New York City Skyline Sunset (Photo: Mike Lee via Flickr)

Writer Tom Wolfe declared: “One belongs to New York instantly; one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years.” And that is the beauty of visiting New York, where a tourist can blend into the crowd and become part of the energy of the city in one magical moment. An island only 13 and a half miles long and just over two miles wide at its broadest point, Manhattan packs more famous icons and attractions into one compact area than any other place on earth. With limitless activities and events, time is your only constraint, so plan accordingly! The diversity of its inhabitants is matched only by the to the variety of things to do, from Central Park, the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, the world-renowned museums, Times Square and Broadway, to the local flavor of each distinctive neighborhood and the hidden treasures they have to offer. And don’t forget the other four bustling boroughs: walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, eat ethnic food in Astoria, Queens, visit the Bronx Zoo, and take the Staten Island ferry for a glorious (and free!) view of Lady Liberty. Discover your own version of New York City by wandering its streets and taking it all in, becoming fully immersed in the NYC experience.