Top 10 Reasons to Visit New York City

If you have been thinking about visiting New York City, but are still indecisive finding out about the top 10 reasons to visit might help you make up your mind. Despite how small New York is there are still plenty of opportunities for tourists, in fact, it is probably one of the busiest and most populated states in America. No matter what time of the day or night it is you can find something to do, New York just never seems to sleep.

#1 Open Spaces

With how busy and crowded New York is you will be surprised to find out just how many open spaces there is in New York City. Central Park, which is only the fifth largest park in New York City despite how popular it is, is made up of 843-acres of green space. New York City actually has 1,700 parks that you can visit, which is amazing when you think about how many buildings are crammed into that city. Inside all of the parks, there is plenty of room for you to enjoy the park and its activities, including bike riding, jogging, horseback riding, and many other sports that you can play in a park.

#2 Times Square

Times Square used to be a place to avoid because of how bad the area was. Now the area has been redone and is one of the most popular places to go. Times Square is not only safe, but it is now one of the busiest areas in New York City. Many of the best tourist attractions, such as Hard Rock Café and American Girl Place, that New York City has to offer, are found in Times Square, not to mention it is the place to be when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve. Many people come to Times Square simply to look at all of the electronic billboards, which is more than enough to keep you busy.

#3 Museums

Some of the best museums in the world can be found in New York and all of them are worth stopping in for a visit. The problem with all of the museums that New York has to offer is that there is never enough time to see everything that each museum has to offer, which is a great reason to come back for another visit soon. Some of the most popular museums that you will find in New York are the Museum of Modern Art, American Museum of Natural History, and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.

#4 Theater

The numerous shows that you can find on Broadway should be reason enough to come to the city. Broadway currently has 39 theaters that are open for business, which most of them are located in an area of New York City referred to as “Great White Way.” When in the city you need to catch at least one show on Broadway, regardless of the type of show you see. You can choose from classics or something that has just been released.

#5 Statue of Liberty

Standing for everything that we believe in as Americans the Statue of Liberty is something that even seasoned New Yorkers visit. The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, which is a 12-acre island inside the New York Harbor. Ellis Island, which is the port where immigrants enter the United States, is also worth a look and is located near the Statue of Liberty.

#6 Empire State Building

The Empire State Building, which is 102-stories tall, is a New York icon because of its unique architecture, which is classic Art Deco. Not only does the architecture catch people
S attention, but so does the observatory deck located on the 86th floor. The observatory deck is located outside, which provides you with some of the most amazing views of New York. From the deck you can actually see about 80 miles out.

#7 FAO Schwartz

Stepping into the biggest toy store in the world is more than enough reason to visit New York, but FAO Schwartz has more to offer than just toys. Outside of the store, live toy soldiers who put on a ceremony each morning will greet you and as you walk in the doors, you will be surrounded by huge stuffed animals. Inside the store, there is a LED-grid light show on the ceiling, which is constantly changing and the floor piano has professional dancers giving performances throughout the day, but there is also a chance for visitors to perform. Even though it is a toy store adults have just as much fun as kids inside.

#8 Rockefeller Center

The most popular activity at Rockefeller Center is the outdoor ice skating rink, which is only open during the winter. The holidays the rink is more crowded, but it is pretty busy throughout the entire season. Even if you don’t ice skate, you can sit back and watch the skaters while enjoying a nice cup of hot cocoa.

#9 Lincoln Center

The Lincoln Center is the largest center for performing arts, which it takes up 16.3 acres. Inside the center, you will find 12 different art organizations that are dedicated to the performing arts. You must catch at least one performance while you are in town, but touring the center is also worth the visit. Some of the performing groups include the New York City Ballet and The New York City Opera.

#10 Grand Central Terminal

The terminal, which was built between 1903 and 1931, is a must see while in New York, even if you are not going to be taking a train. The inside and outside of the building will offer you the chance to see some of the most beautiful architecture in the city. There are also tours that you can take to learn about the history of the station, which includes how it was almost destroyed and how it was restored.