The High Line and the Low Line
The High Line is a well-known park built on former railway tracks the Chelsea neighborhood. Its name comes from the fact that the railway tracks are elevated from the main road, so visiting the park gives you a nice panoramic view of the area and some stunning glimpses of the Empire State building. What is far more interesting as a concept, however, is another park called the Low Line. You guessed it, it is underground! While still in the experimental stage, a group of activists is working on constructing a complex systems of lenses and mirrors that would bring sunlight into a former subway terminal in the Lower East Side. Does it work? You can visit the Low Line Lab, where volunteers will take you around a small park that proves the principle before the actual park gets built in a few years’ time.
The Statue of Liberty alternative
You may wish to consider this option if you are visiting the city on a tight budget. Most tourists take a tour boat to get to the Liberty Island where the Statue of Liberty is located. This will cost you around 20$. However, you can take a ferry to Staten Island, which departs from the southern tip of Manhattan and is completely free. You will not be able to disembark at Liberty Island, but the ferry passes very close to the Statue and you will still be able to take great pictures of it. Tip: go during nighttime – the views of lower Manhattan on the return journey are spectacular!
The Tenement Museum
NYC offers plenty of museum, but this tiny one is one of my all-time favorites. You can only visit it as part of a guided tour, which takes you to the days of early immigrants in New York. Their tiny apartments served not only as packed residential spaces, but also as garment factories, where tailoring, sewing and ironing took place from early mornings to late nights. By carefully removing plaster from the walls, historians have been able to estimate the number of renovations each apartment went through and by studying resident registers, guides can tell you exactly which family lived in which apartment and for how long. Objects on display vividly present the troublesome everyday life of the immigrants. Knowing that NYC is the city of immigrants, this museum should not be missed.
MoMa and MoMI
MoMA is one of the most famous museums of modern art located in the vicinity of the Central Park. MoMI, however, stands for the Museum of Moving Image, which is a much smaller museum located in Queens. It is basically a film museum, which in one part uses interactive displays to present how a movie is made. You will learn everything about how the first movie was made in France to how modern camera equipment works. In the second part of the museum, you will see the costumes, face masks, make up and other items used during filming of famous movies. Do you want to know what make up box each of the four actresses in the Sex and the City used? How about the face mask that the first Godfather wore? Maybe the dress of Mrs. Doubtfire? All of these and many more are on display.
Union Square
You will likely pass by Union Square because it is one of the main subway junctions in Manhattan. But do not let it end there. Get out of that subway station and enjoy some of the most vibrant people watching experiences you can get in the city. Business executives, homeless people, professional chess players, buskers, hare krishna groups, fresh market or Christmas market sellers, activists, graduate students grading exams, dozens of squirrels and pigeons – everyone is here. The park is beautiful all year around and cheap grocery is available at Trader Joe’s just around the corner.
Safe travels!
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