Manhattan — free borough guide

Ellis Island

The immigration station that processed over 12 million arrivals between 1892 and 1954.

Statue City Cruises ferry from Castle Clinton, Battery Park, New York, NY 10004

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The largest art museum in the Americas, with over two million works spanning 5,000 years.

1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

The High Line

An elevated park built on a disused freight rail line above Manhattan's West Side.

820 Washington St, New York, NY 10014

Intrepid Museum

An aircraft carrier museum with a Space Shuttle and a Concorde.

Pier 86, W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

El Museo del Barrio

Latino and Latin American art and culture on Museum Mile.

1230 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029

The Oculus

Santiago Calatrava's white-ribbed transit hall and shopping concourse at the World Trade Center.

185 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007

Federal Hall

The site where Washington was inaugurated, now a Greek Revival memorial on Wall Street.

26 Wall St, New York, NY 10005

Staten Island Ferry

Free 25-minute crossing between Manhattan and St. George with open-air Statue of Liberty views both ways.

4 Whitehall St, New York, NY 10004

Lincoln Center

A 16-acre campus of travertine halls around a fountain plaza on the Upper West Side.

10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023

Whitney Museum of American Art

American art with terraces overlooking the Hudson and the High Line.

99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014

Central Park

843-acre landscaped park at the centre of Manhattan, opened in 1858.

New York, NY 10024

Grand Central Terminal

Beaux-Arts rail terminal with a celestial-mural ceiling, marble staircases and 44 platforms.

89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

Trinity Church

The 1846 Gothic Revival church at the head of Wall Street, with Alexander Hamilton's grave.

75 Broadway, New York, NY 10006

Empire State Building

1931 Art Deco skyscraper with observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors.

20 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001

Rockefeller Center

A 19-building Art Deco complex with a sunken plaza, gardens and the Top of the Rock tower.

45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111

Times Square

Neon-lit commercial crossroads at Broadway and Seventh Avenue.

Manhattan, NY 10036

Columbus Circle

The traffic circle and fountain plaza at the south-west corner of Central Park.

Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019

One World Observatory

Observatory on floors 100-102 of One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Americas.

117 West St, New York, NY 10007

Bryant Park

A formal Midtown lawn behind the public library, with a carousel, cafés and a winter rink.

Main entrance: 6th Ave & W 42nd St, New York, NY 10018

American Museum of Natural History

Sprawling natural history museum famed for its dinosaur halls and blue whale.

200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024

Top of the Rock

Three-level observation deck atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza facing the Empire State Building.

30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112

Chelsea Market

A food hall and market in the former Nabisco factory where the Oreo was invented.

75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Central Park Zoo

A compact 6.5-acre zoo near the park's south-east corner, with sea lions, penguins and snow leopards.

Entrance at E 64th St & 5th Ave, Central Park, New York, NY 10065

Statue of Liberty

Colossal neoclassical statue on Liberty Island, a gift from France and a symbol of freedom.

Liberty Island, New York, NY 10004

Cathedral of St. John the Divine

One of the largest cathedrals in the world, still unfinished.

1047 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10025

9/11 Memorial & Museum

Twin reflecting pools in the footprints of the Twin Towers, with a museum below.

180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007

Union Square

A busy public square hosting the city's largest greenmarket four days a week.

South entrance: E 14th St & Union Square West, New York, NY 10003

Charging Bull

Arturo Di Modica's 7,100-pound bronze bull at the foot of Broadway.

Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004

New-York Historical Society

New York's oldest museum, telling the story of the city and nation.

170 Central Prk W, New York, NY 10024

Tenement Museum

Guided tours through restored Lower East Side tenement apartments telling real immigrant families' stories. Tickets from about $30 — check the museum site for the current price.

103 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

Little Island

A public park on tulip-shaped concrete piles floating in the Hudson at Pier 55.

Pier 55, Hudson River Park at W 13th St, New York, NY 10014

The Morgan Library & Museum

Pierpont Morgan's private library and its jaw-dropping three-tiered study, plus rotating manuscript exhibitions. Admission from about $25 — confirm current pricing.

225 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016

Belvedere Castle

A miniature Victorian folly on Vista Rock with the highest views inside Central Park.

Mid-Park at 79th St, Central Park, New York, NY 10024

New York Public Library

The 1911 marble flagship guarded by the lions Patience and Fortitude.

476 5th Ave, New York, NY 10018

Edge at Hudson Yards

The highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, jutting from the 100th floor.

30 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001

Chrysler Building

The 1930 Art Deco tower crowned by a stainless-steel spire of radiating arches.

405 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10174

Brooklyn Bridge

The 1883 stone-and-cable suspension bridge, walkable from the Manhattan approach at Park Row.

Park Row & Centre St, New York, NY 10038

Flatiron Building

The 1902 wedge-shaped skyscraper on the triangle where Broadway crosses Fifth Avenue.

175 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

General Grant National Memorial

The largest mausoleum in North America, overlooking the Hudson.

W 122nd St &, Riverside Dr, New York, NY 10027

Apollo Theater

Harlem's legendary stage and home of Amateur Night.

233 W 125th St 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10027

The Frick Collection

Old Master paintings in an intimate Gilded Age mansion.

1 E 70th St, New York, NY 10021

Vessel

Thomas Heatherwick's 16-storey climbable honeycomb of interlocking staircases at Hudson Yards.

20 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt

Mirrored, immersive observation experience 1,100 feet above Grand Central Terminal.

45 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral masterpiece of modern art.

1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128

Washington Square Park

Greenwich Village's 9.75-acre square with a marble arch, fountain and street musicians.

Washington Square, New York, NY 10012

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Neo-Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral facing Rockefeller Center on Fifth Avenue.

5th Ave & E 51st St, New York, NY 10022

Radio City Music Hall

The 6,000-seat Art Deco theatre home to the Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular.

1260 6th Ave, New York, NY 10020

Carnegie Hall

The 1891 concert hall on Seventh Avenue with famously exact acoustics.

881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Bethesda Terrace & Fountain

Central Park's ceremonial heart, with a tiled arcade and the Angel of the Waters fountain.

Mid-Park at 72nd St, Central Park, New York, NY 10024

The Met Cloisters

Medieval art and gardens in Fort Tryon Park.

99 Margaret Corbin Dr, New York, NY 10040

Serendipity 3

Upper East Side sweet shop known for its Frrrozen Hot Chocolate.

225 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

Le Bernardin

Eric Ripert's three-Michelin-star temple to seafood in Midtown.

155 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019

Katz's Delicatessen

The Lower East Side institution that has been hand-carving pastrami since 1888.

205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Jacob's Pickles

Upper West Side comfort-food spot known for fried chicken, biscuits and house pickles.

509 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024

Keens Steakhouse

An 1885 chophouse famous for mutton chops and clay pipes on the ceiling.

72 W 36th St, New York, NY 10018

The Smith

A reliable, buzzy brasserie steps from Lincoln Center.

1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

Ellen's Stardust Diner

A retro diner where the waiters are Broadway hopefuls who sing your order.

1650 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

Joe's Pizza

The Greenwich Village counter that defines the New York slice.

7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014

Dirt Candy

Inventive vegetable-focused tasting menus on the Lower East Side.

86 Allen St, New York, NY 10002

Shake Shack

The original Shake Shack kiosk, tucked inside Madison Square Park.

Madison Square Park, New York, NY 10010

Via Carota

A West Village trattoria famous for its seasonal vegetables.

51 Grove St, New York, NY 10014

Levain Bakery

Upper West Side basement bakery famous for six-ounce cookies.

167 W 74th St, New York, NY 10023

Prince Street Pizza

Square slices with crispy pepperoni cups in Nolita.

27 Prince St, New York, NY 10012

Nobu Downtown

Nobu's Financial District flagship inside a landmark 1912 banking hall.

195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007

The Halal Guys

The Midtown street cart that grew into a global chain.

307 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019

Adda

Regional Indian cooking from the Unapologetic Foods team, now in the East Village.

107 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

Magnolia Bakery

The little West Village bakery that made cupcakes famous.

401 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Ippudo NY

The ramen house that introduced much of New York to tonkotsu, with a lively dining room.

65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003

Red Rooster

Marcus Samuelsson's Harlem restaurant celebrating the neighborhood's food and music.

310 Lenox Ave, New York, NY 10027

Buvette

Jody Williams' tiny, beloved West Village all-day café.

42 Grove St, New York, NY 10014

Tao Downtown

A cavernous, theatrical Asian restaurant and late-night scene in Chelsea.

92 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Balthazar

A SoHo brasserie that feels transplanted straight from Paris.

80 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Eleven Madison Park

A landmark art-deco dining room serving an ambitious plant-based tasting menu.

11 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10010

Xi'an Famous Foods

Hand-pulled noodles and cumin lamb from northwestern China.

45 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013

Dominique Ansel Bakery

The SoHo patisserie that invented the Cronut.

189 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Lombardi's

Widely credited as America's first pizzeria, still firing coal-oven pies.

32 Spring St, New York, NY 10012

Joe's Pizza

The Greenwich Village slice benchmark since 1975.

7 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014

Nom Wah Tea Parlor

New York's oldest dim sum parlor, open since 1920.

13 Doyers St, New York, NY 10013

Russ & Daughters

A century-old appetizing shop for smoked fish, bagels and caviar.

179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Sylvia's

The 'Queen of Soul Food' has been serving Harlem since 1962.

328 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10027

Junior's Restaurant

Brooklyn's cheesecake institution, with a busy Times Square outpost.

1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036

Gramercy Tavern

A warm, seasonal New York classic with a walk-in tavern up front.

42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003

Veselka

An East Village Ukrainian diner open around the clock since 1954.

144 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Upland

Seasonal Californian-Italian cooking in a handsome Park Avenue South room.

345 Park Ave S, New York, NY 10010

Los Tacos No. 1

Standing-room tacos in Chelsea Market with a devoted following.

75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Carbone

Red-sauce nostalgia performed at a very high level in Greenwich Village.

181 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012

Amy Ruth's

Harlem soul food known for chicken and waffles.

113 W 116th St, New York, NY 10026

The Elevated Acre

A one-acre public garden hidden a full storey above the street, reached by an escalator between two office towers in the Financial District.

55 Water St, New York, NY 10041

The Little Red Lighthouse

A tiny red lighthouse beneath the George Washington Bridge, made famous by a children's book.

Fort Washington Park, Hudson River Greenway, New York, NY 10032

Mmuseumm

A tiny museum of everyday objects housed in a former freight elevator.

4 Cortlandt Alley, New York, NY 10013

Sylvan Terrace

A cobblestone lane of 1882 wooden rowhouses beside the Morris-Jumel Mansion.

Paley Park

A pocket park with a 20-foot waterfall wall in the heart of Midtown.

3 E 53rd St, New York, NY 10022

Tudor City Greens

Two quiet private-feeling parks in a 1920s Tudor-style enclave near the UN.

38 Tudor City Pl #24, New York, NY 10017

Freeman Alley

A short dead-end alley off Rivington Street, layered end to end with street art and murals that change constantly.

Port Authority Bus Terminal

Port Authority is the busiest bus terminal in the country, linking New Jersey commuter routes and intercity coaches to Midtown. It sits a short walk from Times Square and connects directly to the subway.

625 8th Ave, New York, NY 10018

Roosevelt Island Tramway

The tram lifts from Second Avenue at 60th Street and glides beside the Queensboro Bridge to Roosevelt Island in about four minutes, climbing 250 feet above the river. It takes the same fare as the subway and offers one of the cheapest skyline rides in the city.

E 60th St & 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022

Pennsylvania Station

Penn Station handles Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit trains along with several subway lines, moving well over half a million people a day. It is functional rather than beautiful, but it is where most rail visitors arrive.

4 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, NY 10001

Moynihan Train Hall

Opened in 2021 across Eighth Avenue from Penn Station, Moynihan gives Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road passengers a skylit hall with food vendors and seating. It is the pleasant half of the Penn complex.

350 W 31st St, New York, NY 10001

Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal

The Whitehall Terminal at the southern tip of Manhattan sends boats to St. George around the clock, free of charge. The 25-minute crossing passes the Statue of Liberty and delivers a full skyline view on the way back.

4 South St, New York, NY 10004

Grand Central Terminal

Beaux-Arts rail terminal serving Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road at Grand Central Madison, with subway connections to the 4, 5, 6, 7 and S lines. Known for its celestial-mural ceiling, the main concourse clock, the Whispering Gallery and the dining concourse.

89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017