New York's CityPass lets you visit five major New York attractions--the Empire State Building Observatory, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of Modern Art--for one price, half the cost of what it would be separately. The CityPass costs around and is valid for nine days. It is available at the first attraction visited. Tel.: 707-256-0490. Web Site: www.citypass.net

The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Ave.
212-316-7540
Famed as the world's-largest cathedral, this gothic structure is the mother church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and the seat of its Bishop. Started in 1892 as a church for all nations, parts of the cathedral are still under construction. One of the more recent completions was in the Cathedral's Chapel of St. Savior, which is home to Keith Haring's only religious piece--a large, three-panel, bronze work that depicts scenes from the life of Christ in Haring's renowned pop-art style. Tours are available Tuesday through Saturday at 11am and on Sundays at 1pm.

Chinatown
It's not the most decorative Chinatown in the world, but it is the largest Chinatown in the Western Hemisphere. If you have ever ventured to Hong Kong or Beijing, you'll feel a sense of deja vu. The narrow alleyways are home to hundreds of grocery stores, restaurants, and trinket shops. Canal Street is lined with cheap electronic shops and hawkers selling inexpensive watches, jewelry, and more.

Empire State Building Observatories
350 Fifth Ave.
212-736-3100
Family friendly: Yes
To get a feel for the enormity of Manhattan's skyscrapers and the surrounding boroughs, head to the top of the Empire State Building, where you can get a view from a quarter-mile above it all. This U.S. National Historic Landmark is also the best way to get plucked out of the chaos below. The panorama is especially impressive at night when the city flicks on its sea of lights. Admission includes a trip to the glass-enclosed 107th floor and the outdoor roof deck, which is actually on the 86th floor. The ticket also lets you take a six-minute simulated helicopter ride. The last elevator up is at 11:30pm.

Grand Central Terminal
42nd St. and Lexington Ave.
212-935-3960
One of the busiest train stations in the world, Grand Central has recently undergone a facelift and now offers more restaurants and shops. The Renaissance-style structure was built between 1903 and 1913 and upholds its imperial stature with 150-foot arched ceilings, the world's largest main concourse room, and sculptures of Hercules, Minerva, and Mercury around the clock in the main area. Even the benches are carved in detail.

Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, or "The Village," as native New Yorkers would say, is one of the liveliest areas of the city, day or night. This was a haven for the beatnik culture of the '60s and continues as an artistic center with its myriad music clubs, art galleries, curio shops, crafts boutiques, eccentric clothing stores, coffee shops, and restaurants offering almost every type of international cuisine. At its heart is Washington Square Park, with its famed Washington Square Arch, completed in 1893. The park is home to street performers on weekends and New York University students taking a break between classes on weekdays.

Harlem
110th to 145th streets
Though the Harlem area has never regained the glory of the 1920s and 1930s era when it was an African-American cultural capital and home to the Harlem Renaissance, some of the legendary arts centers of that time still exist. The Cotton Club, Apollo Theatre, and Schomburg Center can still be visited. Organized tours of the area are a safer bet. Harlem Spirituals/NY Visions (212-757-0425) and Harlem, Your Way! (212-690-1687) offer tours of the area including gospel concerts.

New York Public Library
Fifth Ave. at 42nd St.
212-221-7676
The New York Public Library?s landmark beaux arts-style building in Midtown, with the trademark lion statues guarding its entrance, is its centerpiece. The library, which opened its doors in May 1911, is home to one of the world's greatest collections of books and resource materials, as well as immense reading rooms.

The New York Stock Exchange
20 Broad St.
212-656-5167
Visitors can observe the chaos and frenetic mania of Wall Street at the New York Stock Exchange, which opened on March 8, 1817, when a group of brokers adopted a formal constitution of rules and regulations. The activity is described by automated narration in five languages.

SoHo
South of Houston St.
The area between Houston and Canal streets and the Avenue of the Americas and Lafayette Street is the premiere area for art galleries, chic restaurants, designer boutiques, and other shops. Many of the art galleries are housed in cast-iron buildings.

South Street Seaport
Water St.
212-SEAPORT
Family friendly: Yes
Draped along the downtown Manhattan waterfront, the South Street Seaport lures tourists with its 120 shops, restaurants, and pushcarts selling odd crafts and other gift items. The waterfront area, which dates to the 1600s, underwent restoration in the 1960s and more development in the early 1980s when the Pier 17 Pavilion was demolished. The new pavilion opened in 1995 and now contains a number of the area's shops and restaurants as well as the South Street Seaport Ice Rink. Designer clothing shops are particularly prevalent in the pavilion and on Front Street.

St. Patrick's Cathedral
Fifth Ave. at 50th St.
The largest Catholic cathedral in the United States, St. Patrick's Gothic-style spires are a sight in themselves. The cathedral took about 20 years to build, from 1858 to 1879.

Statue of Liberty National Monument
Liberty Island
212-363-3200 or 212-269-5755 (ferry information)
Family friendly: Yes
Standing as a symbol of freedom and democracy, the Statue of Liberty, located in New York Harbor, is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country. This gift from France, which was dedicated on October 28, 1886 and designated a National Monument on October 15, 1924, was fully restored for her 100th birthday in 1986. An elevator whisks visitors as far as the observation level at the top of the pedestal, and the adventurous can climb 354 steps (22 stories) to the statue's crown. Waiting times to climb to the crown in summer months can exceed three hours. The Statue of Liberty Museum, also on Liberty Island, focuses on the history of immigration in America since 1600. The Statue of Liberty is accessible by the South Ferry in Battery Park. If you just want a good view of the statue from the water, the Staten Island Ferry passes it on its route, and it is free.

Times Square
Broadway to Seventh Ave. from 42nd to 47th Sts.
212-768-1560
Most widely known as the place the ball drops on New Year's Eve and the spot to see Broadway shows, Times Square has gone from riches to rags and most recently, back to riches. Developed by the Astors in the 1830s as a silk-stocking hub, the area got its name when the New York Times planted itself here in the early 20th century. For decades Times Square was filled with seedy sex shops, but it is currently enjoying a renaissance. Giant screens showing music videos, ads and live broadcasts dominate, and even Disney has moved in with a store and theater.

United Nations
212-963-7713, 212-963-4440 (for tour information)
This is where countries come together and make decisions that shape the world. Multilingual guided tours through the General Assembly Hall and Council Chambers are available, and tours include works of art from member nations as well.

Wall Street
Originally, the area now known as Wall Street was the boundary of the New Amsterdam settlement, named after the wall built in 1663 to mark the area. The narrow streets are now walled by behemoth skyscrapers like the Twin Towers and the American Stock Exchange. A large bronze Merril Lynch bull assumes the attack position on a cobblestone sidewalk to reflect the rising stock markets. Trinity Church, meanwhile, adds a sense of history to the area.

Brooklyn Bridge
Family friendly: Yes
At the time it was built in 1833, the Brooklyn Bridge ranked as the largest suspension bridge in the world and an engineering milestone, making it a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. You can walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn, coming across plaques en route outlining the history of the bridge. The bridge, built over the East River, affords views of the tip of the Manhattan skyline.

The Bronx Heritage Trail
3309 Bainbridge Ave.
718-881-8900
The Bronx Heritage Trail takes in the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, which served as his home from 1846 to 1849. It is the site where many of his most well-known works were written. The Bronx Heritage Trail also includes a tour of the Bronx Heritage Center, built in 1758, and the Van Cortlandt Mansion, constructed in 1748.

Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Ave.
Family friendly: Yes
Built in the 1930s in an art-deco style, historians will find it of interest that this is New York City's first skyscraper. At night, some tourists might confuse its lit spire with the illuminated top of the Empire State Building, but the Chrysler Building is much smaller. It was briefly the world's tallest building when it was first constructed. The public is only allowed in the lobby.

City Hall
Broadway
212-788-3000
Built between 1803 and 1812, the federal-period architecture stands out in this area of Lower Manhattan. There are art and history exhibits inside.

The Dakota Building
Central Park West
This massive apartment building will always be remembered as the place where John Lennon was shot. It also has the dubious distinction of being the spot where the devil fathered Rosemary's baby in the film of the same name. On the lighter side, the Dakota has been home to Boris Karloff, Lauren Bacall, and Leonard Bernstein. The portion of Central Park across from the building has been named Strawberry Fields in memory of John Lennon.

General Grant National Memorial
Riverside Drive
212-666-1640
Who's buried in Grant's Tomb you ask? Well, now you can find out. This is the official site of the tomb of Ulysses S. Grant. There are also exhibits relating to his life as president and U.S. General.

Gracie Mansion
Carl Schurz Park
212-570-4751
Family friendly: Yes
This 1799-built home has served as the official residence for New York's mayors since 1942.

New York Public Library
455 Fifth Avenue
212-340-0833
Family friendly: Yes
Though the New York Public Library reaches its tentacles to 85 branch libraries in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, the landmark beaux arts-style building in Midtown, with the trademark lion statues guarding its entrance, is its centerpiece. The library, which opened its doors in May 1911, is home to one of the world's greatest collections of books and resource materials, as well as immense reading rooms. It also presents changing art and literature exhibits.

Radio City Music Hall
1260 Avenue of the Americas
212-632-3975 (information), 212-632-4041 (tours)
Family friendly: Yes
Best known as home to the leggy Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall, the gateway to Rockefeller Center, is one of the largest indoor theaters in the world. Declared a landmark in 1978, the inside decor of the art deco-style hall is the main attraction. Curving balconies overlook the Great Stage while in the Grand Foyer the ceiling is lined with 24-karat gold leaf. Also impressive are the 30-foot chandeliers and Wurlitzer organ. Until 1979 Radio City hosted movie and stage events; after that the hall stopped showing movies and switched to top-name musical concerts instead. The world-famous Rockettes only perform at Christmas and Easter.

Riverside Church
490 Riverside Drive
212-222-5900
This Gothic-style church spans two city blocks and rises to a height of 392 feet, making it the world's largest tower. Inside the tower, there are 24 floors for congregational programs as well as the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Carillon donated by her son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. This interdenominational church housed the pulpit from which Martin Luther King preached his anti-Vietnam War sermon.

St. Patrick's Cathedral
14 East 51st Street
212-753-2261
The largest Catholic cathedral in the United States, St. Patrick's Gothic-style spires are a sight in themselves. The cathedral took about 20 years to build, from 1858 to 1879.

Temple Emanu-El
One East 65th St.
212-744-1400
Noted as the largest Jewish house of worship in the world, Temple Emanu-El combines a Romanesque design with a Byzantine and Near-Eastern flavor.

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
28 East 20th St
212-260-1616
Family friendly: Yes
Open to tourists, this is the reconstructed first home of Teddy Roosevelt, the only U.S. president born in New York City.

Battery Park / Castle Clinton
26 Wall Street
212-344-7220
Family friendly: Yes
Taking its name from a British fort built on the site in 1693, Battery Park is now most widely frequented as a departure point for ferries to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Staten Island. The 21-acre patch of green is home to the Castle Clinton National Monument, where the Castle Clinton fort stood in the early 1800s. Castle Clinton was also the country's center of immigration until Ellis Island was developed in 1872.

Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society Park
Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road
718-367-1010
Family friendly: Yes
The Bronx Zoo, billed as the largest U.S. urban zoo, has been open to the public since 1899. Special habitats have been designed including African Plains, JungleWorld, and Himalayan Highlands. The array of species range from snow leopards to birds of paradise.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
900 Washington Ave.
718-622-4433
Family friendly: Yes
This 52-acre retreat has blossomed on the site of an 1800s ash dump. More than 12,000 species of plants from around the world are on display, including specialty gardens such as a Fragrance Garden, Japanese Hill-and-Pond garden, and a set of 200 cherry blossom trees that are the center of a cherry blossom festival each spring.

Bryant Park
40th to 42nd streets along Fifth Avenue
212-768-4242
Family friendly: Yes
Bryant Park serves as a seven-acre respite from midtown-Manhattan chaos and offers gardens, a fountain, and free entertainment.

Central Park
From 59th to 110th streets between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West
212-794-6564
Family friendly: Yes
There is no match in Manhattan (a.k.a. the "concrete jungle") for Central Park's 840 acres of fields, meadows, walking and biking trails, and lakes. This is where New Yorkers escape to at the first signs of spring and in the heat of summer. Designed in 1858, the park is home to a zoo, a marionette theater, a carousel, sports facilities, an environmental education center (Dana Discovery Center), two outdoor pools that become ice-skating rinks in the winter, and SummerStage, which hosts live music performances. Also in summer, Shakespeare in the Park is performed at the Delacorte Theater. A recent addition to Central Park is the Henry Luce Nature Observatory in the restored Belvedere Castle. Here visitors will find exhibits about the fauna and flora in the park. You can also rent a boat at the Boathouse, located at 72nd Street, to take out on Central Park Lake. The park is closed to traffic on weekends, from Friday at 7pm until Monday at 6am. On weekdays, it is closed Monday through Friday, from 10am to 3pm and from 7pm to 10pm, making it a popular place for rollerbladers and bicyclists.

Central Park Wildlife Conservation Center
830 Fifth Ave.
212-861-6030
Family friendly: Yes
This small zoo in the middle of Central Park is home to a surprising variety of animals such as penguins, sea lions, monkeys, and polar bears. Not nearly as expansive as the Bronx Zoo, this center is small enough so young kids won't get cranky and animals can be seen close up. There are feeding times in various animal exhibits as well.

Coney Island Aquarium / Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation
Surf Avenue
718-265-FISH, 718-265-3400
Family friendly: Yes
Among the highlights at this 14-acre waterworld are the Beluga whales, who swim right up to the glass to check out the humans; the Sea Cliffs exhibit, with underwater views of penguins, sea otters, and walruses; coral reef exhibits; dolphin shows; and a shark tank. At Discovery Cove, where you can touch sea stars, urchins, and crabs, and walk through a salt marsh, it's especially geared toward kids. The aquarium, a wildlife conservation park, was originally opened in 1896 in Manhattan's Battery Park. It was moved to the lion house at the Bronx Zoo in the early 1920s and made its final move to the current Coney Island address in June 1957, making it the longest running facility of its kind in the country.

Coney Island Beach
Surf Ave at Atlantic Shore
718-266-1234
Family friendly: Yes
Famed for its Cyclone wooden roller coaster, which was built in 1927 and still takes people for a thrill ride today, Coney Island makes for a perfect day trip from Manhattan (be careful in the surrounding area at night, which has some seedy parts). The 1920-built Wonder Wheel, a 130-foot Ferris wheel, is still running today as well. Coney Island is also known as the spot where freak shows were introduced and is still home of Sideshows by the Seashore and the Coney Island Museum, which includes information about freak shows in its historic exhibits. Nathan's famous hot dogs were first sold here and are still a popular snack. If you walk the length of the boardwalk, you will find yourself in Brighton Beach. The annual Mermaid Parade in early summer is a highlight.

The Greenbelt
200 Nevada Ave.
718-667-2165
Family friendly: Yes
Most people, even New Yorkers, don't venture to Staten Island, except for the ferry dock. But there is a 2,500-acre woodland, meadow, and wetland area with walking trails. Check the visitors center for information.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Crossbay Boulevard
718-318-4340
Family friendly: Yes
Just a subway ride from Manhattan takes you to this 9,152-acre land and water expanse replete with nature trails and prime bird watching. This is one of the most reclusive spots in all of New York City and is especially scenic in the fall when the leaves change color.

The New York Botanical Garden
200th Street and Southern Boulevard
718-817-8700
Family friendly: Yes
More than your ordinary flower conservatory, the New York Botanical Garden, a 250-acre National Historic Landmark, is set on some of the most picturesque terrain of any urban garden. While autumn is popular here for the fall colors, spring and summer present a kaleidoscope of tulips, azaleas, peonies, daylilies, and one of the largest collections of daffodils in America.

Pelham Bay Park
From Park Drive to Eastchester Bay
718-430-1890
Family friendly: Yes
This more than 2,100-acre preserve allows for bicycle riding, fishing, horseback riding, and boating.

Prospect Park
Grand Army Plaza
718-965-8951
Family friendly: Yes

Prospect Park is to Brooklyn what Central Park is to Manhattan. Th e 520 acres of green include a Civil War memorial arch, a 1776-constructed Dutch homestead, a carousel, and the Prospect Park Wildlife Center, where kids can get close to wallabies, red pandas, emus, scarlet macaws, sea lions, and baboons. Live performances are also held in the park, mainly during the summer.

Rockaway Beach
90-14 Rockaway Beach Boulevard
718-634-8058
Family friendly: Yes
As a respite from the New York City summer heat, Rockaway Beach offers a 6.5-mile stretch of beach along the Atlantic Ocean.