattan, and it is decorated by a huge bronze gate and a marble façade. It welcomes at least 2500 believers each Sunday.
Riverside Church
This church was built by the donations of Rockefeller. It is a neo-Gothic church with 74 bells, which makes it the largest and most special of its kind in the world. Its whistles and organ are regarded to be the largest in the world. The statues on its choir are made of gypsum, and coated with foliated gold. The Chapel of Christ was built after the sample of a French Church from the 11th century. The tower of the bells attracts a crowd of tourists; one may use an elevator instead of the stairs to get to the top, which offers a splendid panorama of Manhattan. St. Nicolas historical quarter The terraced houses here are the examples of the city’s architecture, the King houses. Its main characteristics were created while keeping practicality in mind. They feature brown sandstone near the entrances, a high porch and wrought iron balconies. The buildings of the George era are made of yellow bricks, with white decorations. Many leaders of the civil rights lived in this neighborhood.
Washington Square
After they’d filled up this swampy land and converted it into a park, is became a true city park. The marble arch is one of the main attritions of the place, which took over the place of a wooden arch. This once symbolized the anniversary of the enrolment of George Washington. A group of artists, who climbed up on the top of the arch in 1916, proclaimed New Bohemia State, the Republic of the free and independent Washington Square.
Central Park
The huge green belt offers a special experience for the visitors, yet it is only the garden of New York City. It means relaxation and pleasant spending of the free time for many people. It is covered with trees, bushes and squares. One may go skating on the Wolman Rink, or visit the Bethesda Fountain and the Wildlife Conservation Center, which gives home for several hundred animal species, due to its special, three different climate zones. The Dairy tourist center is in charge of informing us about the upcoming events, programs and current happenings. The Statue of Andersen and the bronze statue of Alice in Wonderland are a pleasant surprise for the kids. The Bow Bridge is a gently shaped wrought iron bridge. It is worth to take a look at the twin towers of the San Remo Apartments. The terraces of the Belvedere Castle offer a splendid panorama over the majority of the city and the park as well. The woodland of Ramble is slashed by smaller streams and paths. The Conservatory Water is the home of the radio controlled motor boat races, which are organized almost every weekend throughout the year.

Photo: Central Park, New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by wallyg

New York Public Library
The construction was done with an extremely high budget, and the public library was more than successful just after it was opened. It implemented the most important task of all, which is that the guests could obtain a book easily and fast in the library. It is a Spectacular white marble building, and its boarded ceiling consumes a huge internal space. The side walls are decorated by frescos. The 7 million books were placed of 140 kilometers of shelves, but thanks to the computerized control and automation, it takes very little time to obtain a book. The journal room has newspapers from more than 130 countries in the world. This library is the center of a network, containing 82 libraries. One may also find famous collections, manuscripts and scripts from the old times here.

Photo: New York Public Library, New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by Jaevus

Morgan Library
Thanks to the Morgan family, a really valuable private collection could be introduced to the public. There are manuscripts, especially banded books and prints in this magnificent collection, which is situated in a special environment. The building is a 3 storey building divided into two parts: the old library and the new Morgan section of the house, which are connected with the Garden Court, which is enlightened by the sun, through the windows. Besides the paintings and hand scripts, one may find a copy of the Guttenberg Bible, printed on pregame, and a sheet music of Mozart’s too.
Lincoln Center
The cultural center was built to gather the different areas of arts into one common place. The New York State Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera House are parts of the Lincoln Center. It’s worth to take a guided tour in the huge complex, so that we get to know all the areas of it. The American Folk Art Museum is situated in a modern building, but the Eva and Morris Fled Galleries are also found here, which features hand-made articles, wood carvings and paintings. The Hotel des Artistes was meant to be the studio of artists, it is famous for its beautiful frescos and tasty cuisine.

Photo: Lincoln Center, New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by majorbonnet

Whitney Museum of American Art
It offers a colorful collection of fine arts from the 20th and 21st centuries. It was founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who decided to put those pieces on display, which the Metropolitan Museum of Art wouldn’t accept. Thus it offers an unforgettable experience for the audience. There is a permanent exhibition of the works of: Calder, O’Keefe, Hopper, Jasper Jones and Lichtenstein, there’s also a temporary exhibition too.
Henry Clay Frick’s collection of fine arts
The American government inherited the works of the famous artist, Frick, thus an invaluable artistic collection is on display in this luxurious palace. The furniture conjures a special milieu to the creations. The French furniture, the porcelains and the paintings show that their owner was rich and had a good taste. The lighting gives a special gloss to the paintings in the Western gallery, where one may find the oil paintings of Hals, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Every room has its own atmosphere. The oval room shows the works of Whistler, while the library and the dining room is full of painting of English artists.
Museum of Modern Art – MoMA
This museum is temporarily in a factory building. It features such famous masterpieces like the Avignon Ladies from Picasso, or the Starry Night from Van Gogh.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
This is one of the gems of New York City. The museum was founded in 1870. It stores one of the most significant collections in the world, thanks to the donations of famous artists and the charity of rich people. When it first opened its gates, the objective was to compete with the European museums; however it only had 174 paintings and thee large private collections on display. The building was extended several times, to be able to put the more than two million works of art on display properly. The collection of the museum is divided into sections. The Byzantine Galleries, the Costume Institute and the Robert Lehman collection features French, Spanish and Dutch works, furniture and porcelains. The real specialty is the Costume Institute, which introduces the world of fashion to us from the 17th century till today. The Wallace wing features contemporary collections from Picasso and Pollock, and there are separate wings for the magnificent arts of sculpture, decoration and painting of Europe and America. The Egyptian and Rockefeller wing also has a special collection, mainly from Africa, islands of the Pacific-Ocean and North and South-America. These are primitive objects made of ivory, bronze statues, ceramics and stone objects.

Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, USA, flickr.com, by wallyg

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim museum has one of the largest and most beautiful collections of modern and contemporary works of fine arts in its possession. The façade of its building is like a clam, and its interior is special because of a spiral ramp. One may observe the paintings – the abstract pictures of Guggenheim as well- by walking along this ramp. There are also works from Picasso, Brancusi, Calder, Oldenberg and Rauschenberg as well, and you also get to see Justin Thannhauser’s collection of photos. They’re planning to expand the building to provide enough space for collections from the era following World War II, and to establish a theatre as well.
The Cloisters
The huge collections of artists of the Middle Ages are on display in this majestic museum. The Gothic codices, painted glasses, object made of ivory and pictures of unicorns were compiled according to chronology. The museum has an exhibition about essays and poetry of the Middle Ages. The Middle Aged concerts that are organized here are also quite popular.
American Museum of Natural History
It is the world’s largest museum of natural science. It is extremely popular; millions of tourists come to visit it each year. The most popular exhibition is the one that is about dinosaurs, and the one that is meant to introduce the life of the oceans. One may find a collection of meteors, minerals and precious stones on the first storey. The second storey is about the people and animals of Africa, Asia and Central and South America. One may find the exhibitions of the North-American Indians, birds and reptiles of the third storey, while the fourth is about the dinosaurs, fossil fish and early mammals. The Hayden Planetarium is situated in the center of the Rose Center, which is an exhibition about the specialties of the Earth and the space. One may find the Space Theatre, the Cosmic Path and the Big Bang Theaters here.
Studio Museum in Harlem
It is the home of the Afro-American works of art. The five-storey building on the main street of Harlem could become a museum through charity and donations. The permanent exhibitions of the best black artists are to be found on three of its floors. The two remaining storey feature temporary exhibitions, and a little statue park is found in the ground floor. The special photo archive shows pictures of the heydays of the Harlem, highlighting the most important events of the past. The residential courses promote the training of young artists. They feature series of presentations, film festivals and programs for children as well.
University of Columbia
It is one of the best universities of the USA, which was built around a quadrangular internal garden. The Low Library plays usually the main role, which is often the scenery of festivals. The majority of the books are stored in the Butler Library. The St. Paul’s Chapel has excellent acoustics, thanks to the meticulous cutting and shaping of the wood. They teach law, medical science and journalism in the University. Several scientists graduated here, who won the Nobel-prize later on. The visitors get to see the interior. They will have the chance to peak into the life of the students and their activities. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is also situated here, which is still under construction; however they organize musical and fine art programs and events here.