New York Travelers Recommend - page 2

Visiting Amish country from New York City is one of the largest reversals of environment possible found anywhere along the eastern seaboard. There aren’t many places where you can find yourself grabbing a morning coffee among one of the most energetic city centers in the world—the pre-dawn hours still awash in a sea of neon lights—and only a few hours later be dining in a traditional farm house in a village with no electricity sharing the company of people living the same way as their ancestors did 200 years ago. Such is the case, however, on a day trip to visit Amish country from New York City. While the state of New York is home to its own set of Amish villages in the western part of the state, the Amish country most accessible from New York City are the villages found in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a place where the honking of taxi cabs is replaced by the clip-clop of horses pulling your carriage down an old country road.

You’ve seen it on television and movie scenes about families with fabulous wealth, but to truly get an appreciation for the Hamptons you need to see it firsthand. Walk the beaches with their sculpted sand dunes and marvelously opulent homes, and shop in chic, trendy boutiques with the summer sun on your shoulders. The Hamptons are a collection of towns approximately 100 miles east of the city, where celebrities, magnates, and business tycoons unwind from the city grind. Sip on wine at Wolfford Estate Wineries or relax on a Southhampton Beach, and peruse the shops of historic Sag Harbor while yachts cruise slowly offshore. When visiting the Hamptons from New York City, expect to spend about two hours driving from the city and across Long Island. Train, car, or guided tours are a couple of the options for day trips, as are the comfortable long distance buses that connect Manhattan with the town of Montauk.

How did it all happen? How has hip hop developed in its birthplace and how has it in turn influenced the city? Spend the afternoon in Manhattan and the Bronx with a real Grandmaster and hear how early rappers turned funk and soul into something new. See the actual streets which spawned the look and the sound of hip hop and visit the Graffiti Wall of Fame in Spanish Harlem. Head to Harlem and immerse yourself in neighborhood’ rich, proud heritage, concentrating on the venues, clubs and stores which at first inspired, then played host to top hip hop artists, from the legendary Apollo Theater to Dip Set record shop. Discover how artists like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys broke down color barriers and took hip hop to the top of the charts, where it remains to this day.

New York City tradition as Macy’s has been hosting a Fourth of July fireworks show in NYC since 1958. Since Macy's has moved it's fireworks show over to the East River, Liberty State Park is the new spot for fireworks in Jersey City.Every Fourth of July, about 40,000 people head to Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island to watch professional eaters scarf down as many hot dogs as humanly possible in 10 minutes. This free-to-enter annual festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 4 on Water Street from Fulton to Broad Street Families will children can enjoy a day full of themed, interactive activities. On the Fourth of July, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan will host an array of festive programming, like making State of Liberty sculptures, creating fireworks collages, mural painting, miniature skyscraper building and more.