1,000 Places to See Before You Die

The most beguiling city in the world, New York is an adrenaline-charged, history-laden place that holds immense romantic appeal for visitors. Wandering the streets here, you'll cut between buildings that are icons to the modern age - and whether gazing at the flickering lights of the midtown skyscrapers as you speed across the Queensboro bridge, experiencing the 4am half-life downtown, or just wasting the morning on the Staten Island ferry, you really would have to be made of stone not to be moved by it all. There's no place quite like it.

While the events of September 11, 2001, which demolished the World Trade Center, shook New York to its core, the populace responded resiliently under the composed aegis of then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Until the attacks, many New Yorkers loved to hate Giuliani, partly because they saw him as committed to making their city too much like everyone else's. To some extent he succeeded, and during the late Nineties New York seemed cleaner, safer, and more liveable, as the city took on a truly international allure and shook off the more notorious aspects to its reputation. However, the maverick quality of New York and its people still shines as brightly as it ever did. Even in the aftermath of the World Trade Center's collapse, New York remains a unique and fascinating city - and one you'll want to return to again and again.

Harlem Visitors' Bureau 219 W 135th St (between 7th and 8th aves). Call first:  212-283-3315.

NYU Information Center Shimkin Hall, 50 W 4th St (at Greene St/Washington Square)  212-998-4636.

Saks Fifth Avenue Ambassador Concierge Desk 611 5th Ave (at 49th St) 212-940-4141.

Times Square Visitor and Transit Information Center 1560 Broadway (between 46th and 47th sts)  212-869-1890 
 

Terminals and Transit Information

Grand Central Terminal,
 42nd St and Park Ave (Metro-North commuter trains tel 212/532-4900)

Pennsylvania Station, 33rd St and 8th Ave (Amtrak tel 1-800/USA-RAIL or 212-582-6875

New Jersey Transit 
973-762-5100

Long Island Railroad (LIRR tel 718/217-5477)

PATH trains
1-800-234-7284
Port Authority Bus Terminal, 41st St and 8th Ave, and George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal, W 178th St (between Broadway and Fort Washington) both tel 212/564-8484;

Greyhound (tel 1-800/231-2222)

Peter Pan Trailways (tel 1-800/343-9999)

Bonanza (tel 1-800/556-3815)

   

Northeast of the skating rink lies the small zoo, or Central Park Wildlife Center at 64th Street and Fifth Avenue (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat, Sun & holidays 10am-5.30pm; $3.50, 3-12 50¢, under 3 free; tel 212/439-6500). Its collection is based on three climatic regions - the Tropic Zone, the Temperate Territory and the Polar Circle, and the complex also boasts the Tisch Children's Zoo , with interactive displays and a petting zoo.

The next point to head for is the Dairy (65th Street at mid-park), a kind of Gothic toy ranch building built in 1870 and originally stocked with cows (and milkmaids) for the purpose of selling milk and other dairy products to mothers with young children. It now houses one of the park's Visitor Centers (Tues-Sun 10am-5pm; tel 212/794-6564), which distributes free leaflets and organizes weekend walking tours.

Just west of the Dairy stands the Carousel at 64th Street at mid-park (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat & Sun 10am-7pm; $1). Built in 1903 and moved from Coney Island to the park in 1951, this is one of fewer than 150 left in the country (one of the others is at Coney Island). The Carousel offers a ride on hand-carved jumping horses accompanied by the music of a military band organ.

Straight ahead and north past the Dairy, you'll come to the Mall , the park's most formal stretch, where you'll witness every manner of street performer. To the west lies the Sheep Meadow (66th-69th sts, West Side), fifteen acres of commons where sheep grazed until 1934; today the area is usually crowded with picnic blankets, sunbathers and Frisbee players.

On warm weekends, an area between the Sheep Meadow and the north end of the mall is filled with colorfully attired rollerbladers dancing to loud funk, disco and hip-hop music - one of the best free shows around. Just west of the Sheep Meadow is the once-exclusive, still-expensive, but now rather tacky landmark restaurant and finishing point of the annual New York City Marathon, Tavern on the Green (67th St and Central Park W).

At the northernmost point of the Mall lie the Bandshell, Rumsey Playfield , site of the free SummerStage performance series, and the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain (72nd St at mid-park). Bethesda Terrace overlooks the lake; beneath it is an Arcade whose tiled floors are currently being restored.

Take a break from your wanderings on the lake's eastern bank at the Loeb Boathouse . Here, you can go for a gondola ride or rent a rowboat (March-Nov daily 10am-6pm, weather permitting; rowboats $10 for the first hour, $2.50 each 15min after, with a $30 refundable deposit; gondola rides available 5-10pm for $30 per 30min per group and require reservations; tel 212/517-2233).

Central Park North

• Founded in 1980, the Central Park Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and managing the park. It operates four Visitor Centers , with free maps and other helpful literature, as well as special events. All are open Tues-Sun 10am-5pm: The Dairy (mid-park at 65th St; tel 212/794-6564); 

• Belvedere Castle (mid-park at 79th St; tel 212/772-0210); North Meadow Recreation Center (mid-park at 97th St; tel 212/348-4867; also open Mon); and the Dana Discovery Center (110th St off Fifth Ave; tel 212/860-1370).
  

• Restrooms are available at Hecksher Playground, the Boat Pond (Conservatory Water), Mineral Springs House (northwest end of Sheep Meadow), Loeb Boathouse, the Delacorte Theater, the North Meadow Recreation Center, The Conservatory Garden and the Dana Discovery Center

• In case of emergency, use the emergency call boxes located throughout the park and along the Park Drives (they provide a direct connection to the Central Park Precinct), or dial 911 at any pay phone. 

At 840 acres, Central Park - which runs from 59th to 110th streets and is flanked by Fifth Avenue to Central Park West - is so enormous that it's almost impossible to miss and nearly as impossible to cover in one visit. Nevertheless, the intricate footpaths that meander with no discernible organization through the park are one of its greatest successes; after all, the point here is to lose yourself ? or at least to feel like you can. To figure out exactly where you are , find the nearest lamppost - the first two digits on the post signify the number of the nearest cross street.