The Best Attractions and Activities in New York City

by Natasha Wolff | September 19, 2014 8:33 am

The American Ballet Theatre
abt.org[1]
Founded in 1940, ABT is one of the world’s premiere dance companies, touring the U.S. annually and performing classic and contemporary ballets by the world’s most famous choreographers for over 430,000 people each year. But when they are home in New York, they have an eight-week spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House, and a shorter season at the David H. Koch theatre in the fall.

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)
30 Lafayette Avenue
bam.org[2]
America’s oldest performing arts center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music has been a cultural hub for 150 years. Featuring breakout and established international and local artists in opera, film, visual arts, theater, dance, music and much more, it’s impossible not to discover something invigorating with every visit.

Carnegie Hall
881 7th Avenue
carnegiehall.org[3]
Carnegie Hall’s doors opened in 1981, and the music hall has since grown to be one of the world’s most famous and dynamic venues. With three different performance spaces, Carnegie Hall accommodates an incredible range of talent from many different musical genres.

Central Park
centralpark.org[4]
The beating heart of Manhattan, Central Park provides never-ending activity options for any occasion. Whether you’re picnicking in Sheep Meadow, ice-skating at the Wollman rink, watching the model boats sail in the Conservatory Water or exploring the Central Park Zoo—not to mention partaking in the continuous stream of events and concerts available to the public—the park is always a lush escape from the bustle of the big city.

Lincoln Center
10 Lincoln Center Plaza
lc.lincolncenter.org[5]
Spanning 16.3 acres of Manhattan, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is the epicenter of New York, home to the Metropolitan Opera, The New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as a number of other resident performing companies.

Madison Square Park
madisonsquarepark.org[6]
At the heart of the Flatiron District, Madison Square Park is a charming reprieve from the metropolis buzzing around it. Shake Shack and Madison Square Eats are both iconic eateries in the park, and there’s a robust year-round calendar of events for the whole family to choose from.

Metropolitan Opera
Lincoln Center Plaza
metopera.com[7]
New York City’s world-famed opera house, and the largest classic music organization in North America, the Metropolitan Opera is resident in the Lincoln Center. The opera’s season lasts from late September until May, and annually features about 27 different operas, from 18th century Baroque and 19th century Bel canto classics, to the avant-garde contemporary works.

New York City Ballet
20 Lincoln Center Plaza
nycballet.com[8]
The largest and most respected dance organization in America, the New York City Ballet is home to about 90 of the world’s most accomplished dancers. Their performance repertory includes approximately 150 different ballets, classic and contemporary—mostly choreographed by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins, the company’s current Ballet Master in Chief.

New York Philharmonic
10 Lincoln Center Plaza
nyphil.org[9]
Founded in 1842, the New York Philharmonic is the oldest orchestra organization in the United States, and one of the oldest in the world. Under the direction of Music Director Alan Gilbert, the Philharmonic currently plays about 180 concerts a year, so there’s more than enough time to experience one of their breathtaking performances.

Prospect Park
prospectpark.org[10]
Prospect Park is a 585-acre metropolitan haven in Brooklyn, designed by master landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who also designed Central Park. With a 60-acre lake, a zoo and Brooklyn’s only forest—along with beloved events like Celebrate Brooklyn! Summer concert series—there’s never enough time to explore it all.

The Highline

The Highline
thehighline.org[11]
The incredible project that has revolutionized Manhattan’s west side, the Highline is a public park and walkway built on a historic elevated freight rail line. There’s no better pastime than meandering through the garden pathway, having a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone from the renowned eateries along the way and taking in the spectacular city views.

The Theater District
When you think, “Bright lights big city,” you’re bound to be thinking of the Theater District, in midtown Manhattan. Home to the famed Broadway theatres, Times Square, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and the myriad restaurants and hotels of Hell’s Kitchen, there’s never a dull moment to be had.

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