New York Things To Do

The Neighbourhoods
New York is far more diversified than people imagine. Walking in New York is an exhilarating experience, with huge changes in style and atmosphere within a couple of blocks. Perhaps the most striking examples are Chinatown and Harlem. Greenwich Village, East Village, Soho, Tribeca and Chelsea are fascinating neighbourhoods with characterful low-rise buildings. Little Italy, with its early 20th century tenements, is redolent of classic American cinema. The bright lights of Broadway should be experienced at night. Chinatown is a must, an intense and surprisingly large neighbourhood packed with amazing restaurants, shops and markets. The financial district is far more than breathtaking skyscrapers, and like all New York neighbourhoods is full of incongruous and idiosyncratic surprises.

Sightseeing
The major New York sights will not disappoint. Every first time visit to New York should include the uplifting trip to the top of the Empire State Building and the exhilarating walk across Brooklyn Bridge. Central Park is a great place to people watch and has superb views of the skyscrapers. Central Park is particularly beautiful in the autumn and winter. The Staten Island ferry provides fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. Longer New York city breaks could include a trip to weirdly old-fashioned Coney Island.

Museums and Galleries
There are far more excellent New York galleries than you can possibly fit into a short break. The Guggenheim Museum features Frank Lloyd Wright's famous circular building and 20th century art including Picasso, Van Gogh, Chagall and Kadinsky. The Whitney Museum has an amazing collection of twentieth-century American painting, sculpture and photography. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum of Art are two of the largest and most comprehensive collections in the world. The American Museum of the Moving Image is an entertaining survey of film and television. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) covers all aspects of twentieth century art and design including film. Arts centres like the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts have tremendously wide-ranging programmes.

Jazz
All music fans will find an amazing choice of live music in New York. But the music that best expresses the diverse cultural and ethnic mix of this extraordinarily vibrant city is jazz. One look at the listings will excite all jazz enthusiasts and possibly send latin jazz fans into ecstasy. Legendary clubs like The Blue Note and the Village Vanguard are expensive but will not disappoint. Look out for weekend lunchtime sessions. It is often New York’s smaller inexpensive clubs that have the strongest sense of community and the most exciting new developments. In cosy clubs like Zinc Bar, The Back Fence and The Knitting Factory you may end up sitting right next to the musicians and witnessing memorable spontaneous guest appearances.

Shopping
New York shops have something for everyone and prices will come as a surprise to most British visitors. Department stores like Macys and Liberties are tourist attractions in their own right. Explore the neighbourhoods. The Chelsea neighbourhood is packed with trendy designer shops and Greenwich Village is full of idiosyncratic small stores.

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