842 Best Sights in New York, USA

NYU students, street musicians, skateboarders, chess players, and those just watching the grand opera of it all generate a maelstrom of activity in this physical and spiritual heart of Greenwich Village. The 9¾-acre park with its gorgeous central fountain had inauspicious beginnings as a cemetery, principally for yellow-fever victims—an estimated 10,000–22,000 bodies lie below (a headstone was even unearthed in 2009). In the early 1800s, the park was a parade ground and the site of public executions; the notorious Hanging Elm still stands at the northwest corner of the square. 

The triumphal European-style Washington Arch at the square's northern flank marks the start of 5th Avenue. The original wood-and-papier-mâché arch, situated a half block north, was erected in 1889 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of George Washington's presidential inauguration. The arch was reproduced in Tuckahoe marble in 1892, and the statues—Washington as General Accompanied by Fame and Valor on one side, and Washington as Statesman Accompanied by Wisdom and Justice on the other—were added in 1916 and 1918, respectively.

The main entrance to this park is in downtown Watkins Glen. Campgrounds are scattered around the beautiful Glen Creek. The waters drop about 500 feet in 2 mile and include 19 waterfalls. The easy 1½-mile gorge trail runs parallel to the creek, and 300-foot cliffs border the water. One bridge spans 165 feet over the water. The park also has an Olympic-size pool. "Timespell," a computerized light-and-sound show, explains the geological development of the gorge. It's screened on the sides of the glen. The gorge isn't accessible in winter.

The Renzo Piano–designed museum welcomes visitors with a lively plaza, bold works of contemporary and modern American art, plenty of terraced outdoor spaces, and expansive windows. There are eight floors (not all open to the public), with a lauded French bakery on the ground floor and a café on the eighth floor. The galleries house rotating exhibitions from the permanent collection of postwar and contemporary works by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Jim Dine, Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko, Chuck Close, Cindy Sherman, and Roy Lichtenstein. Notable pieces often on view include Hopper's Early Sunday Morning (1930), Bellows's Dempsey and Firpo (1924), Calder's beloved Circus, and several of O'Keeffe's dazzling flower paintings.

The Whitney experience is as much about the setting as the incredible artwork. The outdoor terraces on floors six, seven, and eight are connected by exterior stairs that provide a welcome reprieve from crowded galleries as well as stunning skyline views. Visitors 25 and under get in free with valid ID; Friday night is free to all 5–10 pm. Skip the line and buy tickets in advance online; same-day tickets are often available.

From April through October, you can see one of baseball's great franchises, the \"Bronx Bombers,\" in action at their $1.5 billion Yankee Stadium, opened in 2009 right across the street from the site of the original (aka \"the House that Ruth Built\"), which is now parkland. Tickets can be pricey, but the experience is like watching baseball in a modern-day coliseum. It's quite opulent: a traditional white frieze adorns the stadium's top; inside, limestone-and-marble hallways are lined with photos of past Yankee greats. History buffs and hard-core fans should visit the museum (set on the main level and open 'til the end of the eighth inning), filled with team memorabilia, and Monument Park (closes 45 minutes prior to first pitch), with plaques of past Yankee legends, by center field. Pregame and off-season one-hour stadium tours are held on a near-daily basis year-round; visit the Yankees website for more info on times and ticketing.

More than 100,000 Adirondack artifacts are in the collection of this acclaimed museum that explores the history and culture of the region. The 32-acre complex, on Blue Mountain Lake, encompasses 23 indoor and outdoor exhibit areas that examine nearly every feature of Adirondack life, including resort life, wood crafts, logging and mining, guide boats, and environmental issues. A library, snack bar, and shop are on-site.

Manhattan's Little Italy is overrun with mediocre restaurants aimed at tourists, but Belmont (meaning \"beautiful hill\"), the Little Italy of the Bronx, is a real, thriving Italian American community. Unless you have family in the area, the main reason to come here is for the food: eating it, buying it, looking at it fondly through windows, and chatting with shopkeepers about it—perhaps getting recipe advice.

Nearly a century after pushcarts on Arthur Avenue catered to Italian American workers constructing the zoo and botanical garden, the area teems with meat markets, bakeries, cheese makers, and shops selling kitchenware (espresso machines, pasta makers, etc.). There are debates about which store or restaurant is the \"best,\" but thanks to generations of Italian grandmothers, most vendors here serve fresh, handmade foods—including the sausages of the famed \"sausage chandelier\" at the Calabria Pork Store (  2338 Arthur Ave.). Although the area is no longer solely Italian—many Latinos and Albanians share this neighborhood now—Italian Americans dominate the food scene. 

A winding tree-lined road leads to this small college of liberal arts and sciences. The beautiful 540-acre campus encompasses two Hudson River estates, parklike grounds and gardens, and wooded areas.

Few New York views are more romantic than the one from the top of the magnificent stone staircase that leads down to the ornate three-tiered Bethesda Fountain. The fountain, dedicated in 1873, was built to celebrate the opening of the Croton Aqueduct, which brought clean drinking water to New York City. The name Bethesda was taken from the biblical pool in Jerusalem that was supposedly given healing powers by an angel, which explains the statue The Angel of the Waters rising from the center. The four figures around the fountain's base symbolize Temperance, Purity, Health, and Peace. Beyond the terrace stretches The Lake, filled with swans, gondolas, and amateur rowboat captains. At its eastern end is the new and improved Boathouse, home of a deck bar, an outdoor café for on-the-go snacks, and a pricier restaurant for more leisurely meals.

The boardwalk is the social and sentimental heart of Long Beach, so when the beloved historic structure was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, hearts broke. Today a brand new fortified boardwalk stands in its place, a symbol of the city's resilience, and throughout the summer weekend vendors and entertainers attract crowds. Walkers and cyclists hit the planks year-round, and food trucks and a trapeze school are welcome additions to its lively scene.

George C. Boldt, proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, began building this 120-room Rhineland-style castle on Heart Island for his wife, Louise, in 1900. Four years later, when she died suddenly, he ceased work on the castle. The building remained deserted for 73 years, abused by vandals and weather. Since 1977, millions of dollars have been poured into restoration work. It's worth a trip to the 5-acre island to see the castle. Its fleet of wooden boats is in the Boldt Yacht House, on Wellesley Island. Uncle Sam Boat Tours runs shuttle boats between Alexandria Bay, Heart Island, and Wellesley Island.

Most visitors cross the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, but you'll get better views traversing the span from the Brooklyn side. It's a surprisingly long walk (more than a mile) that normally takes about 40 minutes, but the exhilarating views are worth the exertion. No need to look out for cyclists; a separated bike lane on the vehicle road has made the pedestrian walkway much more pleasant. The bridge is most magical and quiet in the early morning, but if you don't mind the crowds, it's worth making the trip at sunset in summer, when the lights of Manhattan come to life. There are two pedestrian access points for the bridge on the Brooklyn side: at the intersection of Tillary Street and Adams Street, and another in DUMBO from a staircase at the underpass where Cadman Plaza East intersects Prospect Street.

This sprawling, 85-acre industrial-turned-recreational riverside park stretches from the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO, under the Brooklyn Bridge, and all the way south to Pier 6 at the end of Atlantic Avenue. It's a gathering spot for tourists and Brooklynites alike, who come to picnic or watch movies on the lawn in the summer, play various sports on its many courts and playing fields, or simply stroll the promenade and gawk at the most postcard perfect view of the downtown Manhattan skyline—especially at sunset. The DUMBO section has a playground and a small pebble beach, plus the wonderfully restored Jane’s Carousel ( janescarousel.com).

New York’s second-largest museum (after Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum of Art) is also one of the largest in America, with 560,000 square feet of exhibition space. The colossal Beaux-Arts structure houses a world-class collection of Egyptian art, as well as impressive collections of African, pre-Columbian, Native American, pan-Asian, and feminist art. In addition, you'll find works by Georgia O'Keeffe, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, George Bellows, Thomas Eakins, and Milton Avery. The museum is also well-known for its contemporary, cutting-edge special exhibits. The monthly First Saturday (except September and November through January) is a free-entry night that's a neighborhood party of art, music, and dancing, with food vendors and several cash bars.

Bushwick is well known for its street art, as the Brooklyn graffiti scene endures with colorful, larger-than-life murals. It's all encouraged, supported, and curated by this urban art collective, under the helm of Joseph Ficalora. The outdoor street art gallery is omnipresent as you walk Troutman Street and the adjacent blocks of St. Nicholas Avenue and Wyckoff Avenue, the area's main drag. Fans of global street art will recognize featured artists, including Sam Lao, Robert Vargas, and Case Maclaim. Every summer, the Collective throws a block party that's a mix of DJs, hip-hop performances, food trucks, and local vendors. Check their social media for details.

This former Nabisco plant—where the first Oreos were baked in 1912—now houses more than 50 shops, food vendors, and sit-down restaurants. Probably the biggest draw are the food kiosks (some with counter seating), including favorite taco spot Los Tacos No. 1, Israeli-based sandwich spot Miznon, Amy's Bread, Berlin Currywurst, Ninth Street Espresso, and so much more. Also look for an Anthropologie store, an outpost of Pearl River Mart, a wine bar, upscale groceries, teas, spices, gift baskets, kitchen supplies, and one of New York City's last independent bookstores (Posman Books). The market's funky industrial design—a tangle of glass and metal for an awning, a factory pipe converted into an indoor waterfall—complements the eclectic assortment of shops, but the narrow space can get very crowded. A downstairs level has a few additional food stands as well as bathrooms. There is some seating inside and outside along West 15th Street, but if the weather's nice, take your goodies to the High Line.

Built in 1847 as the founding college of what is now the largest public urban university system in America, City College was originally called Free Academy of the City of New York. Affectionately dubbed the \"Harvard of the Proletariat,\" or \"the poor man's Harvard,\" the idyllic Neo-Gothic campus was designed by George Brown Post (the architect behind the Stock Exchange) and has since expanded to 36 acres. At a time when private universities were predominantly restricted to Protestant students, City College became a beacon for religious tolerance, and over the years, several City College graduates went on to win Nobel Prizes, among a long list of notable alumni. It’s also the site where Albert Einstein first presented his theory of general relativity in America. Stroll between Convent Avenue and St. Nicholas Terrace to admire five landmark structures with white terra-cotta trim, four great arches, green spaces, and more than 600 Gothic gargoyles and grotesques, originally designed to symbolize the academic purpose of each building.

The Cooper Hewitt has taken an ornate, century-old mansion—once the residence of industrialist Andrew Carnegie—and outfitted it with the latest technologies and amenities to create a slick, highly interactive, 21st-century experience, so you don’t just look at design; you engage with it. Download the free app to guide you through some of the wide-ranging collection's more than 215,000 objects from over 30 centuries, including 3-D printed objects, handcrafted furniture, vintage wallpaper, cultural and period textiles, art and design books, and examples of robotics and animation. Rotating exhibits may focus on a particular designer, design era or theme.

The focus on design and discovery extends to the SHOP, where limited-edition objects are for sale. There is a café, and an outdoor garden is free and open to the public. The museum offers guided tours aligned to exhibition topics at 1:30 daily. Admission tickets can be reserved online.

Works by some of the biggest names in modern art from the 1960s to today fill this former Nabisco printing plant on the bank of the Hudson River. Highlights include works by minimalist icons Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Robert Ryman, and Agnes Martin. Expansive spaces and luxuriant light make the nearly 300,000-square-foot building—on 34 acres with artistic landscaping—an experience in itself. If you don't know much about modern art, take the tour to gain some context. Be sure to stop by the on-site bookstore and café afterwards.

On a ridge between the southern ends of Cayuga and Seneca lakes, 9 miles north of Watkins Glen, the national forest offers more than 30 mi of easy-to-moderate hiking trails through a variety of terrain. The land was patched together when the federal government purchased about 100 farms between 1938 and 1941. The forest encompasses 16,032 acres, so you might feel like you have the place to yourself—regardless of whether you're camping, cross-country skiing, fishing, or hunting. The forest's altitude is higher than most surrounding points, so great vistas are yours for the hiking. Trail maps are available at some trailheads and at the visitor center.

Come to Fort Tryon Park to visit the Met Museum's medieval branch, the Cloisters, and stay for the glorious Hudson River views, the gorgeous landscaped gardens, the 8 miles of winding pathways, and the Revolutionary War history. Perched on one of the highest points in Manhattan (hence \"the Heights,\") the 67-acre oasis was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and gifted to New York City in 1935 by John D. Rockefeller Jr., and today its more than 650 varieties of plants, trees, and shrubs are the gifts that keep on giving with every season. During the Revolutionary War, the area was part of the Battle of Fort Washington, a seminal Continental army defeat in the American Revolution. While the Continental Army ultimately prevailed, the site originally named for the last British governor of colonial New York, William Tryon, continued to be referred to as Fort Tryon. Look for the monument to Margaret Corbin, a woman who took up her husband's canon when he was shot and killed during battle: “On this hilltop stood Fort Tryon, the northern outwork of Fort Washington, its gallant defense against the Hessian troops by the Maryland and Virginia regiment 16-November-1776 was shared by Margaret Corbin, the first American woman to take a soldier’s part in the war for liberty.” Other highlights include the Billings Arcade, the remains of a stunning arched entrance to a grand mansion (you've likely seen this on Instagram), and the Heather Garden, where locals welcome spring with parading bagpipes and heather shearings. Don't miss the gatehouse on your way into the park with the apt sign \"NYC's coolest office.\"

The birthplace and home of the country's 32nd president, Springwood is just as it was when the Roosevelts lived here. It contains family furnishings and keepsakes, and Franklin, Eleanor, and their beloved dog Fala are buried in the wonderful rose garden. At the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum, photographs, letters, speeches, and memorabilia document FDR's life; a multimedia exhibit examines World War II. The first of the presidential libraries, the building was designed by Roosevelt himself.

The ¼-mi-long, 98-acre concourse includes modern art and sculpture, the New York State Museum, the State Library, the elliptical performing-arts center, and the New York State Vietnam Memorial. At the center of the plaza is a rectangular reflecting pool. The capitol crowns the plaza's north end. On weekdays in July and August you can take a free hour-long tour, which examines the plaza's history, architecture, monuments, and artworks. Tours start at 11 and 1 at the concourse-level visitor center.