New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [5]
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
From the 86th-floor observatory, which towers 1,050 feet above the city, you can see up to 80 mi away on a clear day (and it’s heated and air-conditioned, unlike the deck 16 stories farther up). The views at night are equally stunning, with the glittering city lights French architect Le Corbusier once called “a Milky Way come down to earth.” If you’re afraid of heights, gazing at the building from afar will still deliver a dose of dazzle—especially after dark, when it’s illuminated by colored lights that correspond to different holidays and events.
MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
Described as a “modernist dream world” after its $425 million face-lift in 2004, MoMA has since become as famous for its architecture as for its collections. Yoshio Taniguchi, the Japanese architect responsible for the redesign, created newly spacious, soaring-ceiling galleries suffused with natural light, where masterpieces like Monet’s Water Lilies, Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, and van Gogh’s Starry Night can get the oohs and aahs they deserve. The museum’s restaurant next door, the Modern, is nearly as breathtaking.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
“A drive-through cathedral” is how critic James Wolcott described this, one of New York’s noblest and most recognized landmarks. Spanning the East River, the Brooklyn Bridge connects the island of Manhattan to the borough of Brooklyn (once an independent city, and still worth a visit in its own right). A leisurely hour’s stroll on the pedestrian walkway (which you’ll share with bicyclists, in-line skaters, and entrepreneurs selling bottled water) is an essential New York experience. Traffic is beneath you, and the views along the East River and of Manhattan’s Financial District are some of the best anywhere.
STATUE OF LIBERTY
Presented to the United States in 1886 as a gift from France, Lady Liberty is a near-universal symbol of freedom and democracy, standing 152 feet high atop an 89-foot pedestal on Liberty Island. You can get a taste of the thrill millions of immigrants must have experienced as you approach Liberty Island on the ferry from Battery Park. The statue’s crown was closed to visitors for almost eight years after the September 11 attacks, but reopened on July 4, 2009.
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
The towering, spectacularly reassembled dinosaur skeletons that greet you when you enter this museum are practically worth the (suggested) price of admission. But there’s tons more, including exhibits of ancient civilizations, animals both stuffed and living (don’t miss the live Butterfly Conservatory October–May), a hall of oceanic creatures overlooked by a 94-foot model of a blue whale, and space shows at the adjoining Rose Center for Earth and Space.
CENTRAL PARK
The literal and spiritual center of Manhattan, Central Park has 843 acres of meandering paths, tranquil lakes, ponds, and open meadows. For equestrians, softball and soccer players, strollers, ice- and roller-skaters, rock climbers, bird-watchers, boaters, picnickers, and outdoor performers, it’s an oasis of fresh air and greenery that lets them forget—at least for a little while—the hustle and congestion of the city.
BRONX ZOO
One urban jungle deserves another. Only at the world’s largest urban zoo is there room for gorillas to lumber around a 6.5-acre simulated rain forest, or tigers and lions to roam nearly 40 acres of open meadows.
SOHO
The elegant cast-iron buildings, cobblestone streets, art galleries, chic boutiques, and swanky hotels make this a wonderful area in which to shop, drink, and dream of a more glamorous life.
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