Bronx Zoo is a zoo located in Bronx, NY. It is one of the largest zoos in the United States and the largest zoo in any U.S. metropolitan area. The park stretches across 265 acres of park lands and is separated by the Bronx River. The zoo is part of a system of four zoos and an aquarium all of which is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Through the Wildlife Conservation Society’s five parks there are approximately 4 million visitors a year. The zoo was opened on November 8, 1899. Some tourists might not find visiting a zoo exciting but for me I think zoos are quite an interesting place. Where else can you find a place with animals all around the world and still be safe visiting all of them. As of the most recently published numbers there are more than 6000 animals and more than 700 species living in the zoo. In 1916, the zoo established the first modern animal hospital with a full-time veterinarian staff. Now since it is a zoo a lot of the attractions are designed for kids but nonetheless adults can also enjoy the exhibits and attractions as well. There is a monorail that goes around the park, there are a lot of different exhibits and overall a lot of things to see. I think this is a good place to visit especially because of the proximity to Manhattan. 

Statue of liberty is an icon of NYC and even the United States. To learn about the Statue of Liberty one needs to understand the history of the Statue of Liberty. The Statue was a gift from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and Democracy. The Statue was dedicated by president Grover Cleveland in 1886. It was designated as a national monument in 1924. In 1933, it became a national park and was under special care ever since. The Statue was not shipped to the United States in one piece, it was assembled in France and then disassembled and then shipped to the United States piece by piece. The statue was a huge symbol for all immigrants arriving into New York and more specifically Ellis Island. The Statue symbolized immigrants coming to America for a better life “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore/Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me/I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” One thing that I find interesting about the Statue of Liberty is that the statue was originally copper color but because of the saltwater corrosion the statue is now green. There is no road that brings you to the statue since it’s located in the middle of New York harbor, so you need to take a boat ride. There are guided tours that bring you in and around the statue. You can go inside the statue and even climb up to the crown. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom. If one is looking to save money a lot of tourists take the free Staten Island Ferry that passes by the Statue in order to take pictures. On the ferry one can also have a good view on the NYC skyline. 

Times Square is a major attraction in NYC. Times Square is located from West 42nd to West 47th street at the junction of Broadway and 7th Ave. From a foreigner’s point of view, it is sometimes known as “The crossroads of the world”, “The center of the universe”, and “The heart of the world”. It is one of the world’s busiest pedestrian areas and the hub of the Broadway theatre district. It is known as the cultural and commercial heart of NYC. People from all over the world come to visit NYC and Times Square is surely in each person’s travel destination. Approximately 50 million tourists go to Times Square each year, 330,000 people pass by daily, and over 460,000 people walk through on its busiest days. Times Square is also extremely easy to access. Almost all of the subway lines intersect at Times Square and the major transportation hub Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central station are all nearby. Some things to do in Times Square consists of hop on hop off sightseeing tours, Madame Tussauds New York, National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey, and Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Times Square. These are just some of the things that you can do at Times Square. The biggest event to happen during New Year’s Eve is the ball drop. Approximately one million people crowd the streets of Times Square on New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop which is approximately double the amount of people in Times Square. Tourists from all over the world come to see the ball drop and if you’re that type of person then you can go see it as well. However, this activity does require a lot of planning. There are no bathrooms once you get inside, you cannot leave and then come back and most importantly you will be outside, in freezing weather, standing for almost a whole day.