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Submitted by: H.D. Bien

What To Do in Manhattan

New York City is home to a population of 8 million. Over 50 million tourists pass through every year. Manhattan is one of the five boroughs which make up New York City. There are over 1.6 million residents in Manhattan, packed into a tiny 23 square miles. Manhattan is filled with hundreds of historical and fun sites for tourists. In this short guide, I’ll list out my top recommendations for tourists spending a day or two in Manhattan.

Visit the Met and Guggenheim at Museum Mile

Right along Central Park is a stretch of road with eight museums. It has been dubbed Museum Mile. The two most popular museums are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which contains over 2 million art pieces from 17 different departments, and the Guggenheim. The Guggenheim is a modern art museum founded in 1937. Its architecture is almost as famous as the art work inside. The museum features a spiral ramp which leads visitor from one exhibit to the next.

After you’re done at the Met and Guggenheim, you might enjoy a trip to the other six museums on Museum Mile. If you have time, I’d recommend going to the Museum of New York which documents the history of the city.

If your quota for art and history is full, get some air in Central Park. Constructed in 1857, Central Park is the world’s largest urban public park. It’s 843 acres of green land and forest right in the middle of Manhattan.

Take an elevator up the Empire State Building

The Empire State Building was constructed in 1831 and stands at 1,250 feet high. A rush job to build the tallest building in the world, at the time, the skyscraper took 410 days and $41 million to complete with the help of 3,100 construction workers.

The observatory is on the 86th floor, about a quarter mile high into the sky. The first suicide actually occurred before construction finished, by one of the construction workers. Once the observatory opened and more people jumped, they built a net below. Did you know there was a survivor who leapt from the 86th floor? On December 2, 1979, Elvita Adams walked onto the observation deck and jumped from the 86th floor. A strong gust of wind blew her back onto the 85th floor. She survived with just a broken hip.

Spend some time at Rockefeller Center

The observatory deck of the Empire State Building offers fantastic views of Manhattan. The only place that can compete is Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Center. Some people prefer Top of the Rock simply because you’ll have a view of the Empire State Building itself from Rockefeller Center.

Besides Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center is worth a visit on its own. It’s a complex of buildings that’s famous for its media use. The GE Building is home to a few NBC Studio TV shows like The Today Show and Saturday Night Live. Rockefeller Center is also home to Radio City Music Hall, a famous music auditorium that hosted concerts by Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.

Take a tour of Carnegie Hall

Not many visitors think of Carnegie Hall when they come to Manhattan. The music hall opened in 1891 and was owned by the Carnegie family until 1925. Unfortunately, music concerts weren’t popular enough and the family lost the music hall. In 1962, Carnegie Hall became a National Historic Landmark, which saved it from demolition.

The music hall is a prestigious venue for orchestras and artists. It has hosted famous artists like The Beatles and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Check their website to see if there are any concerts playing during your visit. Carnegie Hall is also open for tours during the day.

About the Author: There’s plenty more to do in Manhattan. Check out my

Guide of What to Do in Manhattan

and

List of Manhattan Attractions

for more ideas. Both are written specifically for tourists visiting Manhattan.

Source:

isnare.com

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