New York Highlights - the most famous sights

When the Empire State Building opened on May 1, 1931, it was the tallest building in the world. It became known for its architecture and its observation decks. In 1970, the ESB lost its first place as the tallest building to the Twin Towers in downtown Manhattan, which were not even finished at the time. After their destruction on 9/11/2001, it was the tallest building in New York City until the One World Trade Center Tower was completed and is now in fourth place after the Central Park Tower and the Seinway Tower on the new Billionaires' Row. The top of the ESB has been illuminated in different colors since 1977 to mark national holidays or events. The calendar of colors and tickets for the observation decks are available on the ESBNYC homepage.

The Brooklyn Bridge was opened in 1883 and made crossing the East River much easier. Today, the Brooklyn Bridge is considered one of New York's landmarks. And here I join in the general "highlight" and "must see" chorus: you have to walk across this bridge! Of course, if you're not very good on your feet, you can take the ferry underneath - but the view of the Manhattan skyline while walking across the bridge is something very special. And be careful: on the Brooklyn side, you can climb up and down using a staircase right from the bridge pier.

Central Park is located in the middle of Manhattan. It is a good 4 kilometers long and 860 meters wide. It is truly the lungs of New York and a recreational area that is appreciated by locals and tourists alike. It is not an ornate artificial garden, but was planned by landscape architects in 1857 to offer as much nature as possible for the big city.

The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States by the people of France in 1886. It represents the friendship between the two countries during the American Revolution and became world-famous as a symbol of life in freedom. This is mainly due to the fact that it was she who first greeted the thousands of immigrants in the port. Ellis Island, the island where the immigrants were checked and, if necessary, quarantined, is right next to it.

There are now 5 observation decks, of which the Empire State Building is still the most famous. However, you can't see the Empire State Building from there (self-explanatory). The best view is from Top of the Rocks, and the most exciting levels with mirrors and glass are from Summit One Vanderbilt. But the Edge and One World Observatory are also worth a visit. Here is a page that offers a good overview of the observation decks.

A lot has already been said about Times Square. Locals avoid it, tourists seek it out. And anyone who visits it for the first time will be amazed. The most beautiful and impressive thing is of course to walk through Times Square at night with all its lights and advertisements.

New York is almost synonymous with Broadway and its musicals. Watching a musical means great music paired with an outstanding show. Of course, that's not cheap. But there are a few ways to buy cheaper tickets for 40 - 80 USD. An insider tip for this is the TKTS ticket office at Times Square or at Lincoln Center. Another tip is TodayTix (as a website or app). There you not only get tickets, but also have an overview of the entire theater offering.

DUMBO stands for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass". This name was created by real estate agents who wanted to sell their lofts in the converted warehouses and factories more easily. The name is therefore a new creation and has nothing to do with the industrial district that was originally located here. When prices rose, industry moved on and in recent years a hip residential area has emerged that is also very popular with tourists. And DUMBO is best known for its Manhattan Bridge photo spot.

The 9/11 Memorial and the museum are two different things. The memorial is the architecturally designed "footprints" of the former Twin Towers. The museum right next to it tells the story of this fateful day using artifacts, images and sound recordings. There is also an audio guide in German. The museum puts you right in the middle of the events of that time without any interpretation. It is as depressing as it is impressive.

5th Avenue stretches from Washington Square Park in the north to the Harlem River, which separates Manhattan from the Bronx. When people talk about 5th Avenue these days, they mainly mean the section between 42nd Street and 59th Street, where expensive department stores have been established. Saks, Berdorf Goodman, Tiffany's and Cartier can be found here - but also Uniqlo and Nike. In any case, shopping is popular here. However, the Empire State Building is also on 5th Avenue, as is the Schwarzman Building of the New York Public Library. 5th Ave is also the eastern border of Central Park, where it is called Museums Mile.

The High Line is a park on a former elevated railway track in Chelsea. It was closed in 1980 and was more a sign of crisis than of recovery. Today, this stretch from Hudson Yards to Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District is a green oasis without traffic in the middle of the bustling city. There are enough benches and corners to sit down. Anyone visiting the High Line should also make a detour to Little Island and the Chelsea Market.

Some of the most famous art museums can be found in New York. These include the Museum of Modern Art, known as MoMA for short, as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) and the Guggenheim Museum. But that is just the beginning of a long list of museums in this city that are really worth visiting. Many are included in the New York sightseeing passes, such as the Intrepid Museum (an aircraft carrier from World War II) or the American Museum of Natural History. Condé Nast has put together a list of the 28 most exciting museums in NYC: