Brooklyn Bridge
Dubbed the eighth wonder of the world when it was completed after 30 years of construction in 1883, John Augustus Roebling's design remains a masterful feat of engineering. One of the world's first steel wire suspension bridges (and at one time one of the world's longest) links Manhattan to Brooklyn, over the East River. The bridge's mile-long wooden promenade, located above the car traffic, is open to pedestrians and cyclists and offers stunning views of the city.


Park Row, New York
United States
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fee: No
Disabled Access: Yes


Central Park
A magnificent city sanctuary situated in the centre of Manhattan. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it opened in 1876 and now offers numerous recreational and cultural outlets. The Belvedere Castle (a stone castle built on Vista Rock in the middle of the park at the 79th Street Transverse) offers excellent views, while the Shakespeare Garden, just west of the castle, contains flowers and herbs mentioned in the Bard's plays. The Central Park Conservancy offers various free walking tours. There is also a theatre and sports facilities in addition to the celebrated Central Park Zoo.


From 59th Street to 110th Street
New York
United States
Tel: 212) 310 6600 or 360 2726 (walking tours hotline).
Web: www.centralparknyc.org
Opening hours: Daily 24 hours (park); daily 1000-1630 (visitor centre).
Admission Fee: No
Disabled Access: Yes


Empire State Building
Immortalised by Hollywood cinema, this stunning skyscraper is now once again the city's tallest building. Completed in 1931, the 102-storey Empire State Building is a wonderful example of art deco architecture and the observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors offer magical views of the city; the 86th floor deck is open air. Each night, the top 31 storeys are illuminated with a colour that reflects the season or holiday. The New York Skyride, on the second floor, features a video and a motion-simulator ride around NYC's attractions.


350 Fifth Avenue at East 34th Street
New York
United States
Tel: (212) 736 3100.
Web: www.esbnyc.com
Opening hours: Daily 0800-0200.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes


Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village is one of the liveliest and trendiest districts of New York City. Originally a tobacco plantation located towards the tip of Manhattan Island, it was given its name by British naval commander, Sir Peter Warren who purchased a farm there in the early 18th century. It was not until New York's yellow fever outbreak in 1822 that people began to move here to escape the disease-ridden conditions of the city, and Greenwich quickly flourished, as banks and businesses sprang up alongside the elegant houses of their wealthy owners. By the turn of the last century, New York's richest residents had begun to move to more fashionable areas of town, such as Fifth Avenue. This exodus meant that the houses were populated by struggling artists and writers, who spent their time in the Village's many bars and coffee houses, discussing political ideals. Greenwich thus gained its reputation as New York's Bohemian, anti-establishment quarter, as well as a centre for women's liberation. The Village also gained a reputation as the focus of the gay rights movement after the infamous Stonewall Riots that followed the police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, in 1969. The area's reputation as a Bohemian melting pot has stuck, despite the fact that it has once again become home to the city's well-heeled professionals since the sharp rise in property prices during the 1980s economic boom forced writers and artists out. Christopher Street, which runs through the centre of the district, is the hub of New York's gay scene, whilst Greenwich Avenue is a good place to shop, with plenty of bookstores and second-hand clothes shops. Greenwich Village also has a thriving nightlife, with many of its lively cafés and bars staying open later than those elsewhere in Manhattan.


Greenwich Village, New York
United States
Disabled Access: Yes


Metropolitan Museum of Art
‘The Met,' a most cherished New York institution, is home to more than two million works of art. It opened in 1870 with a modest collection of 174 European paintings and has grown to be the largest art museum in the western hemisphere. Now its collected works span 5,000 years of culture and the museum is home to some 2,500 of the finest paintings, including Vermeers, Rembrandts, Impressionists and Post-Impressionists as well as Renaissance, African, Asian, and Islamic art. It is believed that its 36,000 pieces of Egyptian art is the greatest outside of Cairo.


at 82nd Street
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York
United States
Tel: (212) 535 7710.
Web: www.metmuseum.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0930-1730, Fri-Sat 0930-2100.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes


Museum of Modern Art
Founded by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, John D Rockefeller II's wife, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), houses the most important modern art collection in the USA, covering a variety of media from the late 19th and 20th centuries, with impressive touring exhibitions.
Some of the most prominent features include a lobby that connects 53rd and 54th streets; an atrium that soars 33.5m (110ft) above street level; and innovative glass curtain walls that provide views of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden and the vibrant midtown surroundings.

between Fifth and Sixth Streets
11 West 53rd Street
New York
United States
Tel: (212) 708 9400.
Web: www.moma.org
Opening hours: Sat-Mon and Wed-Thurs 1030-1730, Fri 1030-2000.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes


Rockefeller Center
Built in 1932-40, the Rockefeller Center is a masterpiece of urban design. The best approach is from the Channel Gardens, opposite Saks on Fifth Avenue to arrive at the focal point of the complex, the sunken plaza, used as an ice-skating rink in winter and an open-air restaurant in summer. Behind this, the GE building dominates the scene with its art deco ambience. The Rockefeller Center is home to NBC, Radio City Music Hall and Christie's Auction House. NBC Studio tours are available.


47th Street to 52nd Street
Fifth Avenue
New York
United States
Tel: (212) 332 6868 or 632 3975.
Web: www.rockefellercenter.com
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes


Solomon R Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museum, a seven-storey conical building designed by US master architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is worth visiting for the building alone. Opened in 1959, its design represented a new way to view art and was a radical departure. Visitors ascend to the top floor via escalator and descend at their own pace on a continuous, circular ramp. The open rotunda makes it possible to see many levels and exhibits simultaneously. The Guggenheim's acclaimed collection consists of late 19th- and 20th-century art works, many of which came from the private collection of Solomon's niece, Peggy Guggenheim.


at 89th Street
1071 Fifth Avenue
New York
United States
Tel: (212) 423 3500.
Web: www.guggenheim.org
Opening hours: Sat-Wed 1000-1745; Fri 1000-1945.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes