In the Neighborhood: Your ultimate guide to midtown New York
Explore midtown Manhattan up close and from above for the ultimate New York experience.
By Alina Dizik | March 16, 2023
Home to some of the city’s most famous buildings and sites, New York’s central business district — also known as midtown Manhattan — is the ultimate urban playground. Catch a glimpse of television studios in Rockefeller Center before heading up to the building’s Top of the Rock viewing platform for 360-degree views of New York’s skyline, widely considered one of the city’s best viewpoints. Snap a selfie in front of Radio City Music Hall, wander Times Square and walk through Grand Central Terminal before making your way up to Central Park. If you’re able, the best way to explore is on foot — allowing you to keep your possibilities open to side street adventures and big avenue sights.
EAT
Classic fine dining, trendy sushi and gourmet food trucks account for only part of midtown’s diverse food scene. Head to:
– Le Bernardin, a world-class French restaurant that has been sating the appetites of loyal fans since 1986. Plus, with Times Square just a 5-minute walk away, a post-meal photo-op is easy from this fine dining restaurant.
– Grand Central Oyster in the historic Grand Central Terminal for some of the freshest seafood in the city. Bonus points for the vintage decor!
– 53: This Asian-inspired restaurant offers modern takes on classic dim sum dishes. Truffled egg and foie gras dumplings, anyone?
SEE
The central business district is also an art-lovers destination. Take in:
– The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for paintings by Andy Warhol, René Magritte and Pablo Picasso.
– The neo-Gothic-style St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a popular filming location and one of New York’s longest standing landmarks.
– The Chrysler Building, one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in New York’s skyline. Be sure to explore the lobby for art deco interior details — it’s like a time-capsule to the city’s past.
SHOP
With Fifth Avenue home to some of the most iconic department stores, even the window displays are worth visiting. Discover:
– Lexington Avenue’s Bloomingdale’s department store for more than 100 years of history and a chance to spot your favorite A-listers.
– Bergdorf Goodman, the go-to shopping destination for affluent residents and visitors alike. The various floors showcase both local and international designers.
– The Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store, still in the same 10-story building as when it opened in 1924. Visitors gather at the store’s famous display windows year-round, but especially during the winter holidays.
Between classic New York moments, some of the world’s best restaurants and top-notch shopping, midtown Manhattan is a destination in its own right. Explore on foot and you’ll never know what you’ll stumble across.
Alina Dizik is a veteran lifestyle journalist, covering travel, real estate, family, work trends and dining. Her work appears in The Wall Street Journal, BBC, The Cut, The Guardian and other top publications. She lives in Chicago and has spent time living in New York, Europe and the Middle East. She spends more than two months each year traveling internationally with her husband and two school-age children. She has visited more than 50 countries.
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