New York City：An In-Depth Look at Manhattan Having Fun

　　Why New York City is so famous in the world? New York City, also called Big Apple, is attracted many people to visit. In this borough of diverse neighborhoods offers many sights and attractions.
　　

　　New York City is one of great countries I have ever been. When I was in junior high school, there was the first time I went to New York City. Although there is not my first time go abroad, this was my first time traveling in America. My family and I joined the tourist group for a week. I was very expected, and just as my expected, it was a great journey. At that time, I told my father I hope I can travel here again. After I graduated from junior college, m family and I have traveled to NYC again, and this time, we stayed in NYC for one month. Everyday we went sightseeing, eating, and shopping, for this visiting way, one month really can make people understand a place very well.
　　

　　In fact, there are many famous places in this city, but it is hard to introduce all of those places. Therefore, I choose some places that you have to go when you travel in NYC. This paper discuss under this following subdivision: (1) spot visiting, (2) go shopping and eating, and (3) accommodations.
　　

Spots Visiting
　　　　

　　In New York City, there are many scenic spots that dazzle us. How to choose the spot is very important. I had been to New York twice, and as for me, Time Square, Fifth Avenue, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Statue of Liberty, and Central Park are the spots I commend to you to visit, Central Park and Time Square especially. I would like to show you why I commend those scenic spots and how to go here.
　　
Statue of Liberty
　　 　　

If you are the first come to New York City, you must to visit the Statue of Liberty, the most popular tourist attraction. The Statue of Liberty is to NYC what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, every tourist make pilgrimages to here (Doraemon n.p., translation mine).

　　
　　Located on a twelve acre island, the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986 (“Liberty” n.p.). Visitors can now experience a special insider's view of the engineering marvel that is the Statue of Liberty. To better understand this monumental work of art, visitors can view inside the Statue through a glass ceiling, guided by a park ranger, an enhanced lighting and new video system (“Inside” n.p.).

　　
　　It has been said that tourist can try to walk three hundreds fifty-four steps, about twenty-two storeys, from the pedestal to the head's observation deck to see the panoramic views of NYC and the Harbor, and my parents and I were excited to try it. Unfortunately we missed the time to visit the inside when we arrived at the island, because we spent about one hour waiting for security check and boarding the ferry. Therefore, I must tell you if you want to visit inside, you have early to line up to take the boat in Battery Park in NYC and Liberty State Park in Jersey City. By the way, it will spend more than half day visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, part of Statue, if you do not have many time, you may roam around and view the Statue from Battery Park.
　　

Central Park

　　
　　Another scenic spots, one of my favorite spots, is Central Park. It is a large public, urban park in the borough of Manhattan in NYC. With about twenty-five million visitors annually, Central Park is the most visited city park in the United States, and its appearance in many movies and television shows has made it among the most famous city parks in the world (Anon n.p.). It contains several natural-seeming lakes and ponds, extensive walking tracks, the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, an outdoor amphitheater which hosts the Shakespeare in the Park summer festival, and more (Anon n.p.).

　　
　　In those places, I particularly love the Sheep Meadow and Bethesda Fountain. Many people love to have a picnic and sunbath, or do some things make themselves relax on the Sheep Meadow. When I first time sun-bathed with many strangers, I felt very self-conscious, but I still enjoyed in it. Bethesda Fountain is in the center of Central Park, and it is beside the lake. I felt leisurely and carefree when I rowed a boat in the lake, and saw the street entertainer in Bethesda Fountain's square.

　　　
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

　　
　　The first museum I visited in NYC is MMA, the biggest museum in USA. I had many different senses of sight when I saw those ancient trove and collections at the MMA.
　　

　　There are more than two hundred galleries, it includes American Decorative Arts and Modern Art, and these galleries are located in both first and second floor, but different sides. Two of my favorite galleries, Ancient Near Eastern Art, are located in second floor, in the fifth Avenue side, and Greek and Roman Art, located in the first floor, in the side of the corner of Eighth Street and Fifth Avenue. The Costume Institute which houses a collection of more than thirty thousands costumes and accessories across five continents and many centuries is my most favorite gallery, and it located in ground floor (“Works” n.p.). Besides these above galleries, the museum always has different Special Exhibitions.
　　

　　If you go to Central Park, you can not miss to visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and one of its exits is in front of Central Park, it is very near by. In NYC, although there are many famous museums, I most commend the MMA. The reason why I most recommend is because, to me, they are the most interesting. If you love history, art, or museum piece, this is the place you must visit.

　　
Times Square

　　
　　Times Square, which is called Crossroads of the World, is in the heart of Manhattan, in the center of One Times Square Building (Lan Xiao Yue n.p., translation mine). It is formed by the intersection of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and Forty-Second Street, this famous square was named for the building there that belonged to the New York Times formerly. Times Square and the neighboring area form one of the most concentrated entertainment regions, and it features theaters, motion picture houses, shops, newsstands, bars, and restaurants (“Time” n.p.). Times Square, hosts nearly forty Broadway Shows, Off- Broadway shows, and many large-scaled movie theaters. Due to those stores and shows, Times Square attracts more than ten thousand people every day and is a prosperous entertainment and shopping center (Lan n.p.).

　　
　　In fact, Times Square is my favorite place in New York. I had seen an article about the short talk between the writer and her friend:
　　A friend asked me “Moon, You stayed in New York for a long time, which place you often go?” I answered without hesitation “of course is Times Square” (Lan n.p.).

　　
　　When I was in NY, I almost went to Times Square once a week because there are so many special and newfangled stores that I could not explore them all in one day. In addition, various useful information like maps, the subway road map, the route of sightseeing, monthly recreational activities, the weekend program, the museum synopsis, Broadway's introduction, and numerous different types of discount coupons are readily available. If it is your first time to go to New York and you do not know where to go, you can visit Times Square and take many materials, especially a New York City Guide, which comes out seasonally, includes an exhaustive city map, shopping and amusement coupons, and activities for the upcoming three months (Lan n.p.).

　　
　　In addition, Times Square might be most well known around the world for its annual New Year's celebration. New Year's Eve is one of the major festivals in the United States of America. With the coming of December thirty-first, there are many activities and parties held in Times Square. My uncle told me, on that day, the residents and visitors crowded into the street and it was very amazing and horrible at the same time. My uncle said “Even if it is very joyful, I do not want to go there on New Year's Eve again.” I have been to New York twice, both in the summer, but I have never stayed there in the winter, but if I have the chance and the time, I hope I could celebrate New Year’s Eve in Times Square and feel the happy ambiance my uncle speak of.

　　
Fifth Avenue

　　
　　In the world, there are several streets you can simply mention and everyone knows where they are located. One of these streets is Fifth Avenue in NYC. Why Fifth Avenue so well-known? One of the reasons is it plays an important role in New York City's geography: it approximately divides the street system into the north and the south avenues, east and the west streets. There are all separate by Fifth Avenue. Next, since the nineteenth century, more and more millionaires have moved there; therefore, it is called “Millionaire's Row”. Fifth Avenue is also called Museum Mile. Many well-known museums, such as MMA, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, are all located on this avenue. In addition to these museums, the Empire State Building, New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and more are all also situated along Fifth Avenue. (Inna n.p., translation mine)

　　
　　In addition to these three reasons, I think the most well known reason for Fifth Avenue’s popularity is that there are many famous brand name stores here. Each girl’s and woman’s eyes light up when they see these stores. I am no exception. If you are a female who loves shopping, then you must go to Fifth Avenue. Those brands name goods and stores will certainly dazzle you.

　　
Go Shopping and Eating

　　
　　All of the cities in USA are just like a big market and a super shopping mall. From the latest fashion to last season, from famous brand name stores to outlets, from restaurants to vendors, this country has everything you want.

Shopping

Outlet
　　Century twenty-one is a big shopping outlet which offers people who do not have much money for shopping. If you do not have many budgets, then Century twenty-one will be a good choice. It almost gives thirty to half percent discount whole year. You can buy many famous brand name goods by cheaper prices here, such as sixty US dollars for a Versace tie, two hundreds for Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, Calvin Klein, Coach and more cheaper but famous brand name goods. Although the goods in Century twenty-one are cheaper, you still have to check whether this is a defective product or not. Some of products are sold because of blemishes (Guo, translation mine).

Fair and Flea Market
　　In addition to outlet store, another place for shopping you must go to is the flea market. The goods in flea markets are not less than on Fifth Avenue. Also, the collections that can be found in NY flea market have more variety and abundance than in Europe. NYC flea markets just like a small museum, and the collections include antique furniture, porcelain, silverware, troves, even leather clothing, and Persian carpets. In addition to museums, it is also a great way for people to kill their time on the weekend (Guo). In the USA, there are close to five thousand flea markets and more than several million vendors, and it also attracts more than a billion customers (Wen n.p., translation mine). The best-known flea market in the USA is Annex Antique Fair & Flea Market, on Sixth Avenue from Twenty-Forth to Twenty-Seventh Streets; it is opened on Saturdays and Sundays, from sunrise to sunset. Basically, it is free, but there is one area that charges one US dollar for an admission fee (Karen n.p.).

　　There are many flea markets in NY, and I only go to the Annex Antique Fair & Flea Market. Decorations, jewelry, clothing, silver, and works of art are sold here. My parents bought a wall clock and the unique bottles for decorating. If you are interested in finding some treasures and second-hand goods, flea markets are the good place for you to take a look.

Eating

　　
　　Besides spots and shopping, the attraction of delicious food interests many people. Numerous restaurants and vendors are everywhere in NYC. Hot dogs, pretzels, hamburgers, and gyros are sold everywhere; there are the famous foods of NYC, just like fried chicken in Taiwan.

　　
　　If you are tired of eating Western-style food and fast food, Chinese food is a good choices. For Chinese food, I recommend Ollie's Chinese Restaurant. In fact, the reasons why I recommend it are because the owner of this restaurant is my father's friend and it is cheap and delicious. Each combo costs around seven US dollars. We always had meals here when we missed Chinese food. As for me, I preferred the scallion pancake and beef noodles; however, the recommended specialties of Ollie's are roast duck, General Tso's chicken, and dumplings.
Hong Kong yam cha is also another good choice, and I recommend Jing Fong, the biggest restaurant in Flushing. It serves awesome dim sum, including barbecu bun, turnip cake, marinated chicken claw, and my favorite- rice noodle roll with shrimp (Ping n.p.).

Accommodations

　　
　　In NYC, it is a big problem for visitors to find cheap hotels. Although I did not need to worry about where to stay while I was here, I still asked my friends who had been backpackers about their accommodations.

Hostel

　　
　　Most of them all recommend staying in a hostel, especially YMCA. The important advantages of living in hostel are it is cheap and easy to find. So it is a first choice for backpackers. Harlem YMCA, Vanderbilt Chinatown YMCA, and West Side YMCA are all located in Manhattan. It costs about thirty to forty-five US dollars for a single bed, and around sixty US dollars for a double room (“Guest Rooms” n.p.).

　　
　　New York International HI-AYH Hostel is anther hostel backpacker recommend. They have around six hundred beds, and the beds start at twenty-nine USD (My friend's diary).

　　
Inns

　　
　　Inns are another good place for backpackers or people who do not have much money. The two inns my friends lived before are both cheap. One is the Wanderers Inn which is one of the best rated inns in New York City, and the cheapest bed is less than thirty US dollars per person (“The Rate” n.p.). The other one is the Manhattan Inn, and the cheapest eight bed dorm cost near forty for each person. In the Manhattan Inn, all rooms have cable television, air conditioning, telephone, VCR, and private bathroom, and their front desk is open twenty-four hours a day (“Rooms and Rates” n.p.).

　　
Conclusion

　　
　　Nowadays, there are many people relaxed themselves by traveling abroad. No matter people travel with tourist group or travel alone, if you go to NYC, you can not miss those places I recommend. In this city, beside those spot, street entertainers and festivals are also fascinating features, and this is a city that you will enjoy the pleasures of retrospection. If you would like to have a trip in NYC, you can research more information on internet or magazines. I hope people can enjoy this Big Apple as I do.

　　　

　　

　　
　　
　　　　　　
　　
　　　　Works Cited

　　

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2. Doraemon. “What is the origin of the Statue of Liberty?” 15 Dec. 2005. Yhaoo Knowledge. 17 Dec. 2007. http://tw.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/?qid=1405121510638.
   
3. 郭家禎，周慧玲，謝明蓉，林志恆[Guo jia zhen, Zhou hui ling, Xie ming rong, and Lin zhi heng]. “MOOK自由自在2紐約[MOOK Magazine Book No.2 New York]”. 墨刻出版股份有限公司 [MOOK Publications Co]. May 2004; 23-26, 65.
   
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5. Inna. “Shopping all of New York.” 25 May 2007. Yahoo Blog. 5 Jan 2008. http://tw.myblog.yahoo .com/saphir-moncheri/article?mid=3979&prev=-1&next=3944#.
   
6. “Inside The Statue of Liberty.” The Statue of Liberty- Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. 17 Dec. 2007. 　　http://www.statueofliberty.org/Inside_the_statue.html.
   
7. Karen. “Who know the address of flea markets in NY?” 8 Mar. 2006. Yahoo Knowledge. 3 Jan. 2008. http://tw.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/?qid=1306031809363.
   
8. “Liberty Enlightening the World.” 3 Sept. 2007. National Park Service. 18 Dec. 2007.http://www.nps.gov/stli/.
   
9. 藍小月[Lan Xiao Yue]. “Times Square - New Year Counting.” Chinese tea E-magazine. 24 Dec. 2007. http://www.mychinesetea.net/nyhome_pnewyr.htm .
   
10. 憑虛御風[Ping Xu Yu Feng]. “English name of Hong Kong yam cha’s.” 30 Mar. 2006. Yahoo Knowledge. 10 Jan. 2008. http://tw.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/?qid=1206033001488.
    
11. “Rooms and Rates.” 2008. Hostelling International USA. 4 Jan. 2008. http://www.hinewyork.org/rooms.shtml.
    
12. “Rooms and Rates.” Manhattan Inn. 4 Jan. 2008. http://www.manhattaninnhostel.com/wfrm_rates.aspx.
    
13. Shih Chun Yen, “The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.” Find Art Museum. 26 Dec. 2007. <>.
    
14. “The Rate.” Wanderers Inn Hostel. 4 Jan. 2008. http://www.wanderersinn.com/west/our_rates.asp.
    
15. “Times Square History.” Earth Cam- Where the World Watches the World. 24 Dec. 2007. http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare/content.php?content=history.
    
16. “Works of Art.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 27 Dec. 2007.http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/index.asp?HomePageLink=works_l.
    
17. 文文[Wen wen] “There is a flea market in Kuching.” 23 Jan. 2005. Yahoo Geocities. 3 Jan. 2008. http://www.geocities.com/fiontang/rep/062.htm.