Architecturally, Grand Central is gorgeous. Inside you're…read moretreated to a massive lobby with iconic steps and balcony. It's a marvel to behold when you're in it. It's a big station so it can be a bit daunting at first but you have signs and proper directions to get you where you need to go. I'd suggest for first-timers to arrive early and take your time. You don't want to rush through here.

Beautiful and spacious terminal. The architecture is truly impressive. Especially after visiting…read moreother terminals in other countries, I've really come to appreciate how beautiful and grand this terminal is. It gets busy but that's to be expected. There's a dining hall downstairs with restrooms on the west and east side. There's plenty of food options but I can't speak on their affordability. The Vanderbilt hall is an open area and right now, they have a miniso popup with a YOYO installation. It's super cute to check out.

The Whispering Gallery is a New York moment that reminds you why the city is so special. Tucked…read moreinside Grand Central, it's charming and very New York. Stand at opposite corners, whisper into the wall, and somehow your voice travels perfectly across. You can stop by on a random weekday and end up smiling like a tourist. It's free, takes five minutes, and is perfect for a quick stop or showing out-of-town friends.

Yeah, it's kind of a goofy audio science phenomenon due to the architecture in Grand Central…read more Located in the lower level near the Oyster Bar you'll locate the whispering gallery, and in fact you might find other people doing the same thing smiling into a corner, whispering, and the other person on the opposite side of the arch can clearly hear you as if you're next to them. That's pretty much it. I tried it with a friend and it works.

Tour historic buildings and designated landmarks of New York. Bowery Savings Bank building is one…read moreof many historic. Any history buff or avid amateur architecture enthusiasts would have a full appreciation and admiration of this stone building as old world architectural craft is no longer in use. This building still stands with the passage of time and nature's elements. The correct location of Bowery Savings Bank Building is in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan- NOT Midtown East, Murray Hill. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=132531

You might find a few Bowery Bums in the doorway of the Bowery Savings Bank Building, but it's New…read moreYork, and more to the point it's the USA, and that goes with the territory. This building is very special to me because when I needed to get my citizenship it was here that my awesome lawyer (whose office is in the upper reaches of this magnificent building) helped me through the process and got me over the line - and I will always be grateful for that. He's David Gottfried of Gottfried & Gottfried, by the way. I would recommend him to anyone as the perfect immigration lawyer for my situation and I wish nothing but the best for him. As for the building it's a typical old rustic early 20th century New York stunner, and it seems haunted. They do make you go through a security check to get up inside here but then so does Barbie with her clients.

Don't look for this work of art. It's not there. If you were lucky enough to see it, write a…read morereview. It's pretty cool if you stare and stare. Then all of a sudden you realize what you're looking at! My photos are from April 14, 2016. It was a beautiful Spring Day. I am enjoying reminiciing about today during the Arctic Blast!

"Van Gogh's Ear", a public art sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset, is in place at 30 Rockefeller…read morePlaza, right across the street from the entrance to Sak's 5th Ave. The sculpture, by the same duo that brought us the Prada Marfa Store in the middle of the Texas desert, is a tribute to the ready-made style of Marcel Duchamp. The sculpture is a 30 foot tall swimming pool, taken out of its normal context and displayed in its side with a diving board built in at the top. One of my favorite elements are the working lights on the inside left and right of the pool sculpture. Being that it's out of context - a recreational object in the middle of a commercial center - it creates a sense of longing and desire for recreation over industry and gives you an off-kilter feeling (why am I going to work when I could be swimming!). Overall a great piece of colorful public art at placed I a great spot for the perfect season. The piece is on display from April 13th though June 3rd, 2016. Catch it while you can!

An enduring Art Deco masterpiece. It helps define one era's window on New York's skyline. Gleaming,…read moreintricate, and bold geometry capture ambition and elegance in equal measure. It stands apart offering a timeless reminder of the romance of early twentieth century architecture.

I've always admired the sleek look of the Chrysler Building, a 1,046-foot-tall Art Deco skyscraper…read morein the East Midtown neighborhood, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel framework. For 11 months in 1930, it was both the world's first supertall skyscraper and the world's tallest building. As of 2019, the Chrysler is tied with the NYT building for the 12th-tallest building in the city. We were on Lexington and stopped inside to take pictures. We were told we had to stand by the wall only and could not cross the floor. The walls are marble and there was a very interesting mural on the ceiling "Transport and Human Endeavor," but I was warned to go back by the wall. We went downstairs where there is a subway stop, but the arcade level has nothing (no shops, no diner). I would have loved to read more about the building but I had to be content to take a few pics.

In 2005 I was in the lobby of the Chrysler building and met a lady in her 80s with her daughter,…read moreshe told me her father was the chief metal worker and the famous eagle adornments had been made in his workshop, the last time she had been there she was aged 9 at the opening ceremony. Despite that security wouldn't let us inside. I took her around the corner to the Chanin Building and she recognised the grill work which her father had also made in his workshop. His name was O' Brian and if you love art deco you won't see finer metalwork.

A big, imposing, classically architectured (not a word, but I'm coining it here) Building. These…read moreold buildings are like utilitarian art, you can use it but you can also just look at it for a minute and wonder, in wonder.

Bryant Park is an excellent park to sit and enjoy people watching, work, eat, have a meeting, or…read morewalk. There is a variety of sitting places: tables with and without umbrellas, benches, and the lawn. There is a ton of shade and excellent landscaping. Check out the park schedule for events occurring on the lawn as they sometimes have concerts and movies.

I come here often, whenever I visited the library…read more  In the summer and warmer months, people lounging here, summer night movies, and during the winter, there is an ice skating ring: an all year around place.

"Don't know much about history Don't know much biology…read moreDon't know much about a science book Don't know much about the French I took" (Sam Cooke) I guess you can call me a history nerd. After all, I did major in history and rarely walk past a plaque or memorial or marker that I don't stop to read and more than likely Yelp. So when we were walking out to the street from Grand Central Station's Park Avenue/East 42nd Street entry and saw a wall plaque with the portrait of a familiar woman, I just had to stop and check it out. The portrait was of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Those of my generation will always remember the traumatic and terribly sad photographs of her from Dallas on November 22, 1963 with her pink pill box hat and her blood splattered pink dress. Twelve years after JFK's assassination the former First lady was engaged in a high stakes 1975 battle to save one of her hometown's iconic landmarks. At issue was a plan to take the wrecking ball to New York City's Grand Station Terminal and demolish it, just as Penn Station has been demolished and rebuilt in 1964. She became outraged when she learned of the plan and led a coalition of New Yorkers and the the Municipal Art Society to stop it. She was the star of a famous press conference from Grand Central and declared "If we don't care about our past we can't have very much hope for our future, we've all heard that it's too late, or that it has to happen, that it's inevitable. But I don't think that's true. Because I think if there is a great effort, even if it's the eleventh hour, then you can succeed and I know that's what we'll do." She also wrote an eloquent letter to NYC 's Mayor Beame and asked him "...is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud moments, until there is nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future? Americans care about their past, but for short term gain they ignore it and tear down everything that matters..." The plaque was dedicated on June 24, 2014 to mark renovations to the station's main entrance. The renovations honor her legacy with photographs, a video display, and the plaque. The entry itself was renamed "The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foyer".

Wow! What an amazing and immersive experience! The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco…read moreskyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, famous for its iconic design, rapid construction, and its status as the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years. My wife was a bit reluctant to go on this tour (she's scared of heights, obviously), but somehow I managed to convince her (with my charm of course). And she was so happy I did. The Empire State Building remains a defining global symbol of New York City. Its total height reaches 1,454 feet (now that's tall). I'd be lying if I didn't say that was a bit intimidating. But when we got to the 86th floor (observation deck), there was an apparent stillness and quietness in the air. Kind of peaceful! Looking down from above, everything seemed minuscule- like the world below us was built with little tiny Legos. It truly was quite the experience!

This is a review of purchasing your tickets online ahead of time. DO NOT get scammed by the Empire…read moreState Building. Let me explain. DO NOT book in advance unless you know all the conditions of NYC, the Empire State building and whatever else the DAY OF your visit while you are standing in NYC. Better to wait in line because you know that you are able to go to observation deck. Or call them if they are opened before making the trek to get into a line. I have wanted to go here and see the building. It has a wonderful history. I had my day in NYC. Check. I had my flight to NYC. Check. I saw the weather the day of good. Check. I got my ticket to Empire State Building. Check. My problem, I do not live in NYC. The day before getting to NYC, there were severe flooding and possible tornado. My flight got canceled, I was stuck in DC. I called the Empire State Building to ask about a refund and the employee on the phone said they had to cancel tickets for all the people that day due to bad views and storms! She said contact the sales and maybe they will give me a refund. I emailed and immediate reply.. no refunds per our website. I explained that my flight was cancelled and that it was not myself that was causing the issue. No response. I even asked for a voucher for a future visit since I go to NYC for work in a few months. No response. Yes, the website warns you "Tickets are non-refundable. No refunds due to weather conditions, length of lines, or wait times at the building. The Empire State Building reserves the right to close the Observatory early on very busy." So not only myself but potentially hundreds of people were denied entry to Empire State Building because of the storms and lost $57 (cheapest ticket). Do yourself a favor and don't book in advance and wait till the day of so you can assess the situation, call them to confirm if they are letting people up to the observation deck and then go purchase a ticket. No desire to go on a tour in the future. Off my list. There are many other cool things to see/do in NYC.