What makes New York so a fascinating city? That’s
hard to answer. Many of us find ourselves put off by
big cities. This one in particular is hard to sum up in a
few words. Could it be because of its many contrasts?
The modern buildings alongside the old ones or its
narrow streets and wide boulevards; or the chaotic
along with the peaceful; the small shops and the
huge department stores; or its taxies that light up the
streets which they share with horse drawn carriages;
or the crowds of people that rush here and there while
others take time out in one of its parks; or could it be
the streets crammed with advertizing sign boards just
round the corner from others that feel so homely?
Maybe its all of these and each one makes its own
contribution to what is tenderly called “the big apple”.
And it doesn’t matter what you have in mind when you
come for a visit because the one thing you can be sure
of is that there is always something to do, something
new to see, something that on each visit makes this
city unforgettable.
Take in a show on Broadway, visit a museum, enjoy
a meal in one of the many and varied restaurants, go
shopping, take a doubledecker bus on a sightseeing
tour, travel to the suburbs, sit on a park bench and
enjoy the peace of the lakes, ride the metro and try
to understand the synergy of all these cultures living
alongside each other, breakfast at a restaurant offering
coffee and European pastries, stop at an intersection,
look up and see how the sky scrapers seem to touch
the clouds, visit ground zero and listen to the sombre
silence that reminds us of mankind’s stupidity, cross
bridges old and new that join one district to another
while night falls; gaze at the Hudson River that seems to
carry so many secrets along with its current … there is
definitely a pulse to New York, a beat that transmits itself
to you, and not many cities give you this sensation.
New York’s five boroughs - Manhattan, Staten Island,
Brooklyn, Queens and Bronx – are home to around eight
million inhabitants, for whom Manhattan Island beats as
the heart of the city. Getting up on a winter’s morning,
looking out the window at the snowflakes slowly drifting
down or experiencing the dawn in summer when the
sun’s rays seem to bring the city back to life after the
winter season are particularly magical moments.
It is easy to find your way around because of the city’s
grid iron lay out. Uptown, Midtown, Downtown, East
Side and West Side become your cardinal points when
you are moving around the city and with such simple
descriptions, Nueva York becomes a city that is easy to
find your way around, even for those who are visiting for
the first time. We have prepared a short guide to help
you get to know a little about the different boroughs:
Manhattan
Manhattan (or Island of Hills) is 21.5km. long by
3.7km. wide and is the most important of the city’s
five boroughs. It is divided into three sections: Downtown, Midtown and Uptown.
Downtown is the oldest part of the city, heart of the
financial district and home to the New York Stock
Exchange. Here you will find the city’s most famous
districts such as Chinatown, Little Italy, Soho, Tribeca
and Greenwich Village.
Midtown is the most popular area for tourists where
you will find most attractions such as the Empire State
Building, the Rockefeller Center and Broadway. The
streets are laid out in blocks, numbered from north to
south and from east to west, so it is hard to get lost.
However if this does happen to you, you will always
be able to find the famous Fifth Avenue that divides
the city in two, and gives you a point of reference for
finding any other street you are looking for.
And finally, Uptown is an area of contrasts. Here you
will find some of the city’s most important museums
such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the
Guggenheim and the Whitney. But here are also more
of the city’s most famous districts such as Harlem
where many African Americans live and Spanish
Harlem, home to many of Puerto Rican origin.
Brooklyn
Made famous by the beautiful bridge that bears its
name, Brooklyn is the most populated of New York’s
boroughs and is home to a number of districts, each
one with its charming characteristics. Of particular
note are Brooklyn Heights, which offers spectacular
views over Manhattan; Williamsburg, with its varied
cultures and large numbers of art galleries and
craft shops; or Flatbush and Midwood, home to
the largest community of orthodox jews outside
the State of Israel. In Brooklyn you can visit the first
museum in the world dedicated to children as well
as really interesting zoos, botanical gardens and
aquariums.
Queens
Named in honor of Queen Catherine de Braganza,
Queens is the largest of the city’s five boroughs as
well as being thought of as New York’s dormitory as it
is made up for the most part of single family homes.
However you can still visit a wide variety of museums
of art, science and technology, and among other
interesting attractions are the New York Mets baseball
stadium and the national tennis stadium where the
US Open is held.
The Bronx
Located to the north of the city, The Bronx is known as the
most dangerous borough in New York, even though in reality,
with the exception of its southern part, this is not the case. The
Bronx is famous for its parks such as the Wildlife Conservation
Park, where you can find the largest zoo in the country and the
New York Botanical Garden with around 40 acres of woodland.
The Bronx is also home to New York’s other baseball team,
the Yankees, which is one of the best known teams in the
American Leaugue.
Staten Island
To get to the borough of Staten Island you have to take the Staten Island
Ferry, which has a number of advantages – as well as being free of charge
and available 24 hours a day, you also get some incredible views of
Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Among the many places to visit are
the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art and the Garibaldi-Meucci
Museum.
If you still haven’t visited New York you are missing something special. If
you have visited once,
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