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Cities Info New York
New York
GETTING THERE
AIRPORT
JFK Airport
John Fitzgerald Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is the main aiport of the city. (http://www.panynj.gov/airports/jfk.html; telephone: (718) 646 4870)
It consists of 9 Terminals, the last opened in 2008; the AirTrain JFK provides a free service between all terminals (journey time - 8 minutes).
The airport is located on Van Wyck Expressway (I-678), just 24 km (15 miles) southeast of Manhattan.
The airport provides daily and long-term parking facilities. There are car parks in front of each terminal, in the Central Terminal Area (CTA) parking area. The long-term car park is located 6.5 km (4 miles) from the terminals, at Lefferts Boulevard. The Howard Beach Station train operates between the long-term parking stations A or B and the Airline Terminal 1 (journey time - 8 minutes). The AirTrain JFK runs from the Airline Terminal 1 to the other terminals. Passengers using the long-term car park should allow for at least 30 minutes to reach the terminal. Call for more parking information (telephone: (718) 244 4168).
Car rental:
All the most important companies, like Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz and National, are represented there.
Rail:The AirTrain JFK light rail system links JFK airport and the region's rail transportation network daily 24 hours. AirTrain JFK connects to the NYC subway 'A' train at the Howard Beach station from all terminals, as well as to long-term parking and car rental facilities. The AirTrain JFK also connects to the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) at Jamaica Station with transfers onto the LIRR, the NYC subway system and local buses. Ground transportation information desks are situated on the Arrivals areas in all terminals.
Bus:New York Airport Express Bus Service (telephone: (718) 875 8200) operates a direct service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (Manhattan West Side), Bryant Park and Grand Central Station (Manhattan East Side); other services also run to Long Island, Westchester, Upstate, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Super Shuttle Manhattan (telephone: 1 800 258 3826) runs 24 hours a day and is a shared door-to-door service to any location in Manhattan. MTA New York City Transit (telephone: (212) 6387622; www.mta.nyc.ny.us) buses operate to a number of destinations in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island. Other bus and shuttle services are available at the airport.
www.kennedyairport.com
Telephone: (718) 244 4444
La Guardia Airport
It is the second important airport, located 13 Km (8 miles) east of New York City.
It consists of 4 Terminals with free transfer by a bus service between the different terminals.
The airport has 7,500 public car park spaces. Short-term and daily parking is available in car parks 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Long-term parking is available in car park 3, although there are limited spaces. Additional long-term car parking is located in private off-airport sites, which are very close to the airport and can be accessed by following the 'P' signs at the airport exit. Metered parking is available at the Marine Air Terminal. Call for further parking information (telephone: (718) 533 3850).
Car rental:
Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertzand National are available with desks in the Arrivals levels of each terminal.
Bus:There are many buses running from the airport to different parts of New York. New York Airport Service Express Bus services (telephone: (212) 875 8200; www.nyairportservice.com) operate to Grand Central, JFK airport and midtown Manhattan/West Side. The M60 service (telephone: (718) 330 1234; www.mta.info) connects LaGuardia with Manhattan and the subway lines, while the Q48 serves Flushing.
Taxi:Official yellow taxis are readily available in front of all terminals.
www.laguardiaairport.com
Telephone: (718) 533 3400
Newark International Airport
This airport consists of 3 Terminals and is located off Hwy-78 (from Manhattan via Holland Tunnel) and Hwy-95 in New Jersey.
The airport is situated 3 km (2 miles) south of Newark and 26 km (16 miles) southwest of New York.
There are more than 17,000 public parking spaces at the airport. Three short-term car parks (Lots A, B and C) are situated in front of each terminal. Daily parking is available in car parks P1, P3 and the multi-storey P4 (P2 and part of P3 are reserved for hire cars), which are connected to the terminals by AirTrain Newark. Free shuttle buses transport passengers to/from the economy parking lot, P6. Valet parking is available.
Car rental:
The major companies, includingAvis, Hertz, National, Budget and Dollare are available at the airport.
Rail:Newark Liberty International Airport station is connected to the terminals via the free AirTrain Newark service. From here, Amtrak (telephone: 1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com) and New Jersey Transit (telephone: 1 800 772 2222; www.njtransit.com) trains run to Penn Station for connections to PATH subway trains, which serve downtown Manhattan and 33rd Street with other stops on the way. Bus:Newark Airport Liberty Express (telephone: (908) 354 3330; www.coachusa.com/olympia) offers bus services to Port Authority Bus Terminal, Grand Central Station and Bryant Park. Other services run to destinations in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and the suburbs.
www.newarkairport.com
Telephone: (973) 961 6000
LOW COST FLIGHTS
From and to all the airports:
www.jetblue.com
www.southwestairlines.com
www.flyglobespan.com
www.zoom.com
www.aerlingus.com
BY TRAIN
New York City's rail services are primarily operated by Amtrak (telephone: 1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com).
The city has two principal rail stations. Grand Central Station, 42nd Street and Park Avenue, is the terminal for Metro-North Railroad (telephone: (212) 340 3000; www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mnr), while Pennsylvania Station, usually called Penn Station, 34th Street and Sixth Avenue, serves both Amtrak and the Long Island Railroad (telephone: (718) 217 5477; www.mta.nyc.ny.us/lirr).
BY WATER
New York has two terminals used by visitors arriving by cruise ship. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (telephone: (212) 435 7000; www.panynj.gov) provides every information about cruise and ferry services.
NY Cruise (telephone: (212) 246 5450; www.nycruise.com) The Staten Island Ferry (telephone: (718) 727 2508; www.siferry.com) New York Waterway (telephone: 1 800 533 3779/53 ; www.nywaterway.com).
SeastreakAmerica (telephone: (732) 872 2628 or 1 800 262 8743; www.seastreak.com).
New York Water Taxi (telephone: (212) 742 1969; www.nywatertaxi.com)
CAR RENTAL
Alamo(tel: 1 800 462 5266; www.alamo.com)
Avis(tel: 1 800 331 1212; www.avis.com)
Budget(tel: 1 800 527 0700; www.budget.com)
Dollar(tel: 1 800 800 3665; www.dollar.com)
Enterprise(tel: 1 800 261 7331); www.enterprise.com) Hertz (tel: 1 800 654 3131; www.hertz.com)
National(tel: 1 800 227 7368; www.nationalcar.com).
ATTRACTIONS
Times Square
This popular site is situated north of 42nd Street, in the middle of the Theatres District, the vibrant heart of Manhattan's nightlife. The better way to discover New York City is going to Times Square and stay here for a while, watching the colorful people passing by.
Do not miss a show in one of the numerous Broadway theatres (over 50), located just off Times Square. Cinemas, shops, restaurants and bars are everywhere around this square. Times Square is also a popular place to spend New Year's Eve when over half a million people gather together to join in the festivities.
www.timessquarenyc.org
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village is one of the liveliest and trendiest districts of New York City. From the beginning of the last century, a population of artists and writers found their home in this area: people spend a lot of their time in the Village's many bars and coffee houses, discussing political ideals. Greenwich boasts a reputation as New York's Bohemian, anti-establishment quarter and the focus of the gay rights movement in 1969. Christopher Street represents the heart of the district, and it is the hub of New York's gay scene. Greenwich Village is also a good place to shop, with plenty of bookstores and second-hand vintage clothes shops.
Rockefeller Center
The Rockefeller Center is one of the most famous Manhattan's building, with a stunning view of the city's skyline from its top floor. It is world famous for its wintertime ice skating rink.
Statue of Liberty
An historic landmark of New York, the Statue of Liberty stands in the middle of New York Harbour and from its observation platform (46.5m high) there is a wonderful view of the Financial District and Battery Park.
Empire State Building
The real landmark of New York City, the Empire State Building has an unforgettable observatory on the 86th floor. When the 102-storey New York icon was completed in 1931, it was the tallest building in the world.
World Trade Center- Ground Zero
In 2006 began the construction of the Freedom Tower, 541 metres high, designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind to replace the former World Trade Center, destroyed on 11 September 2001. There will be a public space with a memorial and a museum.
Address: Lower Manhattan, on West Side
www.renewnyc.com
Brooklyn Bridge
It connects Manhattan to the district of Brooklyn and represents one of the main icons of New York City.
Chinatown
The picturesque district of Chinatown extends from Canal Street to Little Italy, in Lower East Side Manhattan. There is a plenty of colorful Chinese stores and restaurants in narrow streets.
MUSEUMS
Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met)
The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art is an institution
in New York City's artistic landscape. It was inaugurated in 1870 and became the largest art museum in the western hemisphere. Now its collected works span 5,000 years of culture and the museum is home to some 2,500 of the finest paintings, including Vermeers, Rembrandts, Impressionists and Post-Impressionists as well as Renaissance, African, Asian, and Islamic art.
Address: 1000 Fifth Avenue, at 82nd Street, New York, United States
Telephone: (212) 535 7710
www.metmuseum.org
The Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museum is housed in a wonderful modern building designed by the world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Opened in 1959, The Guggenheim Museum has an unmissable collection consisting of late 19th- and 20th-century art works, many of which came from the private collection of Solomon's niece, Peggy Guggenheim.
Address: 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, New York, United States
Telephone: (212) 423 3500
Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
It is the world’s leading museum of modern art and it offers a rich program of exhibitions and collections. The highlights include paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and Jackson Pollock. Extensive MoMA Bookstore and MoMA Design Store. Enjoy a meal at Sette MoMA, the Museum’s elegant Italian restaurant. Address: 11 West 53rd Street, Midtown Manhattan
RESTAURANTS
Pastis
It is a French bistro in Manhattan's meatpacking district, one of the most popular recent areas for nightlife. Executive Chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson and Chef de Cuisine Pascal Le Seac'h prepare a menu that mixes typical Provençal dishes and international cuisine. This restaurant is open from breakfast to late-night supper as well as for an unmissable brunch on weekends.
Telephone: (212) 929-4844
Address: 9 Ninth Ave, Little West 12th Street
Gramercy Tavern
It is one of America's most popular restaurants and serves inventive American cuisine in a rustic and elegant ambience. At the Tavern Room in the late afternoon they serve delicious appetizers that range from a portobello tart with goat cheese, grilled baby octopus with shaved fennel and even a stuffed quail with an innovative sweet corn relish. The cuisine is really excellent.
Telephone: (212) 477-0777
Address: 42 E 20th St
Natsumi
Natsumi serves an excellent and innovative Japanese cuisine. Barbara Matsamura and Chef Haru Konagaya team up here to create a stunning experience with the style of a trendy Tokyo-chic bar/lounge. The restaurant has an original atmosphere, characterized by a palette of warm golden glow and earth tones.
Telephone: (212) 258-2988
Address: 226 West 50th Street
Aquavit
Aquavit is a Scandinavian restaurant, opened in 1987. At the time it was the first Scandinavian restaurant to open in New York City in 35 years.
The ambiance of Aquavit is as wholly Scandinavian as the fare, a setting of muted woods contrasted by stark white walls that creates a calm, almost fjord-effect, if it weren't for the solid lighting and sparkling bar.
Telephone: (212) 307-7311
Address: 65 East 55th Street
Spice Market
It is located in the heart of the Meatpacking District.
The Spice Market is Jean-Georges Vongerichten's more successful ode to the street food of Southeast Asia. The interior of the restaurant is warm and completely exotic, with a series of manufacts and objects directly imported from Rajastan, South India, Burma and Malaysia. Elements of Asian temple art are everywhere.
The restaurant offers a superb Asian menu, but maybe the best dishes are those inspired by Vietnamese cuisine, a theme prevalent in Jean-Georges' cookery.
Spice Market is also great place to drop by late night for a drink and a light snack.
Telephone: (212) 675-2322
Address: 29 9th Ave
Greenhouse 36
This popular restaurant offers a delicious tapas selection in a quiete garden oasis. Greenhouse 36 has both indoor and courtyard dining, and it is opened from breakfast to dinner with an organic flair.
Telephone: (646) 329-3225
Address: 341 West 36th Street
NIGHTLIFE
New York accommodates every taste and the decision among an enormous number of choices can be overwhelming. They don't call it the "city that never sleeps" for nothing.
For a complete guide of New York City's nightlife, see the following websites:
http://www.nyc.com/bars_clubs_music/
http://nymag.com/bestofny/nightlife/
http://nymag.com/nightlife/
SHOPPING
In New York you can really find and buy all you want. It is quiet complicated to do a map of the Big Apple's best shopping, so just see the websites below:
http://nymag.com/shopping/?f=shop
http://nymag.com/visitorsguide/shopping/destinations.htm
http://www.xplorenewyork.it/shopping.asp
http://www.ny.com/shopping/
EVENTS
New York City Marathon
It is the most famous marathon in the world; it starts in Staten Island and people run to Central Park. The marathon usually takes place in November.
Greenwich Village Halloween Parade
It is a really exuberant fancy dress parade which takes place on October 31st, for Halloween.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
New York institution featuring huge hot-air balloons in the shape of cartoon characters, like Snoopy, the Pink Panther and Betty Boop. It takes place every year on Thanksgiving Day.