What to do in New York

Flying from Vancouver to New York soon? New York is the most populous city in the United States and is the largest metropolitan area in the world. This means New York is full of things to do. With so much to do and see, it can be overwhelming trying to plan a trip if this is your first time in New York (or even second or third visit)! Here, we have compiled a list of must-dos for you.

• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1929, it was the first museum dedicated to the modern era, and is identified as one of the most influential museums of modern art in the world. MoMA’s art collection grew from an initial gift of 8 prints and a drawing, to over 150,000 paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, photographs, architectural models and design objects, and its Library and Archives includes approximately 300,000 books and catalogs of more than 70,000 artists. Of many important and familiar works, some of the most famous ones are Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night and Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans. The MoMA opens seven days a week, 10:30am to 5:30pm and is open till 9:00pm on Fridays and the first Thursday of each month. Tickets are $25 per adult but it is free for all visitors if you visit on Friday evenings, 5:30-9:00pm.

• Tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

The world famous Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture that stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbour. It is a gift from France to the United States, designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustave Eiffel. The Statue is a robed Roman liberty goddess. She holds a torch in her right hand and a tabula ansata in her left hand. The chains and broken shackles at her feet celebrate the national abolition of slavery. It is now recognized as the icon of freedom in the world. To visit the monument, visitors have to purchase a ticket for ferry transportation to the park. At the price of $26.25, it includes a free audio tour – a major enhancement to the visitor experience. After visiting the Statue of Liberty, you can also take the ferry to Ellis Island Immigration Museum, where you can spend hours learning about Ellis Island history as an American’s immigration station before. If you think that you may have some other family that came to Ellis Island and you want to see where they potentially ended up, then you can use a resource like https://www.genealogybank.com/explore/obituaries/all/usa/pennsylvania/philadelphia/philadelphia-inquirer to get the help that you need to track them down and follow your family tree.

• Time Square

Time Square, located in Midtown Manhattan, is one of the world’s busiest pedestrian areas, one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions, attracting an estimated 50 million visitors annually. Also known as the “Crossroads of the world”, it is a major commercial intersection and tourist destination, famous for its flashing neon lights, brightly lit billboards and advertisements. It is also the hub of the Broadway Theatre District, a centre of the world’s entertainment industry. Many visitors come to Times Square to enjoy a Broadway show. Behind-the scenes-theatre tours are available too. As a must-see for first-time New York City visitors, wear comfortable shoes and prepare to have a long day of walking, as Time Square is best explored on foot. The lights and billboards are at their brightest at night, but Time Square is also home to many famous attractions, such as the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hershey’s Time Square and Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium.

• Central Park

Central Park is the largest and most important public park in New York City. The completed Central park officially opened in 1876, it occupies an area of 840 acres (340 hectares) and it is still one of the greatest achievements in artificial landscaping. It is the most visited urban park in the US, as well as one of the most filmed locations in the world. You will surely enjoy visiting the park if you are a film lover. The park’s terrain is highly varied , some quite rugged, which affords interesting walks at nearly every part of the park. Some main landscapes include the Ramble and Lake, Hallett Nature Sanctuary, Sheep Meadow, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. There are also amusement attractions like the Central Park Zoo, Wollman Rink and Central Park Carousel. If you would like to experience the beauty of the park in another way, you can reserve a horse & carriage ride, which has become an iconic history of Manhattan.

• The High Line

The High Line in Chelsea is another icon of contemporary landscape architecture. Opened in 2009, it is a 1.45-mile-long (2.33km) elevated linear park, greenway created on a former New York Central Railroad. Due to a decline in rail traffic along the southern viaduct session of the Central Railroad line, it was disused and abandoned in 1980. The High Line was inspired by a similar project in Paris completed in 1993. Repurposing the railway into an urban park was successful and inspired the government to redevelop obsolete infrastructures as public space. It is one of the most unique attractions visitors need to check off their list. There are also a lot of outdoor art installations and greenery, as well as the killer views of New York’s skyline.

• Chelsea Market

If you are a foodie or you love to shop, then Chelsea Market is the next place you should visit. Housed in the former National Biscuit Company building, the Chelsea Market is now known for its wide range of eateries, named as one of the best food halls in New York to satisfy your food cravings, tacos, lobster, burgers, etc. The multi-floor food hall provides not just some of the best restaurants, but also fashion chains, vendors, and shops selling goods and ingredients from around the world. That said if you want to experience fine dining experience or if you want to take your partner on a dinner date, you can check out the ‘Roof at Park South Bar’, which is a New York City Rooftop Bar near the Chelsea market. The place is said to have multiple lounges with an excellent food menu, which can be ideal for a date night dinner. All in all, food lovers should definitely take some time out of their busy New York trip schedule and go to the Chelsea market. One can visit the Chelsea Market Monday through Saturday from 7 am to 9 pm and Sunday from 8 am to 8 pm. In addition, you might be able to find restaurants of different cuisines near Chelsea. For instance, if someone is craving some Japanese cuisine like sushi, they can look for a sushi restaurant in Chelsea on the web and visit the restaurant to have some nice sushi.

Have you made up your mind to fly from Vancouver to New York? You can book online through Cathay Pacific. To make the most of your travels, fly from Vancouver to New York with Cathay Pacific. You can book tickets on http://www.cathaypacific.com