Let's face it, Grand Central Terminal is somewhere you must visit whenever you're in NYC. Doesn't…read morematter if it's your first or 100th time coming to the city, this building is just magnificent. My friend is big into old historical buildings with intricate architecture and I'll admit it, I like it too. This place is like a little city. Besides transportation, there's plenty of shops and restaurants. So much history in this building. I can't help but think of all those who had to say goodbye to their loved ones as they took their long travels out of this terminal. There's so many photo ops and it's soooo large, you can spend hours here exploring.

As the name itself says, it is indeed grand. Beautiful decor and a must stop in NYC even if you…read moredon't need to ride one. Always under construction in one side or another, this iconic NYC stop was as familiar and grand as ever. Considering how long I am staying here, I could no longer be taking taxis and uber all the time, so I got much better acquainted with the station and more and more I love this!

Yeah, it's kind of a goofy audio science phenomenon due to the architecture in Grand Central…read more Located in the lower level near the Oyster Bar you'll locate the whispering gallery, and in fact you might find other people doing the same thing smiling into a corner, whispering, and the other person on the opposite side of the arch can clearly hear you as if you're next to them. That's pretty much it. I tried it with a friend and it works.

The Whispering Gallery is a New York moment that reminds you why the city is so special. Tucked…read moreinside Grand Central, it's charming and very New York. Stand at opposite corners, whisper into the wall, and somehow your voice travels perfectly across. You can stop by on a random weekday and end up smiling like a tourist. It's free, takes five minutes, and is perfect for a quick stop or showing out-of-town friends.

Tour historic buildings and designated landmarks of New York. Bowery Savings Bank building is one…read moreof many historic. Any history buff or avid amateur architecture enthusiasts would have a full appreciation and admiration of this stone building as old world architectural craft is no longer in use. This building still stands with the passage of time and nature's elements. The correct location of Bowery Savings Bank Building is in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan- NOT Midtown East, Murray Hill. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=132531

You might find a few Bowery Bums in the doorway of the Bowery Savings Bank Building, but it's New…read moreYork, and more to the point it's the USA, and that goes with the territory. This building is very special to me because when I needed to get my citizenship it was here that my awesome lawyer (whose office is in the upper reaches of this magnificent building) helped me through the process and got me over the line - and I will always be grateful for that. He's David Gottfried of Gottfried & Gottfried, by the way. I would recommend him to anyone as the perfect immigration lawyer for my situation and I wish nothing but the best for him. As for the building it's a typical old rustic early 20th century New York stunner, and it seems haunted. They do make you go through a security check to get up inside here but then so does Barbie with her clients.

Don't look for this work of art. It's not there. If you were lucky enough to see it, write a…read morereview. It's pretty cool if you stare and stare. Then all of a sudden you realize what you're looking at! My photos are from April 14, 2016. It was a beautiful Spring Day. I am enjoying reminiciing about today during the Arctic Blast!

"Van Gogh's Ear", a public art sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset, is in place at 30 Rockefeller…read morePlaza, right across the street from the entrance to Sak's 5th Ave. The sculpture, by the same duo that brought us the Prada Marfa Store in the middle of the Texas desert, is a tribute to the ready-made style of Marcel Duchamp. The sculpture is a 30 foot tall swimming pool, taken out of its normal context and displayed in its side with a diving board built in at the top. One of my favorite elements are the working lights on the inside left and right of the pool sculpture. Being that it's out of context - a recreational object in the middle of a commercial center - it creates a sense of longing and desire for recreation over industry and gives you an off-kilter feeling (why am I going to work when I could be swimming!). Overall a great piece of colorful public art at placed I a great spot for the perfect season. The piece is on display from April 13th though June 3rd, 2016. Catch it while you can!

An enduring Art Deco masterpiece. It helps define one era's window on New York's skyline. Gleaming,…read moreintricate, and bold geometry capture ambition and elegance in equal measure. It stands apart offering a timeless reminder of the romance of early twentieth century architecture.

I've always admired the sleek look of the Chrysler Building, a 1,046-foot-tall Art Deco skyscraper…read morein the East Midtown neighborhood, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel framework. For 11 months in 1930, it was both the world's first supertall skyscraper and the world's tallest building. As of 2019, the Chrysler is tied with the NYT building for the 12th-tallest building in the city. We were on Lexington and stopped inside to take pictures. We were told we had to stand by the wall only and could not cross the floor. The walls are marble and there was a very interesting mural on the ceiling "Transport and Human Endeavor," but I was warned to go back by the wall. We went downstairs where there is a subway stop, but the arcade level has nothing (no shops, no diner). I would have loved to read more about the building but I had to be content to take a few pics.

In 2005 I was in the lobby of the Chrysler building and met a lady in her 80s with her daughter,…read moreshe told me her father was the chief metal worker and the famous eagle adornments had been made in his workshop, the last time she had been there she was aged 9 at the opening ceremony. Despite that security wouldn't let us inside. I took her around the corner to the Chanin Building and she recognised the grill work which her father had also made in his workshop. His name was O' Brian and if you love art deco you won't see finer metalwork.

A big, imposing, classically architectured (not a word, but I'm coining it here) Building. These…read moreold buildings are like utilitarian art, you can use it but you can also just look at it for a minute and wonder, in wonder.

I come here often, whenever I visited the library…read more  In the summer and warmer months, people lounging here, summer night movies, and during the winter, there is an ice skating ring: an all year around place.

Bryant Park happens to be one of my favorite Manhattan parks. It's extremely lively yet peaceful…read moreand relaxing at the same time. There are tables and chairs in a sort of patio area for eating, having a coffee, reading, etc. There are stands selling drinks and lunch-type foods. It's central to all of the main arteries of the city. Lots of green space for picnics, playing, walking pets, etc. I love the winter ice rink as well. It's fun to get out on the ice and if you're me, fall down. Lol. I tend to spend a lot of time in mid-town when I am in NYC and end up here with friends at least once during visits. Heading to NYC and wanna see some park life? Look no further than Bryant Park.

"Don't know much about history Don't know much biology…read moreDon't know much about a science book Don't know much about the French I took" (Sam Cooke) I guess you can call me a history nerd. After all, I did major in history and rarely walk past a plaque or memorial or marker that I don't stop to read and more than likely Yelp. So when we were walking out to the street from Grand Central Station's Park Avenue/East 42nd Street entry and saw a wall plaque with the portrait of a familiar woman, I just had to stop and check it out. The portrait was of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Those of my generation will always remember the traumatic and terribly sad photographs of her from Dallas on November 22, 1963 with her pink pill box hat and her blood splattered pink dress. Twelve years after JFK's assassination the former First lady was engaged in a high stakes 1975 battle to save one of her hometown's iconic landmarks. At issue was a plan to take the wrecking ball to New York City's Grand Station Terminal and demolish it, just as Penn Station has been demolished and rebuilt in 1964. She became outraged when she learned of the plan and led a coalition of New Yorkers and the the Municipal Art Society to stop it. She was the star of a famous press conference from Grand Central and declared "If we don't care about our past we can't have very much hope for our future, we've all heard that it's too late, or that it has to happen, that it's inevitable. But I don't think that's true. Because I think if there is a great effort, even if it's the eleventh hour, then you can succeed and I know that's what we'll do." She also wrote an eloquent letter to NYC 's Mayor Beame and asked him "...is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud moments, until there is nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future? Americans care about their past, but for short term gain they ignore it and tear down everything that matters..." The plaque was dedicated on June 24, 2014 to mark renovations to the station's main entrance. The renovations honor her legacy with photographs, a video display, and the plaque. The entry itself was renamed "The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foyer".

Folks, the Empire State Building built in 1931 in just over a year during the Depression, when…read moreAmerica built fast and huge. Iconic, baby. I went up recently, and let me tell you, it's no One World Trade Center. One World? Smooth, modern, straight to the top no nonsense. Empire State? Lines, more lines, security gauntlet, then they dump you halfway into a gift shop full of overpriced junk. Total tourist trap gimmick! They're making a fortune, but come on let me see the view already! But then you hit the 86th floor deck, wind smacks you in the face, city noise roars up from a thousand feet below horns, life, energy. Tremendous! 360-degree views that make you feel like King Kong himself. Nostalgic as hell Art Deco soul, real history you can touch. Not some sterile glass tower; this is old-school New York grit. Sure, if you want quick and slick, skip to One World. But the Empire State? Pure character. Worth every hassle. Go early, grab the express pass if you're smart, soak it in. It's legendary, folks. Huge! Make New York great again one windy deck at a time.

I hadn't visited the Empire State Building in probably 20 years, but I decided to visit with my…read morehusband last weekend. It's such a different experience now. 20 years ago, I remember just walking into the lobby, buying a ticket, and heading up to the observation deck. But today? You enter in a different spot, and it's a whole experience. There's a "museum" now and you can spend more time here than just taking in the views from the 86th floor. So why go? It was the world's tallest building when it was completed in 1931 and until the North Tower of the World Trade Center was completed in 1970. (Sad aside: It became NYC's tallest building again after 9/11 until was surpassed by One World Trade Center in 2012.) It features gorgeous art deco architecture and design. It's a cultural icon (one of my favorite parts of the museum experience was a room where you can see dozens of film clips which feature the Empire State Building). The new experience includes exhibits that explain the history, design, and construction of the building. What I learned about its construction was particularly interesting! The construction of the building involved more than 3,500 workers, many of who were Irish and Italian immigrants, and led to an unknown number of deaths of workers (official reports say 5, newspapers at the time reported higher numbers). While I felt this museum addition really added to the experience of visiting the Empire State Building, it has also certainly made visiting the building more expensive. So let's get down to the brass tacks. The base ticket (which gets you entry into everything up to the 86th floor) is $44 for adults, $42 for seniors, and $38 for children (plus a $5 booking charge for each transaction). If you want to visit the 102nd floor for that additional observation deck, it's $79 for adults, $77 for seniors, and $73 for children (plus the booking charge). Then there are ways to spend even more money: a Starbucks Reserve Sunrise ticket ($135 per person); an Express Pass (starting at $85/120 per person); a Premium Experience ($175 per person); and All-Access Tour ($500 per person)... I'm generally not into these expensive view experiences that have popped up all over NYC. But the Empire State Building is special. It's an icon and a view. But I still wasn't willing to pay $80 to visit, so we stuck with the base ticket that gets you access only to the 86th floor observatory. The 86th Floor Observatory contains an enclosed viewing gallery and open-air outdoor viewing area. It's the classic observatory you've seen in movies. And it was certainly enough for me - the museum and the 86th floor observatory! Don't miss/rush through the original main lobby as you leave the experience. Or - if you're not willing to pay for the experience to see the view - stop in at the lobby on its own - it's open to the public (follow the signs for the Starbucks Reserve which is entered through this lobby). The lobby is gorgeous - marble, terrazzo, a scale model of the building... But the highlight is that aluminum relief of the skyscraper as it was originally built (without the antenna). It's incredible. It's an icon for a reason, and it was fun to visit and to see it again after so many years. They've certainly made it more of an experience than it used to be (although now, you can't just pop by for the view on a pretty day, since it's prohibitively expensive for a quick visit), but I had a really good time.