The City suffix is to help distinguish it from New York State. The City is so full of life and the thrill starts as soon as you land in JFK, one of the busiest airports of the world. Five boroughs – Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. Manhattan, the most appealing to tourists, indeed has it all. It is worthwhile to quickly familiarise yourself with the basic orientation of the borough and the street layout. Manhattan is referred to in 3 parts: Uptown - which means going North, Downtown - which means going South, and Midtown – which means going everywhere…or nowhere! Manhattan on the road follows a grid, with numbered streets running East West, whereas avenues run North South - and are very long. You can easily gauge your location at the intersections (of streets with avenues).
New York City’s ever-changing skyline ensures that you will always have something new to see. However, there are some must-sees. A park visit has to mean Central Park, the bridge to cross has to be the Brooklyn Bridge, a famous square has to be the glittery Times Square, the road to capitalism has to be Wall Street, and shopping has to mean a trip to Fifth Avenue. There are also little treasures all around, which at times we overlook. At a very close friend’s insistence (who prohibited me to go to the regular places), I had no choice but to visit ‘The Highline’ - which I had often heard about but never could visit. And that turned out to be my most relaxing afternoon. The Highline is basically an elevated garden with a walking path (made on an ancient unused railway) that runs across several blocks. Here time can come to a standstill…but you get to see the fast-paced life of New Yorkers moving about below you. After that sultry afternoon it was time to be a tourist yet again and flock to Herald Square, which is where the legendry Macys is also located. While shopping in Macys it is always advisable to get a tourist card made - which entitles you to a heap of benefits. There is as much around New York. You can rent a car and drive away to Atlantic City, Poconos, Vermont and even Boston. However, it is not fun to drive inside New York City, especially Manhattan. It is always better to avail public transport. Last, but definitely not the least, something will be amiss if we don’t talk about the symbol of New York…or rather the entire US of A, and that would be the majestic Statue of Liberty. You just have to see it, always…even if just a glance. Such is the effect of this wondrous wonder of the world.
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