We compiled our favorite iconic tourist attractions below, and the good news is there are so many great things to do in New York today that there’s enough to go around.
This is part 3 of our compilation with some of our favorite iconic tourist attractions. Click here to read part 1, part 2, and part 4.
The Best Tourist Attractions That Locals Love (3/4)
Take a virtual walk at one of our favorite spots in the city: The High Line. Enjoy the exuberant beauty of New York Botanical Garden, go spend some time among 75 miles of shelves housing a massive humanities and social sciences archive – at the New York Public Library; take a deep breath at the Rockefeller Center, iconic all-year long, magical during the holidays season. Enjoy and have fun.
THE HIGH LINE
Not all art in Chelsea is in the galleries—the neighborhood’s elevated park also features a number of rotating public art installations. With the opening of the green space’s second half between 20th and 30th Streets in 2011, this landscaped aerie doubled in size, providing twice the escape from the bustle of the city.
THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
Every city park offers its own brand of verdant escapism, but this lush expanse goes beyond landscaped flora. In addition to housing swaths of vegetation, including the 50-acre forest featuring some of the oldest trees in the city, the garden cultivates a rotating roster of shows that nod to the world’s most cherished green spaces, such as the regal grounds of Spain’s Alhambra palace and Monet’s alfresco sanctuary at Giverny. During the year, visit the garden’s Holiday Train Show, which features miniature NYC landmarks crafted from plant materials, and the Orchid Show, which offers a stunning display of blooms and exotic plants.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, STEPHEN A. SCHWARZMAN BUILDING
The New York Public Library system consists of 89 individual branches, but it’s this austere Beaux Arts building in Bryant Park—home to 75 miles of shelves housing a massive humanities and social sciences archive—that most readily comes to mind. The library’s free tours stop at the beautifully renovated Rose Main Reading Room and the Bill Blass Public Catalog Room. The program of special exhibitions rivals those of the city’s finest museums.
ROCKEFELLER CENTER
You’ll find plenty of iconic New York sites in this multi-block complex: The ground level is home to the Rock's famed ice-skating rink, the bronze Atlas statue and the Today show plaza. Higher up, Top of the Rock rivals the Empire State Building in panoramic city views, and you can inspect the Art Deco murals that appear in several buildings. Don’t miss the triptych above the outdoor entrance to 5 Rockefeller Center or the rinkside Prometheus statue; both purportedly contain secret Freemason symbols.
In New York, you can get an Explorer Pass to access attractions, tours, and activities at a reduced price.
