What better way to find out how to travel and what to see in New York City,then from a New York City TaxiDriver? My name is William and have been driving a taxi here since the summer of 1980. I was also a securities messenger in the wall street area briefly in the 1970's.

Lets start off by explaining that New York City is comprised of 5 boroughs. These are Brooklyn,Queens,Manhattan,Staten Island and The Bronx. To those of you who dont know,Manhattan is an Island and is where alot of the great sites and sounds of New York City can be experienced.For this article,we will focus on what to see and how to travel within the island of Manhattan.

Probably the most well reknown site in the city is The Empire State Building which is located at 34th Street and 5th Avenue.For many years this building was the tallest structure in the world.

Another great site to see,especially in the fall,is the gigantic Christmas Tree lighting ceremony that takes place in the heart of Rockerfeller Center.There's also a beautiful ice skating rink thats open to the public. Rockerfeller Center is located on 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.
Next is The United Nations which is located at 42nd-46th Street and 1st Avenue.

An area of amusement which is a must see is called The Chelsea Piers. This is a huge complex that houses an indoor golf driving range,bowling alley,ice skating and roller skating rinks,an archery area,baseball batting cages,large gymnasium for basketball,and an olympic sized swimming pool among other things. The Chelsea Piers is located at 23rd Street and 12th Avenue

Next up is an awesome man made wonder that was constructed in the 19th century. Streching from 59th Street to 110th Street,5th Avenue to Central Park West,is none other than Central Park. Events such as live concerts and gatherings are held here when the weather is nice. There is also a zoo,ice skating rink,lakes,baseball fields and a dining place called Tavern On The Green,all located within the park.

Two definite must see's are The Museum Of Natural History(81st Street&Central Park West) and The Museum Of Modern Art(82nd Street&5th Avenue) Very close by,within walking distance of the museum of natural history is The Hayden Planetarium.

 

Another museum of note is The Cloisters.Located at 155th Street and Broadway,close to the West Side Highway. This museum showcases all artifacts,photographs,paintings,carvings and history of The Native American Indian.

The New York Stock Exchange located at Wall Street and Broad Street

Battery Park located at the Southern tip of Manhattan. Ferries to The Statue Of Liberty and Ellis Island are found here.

The South Street Seaport located at Fulton Street and South Street. Plenty of great seafood here along with astounding sites to be seen.

For those of you who have never been here before,there are some terms that I should make you aware of.

East Side,Lower East Side,West Side,Upper East Side,Upper West Side,Chelsea,Tribeca,SoHo,The Village,The East Village,The West Village,Midtown,Gramercy Park,China Town,Little Italy

Greenwich Village is known for there outdoor european style cafes..nice boutiques,art galleries,and antiques. You can always find things to do in The Village.

China Town is an area of about 6 blocks that showcases everything about the chinese culture. Great restaurants,small shops,lots of history. A must see.

Little Italy is also an area of about 6-7 blocks with great italian restaurants and is very close to china town.

There are more restaurants per sqare block in Manhattan than anywhere in the world. So,finding a place to eat will not be a problem.

Now lets talk about The New York City Subway System which has the largest amount of square miles of track than any city in the world. Here is an online map of the New York City Subway System. If your planning to visit New York City in the future, this is a great tool to use.

In summary,New York City has the most diversified people and cultures than anywhere in the world.

The neighborhoods and communities of the people that live and work here,in my opinion,are second to none.

Driving my Taxi or online,I will occasionally talk to people that say they have heard so many bad things about New York City. True,there are incidents here but becuase this is New York City,those incidents tend to get magnified in the media. Sure,we have our problems,but what city in the world doesn't? I would say that the good of New York City,by far,outweighs the bad.