Jewish Museum

Dating back to 1663, this fort was used during both the American Revolution and the War of 1812. It remained active until 1995. It is now semi-active, with its main use being local headquarters for the United States Coast Guard. Tours are available.

With New York City growing and not enough space in the City Hall building, this 40-story structure was built to meet the space demands of the city government. Completed in 1915, it is a massive and very grand building with the gilded statue of a woman standing atop the building's spire.

The One World Trade Center skyscraper rises 1,776 feet above the street and is the tallest building in the United States (and for that matter, the Western Hemisphere). Despite its colossal size, its simple design allows it to blend remarkably well into the Lower Manhattan skyline. An observation deck on the top floors offers 360-degree views of the city.

The interior of this Episcopal church is a peaceful place, and both the exterior and interior are architecturally harmonious and worth looking at if you are walking nearby.

The garden is 52 acres and the layout was well planned. It is definitely worth a visit. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1910 and open to the public since 1911, the garden includes an authentic Japanese garden, a Children's Garden, and the Cranford Rose Garden. The garden has the largest cherry blossom trees in one place outside of Japan. There are 42 gorgeous varieties. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosts various festivities throughout the year, including Hanami Sakura in May and the Chile Pepper Festival in October.

The original subway station, and quite a marvel to witness--the chandeliers and ornate tiling are a sharp contrast to the nearby Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station. There's one catch, though: it's been closed since 1945. However, you can see it by staying on the downtown 6 train after its last stop Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall; it will turn around in the old station. This is the one place in the system where this is allowed, and the announcements reflect that. The Transit Museum (in Downtown Brooklyn) offers occasional tours as well, which allow you to actually walk around the station, but you must be a museum member and a US citizen, making this an impractical choice for most visitors.

Sitting on Vista Rock, one of the highest points in the park, the castle provides excellent views of Central Park, particularly to the north. It is a popular spot for photography and contains a visitor center and a nature conservatory. Just below the castle to the north is Turtle Pond, a small, swamp-like pond holding various fish, frogs, insects, and birds.

Located on four acres overlooking the Hudson River in Fort Tryon Park, the building incorporates elements from five medieval French cloisters – quadrangles enclosed by a roofed or vaulted passageway, or arcade – and from other monastic sites in southern France. There are various artworks on display in the museum, with the Unicorn Tapestries being the most famous.

Housed in the Alexander Hamilton US Custom House, this Smithsonian museum is the New York branch of the National Museum of the American Indian (the other branches are in Washington, D.C. and Maryland).

48 magnificent gardens and plant collections on a 250-acre historic site.

This beach is a pleasant place to relax. The water is safe enough to swim in, but it's not the best you can get (you'd get a better deal down the Jersey Shore or on Long Island). The boardwalk, one of the longest in the United States, is great for running or biking.

On the site of the former World Trade Center towers, the memorial consists of two enormous waterfalls and reflecting pools set within the footprints of the twin towers, lined with bronze panels with the names of the nearly 3,000 victims of that fateful day inscribed. The surrounding plaza holds a grove of trees. The museum, which sits underground right next to the memorial, contains exhibits which explain the events of 9/11 and their aftermath, with remnants of the original towers and artifacts from that day. If you see a white rose on one of the names, it's because today is that victim's birthday.

For most of the 18th century, Africans in New York City were buried in a graveyard outside the city. The graveyard was eventually forgotten and was rediscovered in 1991. This museum and memorial site commemorate the estimated 15,000 Africans that were interred on the site of the memorial. Note that the museum is located inside of a Federal building so airport-style security should be expected.

The historic building with the distinctive, iconic twin towers and a star-studded housing cooperative board. Built in 1930 in a vaguely Art Deco style to the design of Emery Roth, the San Remo actually has two separate addresses, lobbies and sets of shafts, each for a half of the building topped with a tower.