| Manhattan (New York) | |
.jpg/250px-Lower_East_Manhattan_(HDR).jpg) | |
Location  | |
Flag  | |
| State | United States of America |
|---|---|
| Federated state | New York |
| POSTAL CODE | 10021 |
Manhattan is a district of the city of New York.
To know
The name is a distortion of the word "Mannahatta" which in the Unami language means "island with many hills".
Geographical notes
The island is a 3–4 km wide strip of land between the Hudson River (which separates it to the west from various towns in the New Jersey) and the East River (a narrow stretch of sea that separates it to the east from Brooklyn and from Queens); instead the distance between the south end (on the New York bay) and the north end (the Harlem River, which separates it from Bronx) is about 20 km.
Background
The explorer Florentine Giovanni da Verrazzano discovers the island in 1524, at the mouth of the Hudson River, and takes possession of it, in the name of the king of France Francesco I, who commissioned the trip from him.
On 4 September 1609 the British explorer Henry Hudson, sailing the coasts of the future Maine, lands on the island of Manhattan. He will be the first Westerner to describe this place in detail.
In 1624 Peter Minuit, Dutch and general manager of the New Holland, think of Manhattan as a port and boarding point for freight shipments to Europe and buys the island for 60 florins. The Dutch build a fort and give it the name of Nieuw Amsterdam to the city; a palisade was also built to defend against the British New England. The latter eventually prevail and take over Manhattan and in honor of Giacomo Stuart, Duke of York and Albany and King ofEngland since 1685, they call it New York.
The palisade erected by the Dutch, called by the British wall, that is wall, gives its name to the street that runs along it and which today is Wall Street.
For nearly two centuries, Manhattan continues to grow. Between 1874 and 1898 it was decided to enlarge the city by absorbing the other four districts.
Tourist areas
Manhattan can be divided into three macro areas:
- Downtown (or Lower Manhattan) - The districts south of 14th are considered part of the "Downtown" (note: "to go Downtown" means "to go south")
- Midtown (or Midtown Manhattan) - It is about in the middle of the island between 14th and 59th streets. Midtown is divided into a series of neighborhoods with indistinct borders.
- Uptown (or Upper Manhattan) -
Let's see in detail how these macro areas are divided.
How to orient yourself
Manhattan: full screen map.The Avenue (e.g. Fifth Avenue, Seventh Avenue) run from north to south and are long and wide avenues. The numbered streets (e.g., 14th Street, 42nd Street) run east to west and start at 1st Street (just above Houston Street), to 220th Street at the north end of the island. (Warning: There is an exception. The numbered streets are not parallel to each other in Greenwich Village, which is on the West Side between W. Houston St. and West 14th St. West 4th St. goes north -west, crossing numbered streets up to 13th St). To make the calculations easier, keep in mind that a distance of 20 blocks from north to south, counting only the numbered streets, equals approximately one mile (1.6 km). One mile east to west equals approximately 7 avenue. Remember that Park Avenue South and Park Avenue are continuations of 4th Avenue north of Union Square (17th St.) and 32nd St respectively; Lexington Avenue is located between 3rd and Park Avenues, and can be considered as a "3½ Avenue". Madison Avenue is located between Park and 5th Avenue, and can be thought of as a "4½ Avenue".
Roosevelt Island
There Roosevelt Island[1] is an elongated island located on the East River between Manhattan and Queens. It was originally a cattle farm and has had several names over the years and has been used for a variety of purposes, including an asylum and a hospital where quarantined patients were kept. Today it is called Roosevelt Island, and is inhabited by thousands of New Yorkers who appreciate the calm and ease with which it is possible to reach Manhattan and from which you can admire the skyline, in particular at the Meditation Steps, just north of the tram stop e Southpoint, a new public park built in the southern part of the small island and accessed by various pedestrian paths. On the island you can also admire the July 4th fires (American Independence Day) on the East River.
There are two ways to get to the island from Manhattan. The best and most scenic one for tourists is there Roosevelt Island Tramway, a funicular that crosses the part of the river between Manhattan and the island parallel to the Queensboro Bridge, with great views of the skyline. You can go up to Second Avenue at 59th Street in Upper East Side; cost of the one-way ticket $ 2.50; MetroCards accepted. The other option is to take the subway; the train F. it makes a single stop and connects the Upper East Side and Midtown in the west with Queens in the east. In addition, a bridge connects the island at the intersection of 36th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard in Queens, the bridge can be done by car, on foot, by bike or by taking the Q102 bus from the island to Queens.
How to get
By plane
There are no airports in Manhattan, but there are helicopter and seaplane services connecting the city. At least two companies offer service between Manhattan and area airports [2], [3] from the helipads on W34th street, E34th Street, and Wall Street. Seaplanes [4] they are available as far as East Hampton from E23rd street during the summer months. None of these are cheap, a helicopter ride costs $ 125 while the seaplane costs $ 425 per person. Helicopter service is also available to Bridgeport, Connecticut Airport from Manhattan [5].
By car
Being Manhattan an island, access by taxi, car, bus but also on foot must generally be done either through a bridge or a tunnel. Pedestrians can travel to Manhattan along the Brooklyn, Manhattan, or Williamsburg bridges from Brooklyn, along the Queensboro bridges or RFK (formerly Triboro) Bridges dal Queens, all small road bridges from Bronx, and the George Washington Bridge from New Jersey. Probably the most famous of these is the Brooklyn Bridge. If you are coming from LaGuardia Airport (LGA) by taxi it is best to ask the driver to take the Queensboro or Williamsburg Bridges if you are going to Midtown or Downtown and save the toll for the RFK Bridge or the Queens-Midtown tunnel.
Passengers from Staten Island they usually take the Staten Island Ferry (free ferry) to get to Battery Park, the southernmost point of Manhattan. Battery Park is also where ferries leave for the Statue of Liberty, and also to Ellis Island and Goverors Island. Other ferries instead serve passengers to and from Brooklyn and some areas of New Jersey.
On the train
There are three train stations that connect to you points outside of New York City. The largest, Pennsylvania Station in Midtown, is served by Amtrak with destinations across the country; from the Long Island Rail Road which instead serves Long Island; and New Jersey Transit which instead connects to the New Jersey. Grand Central Station, an art deco masterpiece, is served by the Metro-North Railroad which connects the city to destinations in southern New York State and southern Connecticut. Many of the trains from Grand Central Station also stop at Harlem / 125th street, a very useful stop for travelers heading to Harlem or other areas of Upper Manhattan.
A subway system, PATH, connects areas of Downtown and Midtown Manhattan with Hoboken, Jersey City is Newark.
How to get around
In Manhattan you can get around on foot, by taxi or by bus and subway. Traveling by car is highly discouraged: in fact, most of the inhabitants do not own a car and the city infrastructure is designed primarily for people rather than cars.
When taking a taxi make sure it is licensed: you can also ask your hotel porter to hail one of the countless yellow taxis that run on the street, or do it yourself. All licensed taxis are yellow, and none of the unlicensed ones can be yellow. Available taxis have their lights on and the words "Off Duty"(out of service) off. Off-duty taxi drivers can also take you to your destination if they go the same way as you, but they are not obliged to pick you up, and in addition, taxis with lights out can have other customers on board and cannot Fares for travel within Manhattan are strictly based on the taximeter (ask to let him leave if you see that he has not done so once you have said the destination where you want to be taken) plus the tip you decide to give (attention, the Tipping is customary and generally ranges from 10% to 15% of the total fare cost). borough if you take toll tunnels or bridges, you are responsible for these tolls which will eventually be added to the cost of the trip plus tip. Do not try to take a taxi at the change of shift (4 pm on weekdays) if you are in a hurry as you will see that most of them are out of order. Limousines (about $ 30 for an hour in Manhattan) are a good alternative if you know you'll need to drive a lot in a short period of time.
Maps of the New York subway, Manhattan buses and information on temporary service changes due to construction or other can be found online [6]. Bus timetables and routes can also be found at the stops. Remember that Manhattan bus times are approximate, and actual times always depend on traffic and other variables.
Another alternative for getting around Manhattan is to take a horse-drawn carriage. Those around Central Park South offer rides around the park for 15 minutes, half an hour or an hour. Fares should be posted on the carriage. A romantic and unusual way to admire the city.
Lately, rickshaws have also appeared in New York. There are still no real rules or safety standards.
What see
Manhattan is home to many of New York's top tourist attractions. The following is just a short list of the most famous, more details can be found in the Manhattan neighborhood articles.
Main places
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Since they have been portrayed countless times thanks to any means of communication (cinema, TV, photography, etc.), the symbolic places of Manhattan are known all over the world and there is no tourist who does not do everything to be able to see up close. each of these places. It must be said that some neighborhoods in Manhattan are themselves symbols of the city.
Starting in Lower Manhattan, specifically the Financial District, you can visit some of the most beautiful and famous places in New York. Wall Street, center of world finance and the heart of Lower Manhattan, home of the New York Stock Exchange (the "New York Stock Exchange") and the Federal Hall (where George Washington was named president of the United States). Just north of Wall Street is the del City Hall with to the east the Brooklyn Bridge and to the west the Woolworth Building (the "Cathedral of Commerce", once the tallest building in the world). A somewhat different symbolic place is to the west and is the National September 11 Memorial where the World Trade Center Twin Towers used to be. South outside the harbor lies the Statue of Liberty ed Ellis Island, which were once the first things immigrants who came to America from Europe saw.
Moving north along the "valley", ie the low-rise neighborhoods that separate the city's two financial districts, you will arrive in Midtown Manhattan, the true heart of Manhattan and where the activity is frenetic 24 hours a day.Empire State Building dominates the whole area, while the famous Chrysler Building stands a short distance away (these two are true architectural masterpieces of the 1930s and are also among the most visited destinations by tourists). In the midst of these huge structures you will find the Grand Central Terminal, the headquarters of the New York Public Library, and the Rockefeller Center. Overlooking the East River is the headquarters of the United Nations, while to the west is the chaotic and always crowdedTimes Square.
Museums
New York City has museums of all kinds, and Manhattan has the most important of them all.
Why not start at the "Museum Mile" on 5th Avenue along Central Park in Uptown Manhattan? Here you will find the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the largest and most important art museums in the world. Nearby, on the Upper East Side and in the Harlem area is the famous Guggenheim Museum, designed by the great architect Frank Lloyd Wright, il Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, the El Museo Del Barrio and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Crossing Central Park towards the Upper West Side you can find theAmerican Museum of Natural History, which is one of the largest science museums in the world. At the north end of Manhattan it is located The Cloisters, a medieval-themed extension of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Midtown is also home to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), which houses one of the largest modern art collections on the planet. A few steps away is the Museum of Television & Radio and theAmerican Folk Art Museum. The Theodore Roosevelt's Birthplace is just south in the Flatiron District area, while theIntrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum overlooks the Hudson River to the west.
The neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan are home to many smaller museums specialized in different aspects. In the area of the Financial District is theAfrican Burial Ground National Monument, the Museum of American Finance, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the National Museum of the American Indian and the South Street Seaport Museum. Just north of Chinatown is theMuseum of Chinese in the Americas, while in the Lower East Side there is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and the Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue and the New Museum.
Parks and gardens
Of course, no visit to Manhattan is complete without visiting Central Park, the largest and most famous park in the area and one of the best known in the world. Visit it on a beautiful sunny day and join the many New Yorkers who come here looking for some peace and quiet, to take a lunch break, to play sports, ride a bike, watch ducks in the lake, visit the little Central Park Zoo, sunbathe at Sheep Meadow, ice skate at Wollman Rink, or catch a concert or theater show. But Central Park isn't the only place to find greenery in Manhattan.
In Uptown Manhattan, Fort Tryon Park has one of the highest points and some of the best views on the island as well as the Cloisters Museum, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Inwood Park, the last remaining part of the ancient virgin forest that once covered the whole island: here have been found many arrowheads and other artifacts of the Native Americans who lived here centuries ago. Along the Hudson River it is located Riverside Park, a long park that runs from 59th Street to 155th Street making it perfect for long walks or a picnic overlooking the river and New Jersey on the opposite bank. Carl Schurz Park at the intersection of East End Avenue and 86th Street is where the Gracie Mansion is located, the official residence of the Mayor of New York, and offers great views of Hell Gate and the East River, much quieter than other parks in New York .
Moving towards Midtown, the parks become smaller but no less popular. Indeed, these are the real centers of New York social life, like Bryant Park, a small but beautiful park just behind the (recently refurbished) New York Public Library. Free movies on summer evenings are very popular and appreciated. South of Midtown you will find Union Square, a very crowded area and often a place for political protests, but also home to a fruit and vegetable market and a resting place for citizens and tourists. Madison Square Park is an oasis of peace in the middle of a rather chaotic neighborhood, with beautiful trees and flowers and bushes and with a nice view of the Flatiron Building (the "iron" between Fifth Avenue and Broadway), Metropolitan Life and Empire State Building . On the western side of Manhattan it is located Hudson River Park, whose walk along the Hudson River runs from 59th Street to the south end of the island. A short distance away is the High Line Park, built on the disused railway tracks about 20 meters high.
In Lower Manhattan, parks like the Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, e Columbus Park in Chinatown they are excellent spaces and the center of life of their respective neighborhoods. In the Financial District there is the City Hall Park, a small but delightful square (most of which is fenced off for safety reasons) and which offers the ideal rest after walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. At the southern end of the island of Manhattan it is located Battery Park well known by tourists for its stunning views of New York Harbor, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Ferries to the Statue and Staten Island also depart from here.
What to do
Perhaps the most obvious thing to do in Manhattan is to walk very. One of the main attractions of Manhattan is Manhattan itself. Stroll through Central Park, the streets of Greenwich Village, 5th Avenue, Chinatown or Times Square.
Sport
Madison Square Garden, atop Penn Station in Midtown, is Manhattan's premier sports venue. Madison Square Garden also hosts concerts and conferences, as well as sporting events such as football matches New York Rangers, NHL hockey team (National Hockey League del Canada and of USA), of New York Knicks, NBA basketball team, and gods New York Liberty, the WNBA women's basketball team. Madison Square Garden also hosts two of America's largest college basketball tournaments: the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament and the National Invitation Tournament.
If Madison Square Garden tickets are too expensive, there are thousands of other places in Manhattam to watch more informal sports competitions (even for free). The main places are the Pier 40 on the Hudson River and near Houston Street, which has baseball, football and rugby fields, and is equipped for rowing and canoeing and the many sports facilities scattered around Central Park. Another noteworthy place is West 4th Street Courts in Greenwich Village, famous for street basketball.
Performing arts
Broadway it is famous for its many shows, especially musicals. For those wishing to attend one of these shows, it is advisable to visit the site TKTS online which allows you to buy tickets for the same day at discounted prices, usually at half price, or BroadwayBox.com or NYTix.com, a community that keeps up to date with all possible discounts for Broadway shows. TKTS has two offices, one in Times Square where long queues often form, and a less crowded one in South Street Seaport (at the corner of John St, just south of the Brooklyn Bridge). Please note that only cash payments are accepted at the South Street office. Tickets for most Brooklin shows are available at Broadway Concierge and Ticket Center, inside the Times Square Visitor Center.
Theatrical performances can generally be divided into three categories: Broadway, Off-Broadway, or Off-Off-Broadway. With Broadway it refers to the shows near Times Square which are often held in theaters with more than 500 seats. This category includes the main musicals and the most famous tragedies. Tickets for these shows can cost as much as $ 130, but reduced-priced tickets are available. Off-Broadway it includes performances in smaller theaters (less than 500 seats) and usually of some intellectual importance. Some of these theaters are close to Times Square, but many others are scattered around Manhattan. Tickets for this category of shows cost an average of $ 25 to $ 50. Off-Off-Broadway finally it includes those shows performed in small theaters with less than 100 seats.
For information on current or upcoming Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, please visit Playbill.com. This site also contains a wealth of information on the programs of all New York theaters. Also Broadway.com is Newyorkcitytheatre.com they have a lot of information, videos and photos. Theatermania has many discounted tickets to the main shows and information about the shows as well Off-Off Broadway. If you are visiting the city during the summer, it is interesting to participate in the annual event "Shakespeare in the Park" (Shakespeare in the park), a series of free shows in a beautiful location. The only drawback is that you need to collect your tickets at Public Theater where long queues often form.
You can buy tickets for the Tony Awards (first or second Sunday in June), Broadway's largest awards ceremony which represents the culmination of the theater season. These are not very cheap, but once inside the theater it is sure to have an exciting experience.
Among the most important places of music and dance in New York it is worth remembering: Carnegie Hall - important for classical music - in Theater District, Radio City Music Hall - place where the Rockettes perform - a Midtown, the Joyce Theater to Chelsea - a place where you can attend contemporary dances and ballets - and the Lincoln Center in Upper West Side, place where the Chamber Music Society, the Metropolitan Opera ("the Met"), the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic all perform, all among the most famous in the world in their respective fields. Jazz lovers can find shows of their own interest in Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village and al Birdland in the Theater District. The legendary Apollo inHarlem it still remains the nation's most popular area for emerging and established Latin and African American artists.
Study opportunities
If you are planning to stay in Manhattan for some time then keep in mind that there may be a variety of options for taking a few lessons, too many to list here. Be that as it may, there are many institutes that offer training courses, including well-known institutes such as New York University, Columbia University, the New School and the Juilliard School of Dance, Drama, and Music; lectures also at 92nd St. Y and by various associations operating in the various neighborhoods; in Manhattan there are also many cooking schools; you can take martial arts, yoga or religious lessons in the various places of worship scattered throughout Manhattan and much more.
Shopping
New York is the fashion capital of the United States and is a top destination for all shoppers. The city offers a vastness and variety of shops, malls, department stores and much more that cannot be compared to any other city in the world and whatever you are looking for rest assured that in New York, and in particular in Manhattan, the will find.
The best area is Midtown and the Fifth Avenue with its huge shops (Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Cartier, Tiffany's, Lord and Taylor, Niketown, NBA Store, Versace, Gucci, Armani Exchange, FAO Schwarz just to name a few) and the constant influx of locals and tourists are the undisputed symbol. Close to the huge Bloomingdale's, although it is in the Theater District, "The Largest Department Store in the World", the main store of Macy's, it covers an entire block making it truly the “biggest Department store of the world". Absolutely unmissable also because you can often find well-made clothing at very low prices.
At the center of the rich area ofUpper East Side is situated Madison Avenue, the center of luxury shopping in New York and where there are small shops, ateliers and galleries where you can buy clothes, accessories, products of all kinds at very expensive prices. But it deserves to be visited even if the prices are not within your reach.
In the area of Financial District, Canal Street east of Broadway and around Chinatown ì the exact opposite of Madison and Fifth Avenue; a true paradise for those on the hunt for bargains, even if you are looking for clothes and accessories that can be found here at clearance prices (or by buying fake products). Here you can find fake Louis Vuitton bags for $ 30, just to give an example. Also look at the shops along Mott Street between Canal and Chatham Square. Nearby is the area of NoLiTa, which is now synonymous with cutting-edge boutiques housed in bare buildings. Some shops even seem to sell absolutely nothing, but they are always full of people who are just there to browse.
West of Broadway the old artists' colony SoHo it has now become a major shopping destination, particularly on weekends when you will notice that the sidewalks of West Broadway, Prince Street and Broadway become almost impassable. Attention: the old boutiques have now been almost all replaced by designer stores.
New York has hundreds of record shops scattered everywhere. Si trovano negozi specializzati oltre alle grandi catene, e se siete amanti dl vinile non faticherete a trovare negozi specializzati nei vecchi 33 e 45 giri.
I classici souvenir di New York si trovano praticamente dappertutto, anche da rivenditori ambulanti lungo le strade. Detto questo, è molto più economico comprarli nella zona di Chinatown, verso Canal Street, dove si spende anche il 50% in meno.
How to have fun
La vita notturna di Manhattan è la più vivace del mondo. Grazie al fatto che l'ultimo drink in genere si serve alle 4 del mattino, e con oltre 800 locali nella sola Manhattan, non c'è da stupirsi se milioni di persone la ritengono la mecca del divertimento.
Alcuni quartieri sono più indicati per un certo tipo di clientela, ma a New York il problema non è se potete trovare qualcosa, ma dove.
- Meatpacking District- MePa è la zona dei nightclub più esclusivi di Manhattan. Ci sono decine di ristoranti, bar, lounge e club da scegliere nel raggio di 5 isolati. Molti hanno regole di selezione all'ingresso molto rigide, quindi assicuratevi almeno di aver parlato con uno dei pr o cercate di trattare coi buttafuori. Prenotare un tavolo non è una cattiva idea (forse lo è per il portafogli!). Consultate anche il sito web del Meatpacking per avere le ultimissime notizie: [7]
- Chelsea – La vecchia capitale della club-scene di Manhattan con posti come il Pink Elephant, Cain e Marquee tra gli altri. Di questi rimane solo il Marquee. Questa zona era conosciuta per le mega discoteche che potevano contenere migliaia di persone, e nonostante ormai sia meno frequentata Chelsea continua pero a mantenere un fascino unico ed è ancora un bel posto dove passare la notte.
- East Village – Zona affollatissima, tutto quello che dovete fare è andare sulla 14th Street, andare a est verso le Avenue contrassegnate da una lettera (Ave A, etc) e prendere una qualunque di queste per trovarvi nel cuore del quartiere. Andate anche sulla 3rd Avenue sotto la 14th Street per scoprire i bar della zona dove bere birra a volontà.
- Yorkville – Una zona seminascosta e poco frequentata dalla gente di downtown e da turisti. Lungo la 2nd Avenue, dalla 90th Street in giù fino alla 70th circa vedrete una fila quasi ininterrotta di bar e ristoranti. Fate un giro, ci sono locali per tutti i gusti e tutte le tasche.
Da ricordare:
- E. 50s e 2nd Ave
- 9th Ave dalla 40th St alla 55th
Scegliere un bar o un locale può diventare complicato. In caso fatevi anche consigliare dal personale del vostro albergo, da qualcuno per strada o, meglio ancora, se avete dei conoscenti in zona.
Where to eat
A New York City si trovano tanti posti dove poter mangiare davvero di tutto, dai venditori ambulanti di hot dog, kebab eccetera per passare ai fast-food e ai ristoranti. Ci sono poi anche dei veri e propri festival che si tengono lungo le strade di certi quartieri come il Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, in Madison Square Park; la celebrazione della Presa della Bastiglia, ogni 14 luglio sulla 60th Street tra la 5th e Lexington Avenue; Taste of Chinatown; e il Ninth Avenue International Food Festival, che si tiene il primo weekend dopo la Festa della Mamma. Se vi capita di finire in uno di questi festival non fidatevi dei rivenditori ambulanti perché in genere la loro qualità è scarsa. Meglio puntare verso gli stand ufficiali della zona. Se agli stand non vedete insegne che pubblicizzano la location del negozio potete chiedere di indicarvelo, ma se è troppo lontano o le informazioni sono vaghe non fidatevi e provate un altro.
Where stay
Una delle cose che rendono New York City, e in particolare Manhattan, una delle città più care al mondo è alloggiare in un hotel. In alcuni casi la media dei prezzi di Manhattan supera altre città come Tokyo is London. Consideratevi fortunati ad avere una stanza in un hotel a pensione completa per $250 a notte, tasse escluse. Sebbene le tariffe varino a seconda della stagione e della disponibilità, una media degli hotel di Manhattan può essere:
- Letto in camerata in un ostello: $15-$40/notte.
- Stanza doppia con bagno in comune: $60-$120/notte.
- Doppia con bagno in hotel economico: $100-$250.
- Stanza in hotel di medio livello: $250 e oltre.
- Stanza in hotel di lusso: anche da $500 in su.
Per chi viaggia tenendo d'occhio il portafogli sono stati aperti diversi nuovi ostelli negli ultimi anni. Mentre alcuni come Hostelling International - New York [8] (in un edificio storico ristrutturato all'inizio degli anni 90) e le varie sedi del Jazz Hostels [9] inUpper West Side, East Village is Times Square si sono costruiti una solida reputazione grazie a un rapporto qualità-prezzo ottimale, altri sono convertiti SRO (Single Room Occupancy) in cui nuove camere d'albergo condividono gli spazi con camere fatiscenti per gente povera. Fate molta attenzione quando cercate un alloggio.
Negli ultimi anni i prezzi a New York sono anche aumentati e specie se si viene durante il periodo del weekend del Ringraziamento, durante i il mese di dicembre o di maggio. Cercate sempre di prenotare con largo anticipo per ottenere prezzi migliori. Oppure non dimenticate di controllare se avete amici o parenti: passare la notte su un divano o s un letto in casa di amici è un'ottima maniera di risparmiare un sacco di soldi. Un'altra opzione è quella di controllare i vari siti web in cui si pubblicizzano o si affittano stanze per soggiorni brevi, anche se c'è comunque un rischio perché si può finire in un quartiere lontano o in una casa in cattive condizioni. Comunque queste sono opzioni che possono venire a costare facilmente dai 100 dollari a notte per una stanza doppia.
Gli hotel negli altri distretti o nel New Jersey possono essere meno costosi, ma se dovete passare tanto tempo a Manhattan assicuratevi di avere ben chiara la rete dei trasporti pubblici prima di decidere. Ricordate anche che mangiare in hotel non conviene, meglio fuori.
Safety
Manhattan e New York in generale hanno visto una notevole caduta della criminalità nel corso dell'ultimo decennio, tanto che New York City, negli anni recenti, è risultata essere la più sicura delle più grandi città degli Stati Uniti, quindi non c'è niente da temere camminando per le strade di giorno e di notte, anche prendendo l'autobus o la metropolitana. Tuttavia è sempre bene essere prudenti.
Fate del vostro meglio per sembrare sicuri, dando l'idea di sapere dove state andando, specie se siete in aree poco frequentate o che sentire essere potenzialmente pericolose. Fate attenzione a quello che vi succede attorno, dove sono i negozi aperti, dove avete visto la polizia di recente eccetera. Non esitate ad accelerare il passo, cambiare tragitto o attraversare la strada se pensate che possa essere la cosa a fare.Attenti ai borseggiatori. Specie durante i periodi delle feste i borseggiatori prendo di mira chi fa shopping, in particolare nelle zone turistiche come Times Square, 42nd Street e Macy's e altri posti affollati. Non tenete mai cose di valore nelle tasche posteriori, ma sempre in quelle anteriori. Se avete una borsetta assicuratevi che sia chiusa e tenetela stretta. E anche quando vi sedete in un ristorante tenete le vostre cose in modo che siano nascoste o difficile da raggiungere per chiunque voglia afferrarle e scappare.
Traffico. Manhattan per certi versi è un paradiso per i pedoni, ma state attenti che le regole del traffico non sempre vengono rispettate. Attenti a guidatori aggressivi o anche alle biciclette contromano sia su strade a senso unico che sui marciapiedi. Non è un problema costante ma accade abbastanza spesso da essere una cosa da tenere bene in mente quando si cammina per strada o sui marciapiedi. Vedrete anche che attraversare fuori dalle strisce o col rosso è cosa diffusa tra i pedoni newyorchesi, ma può essere pericoloso per chi non è esperto o non sa calcolare bene la velocità delle macchine in arrivo. Quindi non seguite alla cieca la gente del posto o potreste rischiare grosso.
Alcune zone di Upper Manhattan hanno ancora una certa criminalità. Qui una mappa non ufficiale sulle aree più sensibili: [10]
How to keep in touch
Internet
In tutta Manhattan ci sono liberi accessi al WiFi inclusi i parchi come Bryant Park e Union Square. Anche Starbucks adesso offre libero accesso e anche alcuni negozi come quelli della Apple SoHo e Tekserv offrono accesso a internet gratuito ai propri clienti.
Tutte le sedi della The New York Public Library [11] offrono accesso gratuito a chiunque abbia un documento d'identità con foto o a chi ha una tessera della NYPL.
Around
Troppi viaggiatori passano il loro tempo a New York solo ed esclusivamente a Manhattan, ma l'isola è un ottimo punto di partenza per visitare anche gli altri distretti di Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, is Staten Island.
