Manhattan is the most famous part of the city of New York. The name Manhattan belongs to one of the five boroughs (districts) of the city and also the island on which most of this borough is located. The borough includes several small islands in addition to the island of Manhattan. Locals often called the word New York Manhattan itself, using for the other boroughs of New York City their own names.
The island of Manhattan is located near the confluence of the Hudson River in the Atlantic Ocean. The distance from the island to the ocean (Lower New York Bay) is approximately 10 kilometers. The island is separated from the mainland by the Hudson River from the west and by the Harlem River in the northeast. Long Island is located to South-east of Manhattan island. The East River Strait separates the islands. Upper New York Bay is located south-east of the island (the ocean behind it). Dimensions of the island of Manhattan: 21 km in length (from north to south) and 3.7 km in width (from west to east, in its widest part).
If you look at the map of Manhattan, you can easily understand the principle by which the plan for building the island was created. Most of the island has a rectangular layout. There are several avenues along the island, which are intersected by streets at right angles. (There are exceptions to this principle.) Most avenues and streets have numbers in the name, by which you can easily determine where they are. Central Park occupies the central part of the island (which also has a rectangular shape in plan.)
Fifth Avenue is the main street of Manhattan. The street divides the island into two parts: east and west. The parts of streets located east of Fifth Avenue have the word East in the name. The western part of the street has the word "West" in the name. (For example, East 15th Street and West 15th Street). The numbering of houses also starts from Fifth Avenue and increases with distance from Fifth Avenue.
Most streets and avenues have a numerical name. Many streets (mainly in Lower Manhattan) have their own names. The street numbering increases from the south to the north, the numbering of the avenues increases from east to west. This scheme allows you to determine where the house you is located by the address and help find the place that you are looking for in the city. One-way traffic is organized on the most of the streets.
Broadway is another important transport highway of Manhattan and one of the most famous streets of the city. Broadway crosses the island south to the north, breaking in some places a rectangular streets layout.
New York CityPASS and New York Pass cards can be useful for you. You can save some money and time by purchasing these cards. New York Pass gives you the opportunity to visit some attractions for free or at a discount, or use the Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off tour bus.
The territory of the island of Manhattan is conventionally divided into several parts.
Downtown (Lower Manhattan), Midtown (central part of the island) and Uptown (Upper Manhattan).
Fifth avenue divides the island into the east and west sides of Manhattan. (You know that the south is at the bottom, and the north is at the top on the maps.) Hence: Lower or Upper Manhattan.)
Different areas in the southern part of the island can be called as Lower Manhattan. Most often with name Lower Manhattan (Downtown Manhattan) have in mind the site of the island located south of the 14th street. Here are situated: Wall Street, New York City Hall, Chinatown, World Trade Center 1. Lower Manhattan has an eastern and a western sides.
The Lower East Side is the southeastern part of the island, approximately between the Canal Street, Houston Street, Bowery and the East River Strait.
Lower West Side is the south-western part of the island. This part of the island also has the names TriBeCa (abbreviation from Triangle Below Canal Street). The site is limited by the streets Canal Street, West Street and Broadway. Tribeca is one of the most fashionable areas of Manhattan.
Tribeca was the safest area in New York in 2010, according to statistics.
Upper Manhattan is the northern part of the island. The boundaries of it are not established officially. Most often, the southern border can be called 96th Street, 110th Street (the northern border of Central Park) or 125th Street.
Upper East Side is section east of Central Park, between Fifth Avenue, East River Strait, 59th Street and 96th Street. This is one of the most expensive areas of the city. There are also many museums here. The largest number of museums are located on Fifth Avenue, between Eighty-second and One Hundred Fourth Streets (Museum Mile).
The Upper West Side (UWS) is located west of Central Park, between the park and the Hudson River, West 59th Street and West 110th Street.
Midtown is the central part of the island of Manhattan. This is the business district of the city. There are located, among others, the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Building, the United Nations buildings, Times Square. Midtown occupies the entire width of the island from east to west. The northern boundary of the area is 59th Street. The southern border of the district is called the different streets: either 34th Street or 23rd Street.
The locals gave some places their own, eloquent names: SoHo (South of Houston Street), NoHo (North of Houston Street), Nolita (North of Little Italy), NoMad (North of Madison Square), DUMBO (District Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass ), BoCoCa (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens), TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal Street).
Places and attractions
Where is it located in Manhattan? Look at the map.
Central Park
Central Park occupies the central part of the island of Manhattan. It has a rectangular shape. The boundaries of the park pass along the streets: 59th street in the south, 10th street in the north, Fifth avenue (in the east) and Eighth avenue (in the west). The length of the park (from south to north) is about 4 kilometers and width is about 800 meters. It is the most visited park in the USA.
Almost all tourists coming to New York consider it necessary to visit the central park. In the park, there are many beautiful and interesting places for tourists. There are interesting events for tourists held there too.
Tourists can rent a bicycle or roller skates for a walk in the park or join a walking tour with a guide.
Times Square
Times Square is the most visited square in New York. The area is located in the central part of Manhattan, at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue (between the western 42nd and 47th streets). Metro Station Times Square - 42nd Street is located under the square.
Fifth Avenue
Fifth Avenue is a major street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches from West 143rd Street in Harlem to Washington Square North at Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. It is considered as one of the most expensive streets in the world.
Fifth Avenue serves as the dividing line for house numbering and west-east streets in Manhattan.
The section of Fifth Avenue between 49th Street and 60th Street, is lined with prestigious shops and is consistently ranked among the most expensive shopping streets in the world.
Landmarks located along Fifth Avenue: Empire State Building, Flatiron Building, New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center , St. Patrick's Cathedral.
Skip-the-line tickets to museums and to the sights of New York you can buy online.
Broadway
Broadway is one of the most famous streets in Manhattan. This is the longest street in New York. It passes through all of Manhattan, the Bronx and further north. Broadway crosses the Theater Quarter (between 40th and 54th streets) and Times Square.
Columbia University
Columbia University is one of the most famous and prestigious universities in the United States. The university is located in Upper Manhattan (metro station 116th Street-Columbia University).
Empire State Building
Empire State Building is the most famous skyscraper in New York. The building has 103 floors. The skyscraper is located on Fifth Avenue between Western 33rd and 34th Streets. Observation decks of the Empire State Building (on the 86th and 102nd floors) are one of the most popular in New York. It is open from 08 am to 02 am. The nearest metro stations are: 34th Street-Herald Square on Sixth Avenue and Broadway, and 33rd Street on Park Avenue. Address: 350 5th Aveue (btwn 33rd & 34th St), New York, NY.
(Tickets can be bought online.) The observation deck may be closed due to bad weather.)
Top of the Rock
Top of the Rock is an observation deck on the 70th floor of the Rockefeller Plaza skyscraper (one of the Rockefeller Center buildings). It is considered one of the best viewing platforms of the city. Tickets can be purchased online or on the website. (You can also buy a New York Pass, the cost of which includes visiting the observation platform.)
Address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111. Entrance from 50th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. Open from 08 am until midnight.
The United Nations headquarters
The United Nations headquarters buildings are located in the eastern part of Manhattan, between 42nd and 48th streets, First Avenue and the East River Strait. Excursions are held only on weekdays. Strict requirements for security services are to visitors (any liquids, sharp objects, large backpacks are prohibited).
Address: 405 E 42nd Street (46th St & 1st Ave), New York, NY 10017.
The Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge connects Manhattan and Brooklyn. This is one of the tourist attractions of the city. The bridge offers a panoramic view of the city. From here you can see many famous buildings of New York. Tourists can make good pictures and selfies here. The bridge is in Lower Manhattan, about 700 meters from Wall Street. The nearest metro station is Fulton Street.
Wall Street
Wall Street is a small street in Lower Manhattan (between Broadway and South Street). It is considered the historical center of the Financial District of the city. The length of Wall Street is about 600 meters. The main attraction of the street is the building of the New York Stock Exchange.
The famous sculpture The Charging Bull (also known as the Wall Street Bull, one of the places for taking photos) is located about 300 meters from Wall Street, in Bowling Green Park (Broadway, Bowling Green metro station (4, 5 )). (Do not forget to rub "some parts" of the bull. It brings good luck for you.)
Christopher Columbus Monument
Columbus Circle, one of the most famous squares in New York is located at the southwest corner of Central Park, at the intersection of Broadway and Eighth Avenue. This is a circular area with a circular movement of cars along its perimeter.
In the center of the square, on the 21-meter rostral column is a Columbus monument.
It is the so-called "kilometer zero", the place from which the distance in New York is officially measured.
Museums
The next Museum Mile festival will be held June 11, 2019 in New York.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the largest museums in the world. The commonly used name is "the Met". There are more than two million exhibits, works of art and other items in the permanent collection. There are quite a lot of collections of different types, including the Museum of Costume Art.
The main building of the museum is located on the eastern outskirts of the Central Park. The museum also has branches in other parts of the city.
The ticket price for adults not living in the state of New York is $ 25 (2018).
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is located next to the Central Park in the Upper West Side in Manhattan. The museum complex consists of 28 interconnected buildings, in which there are 45 permanent exhibition halls. The collection of the museum has more than 32 million copies.
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
The museum is often identified as one of the largest and most influential museums of modern art in the world.
Admission to The Museum of Modern Art is free for all visitors every Friday evening, 4:00–8:00 p.m., during UNIQLO Free Friday Nights (2018).
Address: 11 West 53 Street, New York, NY 10019.
Museum of sex
The Sex Museum, also known under the abbreviated name "MoSex", is located south of Central Park, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 27th Street. The museum was opened in 2002. The exposition of the museum tells about the development and change of sexual culture in America. Address: 233 5th Ave (at E 27th St), New York, NY. The ticket price is from 17,50 dollars.