One of 12 US reserve banks in the country, the New York "Fed" makes for a fun and enlightening visit for those interested in the inner workings of the world financial system. Here you can see the Federal Reserve's gold vault, and the excell..

This historic district encompasses an 11-block area of South Street along the East River just south of the Brooklyn Bridge. Hub of the city's worldwide shipping activities in the early 19C, it contains the largest concentration of early commercial bu..

Upon its completion in 1846, this was the tallest building in Manhattan. Today its graceful Gothic spire appears quaint, framed as it is by the tunnel of Wall Street skyscrapers that extend to the East River. Yet a feeling of tranquillity continues t..

Scattered throughout the South Street Seaport area are several historic vessels, some open for visitors. You can also peruse the shops and galleries along Schermerhorn Row.

Running for less than a mile between Broadway and the East River, Wall Street was named for a short wooden wall built along its path by the Dutch in 1653. Today it's home to the New York Stock Exchange; financial institutions occupy offices in the ar..

Cass Gilbert's Beaux-Arts former US Custom House (1907) makes a splendid setting for this Smithsonian museum, opened in 1994. Collections are displayed on a rotating basis, including masks, weapons and ceremonial garments. The enticing array of objec..

One of the most architecturally striking museums in New York City, this Jewish history museum celebrates freedom and those who struggled to achieve it. Storytelling is at the heart of the museum's mission; its three sections chronicle Jewish life and..

Crowned by four copper-domed towers, the former processing center (1900) has been restored to reflect its appearance from 1918 to 1924, the years of peak immigration. Five thousand artifacts spread throughout the museum's 30 galleries, along with rec..

Ellis Island is situated about halfway between lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Between 1892 and 1954 Ellis Island received more than 12 million immigrants, one of the greatest mass migrations in history. Its grandly refu..

This outstanding 52-acre botanical garden contains a great variety of vegetation, including one of the finest assemblages of roses in the country. Among its many well-kept gardens are a Shakespeare Garden, a Children's Area, Fragrance Garden and a Li..

Housed in a monumental Beaux-Arts building, this is New York's second-largest art museum besides the Met, and well worth a visit if you're in the borough. The collection contains a whopping 1.5 million works including an outstanding trove of Egyptian..

One of the largest and oldest gardens in the US, this glorious green space displays a wonderful array of plants and blooms, and conducts important botanical research. There are more than fifty gardens to explore here, from lovely perennial and herb p..

Located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, this "city within a city" encompasses more than a dozen harmoniously designed skyscrapers, a formal garden, public works of art, a world-famous skating rink, the headquarters of television giant NB..

Macy's is enormous. Rising 10 stories and covering an entire city block, this is the mother ship of department stores. Macy's sponsors many seasonal events that have become New York institutions. Spearheaded in 1924, the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Da..

An imposing line of 1960s skyscrapers creates a dramatic canyon of glass and steel along Sixth Avenue

Center of New York's art world and gay community, trendy Chelsea contrasts busy commercial avenues with quiet residential side streets. Pleasant cafes rub shoulders with cutting-edge art galleries, shops and restaurants. Along the waterfront areas yo..

Viewed from the north side which faces Madison Square Park, the structure looks like an iron (hence the name), the acute angle of its facade formed by Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Though it's only 6ft wide on this sharp corner, the building rises 22 st..

This artfully revamped museum and culture center is New York's leading purveyor of Asian arts and culture. A 2001 renovation doubled its gallery space which today provides an elegant setting for Indian bronzes, Chinese and Japanese ceramics, exquisit..

West of Broadway, venerable Greenwich Village wears well its reputation as New York's historic bohemia. A country village into the 19C, Greenwich still retains a small-town feeling in its narrow, bending streets and alleys. Rising to become the polit..

Constructed in 1891 of Tuckahoe marble and designed by Stanford White, the 77ft-high triumphal arch replaced a temporary wooden one commemorating the centennial of George Washington's inauguration. Gracing its north face are two sculptures of Washing..