September 11, 2001, Tuesday morning, 7 am. Flights were bound from New York to points west. By 8:45 am an American Airlines Boeing 767 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Less than 20 minutes later, another 767 hit the south tower. The Twin Towers collapsed in flames and 2,977 people died. This day would never be forgotten.

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is a memorial and museum in New York City commemorating the September 11, 2001, and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing attacks. By November 2003, the memorial design project had been awarded to architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker. Their memorial is called "Reflecting Absence." It is a forest of white oak trees surrounding two recessed pools formed by the footprints of the Twin Towers.

The park is level with the street. The names of victims who died from the attacks, including the 1993 bombing, are inscribed on parapets around the waterfalls. The waterfalls are intended to mute outside noises and create a meditative atmosphere at the site.

A callery pear tree that survived, called the "Survivor Tree," was replanted at the World Trade Center. It is thriving. Six other "survivor" pear trees and linden trees have been planted at other sites.

The "Memorial Glade" is a path that follows a temporary ramp used by first responders. It has six enormous stones that jut up through the ground as if violently pushed. The stones simply "strength and resistance."

The September 11 Museum at the site opened in May 2014. It has a collection of over 40,000 images, 14,000 artifacts, and about 3,500 recordings, including 500 hours of videos. There are steel items from the towers, such as the "Last Column." The museum is designed by the architectural firm Davis Brody Bond. It is 70 feet underground, accessible through a pavilion.

The pavilion follows a deconstructivist design, resembling collapsed buildings. Two "tridents" from the towers are inside. One of the museum walls is the old "slurry" wall holding back the Hudson River. The bodies of 1,115 victims were moved to a bedrock crypt space as part of the museum.

Roll the tape back to the 1980s, when Canal Street was every tinkerer’s paradise. Popular Electronics dropped its latest DIY project each month, and hobbyists would march straight here, list in hand, knowing they could find every resistor, capacitor, and mystery widget tucked into the cluttered counters of its electronics shops. Fast-forward a few decades, and the silicon dreamscape has given way to racks of industrial plastics and an impressive economy of knockoff handbags, fragrances, jewelry, watches, and designer fashions—almost all made in China and arriving by the container load.

Even with the tech era long gone, Canal Street still knows how to put on a show. Vendors line the sidewalks with coconut drinks, durian, vegetables, homemade noodles, and all kinds of Chinese snacks that perfume the air from one end to the Manhattan Bridge. Nearly every doorway is hiding something—sometimes a shop filled with handcrafted Asian ceramics, sometimes a tiny cash-only souvenir store where prices are a fraction of what you’d pay in Times Square. And since no merchant enjoys seeing a customer leave empty-handed, haggling isn’t just welcomed—it’s practically a local sport.

A few steps away, at 200 Canal Street, the NEW KAM MAN Supermarket (working from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.) spreads out across three floors of temptation. Groceries, pottery, cast-iron teapots, chopsticks, Japanese lunch boxes, cosmetics, teas, herbs—you name it. And up on the renovated upper level, Hello Kitty has staged a full takeover: stationery, trinkets, sake sets, skincare, blankets… essentially every cute object known to humankind.

Food lovers won’t go hungry, either. Canal Street and its side streets hold a dense constellation of eateries—mostly Cantonese, with plenty of regional outliers—some of them incredibly good, almost all of them reasonably priced.

And one more note: those whispered offers for “special” watches and handbags are totally normal here. If you’re hunting for a knockoff of a $1,200 bag—sometimes impressively close to the real thing, sometimes not so much—you’ll find options from $20 to $150. Deals happen in doorways, alleys, and side corners. It’s not dangerous; it’s just Canal Street doing what Canal Street does best: running an underground market in broad daylight...

The Friends Apartment Building is situated in Greenwich Village. People from around the world continue to visit the Friends building, despite the show first airing in 1994. The show remains very popular, and crowds of tourists can often be seen taking photos in front of the building at all hours.

The building itself is fairly ordinary in appearance. It is a six-story tan brick structure built between 1898 and 1899. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission records describe it as an ‘old law’ or dumbbell tenement, named for its cut-out air shaft, which provided ventilation and made the building resemble a dumbbell from above. The only notable features are the round-arched windows on the third and sixth floors. The building appeared in a brief shot in the first episode of Friends and remained a key location throughout the series.

Friends continues to be popular for several reasons. The show generates around $1 billion a year in revenue for Warner Brothers and has captured the hearts of a new generation of young adults. The timeless relatability of the show and its characters, along with the nostalgia for the simpler times of the 90s, contribute to its lasting appeal. The characters' portrayal of young adulthood, with its directionlessness and aimlessness, resonates with many viewers today.

Meet the undisputed champion of New York’s Art Deco era: the Empire State Building, a 102-story giant that rises over 1,450 feet above Midtown’s daily hustle. It once ruled as the tallest building on Earth; today it’s still impressive enough to hold a lineup of titles—seventh-tallest in New York, ninth in the United States, and still one of the tallest freestanding structures anywhere in the Americas.

Its name comes straight from New York’s proud nickname, the “Empire State,” and its streamlined design was the work of the Shreve, Lamb & Harmon architectural firm. Construction began in 1930, wrapped up just a year later, and replaced the former Waldorf-Astoria Hotel that once stood on the same block. From the start, the goal was simple: to build the biggest, boldest skyscraper the world had ever seen.

You’ll find this landmark in Midtown South, planted along Fifth Avenue between 34th and 35th Streets. Three observatories—on the 80th, 86th, and 102nd floors—offer wraparound views that make the city look like an architectural toy box. And thanks to its starring role in more than 250 films and TV shows, beginning with King Kong in 1933, the building’s Hollywood résumé is nearly as tall as the tower itself.

The exterior keeps things classic: Indiana limestone, granite, and clean geometric ornamentation that embodies Art Deco style without telling a story in symbols. The main entrance features metal doors framed by sleek vertical piers topped with sculpted eagles, along with a gold-lettered transom that proudly spells out the building’s name.

In recognition of its cultural and architectural significance, the Empire State Building was declared a New York City Landmark in 1980 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Today, it remains one of Manhattan’s most enduring icons—an unmistakable marker on the skyline and an essential stop for anyone wanting to feel the full vertical spirit of New York.

It may well be puzzling as to why New Yorkers use the terms “Grand Central Terminal” and “Grand Central Station” as if they’re the same thing... Here’s the secret: one is the rail terminal, the other is the post office attached to it, and the whole complex is busy enough that no one pauses to sort out the terminology.

The place's story began with Cornelius Vanderbilt, the 19th-century business titan, who collected railroads the way others collect postcards. After buying the Hudson River and New York Central lines in 1867, he fused them together and launched the construction of Grand Central Depot two years later.

The original depot, designed by architect John B. Snook, arrived in full Second Empire style—mansard roofs, ornate flourishes, and the confidence of a building that knew it had somewhere important to be. By 1874, it was ready for service. Trains glided into the Park Avenue Tunnel at 96th Street, slipping underground for the final approach. This solved the small problem of locomotives barreling down Manhattan streets, which city residents understandably found less than charming.

Then came 1902. A steam locomotive, blinded by smoke in the Park Avenue Tunnel, missed its signals and collided with another train. The crash sealed the depot’s fate. Within a few years, it was demolished, making way for the Grand Central Terminal we know today. The firms Reed & Stern and Warren & Wetmore teamed up to create the Beaux-Arts landmark—one focused on the functional layout, the other on the dramatic exterior.

Inside, the terminal doubled as an art gallery long before that was fashionable. The Main Concourse ceiling famously charts a glowing, backwards zodiac. The façade features the Glory of Commerce sculpture, a bronze statue of Vanderbilt stands guard out front, and cast-iron eagles keep watch over the whole scene.

Vanderbilt Hall regularly hosts exhibitions and seasonal events, while the Dining Concourse adds its own glow with rows of illuminated lightboxes. And every so often, the terminal surprises commuters with performance art—from choreographed flash mobs to unexpected installations—turning an everyday commute into something slightly cinematic.

Officially known as the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, but more commonly as the 42nd Street main branch, this is the New York Public Library in its most dramatic form. The building occupies a prime spot on Fifth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets, sharing the block with Bryant Park and wearing its Beaux-Arts architecture like a tailored suit that never went out of style.

The story dates back to 1895, when the Astor and Lenox Libraries merged and suddenly needed a home worthy of their combined ambitions. The chosen location sat beneath the old Croton Distributing Reservoir, a granite fortress that had outlived its usefulness. The firm Carrère & Hastings was brought in to replace it with something grander, brighter, and considerably more inviting than a municipal water tank.

When the library finally opened on May 24, 1911, New Yorkers poured in. The first borrowed book—an earnest study comparing Nietzsche and Tolstoy—set the tone for the building’s intellectual aspirations. Within its first week, a quarter of a million visitors wandered its halls, proving that the city was more than ready for a cultural showpiece.

The exterior lives up to its reputation. Vermont marble and brick form the façade, while bronze windows and fixtures add a warm contrast. Above the central entrance, pediments display allegorical sculptures of Life, Painting, and Sculpture—just in case you needed a reminder that this building takes the arts seriously... A graceful balcony stretches along the Fifth Avenue side, tying the whole ensemble together.

Approach the main entrance, and you’ll ascend a grand staircase toward a deep portico with six Corinthian columns and three archways. And waiting to greet you—calm, composed, and eternally photogenic—are the two famous Tennessee marble lions flanking the steps. They’ve stood watch for more than a century, making sure everyone entering this library does so with a sense of occasion...

5th Avenue is a major thoroughfare in New York City's Manhattan, extending north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is considered one of the most expensive and luxurious stretches of retail in the U.S., if not the whole world, which has been drawing a steady stream of fashion addicts for over a century now.

Few things can be equally fun and indulgent as shopping (or even window-shopping) at 5th Avenue, as most of the high-end designer outposts here feature ornamental window displays and, on any given day, the street resembles a couture runway. However, the experience can also be just as daunting and overwhelming, particularly for first-time shoppers, so here are some of the top shops worth checking out primarily on 5th Avenue:

- Tiffany & Co. is the incredibly famous fine jewelry brand flagship store where the iconic “Breakfast at Tiffany's” movie was set.
- Known worldwide, despite this being their only location, Bergdorf Goodman is the premier shopping destination for all luxury items. Many celebrities have been quoted as saying "Scatter my ashes at Bergdorf's".
- If you look for high-quality cultured pearls as a memorable gift for a special lady in your life, then look no further than Mikimoto.
- If you're lusting after the new iPhone or are just a tech lover, a visit to The Apple Store is a must.
- The crème de la crème of leather handbags, the outpost of French Louis Vuitton will set you back a hefty sum for a purse, but, given the timeless style, you'll be able to wear it for years to come.
- The Italian brand Prada offers a wide variety of luxury items, from fashion to shoes and handbags, and everything in between.
- Well-made suits for the well-heeled set are found in abundance at Hugo Boss, notorious since the late 1990s, courtesy of “The Sopranos” series.

Why You Should Visit:
The main artery of New York City's shopping scene with mass brands, upscale department stores and multinational retailers offering something for everyone.

Long before Manhattan’s tidy street plan straightened everything out, Broadway, unlike other streets in New York, followed an older native pathway, wandering freely up the island. This is why it slices across Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street, forming two triangular pockets, like a bow tie. The southern one is called Times Square, while the northern, Duffy Square, is named for World War I chaplain Father Francis P. Duffy, whose statue now watches over the crowds with admirable patience.

The stretch of Broadway from 41st to 53rd Streets goes by a different name: the Great White Way. That nickname wasn’t poetic exaggeration—those glowing billboards, marquees, and oversized posters once made the area one of the brightest electrified spots on Earth. Today, it’s still blazing away with advertisements for Broadway’s latest musicals and plays, pulling in nearly 50 million visitors a year. That’s roughly 330,000 people a day, all weaving through the lights, noise, and spectacle in search of something unforgettable.

Before it was Times Square, this chaotic crossroads answered to the far calmer name of Longacre Square. Everything changed in 1904, when New York Times publisher Adolph S. Ochs moved his newspaper into the brand-new Times Building—now known as One Times Square—and happily lent his name to the neighborhood. The Times moved out within a decade, but not before launching a little tradition in 1907: the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop. A century later, the glittering descent still draws over a million people every year, along with countless viewers around the world.

Today, Times Square is a fluorescent buffet of attractions—ABC’s Times Square Studios, Planet Hollywood, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and whichever character impersonator is bravest that day. The towering illuminated signs, nicknamed “spectaculars” or “jumbotrons,” compete with the neon bravado of Las Vegas and often win.

Amid all that glow, shoppers duck into stores like Gap, Old Navy, Forever 21, Levi’s, the Disney Store, Hershey’s Chocolate World, and M&M’s World—each one flashing its own brand of temptation. Whether you’re hunting for a souvenir, a show, or just a moment to stand still and stare, this Midtown crossroads remains New York at its most unfiltered and unmistakable.

Trying to follow Broadway back to its beginnings, you’d find yourself tracing a much older path: the Wickquasgeck Trail, a route carved into Manhattan in the times of New Amsterdam, long before New York dreamed of skyscrapers or neon marquees... That trail stretched up the island like a wandering spine, and when the Dutch arrived, they simply widened it and gave it a new name: Heeren (or “Gentlemen’s”) Way. The British, who arrived later, noticing how wide the street really was, promptly declared it Broadway—a name that clearly stuck.

Today’s Broadway runs a lot farther than its original ancestor. It launches from Bowling Green at Manhattan’s southern tip, slips through the boroughs, wanders into Westchester County, and keeps going until it reaches Sleepy Hollow. If you’re searching for New York’s oldest continuous street, this is the one.

Jump to 1907, when part of Broadway—stretching from Times Square to Sherman Square—earned a new identity as Automobile Row. Car dealerships, repair shops, and glittering showrooms lined both sides, turning the street into a motor-age catwalk. Over time, the traffic patterns tightened, and Broadway became mainly a one-way river of cars.

In recent decades, though, the city has rewritten Broadway’s script. Cars have gradually ceded space to people, and sections of the street have transformed into pedestrian plazas, pocket parks, and bike lanes. Times Square, Duffy Square, and Herald Square traded honking horns for café tables and performers in painted outfits. Even Madison and Union Square saw Broadway narrow to make room for walkers instead of windshields.

At the southern end, near Bowling Green and City Hall Park, Lower Broadway still plays host to the city’s legendary ticker-tape parades—snowstorms of paper drifting from office towers as heroes of every kind roll past. These days, it’s more shredded confetti and fewer actual tickers, but the “Canyon of Heroes” effect remains.

And then there’s the stretch that needs no introduction: The Great White Way, a phrase coined in 1901 to describe Broadway’s theater district. Between 42nd and 53rd Streets, the lights burn bright, the marquees compete for your attention, and the plays and musicals rewrite themselves nightly through applause.

From colonial trail to cultural artery, Broadway carries centuries of stories—and somehow still finds room for more...

Established in 1869, this timeless museum houses an astonishing array of approximately 34 million artifacts, complemented by a state-of-the-art planetarium. From October to May, it hosts a captivating Butterfly Conservatory, featuring over 500 species of butterflies from various corners of the world. Among its renowned highlights are the Fossil Halls, showcasing an impressive collection of nearly 600 specimens, including the awe-inspiring skeletons of a colossal mammoth and a formidable Tyrannosaurus rex.

The museum offers an abundance of animal exhibits, galleries dedicated to precious gems, and an IMAX theater. The Hall of Ocean Life captivates visitors with dioramas that delve into the realms of ecology and conservation, along with a beloved 94-foot replica of a majestic blue whale suspended from the ceiling. At one entrance, a remarkable 63-foot, 19th-century canoe intricately carved by the talented Haida people of British Columbia extends a warm welcome.

For enthusiasts of the cosmos, the Rose Center for Earth & Space takes center stage. Its glass-box facade serves as a gateway to space-show theaters and a captivating planetarium, creating an otherworldly ambiance. Dark Universe, a presentation narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson and frequently showcased, delves into the mysteries and breathtaking wonders of the universe.
Due to its immense popularity, the museum tends to be crowded on weekends. It is advisable to plan an early visit on a weekday to make the most of your experience.

Why You Should Visit:
One of the largest and finest museums on Earth!

Tip:
Note that certain special exhibits may require an additional fee, so it is advisable to research and plan ahead for the specific attractions you wish to visit.
Furthermore, it is recommended to have a meal before your visit, as the on-site dining options can be quite pricey and may not meet expectations in terms of quality.

Regarded as the largest and most comprehensive museum in the Western hemisphere, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a collective of American businessmen, artists, and intellectuals. Initially located at 681 Fifth Avenue, its mission was to safeguard and foster appreciation for some of the world's most exceptional artistic creations.

The museum's Gothic Revival red-brick facade was initially designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould. However, in 1926, it underwent a transformation, resulting in the grand entrance we see today, embellished with majestic white columns. Although a significant portion of the original facade has been replaced, a fragment still remains visible from the Robert Lehman Wing, providing a glimpse towards the galleries of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts.

With an annual attendance surpassing 4 million visitors, The Met welcomes art enthusiasts from around the globe who come to admire the vast collection of over 2 million artworks it houses. Even with multiple visits, it would be challenging to explore more than a fraction of the museum's permanent collection. The vast paintings anthology had a modest beginning in 1870 with a small donation of 174 European paintings and has now swelled to include works spanning 5,000 years of world culture, from the prehistoric to the present and from every corner of the globe.

The Met is organized into various smaller museums within its buildings. The American Wing, for example, houses an extensive collection of American paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts, including period rooms that offer insights into domestic life throughout the nation's history. The Egyptian collection rivals that of Cairo, while the Islamic art exhibition remains unparalleled. The Met also showcases a mass of 2,500 European paintings, as well as an impressive selection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. Noteworthy renovations have taken place, such as the refurbishment of the Islamic art galleries in 2008, following a decade-long restoration of the Greek & Roman collection. These redesigned spaces display artworks that had been in storage for many years, ensuring that even frequent visitors will discover something fresh to admire, including the museum's newly restored, world-renowned Etruscan chariot.

Other prominent collections encompass arms and armor, Asian art, costumes, European sculpture and decorative arts, medieval and Renaissance art, musical instruments, drawings, prints, ancient antiquities from various regions, photography, and modern art. Furthermore, the museum regularly hosts special exhibitions and performances throughout the year, further solidifying its status as a world-class institution with Central Park serving as its picturesque backdrop.

Why You Should Visit:
Thousands of masterpieces gathered within the space of two million square feet!
There's something for every art lover here, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, interest or familiarity.

Tips:
To prevent exhaustion, it is advisable to divide your visit into multiple sessions. By utilizing entry tickets that grant access to the museum for a three-day period, you have the flexibility to explore at your own pace and take breaks as needed. Additionally, these tickets may also include entry to some Met annexes located elsewhere in NYC, further enhancing your cultural experience.
Given the museum's immense size, seating can be scarce during busy weekends. If you find yourself in need of a restful spot, the ideal location to unwind is the serene furniture storage area on the 2nd floor, which exudes an air of elegance and offers a selection of plush, modern upholstered chairs that provide utmost comfort. When in need of a respite from the abundance of cultural riches, visitors can otherwise enjoy a snack at the American Wing Café or have lunch in the cafeteria. For a more indulgent experience, there is the option to dine at the Members Dining Room, which offers a breathtaking view of the park. During the summer, ascending to the Roof Garden Café presents an opportunity to savor a glass of wine while admiring the unparalleled beauty of Central Park, without breaking the bank.

When the Yankees unveiled their new stadium in 2009, there was a deliberate effort to maintain the iconic elements of the old venue. Architecturally, the exterior and the famous frieze at the top of the upper decks remained virtually unchanged. However, there were notable improvements, such as wider and more spacious concourses, upgraded concessions, and a massive 59-by-101-foot HD LED scoreboard that wowed fans.

A must-see attraction within the stadium is Monument Park. Located beyond the center field wall, this mini hall of fame pays tribute to the Yankees' legendary players. The bronze plaques honor the team's illustrious history and include a prominently displayed oversized tribute to George Steinbrenner, the influential owner who revitalized the franchise. Steinbrenner's plaque stands at the center, flanked by those of Mantle and DiMaggio.

Monument Park remains open until 45 minutes before game time, and visitors can easily find it by following signs from the main entrance. It's an essential stop for any Yankees fan looking to immerse themselves in the team's rich heritage.

Why You Should Visit:
First-class facilities at every level make this a great place to catch a game and cheer on the Yankees.
There are plenty of good food and drink options to fill the long time a baseball game takes.

Tip:
Come early and go to Monument Park and the Yankees Museum.