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More than eight million people strong, New York is truly a city of neighborhoods. No two are the same, and taken as a group they provide the City with a diversity of texture and spirit.
About New York City
Airport Information
Transportation within New York City
Restaurants Near the Hotel
Conveniences Near the Hotel
Entertainment
Related Links
New York City Tourism Website: http://nycvisit.com/
New York City Search Engine: http://newyork.citysearch.com/
About New York City
BROOKLYN
Across the Brooklyn Bridge lies the city's most populous borough. It's divided into a number of well-defined neighborhoods, including DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Red Hook, Fort Greene and Williamsburg, among others.
A fun way to get to Brooklyn is to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (take the 4, 5 or 6 subway to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall; the bridge will be on your left). Finished in 1883, this engineering milestone ranks among the world's greatest suspension bridges. Day or night, the view is spectacular. Stroll past the stately brownstones of Brooklyn Heights, the city's first designated historic district. Scores of creative people have lived in the area, including Benjamin Britten, Walt Whitman, Gypsy Rose Lee, Truman Capote and Arthur Miller. From here, head over to the Promenade for an even better view of Lower Manhattan and the harbor.
MANHATTAN
A borough of culture and commerce, Manhattan is the central island in the New York archipelago. Its Midtown is a hub unto itself: Spanning 30th Street to 50th Street from river to river, it's home to, fine hotels and restaurants, and landmarks as varied as the United Nations, the New York Public Library, Madison Square Garden and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Visitors flock to the Broadway shows of Theater District and nearby Times Square, as well as to Bryant Park.
The northern reaches of Manhattan include thriving Latino communities in Washington Heights and Spanish Harlem. Harlem is one of the City's biggest neighborhoods and a historic center for African American music, art and culture. The Upper West Side is home to Lincoln Center, a seat for performing arts; the Upper East Side offers fine arts at the Metropolitan and Whitney museums, along with high-end shopping in Madison Avenue boutiques. And Central Park, between the two, is an 843-acre oasis for residents and visitors alike.
South of Midtown, Chelsea is home to art galleries and nightclubs, while the relatively low buildings of Greenwich Village -historic townhouses, shops and restaurants-make it one of the sunniest neighborhoods, and one of the nicest for a stroll. To the southeast, NoLIta is ideal for boutique shoppers, while the bordering East Village is known for its funky offerings, with experimental music clubs, theaters and cutting-edge fashion; New York University is in the area.
Farther south still, the Lower East Side retains some of the shops and cultural institutions from its days as an epicenter for many Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, but it's also a stylish address, with new buildings drawing residents and visitors. As chic as ever, SoHo's distinctive cast-iron buildings look down on throngs of shoppers and fashionable boutiques; the warehouses of TriBeCa, too, today serve as homes, shops and restaurants.
Famed for its restaurants and bustling markets, Chinatown is a thriving residential community that continues to draw new immigrants. And the Financial District is Manhattan's original neighborhood-historic sites and high finance sit side by side on the narrow streets that hark back to Peter Stuyvesant and New Amsterdam's first settlers.
QUEENS
Queens, across the East River from Midtown Manhattan, has become a top cultural destination. It is the most ethnically diverse 115 square miles on earth. The 7 subway line, dubbed the International Express, has even been designated a part of the National Millenium Trail for its representation of the immigrant experience.
In addition to Greek Astoria, Jackson Heights has a fantastic Little India, with great restaurants, food markets and shopping, and Peruvians swear this is where you can get the only decent grilled chicken outside of Lima. Flushing has a large Chinese and Korean population and is home to the 1862 Romanesque Revival Flushing Town Hall, where the Flushing Council on Culture and Arts organizes are exhibits and jazz and classical music performances throughout the year. In Sunnyside, you can spend and evening at a Spanish theater or a Romanian nightclub; in Woodside, rent a Thai video or hear traditional music at an Irish pub. Italians, Japanese, Colombians, Asians, Indians, Puerto Ricans, Israelis, Maltese and many other groups add diversity and flavor to Queens.
THE BRONX
This borough as the northernmost tip of the city is the only one attached to the North American mainland (Manhattan and Staten Island are islands, and both Queens and Brooklyn are part of Long Island). The Bronx also has more parkland than any of the other boroughs, a renowned botanical garden, a world-renowned zoo, its own Little Italy, beaches and even an island reminiscent of a New England fishing village.
The Bronx is named for Swedish commercial sea captain Jonas Bronck, who in 1639 became the first European settler to establish himself in this area. During its golden age in the 1920s, the building of the elevated subway line increased the borough's population, Yankee Stadium was built and the mile-long Grand Concourse was fashioned as New York's Champs-Elysees, lined with elaborate art deco buildings.
STATEN ISLAND
Visitors to Staten Island will find an array of unexpected attractions, including Historic Richmond Town (a Colonial Williamsburg-like living history restoration complete with colonial buildings), a general store and America's oldest elementary school. Staten Island also boasts the largest collection of Tibetan art outside Tibet itself, at the cliff-hanging Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art - one of only two Himalayan-style monastery buildings in the Western world, and the only one in the United States. Similarly, the Chinese Scholar's Garden at the Staten Island Botanical Garden is the only authentic one of its kind in the country. Traveling to Staten Island is easy (and free) aboard the Staten Island Ferry. The excursion from the tip of Manhattan to the edge of Staten Island cruises through New York Harbor past the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Governors Island and allows an unobstructed view of Lower Manhattan.
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Airports
New York has three main airports through which millions of people pass each year. If you have questions about travel into and out of New York City, call (800) A-I-R-R-I-D-E during normal business hours.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
JFK, in Queens (at the south end of the Van Wyck Expressway), primarily handles international flights.
Getting to and from JFK
General Info: 718-244-4444
Parking Info: 718-244-4168
LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
LaGuardia, also in Queens (on the Grand Central Parkway), mainly handles domestic flights. If you're flying in from anywhere in the U.S., chances are you'll come through here. Particular exceptions include Continental Airlines.
Getting to and from LaGuardia
General Info: 718-533-3400
Parking Info: 718-533-3850
Newark International Airport (EWR)
Newark, in Newark, New Jersey, handles both domestic and international flights. It's a bit further from the city than the other two airports, but it is generally less crowded and has more modern facilities.
Getting to and from Newark
General Info: 973-961-6000
Parking Info: 888-397-4636
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Transportation
NYC Subway System
The New York City subway system is one of the most efficient people transports in the entire world. The hot and dingy subway system of the 1970's has been completely renovated into a safe, convenient and comfortable mode of transportation between nearly all areas of New York City. Over 4.3 million people ride the subway system every day; over 1 billion people go through the turnstiles per year! While minor theft and homelessness still abound, the subway is a much better place than was predicted back in the financially troubled days of the city.
Fares
The primary method of fare payment is the Metrocard. All subway stations and busses are now Metrocard capable. Tokens are also available, and cost $2.00 each.
Metrocards can be bought on a pay-per-ride basis ($2.00 per ride) or an unlimited ride basis. With pay-per-ride, you get 11 rides for the price of ten and you can add more money to your card if need be. With unlimited ride Metrocards, you can get a 30 day card, a 7 day card, or a 1 day Fun Pass.
Children under 44" tall ride for free; senior citizens and disabled people ride for a reduced fare.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The MTA has a great webpage with tons of info and subway maps. For Passenger Information, call (718) 330-1234 or (718) 330-4847 (Non-English speaking).
http://www.mta.info/
Other Numbers:
Long Island Railroad: (718) 217-5477
Metro-North Railroad: (800) Metroinfo
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Recommended Restaurants
NEAR THE MARRIOTT HOTEL BY THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
American
Heights Café
84 Montague St.
1-718-625-5555
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Right on Court, Left on Montague)
Chinese
Lichee Nut
162 Montague St.
1-718-522-55656
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Right on Court, Left on Montague)
Diner
Celeste's
63 Tillary St. (Note: only open till 4 pm on Sat. and Sun).
1-718-596-5178
(2 Blocks to the right of Hotel)
Fine Dining
River Café
1 Water St.
1-718-522-5200 Reservations Required
(Right out door, Left on Tillary, Right on Cadman Plaza West)
French
Patois
255 Smith St. (Douglas & Degraw)
1-718-855-1535
(Left out door, Left on Fulton Mall, Right on Smith St.)
Indian
Amin
140 Montague St. (Henry St.)
1-718-855-4791
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Right on Court, Left on Montague) |
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Irish Pub
Eamon's
174 Montague St.
1-718-596-4969
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Right on Court, Left on Montague)
Italian
Queen
84 Court St
1-718-596-5954
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Left on Court)
Japanese
Nanatori
162 Montague St.
1-718-522-5555
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Right on Court, Left on Montague)
Pizza
Monty Q's
158 Montague St
1-718-246-2000. They do deliver.
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Right on Court, Left on Montague)
Thai
Lantern
101 Montague St.
1-718-237-2594
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Right on Court, Left on Montague)
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Conveniences
NEAR THE MARRIOTT HOTEL BY THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE
Book Store
Barnes and Nobles
106 Court St.
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Left on Court St.)
Coffee Shop
Starbucks
Joralemon and Court St.
(outside hotel)
Department Store
Macy's
Fulton Mall
(Left out door, left on Fulton)
Electronics
Radio Shack
Willoughy and Jay St.
(Left out door, Right on Willoughby)
Liquour Store
Montague and Henry St.
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Right on Court, Left on Montague) |
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Movie Theater
Court St. & Atlantic Ave.
(Left out door, right on Joralemon, Left on Court St.)
Notary
16 Court St.
((next to Kinkos) in the stationery store)
Pharmacy / Convenience Store
Duane Reade
Court St. and Joralemon.
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon)
Post Office
271 Cadman Plaza East (with Tillary St.)
(Right out door, Left on Tillary)
Xeroxing
Kinkos/FED EX
Court St. and Montague
(Left out door, Right on Joralemon, Right on Court St.) |
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Entertainment
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