Empire State Building
Midtown
The Chrysler Building may be prettier, and One World Trade Center taller, but the queen bee of the New York skyline remains the Empire State Building. NYC…
Museum of Modern Art
Midtown
Superstar of the modern-art scene, MoMA's galleries are a Who’s Who of artistic heavyweights: Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Rothko,…
Grand Central Terminal
Midtown
Completed in 1913, Grand Central Terminal – commonly, if incorrectly, called Grand Central Station – is one of New York’s most venerated beaux-arts…
Chrysler Building
Midtown
Designed by William Van Alen and completed in 1930, the 77-floor Chrysler Building is the pinup for New York's purest art deco architecture, guarded by…
Rockefeller Center
Midtown
This 22-acre 'city within a city' debuted at the height of the Great Depression, with developer John D Rockefeller Jr footing the $100-million price tag…
Radio City Music Hall
Midtown
This spectacular moderne movie palace was the brainchild of vaudeville producer Samuel Lionel 'Roxy' Rothafel. Never one for understatement, Roxy launched…
Top of the Rock
Midtown
When it comes to views in New York City, you’ll be spoiled for choice. The One World Observatory may have the edge for height, and the Empire State…
Midtown
In WWII, under heavy enemy fire, the USS Intrepid endured a torpedo strike and four kamikaze attacks, but this hulking aircraft carrier survived to tell…
Hudson Yards
Midtown
After six years of construction and $25 billion of investment, the first phase of Manhattan's new megadevelopment 'neighborhood' on the Hudson finally…
New York Public Library
Midtown
Loyally guarded by 'Patience' and 'Fortitude' (the marble lions overlooking Fifth Ave), this beaux-arts show-off is one of NYC's best free attractions…
Times Square
Midtown
Love it or hate it, the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Ave (aka Times Square) pumps out the NYC of the global imagination – yellow cabs, golden…
St Patrick's Cathedral
Midtown
America's largest Catholic cathedral graces Fifth Ave with Gothic Revival splendor. Built at a cost of nearly $2 million during the Civil War (and spiffed…
Fifth Avenue
Midtown
Immortalized in film and song, Fifth Ave first developed its high-class reputation in the early 20th century, when it was known for its 'country' air and…
Bryant Park
Midtown
European coffee kiosks, alfresco chess games, summer film screenings and winter ice skating: it's hard to believe that this leafy oasis was a crime-ridden…
Japan Society
Midtown
Elegant exhibitions of both traditional and contemporary Japanese art, textiles and design are the main draw at this calming cultural center, complete…
Franklin D Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park
Midtown
Dramatic design, presidential inspiration and a refreshing perspective on the NYC skyline make for an arresting trio at the Franklin D Roosevelt Four…
United Nations
Midtown
New York is the home of the UN, a worldwide organization overseeing international law, security and human rights. The Le Corbusier–designed Secretariat…
Midtown
Incorporating the mansion once owned by steel magnate JP Morgan, this sumptuous cultural center houses a phenomenal array of manuscripts, tapestries and…
Museum at FIT
Midtown
Fashionistas won't want to miss a visit to the fabulous sartorial exhibits at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), which holds one of the world's…
Southpoint Park
Midtown
At the southernmost point on Roosevelt Island – which sits in the East River just off midtown Manhattan – is a grassy preserve with breathtaking views and…
Roosevelt Island
Midtown
Floating in the East River between Manhattan’s eastern edge and Queens, New York’s anomalous, planned neighborhood sits on a tiny island no wider than a…
Citigroup Center
Midtown
With its striking triangular-cut roof and candy-like striped facade, Hugh Stubbins' 59-story Citigroup Center signaled a shift from the flat-roof sobriety…
432 Park Avenue
Midtown
It's a case of 'thin is in' with the arrival of this 1396ft-tall, $1.3-billion residential tower by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly. Its clean, white,…
Garment District
Midtown
Otherwise known as the Fashion District, this thread-obsessed territory might look like an unremarkable stretch of designers' offices and wholesale and…
Herald Square
Midtown
This crowded convergence is best known as the home of mammoth department store Macy's, where you can still ride some of the original wooden elevators. As…
Midtown
MAD offers four floors of superlative design and handicrafts, from blown glass and carved wood to elaborate metal jewelry. Temporary exhibitions are…
Hearst Tower
Midtown
This 46-floor tower is one of NYC's most creative works of contemporary architecture, not to mention one of its greenest; around 90% of its structural…
Chanin Building
Midtown
Beloved art deco took hold in the 1930s as architects turned away from history, creating unique buildings, configured with setbacks and decorated with…
Museum of Sex
Midtown
Get the lowdown on anything from online fetishes to stag films to hom*osexual necrophilia in the mallard duck at this slick ode to all things hot and…
Diamond District
Midtown
Like Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, the Diamond District is a world unto itself. Best experienced on weekdays, it's an industrious whirl of Hasidic Jewish…
Seagram Building
Midtown
A textbook regular, the 38-floor Seagram Building is one of the world's finest examples of the international style. Its lead architect, Ludwig Mies van…
Paley Center for Media
Midtown
This pop-culture repository offers more than 160,000 TV and radio programs from around the world on its computer catalog. Reliving your favorite TV shows…
Vessel (TKA)
Midtown
Sprouting 150ft high from the central plaza of Hudson Yards is the controversial construction called 'The Vessel.' Looking something like a giant, copper…
Bank of America Tower
Midtown
Designed by Cook & Fox Architects, the 58-floor Bank of America Tower is famed for its striking crystal shape, piercing 255ft spire, and enviable green…
Brill Building
Midtown
This humble-looking building is widely considered the most important generator of popular songs in the Western world. By 1962, more than 160 music…
Lever House
Midtown
Upon its debut in 1952, 21-story Lever House was at the height of the cutting-edge. The UN Secretariat Building was the only other skyscraper to feature a…
Le Carrousel
Midtown
Among Bryant Park's attractions is this French-inspired, Brooklyn-made carousel, with over a dozen delightfully baroque animals you can ride to the sounds…
More destinations you need to see
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