Exploring the Tourist Attractions of Manhattan, New York City

When people talk of visiting New York City, more likelythe Village do not follow with the formal grid of the 1811
than not, they are referring to visiting Manhattan.Plan, nor does Broadway, which often cuts diagonally
Manhattan, an elongated island, is actually one of theacross the grid. As a result, there is an odd shaped
five boroughs of New York City, albeit the mostskyscraper erected to conform to its odd-shaped plot.
famous. It is the home of the skyscraper skyline that isDue to its shape, the building was called the Flatiron
so synonymous with New York City. Most of theBuilding.
tourist attractions are located in Manhattan. This articleAs we approach Midtown Manhattan, we come upon
takes you on an online tour of the tourist attractions ofa high concentration of tourist attractions. Madison
Manhattan, allowing you to explore the sights from theSquare Garden is here. It was named after Madison
comfort of your desktop. We shall start our journeySquare, which in turn was named after James
from the south and work our way northwards.Madison, the fourth President of the United States.
Manhattan is bound by the Hudson River to the west,Madison Square Garden, however, is no longer located
and the East River to the east. The island can be spliton Madison Square. Although it retains its name, it is
into three main sections namely Lower Manhattan,neither a square nor a garden, but rather a sports and
Midtown and Upper Manhattan. The southernmostconcert arena. For shoppers, there's Macy's
section is Lower Manhattan, and at the southernmostDepartment Store, one of the largest department
part of Lower Manhattan is the Financial District. This isstores in the world. Also within the neighbourhood is
where you find one of the densest concentration ofthe Empire State Building, once again the tallest building
skyscrapers. Facing the sea is Battery Park, a 21-acrein New York City.
park that got its name from the artillery battery placedFollowing Broadway northwards, we reach Times
there by the Dutch and later the British. The Dutch builtSquare, one of the most famous intersections in the
a fort here called Fort Amsterdam. It is no longerworld. Many of New York City's theatres are
standing. The Americans demolished it when they tookconcentrated here. Eastwards on 42nd Street are
over Manhattan from the British. In its place today isother landmarks including the Grand Central Terminal
the Alexander Hamilton US Custom House, a Nationaland the Chrysler Building, and towards the banks of
Historic Landmark.the East River, the United Nations Headquarters.
When the American realised they needed a fort toChrysler Building, regarded as one of the finest
defend Manhattan, they built one which is today calledexamples of Art Deco skyscraper, was built at a time
Castle Clinton. It was named after, not Bill Clinton, butwhen there was an intense race to build the tallest
Dewitt Clinton, the Mayor of New York City in 1815.buildings in New York City. Today it still holds the title of
Going north from Battery Park, you pass anotherthe second tallest building in the city, after the Empire
smaller park, called Bowling Green. The most famousState, which was completed less than a year after
item here is the Charging Bull Statue, an iconChrysler.
representative of New York City's role as America'sGoing north along Fifth Avenue, we arrive at
financial capital. The statue was not commissioned: theRockefeller Center, one of the biggest private
artist created it using his own money, and had it placedcommercial complexes in the world. Built by John D
in front of the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE, justRockefeller Jr, the richest man in the world during his
a stone's throw away, as a Christmas gift to thetime, it comprises 19 skyscrapers, the biggest of which
people of New York. The authorities seizedit, but theis GE Building. The observation deck at the top of GE
ensuing outcry from the public led to the Parks andBuilding offers one of the best views of New York
Recreation department putting it in Bowling Green, "onCity along with the Empire State Building in the middle.
loan" from the artist.Within Rockefeller Center is Radio City Music Hall, and
A short distance north of here is Wall Street, home toacross the street from it is St Patrick's Cathedral, the
NYSE. The site of Ground Zero, where the famouslargest Neo-Gothic style Catholic Cathedral in North
World Trade Center towers used to be, is slightly toAmerica. A short distance north is MoMA, the Museum
the west, and further on, are the towers of Worldof Modern Art, founded by Abby Alrich Rockefeller,
Financial Center, built on reclaimed land using landfillwife of John D Rockefeller Jr, and her two friends. To
from the World Trade Center site. Closed to Groundthe east side of town is another architectural wonder,
Zero is St Paul's Chapel, which amazingly escapedthe Citigroup Center, a 59-storey skyscraper that
damage during the September 11 attack, thanks to astands on four massive legs. Also within the vicinity are
sycamore tree on its northwest corner. Some of thetwo of New York City's most luxurious hotels, the
oldest skyscrapers of New York City dot this part ofWaldorf=Astoria on Fifth Avenue and the Plaza on
Manhattan. Among them is the Woolworth Building, aGrand Army Plaza, facing Central Park.
57-storey skyscraper completed in 1913, at that timeCentral Park is the most important park in New York
the tallest building in New York City.City, so much so that any apartments with view of it
The main artery that runs right through Manhattanfetches a higher price than those without. Created in
from the south all the way to the north, is Broadway.the mid 19th century, it is home to the biggest museum
An institution in itself, it passes through many of thein New York City, the Met, or Metropolitan Museum of
most important sights of the city. Going north, we enterArt. Along the roads bordering Central Park are a few
TriBeCa, home to trendy restaurants. The name is amore museums, the most important includes the
contraction of Triangle Below Canal Street. The habitAmerican Museum of Natural History, with the Hayden
of naming places in this manner repeats itself a littlePlanetarium within it, and the Solomon R Guggenheim
north of here, at SoHo, which is said to be derivedMuseum.
from Soho in London, except that here, it stands forAs we continue north, we pass through Columbia
South of Houston Street.University, a renowned Ivy-League institution. On the
You will notice that the roads in Manhattan follow aeast side is the neighbourhood of Harlem, with its
grid system devised by the Commissioner's Plan ofsubstantial population of African Americans. The main
1811, created to ensure an orderly development of theroad going north is Broadway. On the northern tip of
island. As a result of the plan, there are 12 avenuesManhattan is Inwood Hill Park, one of several parks
running parallel to Hudson River, and 155 streetslining the Hudson River side of Manhattan.
crossing them. The avenues were numbered 1 to 12,What we have covered so far is just a quick run
with an additional A to D Avenues on the section ofthrough of the tourist attractions of Manhattan. To visit
town now known as Alphabet City. Over time, aseach of these sights, one would need a few days, if
Manhattan developed, some of the avenues werenot weeks. There is much to see and discover. Much
given names. Fourth Avenue was renamed Parkof what has been written is documented more
Avenue. Madison Avenue and Lexington Avenuethoroughly on the New York City section of my
were added later.website, EarthDocumentary, where there's also a
Going north of SoHo, we enter Greenwich Village,point-and-click map, to show you the location of each
often simply called The Village. Once a hamlet, thesight.
Village is home to the New York University's mainVisit it and explore Manhattan from the comfort of
campus, and has a popular public space in the middleyour desktop.
called the Washington Square Garden. The streets in