8 Best Sights in New York City, New York

Opened in 2009, the Mets' stadium was designed to hark back to Brooklyn's Ebbets Field (where the Dodgers played until 1957), with a brick exterior and lots of fun features for fans of all ages, from a batting cage and Wiffle-ball field to the original giant apple taken from the team's old residence, Shea Stadium. Even those who aren't Mets fans but simply love baseball should come to see the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, a soaring multistory entrance and history exhibit dedicated to the Dodgers player who shattered baseball's color barrier. While here, don't miss the chance to taste your way through the fabulous food court, set behind center field (on the Field Level), where you'll find Shake Shack burgers and Pig Beach BBQ. Still feeling nostalgic for the old Shea? Stop by the Mets Hall of Fame & Museum.  Behind the scenes ballpark tours ($40) are available year-round; see mlb.com/mets/tickets/tours for schedule and ticketing info. 

The gleaming Unisphere (an enormous, 140-foot-high, steel globe) might tip you off that this 898-acre park was the site of two World's Fairs. Take advantage of the park's barbecue pits, seasonal boat rentals, sports fields, and cultural festivals, but don't forget the art museum, science hall, zoo, theater, carousel, indoor pool, ice-skating rink, pitch-and-putt and mini-golf courses, and model-airplane field. Set aside a day to hit a few primary spots: several are clustered together on the park's northwest side, but reaching others will require long (though peaceful) walks.

The outdoor Queens Night Market ( www.queensnightmarket.com) is held Saturday evening, late April through October, near the New York Hall of Science. It's reminiscent of Asia's popular food markets and generally has about 100 vendors serving flavorful, often-adventurous global fare.

The flat grounds are ideal for family biking; bike rentals are available at two locations from March to early November.

The park is open from 6 am to 9 pm, 365 days a year (as in most city parks, exercise caution when visiting outside daytime hours).

For the last 28 years of his life, the famed jazz musician lived in this modest three-story house with his wife, Lucille. Take a 40-minute guided tour (reservations required in advance; departs on the hour, last tour at 3 pm), and note the difference between the rooms vividly decorated by Lucille in charming mid-century style and Louis's dark den, cluttered with phonographs and reel-to-reel tape recorders. 

At the northwestern edge of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, this museum has more than 450 hands-on exhibits that make science a playground for inquisitive minds of all ages. Climb aboard a replica of John Glenn's space capsule or control a robotic rover in an environment designed to look like Mars. The 3D Theater, Rocket Park Mini Golf, and Science Playground require extra fees.

Adjacent to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, these 39 acres include rose and herb gardens, an arboretum, and plantings especially designed to attract bees and birds. An environmentally friendly visitor center uses solar energy and recycles rainwater.

Between the zoo and the Unisphere in Flushing Meadows Corona Park lies the Queens Museum. Don't miss the astonishing Panorama of the City of New York, a nearly 900,000-building model of NYC made for the 1964 World's Fair, and the world's largest scale model. There are also rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, a massive map of the NYC water supply system, and a permanent collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass. Parking is free but limited.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park is home to the intimate Queens Zoo, dedicated to the animals of North and South America. The 11-acre facility features pumas, Andean bears, Canada lynx, and pudus, the world's smallest deer species. The zoo also maintains a farm with domestic animals like sheep, goats, horses, rabbits, and more. The last ticket is sold 30 minutes before closing.

Each year, from late August through early September, 700,000 fans come here for the U.S. Open, which claims the title of highest-attended annual sporting event in the world. The rest of the year, the 34 courts (19 outdoor and 12 indoor, all DecoTurf, plus three stadium courts) are open to the public for $38–$72 hourly. Make reservations up to two days in advance. Parking is free but limited.