NEW YORK – TRAVEL – It is the ‘City that Never Sleeps’. New York is often seen as the world’s capital, although residents of London and maybe some in Toronto might not agree.
The Big Apple is a tourism destination for millions.
New York City is hot this coming weekend with winter in the rear view mirror and spring in full bloom. The Big Apple is offering a huge array of fabulous venues and events for you, your friends and family to enjoy this Memorial Day holiday. Today, NYCTourist.com announced twenty of the top events, activities and locales just waiting for you this Memorial Day Weekend.
So kick your heels up and hit the town… they are:
1. Fleet Week Tour of New York Harbor. – This fantastic maritime display and celebration includes the return of the 2.5-hour tour to discover the military history of New York Harbor during World War II and to honor its memory. Historic military sites included are the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the Staten Island Homeport, Governor’s Island and the Statue of Liberty. You will also have the opportunity of seeing these intriguing historic ships up close. Tickets are specially priced at just $68 per person, and you can save $ with this exclusive online promo code: TOUR5.Visit HERE for discounted NYC Fleet Week tour tickets.
2. Top of the Rock. – The Memorial Day weekend is the perfect time to visit world-famous Rockefeller Center and see the entire city in a spectacular view from the lofty observation deck. Rockefeller Center was a gift to Manhattan from John D. Rockefeller as a location for both city residents and visitors to celebrate and admire the city he loved. Location: 30 Rockefeller Plaza (entrance at 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. Hours: 8am to 12 midnight daily. Visit twice in one day with this special promo offer.
3. Hit Times Square and see a Broadway Show — Check out a crowd favorite, Phantom of the Opera. – Celebrate the 2014 Memorial Day holiday by seeing the marvelous Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, set in the splendor and intrigue of a Paris opera house. This production is now playing at the Majestic Theatre at 47 West 44th Street in New York. For tickets and information, see this Broadway show page.
4. NYCTourist.com Museum Discount Pass. – Purchase this amazing discount pass before the Memorial Day holiday, and you, your friends and family can enjoy 30 marvelous days of museum entrance throughout New York City’s fabulous museums. This pass is now discounted and is free for all children. For questions and more information, see this page for the NYCTourist.com Museum Pass Card.
5. Mets Baseball Game. – If your heart is set on attending a New York Mets baseball game this Memorial Day, it is still possible to get tickets. Be at spectacular Citi Field in Queens for the heights of sports excitement with other loyal fans this year. Location: 123-01 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing, NY. For tickets, see nyctourist.com/new-york-mets-tickets.htm
6. Memorial Day Concert (no charge). – Monday, May 26 at 2:30pm. Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th St, at Fifth Ave, Brooklyn, 11232. See green-wood.com.
7. Dinner at Rick’s Cabaret New York. – Spend an exciting night out at Rick’s, the number one gentleman’s club, cabaret and steakhouse in New York City. Whether with a special friend or a larger group, you will get a great introduction to night life in the city at this busy nightspot. Location: 50 West 33rd Street, Manhattan. Phone: 212-372-0850. See nyctourist.com/ricks-cabaret-new-york.
8. South Street Seaport. – What better locale to celebrate the 2014 Memorial Day weekend than Manhattan’s South Street Seaport. Enjoy the vast array of shops, eateries and holiday activities while learning about maritime legends, history and ships. For more information, call 212-732-8257.
9. New York Sightseeing, Brunch & Dinner Hornblower Cruises. – Enjoy a fabulous two or three-hour boat cruise along with a delicious buffet brunch or dinner and drinks. You will have a spectacular view of New York Harbor activities and the island of Manhattan from the comfort of your waterside table. Join one of the starlit dinner-dance cruises or choose a daytime schedule for taking great holiday photos and videos.
10. Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Memorial Day Ceremony. – From Friday, May 23 through Monday, May 26, 2014, the museum is offering free admission to this special Memorial Day Ceremony when you pay for museum admission. Experience this moving ceremony along with military officers and members from all five U.S. Armed Forces branches. The event will include a commemorative wreath laying, a 21-gun salute and the raising of a large American flag. The museum is located at Pier 86 at Twelfth Avenue in Midtown West, Manhattan. Contact 212-245-0072 or 877-957-7447 for more information.
11. Sweet Spot Festival. – The Sweet Spot Festival is an annual outdoor party at the West Harlem Piers in Upper Manhattan taking place this year on Sunday, May 25. Enjoy great food and beverages from local eateries and restaurants while taking part in the Memorial Day Dance-Off. Browse through the artisan marketplace and benefit from free yoga sessions. Location: Henry Hudson Parkway (St Clair Pl at W 125th St). Come and enjoy the entire day or drop in for an hour or two of fun and good food.
12. New York Philharmonic at Cathedral of St. John the Divine. – On Monday, May 26, 2014, New York City’s acclaimed New York Philharmonic Orchestra will give a free concert for the public at this magnificent cathedral. Music Director and Conductor Alan Gilbert and the orchestra will present a special holiday concert including Nielsen’s Helios Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Tickets to be available at the event on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis, beginning at 6pm. Location: Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street, Manhattan.
13. Governors Island Family Festival. – You and your family can spend the day on Sunday, May 25, this year celebrating the Memorial Day weekend at the Family Festival on Governors Island. This exciting events features clowns, puppets, music, games, face painting, arts and crafts and much more. Directions: Ferry service is available throughout the day from the Battery Maritime Building, 10 South Street at Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan.
14. Family Workshop at the Cloisters. – Take the family to a magical program, “In Search of the Unicorn,” at The Cloisters in Upper Manhattan during the Memorial Day weekend. In this fabulous world of imagination, unicorns inhabit the woodlands while monstrous dragons lurk around every dark corner. Enjoy the fascinating stories about medieval animals and people while creating your own unicorn or other mythical creature. Location: The Cloisters Museum and Gardens, 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, NY. Phone: 212-923-3700.
15. Lower East Side Festival of the Arts. – This completely free festival is one of the most unique and versatile holiday celebrations you will attend. For the entire Memorial Day weekend, you and your friends or family can immerse yourselves in all that is avant-garde and innovative in the worlds of modern theater, music, dance, comedy, performance arts, film, video, painting and sculpture. This joyous event celebrates the contribution of all the creative artists who have lived and worked on the Lower East Side in the past. Location: East Village south of 14th Street in Manhattan.
16. Memorial Day Parade. – Come Uptown for the annual Memorial Day Parade on May 26 this year. This parade is in honor of all heroes who have served the United States during wartime. The Manhattan Memorial Day Parade begins mid-morning in Inwood at the intersection of Dyckman Street and Broadway.
Allied Veteran’s Memorial Day Parade May 26, 11AM to 1:30PM – Myrtle Avenue between 71st Street and Cypress Avenue\n\u2022 Cypress Avenue between Myrtle Avenue and Madison Street.
17. New York City Public Beaches. – The New York City public beaches officially open this year on Saturday, May 24, from 10am to 6pm. All beaches are available to the public during these hours daily, and experienced lifeguards are on duty. For further information and beach locations, contact the New York City Parks Department: 212-408-0226.
18. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum. – The very moving and meaningful design for this memorial, “Reflecting Absence,” by architect Michael Arad reveals a pair of reflecting pools within the footprint of both Twin Towers. Oak trees now stand in place of the the former steel columns of the towers as a living commemoration. Name of the victims of the September 11, 1993, attacks are inscribed on bronze panels surrounding the pools. A visit on to this location on Memorial Day will have a very special significance for many people. Entrance: Albany and Greenwich Streets, Financial District in Lower Manhattan. See nyctourist.com/ground_zero_museum_workshop.htm
19. Empire State Building. – The stately Empire State Building is always a wonderful place to visit during the Memorial Day weekend in New York City. The New York skyline grows more spectacular each time you visit, and you will delight in restored beauty and style of the Art Deco lobby decor. Enjoy the swift ride via high-speed elevator service to the 86th floor observatory 1,050 feet above ground level to relax and take in the panoramic view on the open-air deck. Location: 350 Fifth Avenue between 33d and 34th Streets (Hours: 8am to 2am).
20. Central Park. – Explore glorious Central Park in Manhattan during the Memorial Day holiday this year. Enjoy the open green beauty of Sheep Meadow or take a bike ride to Strawberry Fields, Belvedere Castle, Shakespeare Gardens or Turtle Pond. While there, enjoy a concert, film, theater or impromptu performance. Location: 59th Street to 110th Street (between Fifth and Eighth Aves). For more information, call 212-360-3444.
