Some New York cemeteries are lovely, some are creepy, and some are… haunted. And that shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, New York City has always been crowded. Space and real estate are such limited (and valuable) commodities that disposing of the dead has posed some unique challenges. Potter’s fields have become treasured parks […]
Archive | Sightseeing
Rainy Day Fun in NYC
New York is an ideal city to explore on foot – except on rainy, snowy days. When the weather turns foul, umbrella-wielding pedestrians clog soggy sidewalks and the parks become a muddy mess. The Met Museum, MoMa, and Macys are certainly great choices to avoid the elements: unfortunately most people make that same choice and […]
NYC’s Neighborhoods
New York City is usually perceived as a monolithic metropolis…but it’s actually a collection of distinctive neighborhoods. According to the Department of City Planning, NYC contains 339 neighborhoods, ranging in size from just a couple city blocks to sprawling districts. Apart from their geographic boundaries (which are frequently disputed), NYC neighborhoods are defined by their […]
The American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the most celebrated, monumental museums in the world. The massive museum is made of 27 interconnected buildings housing 45 permanent exhibition halls, in addition to a planetarium, a library, and research departments. The museum collections contain over 32 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, […]
Chinatown, New York: A Visitor’s Guide
Chinatown, New York is its own destination: Great for bargain shopping, food, history, and the chance to soak in Chinese immigrant culture, it’s a fantastic neighborhood. But it can also be confusing and chaotic to the first-time visitor… which is why we’ve written this handy guide to exploring Chinatown! Note that New York City has several […]
Greenwich Village: A Walking Tour
Greenwich Village is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in New York. Not to mention most historic: On a snowy night in 1917, a ragtag band of artists, poets, and actors occupied the top of Washington Arch to declare the “Free and Independent Republic of Greenwich Village!” That attempt to “secede,” of course, speaks to the […]
Harlem, New York: A Walking Tour
Harlem isn’t just one of the most historic neighborhoods in New York City. It’s also one of the liveliest. The word “Harlem” alone evokes images of legendary nightspots like the Cotton Club, where great musicians filled the night with hot jazz. For others, it brings thoughts of the notorious ghetto: decrepit, dirty, and crime-ridden. While both are part of […]