This chapter reviews the major New York attractions you've expressed interest in. It also includes opening hours, costs, directions and the other practicalities you'll need.

Rockefeller Center has recently opened its observation deck to the public (known as 'Top of the Rock'). It's almost as high as the Empire State Building's (70 stories vs 86 stories) and offers two serious advantages that make it more compelling:

• Lines are much shorter. When you buy your ticket, you also reserve the specific time you plan to visit. That means when you arrive you can walk straight up to the elevator and go up with barely any delay.

• The view from Rockefeller Center includes the Empire State Building! You obviously can't do this when you're in the Empire State Building. Rockefeller Center also has a fantastic view of Central Park.

Update: You can reserve tickets before your trip begins or just drop by the ticket office and get reservations any time you want. Definitely pick up tickets in advance, but no more than a few hours or a day. This gives you more flexibility to avoid bad weather that could ruin your view!

Times Square is New York's most famous landmark and needs no introduction. The immediate area spans the intersection of Broadway and 7th Ave between 42nd and 47th Streets. This is where you'll find the bewildering cacophony of shiny towers, larger-than-life billboards, oversized storefronts, and endless street and sidewalk activity that you've seen so many pictures of.

But the broader region, spanning between 8th Ave and 6th Ave and up through 53rd St, retains a somewhat toned down version of the same character and has its own variety of places to explore. This is also the home of the Broadway theater district.

Be careful of shops and restaurants; many are excessively tourist-oriented, which means they're overpriced and mediocre. If you want to eat in the area, consider traveling west to 9th Avenue where restaurant prospects are much brighter.

The country's only commuter gondola offers splendid, sweeping views of Manhattan as it transports passengers 25 stories above the city to Roosevelt Island, a tiny residentail village in the middle of the East River. Rides cost $2.25 each way, run regularly, and take about 5 minutes. This is excellent value for a truly one-of-a-kind experience.

The Manhattan terminus is at 59th St and 2nd Avenue.

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island each occupy their own small landspace in New York Harbor, just off the southern tip of Manhattan and a half mile apart from each other. They're free to visit, but $12 ferry tickets are required to reach the islands. Advance reservations are a must and the crowds are always dense.

Ferries board by Castle Clinton in Battery Park (•). The closest convenient subway stations are Rector St on the , or lines or Bowling Green on the or lines. From there, simply walk across the park to the water.

You'll have to pass through a security line before boarding the ferry. Once boarded, the ride to Liberty Island takes 15 minutes. You can then explore the Statue of Liberty grounds at your leisure, then board another ferry for a 10-minute ride to Ellis Island. You then return from Ellis Island directly to Battery Park.

To best handle the crowds, it's best to start as early as you can. Ellis Island is a full-on museum which offers far more to do than the statue itself, so be prepared to spend more time on Ellis Island.

An entire tour of both places will take an absolute minimum of 5 hours.

The Brooklyn Bridge has graced and help define New York's downtown skyline since 1883. It's practically synonymous with New York.

Great views are possible from South Street Seaport. But walk across the bridge if you can. It's a great experience.

The bridge has a dedicated walking path that runs straight through its center, elevated comfortably above and out of the way from road traffic. The walk, aside from providing continuous closeup views of the bridge itself, offers phenomenal views of the lower Manhattan skyline, the nearby Manhattan Bridge, and New York Harbor.

A full walk across the bridge takes 20 minutes. Once you reach the Brooklyn side, walk down the first set of stairs you encounter and double back toward the waterfront to enjoy a gorgeous park, a one-of-a-king neighborhood or a famous gourmet ice cream shack.