I would recommend staying at least a short vacation in New York City if you really want to enjoy what it has to offer the tourist. Probably one of the first stops will be the Empire State Building and while it may be on every tourists list, that doesn’t mean it is not worth it, especially the view from the top. For others the winner of this little competition is the Rockefeller Center which is a little taller but if you don’t have a clear day you won’t see anything anyway. Huge numbers of visitors have meant it can often be difficult landing at the Statue of Liberty and getting off the tour boat at Ellis Island is often the easier option.
Fortunately, the Staten Island ferry is still free and can provide great views of the Statue of Liberty, the island is also worth a look and the terminal is a favorite spot for street performers, some are of a professional standard. Probably on everyone’s list is where the World Trade Center Towers once stood - it has become an obligatory stop and no a short vacation trip to New York would feel complete without a visit to this tragic site. It’s strangely moving location and the terrorist struck World Trade Centre site covers a huge area but it is a peculiarly unfriendly subject for the photographer. If you want to see the famous stores, you can visit Tiffany’s and the 5th Ave style leaders or bargain hunt around Broadway and plunder the discount warehouses of the Lower East Side.
Other stores like Bloomingdales are the kind of place where you can look at the goods but must not touch to the other famous store Macey’s where there is always a sale on. The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum will also be worth visiting late next year when it re-opens after a period of refurbishment, this attraction is highly recommended and worth putting on your list of places to visit. For those that are interested in large vessels like planes and aircraft carriers for example, then this is the place to visit with the aircraft carrier - Intrepid, submarines and even a Concorde to name but a few of the craft they have there. The real New York City Police Museum is open for visitors and while admission is free; donations are expected of around five dollars to help with running it, it contains a great deal of information about the World famous Police Department and you can buy souvenirs too.
The migrant period of New York is highlighted in an excellent exhibition at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum where scenes of what made America a great place to be are alongside of scenes America would like to forget. For a step back in time it worth going to Central Park where the New York Museum is located, this is an exhibition of many periods relating to the life of The Big Apple. More can be learned about the city’s past in this grand building and although once again admission is free, a donation of 9 dollars is advised. Most visitors seem to be on a flying visit so end up missing some of the most beautiful areas and that’s why a short vacation in New York should really be the minimum stay.