The Big Apple Guide
Americans call New York City ‘The Big Apple’. Why is New York ‘The Big Apple’? There are a lot of theories about the origin of the name; for example, it is believed that John J. Fitz Gerald, a writer for a newspaper ‘New York Morning Telegraph’ in the 1920s, made the name popular. Ultimately, a promotional campaign created by the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau in the 1970s popularized the term to attract tourists to New York City, and the name ‘The Big Apple’ has become known around the world ever since! There is so much to see and do in ‘The Big Apple’.
New York City is divided up into 5 main areas, or ‘boroughs’, as they are called. Each borough has a character of its own, offering so many different cafes, restaurants, shops, parks and museums: Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island.
Manhattan
Manhattan is what people think of first when you talk about New York City. The tall ‘skyscrapers’ that create the city’s skyline, Central Park, China Town, Greenwich Village, 5th Avenue, Broadway: you can’t experience Manhattan all in one day. Many people take the opportunity to ride bikes through Central Park. When you arrive in China Town, you will feel as if you have arrived in a completely different country. Come a see the many expensive shops of 5th Avenue. Greenwich Village offers many small shops and cafes filled with life and energy to be found nowhere else. Harlem is the center of Jazz and Blues. It was seen as a tough side of the city, but now it is a lively area growing with economy. Manhattan is truly proof that New York is the ‘city that never sleeps’.
Greenwich Village
This unique neighborhood in Manhattan offers so many interesting cafes and restaurants with many different types of ethnic cuisine available. Take a long walk throughout this area and explore all the shops and cafes of this historical neighborhood. Enjoy the delicious cuisine while you tour the fascinating streets among the wonderful and nostalgic architecture of this historical area. This is a perfect place for a free-afternoon walk in the summer time.
Central Park
What weekend would be complete without an afternoon with friends in Central Park? Central Park offers a chance to get away from the buildings and sky-scrappers of New York. The park is over 150 years old, and has a tremendous history behind its many walk-ways and hills. Have a picnic with your friends, go for a walk, play tennis, or take a boat ride, and find out why Central Park is world famous!
Chinatown
Once you enter Chinatown, you feel like you have traveled to another country in a matter of seconds. The atmosphere and surroundings of Chinatown makes it one of the most unique and historical places in New York. Explore the many restaurants and neighborhood happenings in this unique section of Manhattan. Nowhere else can you feel like you are in another country inside a country. Come to Chinatown during the Chinese New Year for an unforgettable experience.
Little Italy
Next to Chinatown is ‘Little Italy’, which has become one of the more popular places for visitors to NYC. At one time, ‘Little Italy’ was a bustling neighborhood of Italian immigrants in the US. Now, the neighborhood offers a unique four-block area filled with restaurants and stores offering authentic Italian cuisine. Still, little Italy offers some of the world’s best Italian cooking. Come explore the bars and restaurants in the neighborhood made famous in ‘The Godfather’ and other mobster movies. Every September, there is a traditional festival called the San Gennaro festival, the largest festival in New York, which you mustn’t miss!