There are many different ways to take in
the city: exploring streets and
neighborhoods on your own; heading up to
the tops of buildings, like the Empire
State to get a good perspective on the
lay of the land, or going on any number
of city
, which might let
you experience New York from angles
never before thought of.
If you're nervous about exploring
New York, or overwhelmed by the
possibilities the city offers, look into
Big Apple Greeter, 1 Centre St, 19th
floor, NY 10007 (212/669-8159 fax
669-3685,
), a
nonprofit organization that matches
visitors with their corps of 500 trained
volunteer "greeters."
Bus tours
Apart from equipping yourself with a
decent map, perhaps the most obvious
way to orient yourself to the city
is to take a
bus tour . These
are extremely popular, though
frankly you're swept around so
quickly as to scarcely see anything.
Still, the tops of double deckers
are a great place to figure out
what's where for later explorations.
In general, an all-city tour over
two days will cost $30-$45, although
you can also have half-day or
limited-area tours for around $25.
Buses run seven days a week, from (approximately)
9am to 6pm, with special rates and
times for evening tours.
Best bets are City Sightseeing
(Coach), 1040 6th Ave, NY 10018 (tel
1-800/876-9868 for tickets and
locations. Terminal: 8th Ave and
53rd St), and Gray Line
Sightseeing Terminal , Port
Authority at 42nd Street and Eighth
Avenue, NY 10019 (tel 1-800/669-0051
for tickets and locations).
Helicopter tours
A more exciting option is to look at
the city from the air, by
helicopter . This is expensive,
but you won't easily forget the
experience. Liberty Helicopter
Tours, at the western end of 30th
Street or from the Wall Street
heliport at Pier 6 (tel
212/967-4550, closed on weekends),
offers flights ranging from $59 (for
four-and-a-half minutes) to $187 (fifteen
minutes). If you leave from 30th
Street, the best seat for photos is
on the right in the back.
Helicopters take off regularly
between 9am and 9pm every day unless
winds and visibility are bad; you
don't need a reservation, but in
high season (and nice weather) you
may have quite a wait if you just
show up.
Tours on water
A great way to see the island of
Manhattan is a voyage on the
Circle Line ferry (tel
212/563-3200, www.circleline.com
). Departing from Pier 83 at W 42nd
Street and Twelfth Avenue, it
circumnavigates Manhattan, taking in
everything from the tall buildings
of downtown Manhattan to the subdued
stretches of Harlem and the Bronx -
complete with a live wisecracking
commentary; the three-hour tour is
$24 ($12 for children under twelve).
Another interesting option is the
Harlem Spirituals Gospel Cruise,
two-hour tours for $25 that depart
from Pier 16 at South Street Seaport.
One of the city's true bargains
is the free Staten Island ferry
, which leaves from South Ferry on
the lower tip of Manhattan and
offers great views of New York
Harbor and the Statue of Liberty.
Walking tours
Options for walking tours of
Manhattan or the outer boroughs are
many and varied. Usually led by
experts, they offer fact-filled
wanders through neighborhoods or
focus on particular subjects. You'll
find fliers for some of them at the
various Visitor Centers; for what's
happening in the current week, check
the New York Times (Fri or
Sun), the weekly Village Voice
or New York Press (both out
on Wed), or any of the free weekly
papers around town. Detailed under "Organizations"
are some of the more interesting
tours: they don't all operate year-round,
the more esoteric only setting up
for a couple of outings at specific
times of the year. Phone ahead for
the full schedules.
Travel Resources
Guia
de Viajes Peru
Nazca
Lines travel guide
Galápagos
tourist information
Latin
American travel vacation
Lima
travel guide
Tours
Of Atlanta
Hotels
in Cusco
