First time to New York? You might want to consider the perfect way to introduce yourself to all the wonder and excitement that New York has to offer. On the second floor of the most famous building in the world, the Empire State Building is a simulated skyride narrated by actor Kevin Bacon, which takes you on a half hour fantastic adventure across the iconic New York skyline to visit almost three dozen of New York’s most incredible landmarks.

Visitors stand on a specially engineered platform before an 18-foot high-definition screen, and feel like they are on a magical voyage of exploration. When you are finished, it is just a step away to visit the must-see Observatory, where the magic of New York truly comes to life.

Visitors to New York should know about a great way to save money and time when they visit some of New York’s most beloved attractions, CityPASS.

For only $79 for an adult and $59 for a child, New York CityPASS allows holders to strut right past the lines for tickets to the following six destinations, at about half the price it would cost if the entrance fees were paid for at each site.

•    The Empire State Building
•    The Metropolitan Museum of Art
•    The American Museum of Natural History
•    The Museum of Modern Art
•    Either the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour or a Circle Line Cruise
•    Either Top of the Rock or the Guggenheim Museum

The CityPASS is valid for nine days from the time the first attraction is visited. You receive with your tickets in-depth information about each site, including hours of operation, location, a map and tips.

Next time you are in New York, consider getting a CityPASS to ease your stay and make it the best visit to the Big Apple that you ever had.

There are lots of ways to experience the glamor, history, and uniqueness of New York City. The conventional methods include tour buses, boat rides around Manhattan and other boroughs, or just plain walking. But New York Fun Tours offer something a bit different to those wishing to put a little pizzazz into their New York experience.

• See the City from a classic convertible: A private tour guide, who doubles as your chauffeur will drive you through some of New York’s most exciting neighborhoods in a full-size, busting with luxury, classic Chevrolet Caprice Convertible. Cruise around lower Manhattan and see some of New York’s most famous locales, including Chinatown, SoHo, Little Italy and more.

• Some have called New York a ‘concrete jungle.’ So what better way to explore the city’s special inner heart than from a safari type Jeep Wrangler SUV. The adventure of New York will be experienced in utter comfort as you investigate places like the West Village, the South Street Seaport, the Financial District and other equally exciting places.

• If you prefer feeling perfectly pampered, consider a tour in a luxurious stretch limo, SUV or even a limo bus. Have the ride of your life in what is one of the symbols of New York glamor while you learn about some of lower Manhattan’s most fascinating places, including TriBeCa, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan Bridge, and other areas.

Whether you have one day or one month to tour New York City, you’ll never tire of activities.  The city that never sleeps offers something for everyone and is full of exciting shows, restaurants, adventures and more.

Start your trip by making sure that you are well rested during the entire stay.  Check out the Washington Jefferson Hotel owned by Shimmie Horn. Located in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, this hip locale is newly renovated and a luxurious place to stay.  Shimmie Horn has thought of everything, and tourists are guaranteed to have a lovely, elegant stay with the comforts they would enjoy at home.

Well rested and ready to sightsee, it’s time to go to Rockefeller Center.  If you have the time, go for a 70 minute NBC Studio Tour and then look at Radio City Music Hall and 30 Rockefeller Plaza.  If you didn’t get advanced tickets for the Empire State Building, you might decide to skip that sight and take the elevator up to the Top of the Rock instead for a great view.

Enjoy some great shopping, or at least some great store window shopping, on Fifth Avenue.  You’ll see where the fanciest people shop and you’ll admire the elegance of each store front.

Hit the Empire State Building and hope that you can get to the top (or order tickets ahead of time to ensure that you will).  Make sure to take in the Museum of Modern Art as well.

And, of course, no trip to New York is complete without Times Square.  Go to the half price ticket book there to see if you can catch a Broadway Show and have fun looking at the dazzling lights and the glamour of Times Square!

New York is known for its supreme walk-ability, but when is the last time you went for a walk just for the walk’s sake and not to get from where you are to where you’re going?
Here are some fabulous ideas to get out and see the city like it was meant to be seen.

Brooklyn Bridge

• Discover the history around the building of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. In just 30 minutes, beginning at the stairway at Cadman Plaza East near Prospect Street in Brooklyn Heights, you will finish at Broadway and Chambers Street. The Brooklyn Bridge is one mile long, and every day about 6,600 pedestrians either walk or bike over this glorious suspension bridge. When it was built in 1883 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. If you are lucky you might see young men proposing marriage to their beloveds on the bridge, a traditional place for that magic moment. But if there is no actual engagements going on when you are there, do not fret, there will be evidence of such an occurrence, a padlock attached to the fence there, whose keys have been tossed into the river. How romantic!

Tacombi

• If you have a bit more time on your hands, but less time than you would need to really go to Los Angeles, you can spend a bit less than three hours experiencing some of the fun that goes along with a trip to Southern California. Start at Elizabeth Street between East Houston and Prince Streets, and finish at 246 Spring Street between Sixth Avenue and Varick Street. Begin with a fish taco served from an old vintage Volkswagen van which is parked inside a comfortable, plant-filled, sunny garage at Tacombi at Fonda Nolita, 267 Elizabeth St. For some cult shopping, wander over to ‘Creatures of Comfort,’ (205 Mulberry St) which is the original LA boutique which impressed Angelinos first with its supply of elusive indie designers such as Rachel Comey, Wood Wood and Suno. If surfing is your thing, you can find what you need right in lower Manhattan at ‘Saturday’s Surf’ (31 Crosby St.) At additional places along the route you can get a tan at ‘Brazil Bronze Glow Bar,’ (580 Broadway); check out some fine street art at 110 Greene Street where you can see “Subway Map Floating on a New York Street’; get a cocktail reminiscent of Hollywood kitsch at Bar d’Eau (246 Spring St.)

Al Hirschfeld Theatre

• What would New York walks be without a stroll down Broadway? Begin at 302 West 45th Street between 8th and 9th, and continue for 1.2 miles to finish at 234 42nd St. between 7th and 8th Avenues. On this route you should be sure to see the Al Hirschfeld Theatre; Café Edison; Times Square and the TKTS ticket booth for discounts at first-rate Broadway shows; Lyceum Theatre built in 1903, it is Broadway’s oldest continually running theater; Jimmy’s Corner, one of the last vestiges of the gritty, Koch-era Times Square before the facelift. Get a fancy beer here, a Sam Adams, the best on the menu. Heading south you will come across the New Amsterdam Theatre where the girls of Ziegfeld Follies used to entertain. Last stop, the AMC Empire 25. This mega movie house used to be the Eltinge Theatre. Named after the most famous female impersonator of the 1900s, Julian Eltinge. Check out the ceiling in the lobby to see murals of women that were modeled after the actor.

The Chandler owned by hotelier Shimmie Horn (Triumph Hospitality) has gone through a lot of transformations…the latest being the most elegant thus far.  Most people notice its beautiful and soft cherry and ebony wood theme, but the aspect which stands out the most about Hotel Chandler is the marble floor of the grand lobby, which showcases a star design. The hotel has fourteen floors, one hundred and twenty-three rooms and eight sweets, all accessed by an airy, refurbished spiral staircase.

Hotel clients have also relished in the bed and breakfast option at the Chandler as well as other hospitality addition like the fitness center, Finnish sauna, library room, desktop computer, and more.

The Triumph Hospitality brand owned by Shimmie Horn includes the Iroquois New York, Washington Jefferson Hotel and Hotel Belleclaire as well.

We’ve all seen the movies, read the books, watched the plays. We know New York can be as romantic as any European hot spot. But how, where, when?
Here are a few suggestions to experience some of the more tender New York moments that can be had in the big, beloved apple.

South Street Seaport

South Street Seaport District- Conveniently located walking distance from Chinatown; you will enjoy people-watching, relaxing and souvenir shopping in this lovely little area. South Seaport Pier 17 is a bustling touristy place which is the old fish market converted into wonderful shops and restaurants. This is a great place to get a fantastic view of the ever-impressive Brooklyn Bridge.

Saks Fifth Avenue

Fifth Avenue- For many people Fifth Avenue is the heart of New York’s classy reputation. Well known as one of the premium bits of real estate anywhere in the world, taking a walk down Fifth Avenue makes you feel fabulously wealthy just by osmosis. Some of the sites to be had on Fifth Avenue are of the Empire State Building, the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum. The best of Fifth is all within about a one mile wonderful walk, from 34th Street to 59th Street, with lots of unbelievable, typically New York, shopping.

Chrysler Building

Chrysler Building- This building is a classy alternative to a visit to the Empire State Building. Its classic ArtDeco Style is an iconic symbol of New York and one of the city’s most renowned skyline features. Chrysler was the first building to reach beyond 1000 feet, but its role as the world’s tallest building was short-lived as only 11 months later the Empire State Building reached even higher towards the heavens. A visit to this gorgeous testament to 1930s architecture will not be in vain.