WHY IT RATES: Take a deeper look into what you can do while visiting New York City.-Codie Richards, TravelPulse Associate Editor
Sure, there's the Statue of Liberty. And the Empire State Building. And Central Park, and Rockefeller Center, and Broadway. However, the staff at New York City Vacation Packages (NYCVP) was recently asked to share their secrets, their favorites, their little-known hidden gems in the Big Apple.
New York City Vacation Packages is not your average tour company. Focusing on one destination is rare these days. But NYCVP, about to celebrate its 20th anniversary selling New York City exclusively, has carved a niche by providing travel agents with a go-to resource for booking everything their clients need in the City.
Hotel accommodations, sightseeing, Broadway theater, transportation, dining, museums, harbor cruises, sporting events, concerts-all commissionable.
Here are some NYCVP staff secret gems in Manhattan:
-PhotoTrek's two and three-hour private tours, where guests are accompanied by a tour guide/professional photographer who not only guides them through several of the City's highlights and landmarks, but also takes 75 or more photos of them as they enjoy the tour.
-The New York Public Library's main branch at 42nd St. and 5th Ave. The building is over 100 years old and houses free exhibits and programs as well as being a conventional library.
It's adjacent to Bryant Park for a visit any time of the year. Of note is the unique public bathroom-yes, that's right, public bathroom-perhaps the most luxurious facility of its kind in the world.
-Kayaking in Manhattan-free! The Downtown Boathouse at Pier 26 provides free kayaks, including vests and even sunblock.
-Arlene's Grocery in Downtown Manhattan that has a karaoke bar backed up by a live band.
Manhattan, of course, is one of 5 boroughs that comprise New York City. Many of the City's outer boroughs have their own "must-sees" as well:
Staten Island is more than just a ferry terminus.
One of New York City's most beautifully landscaped gardens is the Chinese Scholar's Garden in Snug Harbor Cultural Center. Combine that with a visit to the Alice Austen House to view the works of the prolific photographer who documented life in New York City from the late 19th through the early 20thcenturies.
Queens is famous for, among other things:
The USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center, home to the US Open, and Citi Field where the Mets play baseball. But few visitors to the City know about the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, America's only museum dedicated to moving images-cinema, TV, games and even GIFs.
The Museum currently is featuring The Jim Henson Exhibition. And when in Queens, visit the City's "Chinatown" restaurant area in Flushing, one of the largest such areas in the world outside of Asia.
The Bronx has Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Zoo...
...But few outside of native New Yorkers know that the real Little Italy is in the Bronx neighborhood of Belmont, anchored by Arthur Avenue. Stop into any restaurant for the finest zuppa de pesce this side of the Atlantic.
It's no secret that Brooklyn would be a stand-alone destination...
NBA basketball and NHL hockey at the Barclay Center. Hot dogs and roller coasters at world famous Coney Island. Arguably the best pizza in America.
However, there's a cemetery in the middle of the borough that's now a National Historic Landmark. Green-Wood Cemetery at one time was second to only Niagara Falls as the nation's most visited tourist attraction. It's sheer beauty, along with a virtual who's who of celebrities and historic figures who now are permanent residents of Green-Wood, make this one of our hidden secret gems in the City's most populous borough.
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