Destination Guides > North America > USA > Mid-Atlantic > New York > New York City
New York City
With eight million people living within the city limits and almost 19 million people in the metropolitan area (which sprawls across three states), New York City is the ultimate metropolis.
It boasts a gritty charm that’s missing in many other big American cities and it has a vibrant atmosphere that’s fuelled by the millions of people who live and work in the city.
Most of New York City’s attractions lie on Manhattan, which includes Downtown and Midtown Manhattan (the United States’ two largest central business districts).
Downtown or Lower Manhattan refers to the southern tip of the island, which includes the Financial District plus funky areas like Chinatown, Little Italy, Soho, Tribeca, Greenwich Village, the East Village and the Lower East Side.
The city becomes more structured north of 14th Street as it adopts an orderly grid system with avenues running north-south and streets running east-west. This area includes Chelsea (where many of New York City
’s hostels are) and Midtown, which for most people is the real heart of the city.
Uptown Manhattan includes Central Park and the expensive apartments on the Upper East and Upper West Sides. North of Central Park is Harlem, a neighbourhood that has been given a bad name by movies and TV, but which has some nice areas with old Brownstown homes.
Practical Information
INFORMATION CENTRES & USEFUL ADDRESSES
NYC & Company
810 7th Avenue, New York City
Subway 7th Avenue (B, D, E)
Tel (212) 484 1222
Website www.nycvisit.com
Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm
Brooklyn Tourism
209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tel (718) 802 3846
Website www.visitbrooklyn.org
Open Mon-Fri 10am-6pm
EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
Australia
150 East 42nd Street, 34th Floor, New York NY 10017
Subway Grand Central-42nd Street (4, 5, 6, 8); Grand Central (7) Train Grand Central
Tel (212) 351 6500
Website www.newyork.usa.embassy.gov.au
Open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Canada
1251 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
Subway 47th Street-Rockefeller Center (B, D, F, V); 49th Street (N, R, W); 50th Street (1)
Tel (212) 596 1628
Website http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/new_york/menu-en.asp
Open Mon-Fri 9am-noon & 1pm-3pm
Ireland
345 Park Avenue, 17th Floor, New York NY 10154
Subway 51st Street (6); Lexington Avenue-53rd Street (E, V)
Tel (212) 319-2555
New Zealand
780 3rd Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10017
Subway 51st Street (6)
Tel (212) 832 4038
United Kingdom
845 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
Subway 51st Street (6); Lexington Avenue-53rd Street (E, V)
Tel (212) 745-0200
Website www.britainusa.com/ny/
INTERNET ACCESS
New York City’s parks department (website www.nycgovparks.org) operates 17 free Wi-Fi hotspots in New York parks, including several hotspots in Central Park. NYCwireless (website www.nycwireless.net) also operate a network of free Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the city.
Internet cafés in New York City include:
easyInternetCafé
234 West 42nd Street, New York NY 10036
Subway 42nd Street-Port Authority Bus Terminal (A, C, E); Times Square-42nd Street (1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, S, W) Bus M5, M6, M7, M16, M20, M27, M42, M104
Website www.easyinternetcafe.com
Open 7am-1am daily
Web2Zone
54 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003
Subway Astor Place (6); 8th Street-NYU (R, W)
Tel (212) 614 7300
Website www.web2zone.com
Open Mon-Sat 9am-midnight, Sun noon-10pm
