This is a sample New York vacation and focuses on the main tourist activities and attractions in New York City that first-time visitors should check out.  If you have five days to spare in the New York City, NY area, this is a great way to get a feel for the entire city.  There's definitely more to see than you can possibly finish in just 5 days, but this New York City trip should be a good starting point for your New York vacation.  

Day 2 is another sight seeing day around the Midtown area of Manhattan New York NY.  We'll start the day at the United Nations Headquarters and head over to grab some sushi at Sushi Yasuda.  Then, we'll make a pit stop at the the Grand Central Terminal before taking some time to see the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center.  We end the evening with some dinner and desserts at the famous Serendipity 3 and potentially a walk or carriage ride around Central Park.  We'll get a chance to see some of the biggest and most well-known tourist attractions in New York City today. 

The day begins with the United Nations headquarters, a distinctive complex located in New York City.  This famous building has served as the headquarters for the United Nations since it was built back in 1950. 

The United Nations Headquarters is located on the East side of Midtown Manhattan New York at the neighborhood that is known as Turtle Bay.  The land occupied by the United Nations Headquarters is considered to be international territory even though it is technically located in New York City.  FDR Drive passes underneath the Conference Building of the complex.

The United Nations Headquarters is also known for its gardens and outdoor sculptures.  One of the most well-known sculptures at the UN Headquarters is the "Knotted Gun" which was a gift from the Luxembourg government and "Let us Beat Swords into Plowshares" which was a gift from the Soviet Union.  Another attraction on in the UN garden is a piece of the Berlin Wall.  

After a morning wandering around the United Nations Headquarters, you'll definitely work up an appetite.  Luckily, one of the best and freshest Japanese restaurants in New York City is located a short walk from the United Nations Headquarters - Sushi Yasuda.  If you're looking for really fresh sashimi and sushi in East Manhattan New York, this is the place to go. 

Sushi Yasuda says, "Sushi Yasuda is a labor of love by the proprietors — Naomichi Yasuda, Shige Akimoto and Scott Rosenberg — who passionately believe that this remarkable food in this unique environment must be experienced and shared. They are bonded by their love of sushi and are devoted to maintaining the purity of their vision."

Sushi Yasuda serves lunch Monday-Friday 12pm-2:15pm and dinners Monday-Saturday 6:00pm-10:15pm.  Sashu Yasuda is closed on Sundays and national holidays.  For reservations, call 212-972-1001.

For other restaurants near the United Nations HQ, click here.

Next up is the Grand Central Terminal (GCT) which is better known as Grand Central Station or simply Grand Central.  Grand Central Terminal is a terminal at 42nd street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York, NY.  Grand Central was built by and named for the New York Central Railroad in the heydey of American long-distance passenger trains.  Grand Central Terminal is the largest train station in the world when comparing the number of platforms (44).  The terminal covers an area of 48 acres.

One of the most common errors made by visitors of Grand Central is to call it the Grand Central Station.  Technically, "Grand Central Station" is the name of the nearby post office and the name of a previous rail station on the site.  Grand Central Station is also used to refer to the New York City subway station at the same location.  However, since it is such a common mistake to mistaken Grand Central Station with Grand Central Terminal, the two names have almost become synonymous. 

The Empire State Building is the next stop and it is one of the most easily recognizable buildings in the New York City skyline.  The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in New York City located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street.  The Empire State Building received its name from the nickname for the state of New York when it was built in 1931.  For over 40 years, the Empire State Building towered over Manhattan New York as the world's tallest building until the construction of the World Trade Center's North Tower was completed in 1972.  With the tragedy of 9/11, the Empire State Building once again towers over the other skyscrapers in New York as the tallest building in New York City. 

Accolades for the Empire State Building include being named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.  Also, the building and its street floor interior are designated landmarks of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.  In 1986, the Empire State Building was designated as a National Historic Landmark.  The AIA also ranked the Empire State Building as their number one on the list of America's favorite Architecture in 2007.  You can marvel at this unbelievable structure from outside.  But, you can also take the elevator up the Empire State Building to the observation where there are plenty of opportunities to take panoramic photographs of Manhattan New York and its major attractions.  This is a great way to learn a few things about the neighborhoods of New York and see an aerial view of where you've been and where you're looking to visit. 

After some scenic views of New York, it's time to visit the famous Rockefeller Center.  Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres in New York City.  Rockefeller Center is located between 48th and 51st streets and spans between Fifth Avenue and Seventh Avenue.  Built by the Rockefeller family and named after John D. Rockefeller Jr., the Rockefeller Center has become a symbol for the festivities centered around Christmas.  The annual Christmas Tree, Radio City Music Hall, and the ice skating rink are all popular images that come to mind when people think of Rockefeller Center.  It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987 and is now the largest privately held complex of its kind in the world. 

Rockefeller Center also offers plenty of shopping opportunities.  But, one of the lesser known parts of Rockefeller Center is the underground Concourse.  The underground Concourse streteches from 47th to 51st streets and from 5th avenue to 7th avenue.  It is an interconnected series of pedestrian passages that can be accessed via stairways from the lobbies in the cluster of six landmark buildings.  Access can also be gained through the restaurants at the skating rink, via the elevators to the north and south of the rink.  The rink itself is on the concourse level.

A short walk from the Rockefeller Center is the famous Serendipity 3.  This popular New York City restaurant is best known for its part in the movie, Serendipity with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.  Visitors here are greeted with a gift shop filled with eccentric and unique gag gifts that will entertain you while you are waiting for your table.  The crowds here can be pretty hectic during peak times, so be ready for a wait.  Once inside, the menu features several unique sandwiches and salads.  But, what people really enjoy at Serendipity are the dessert options.  The ice cream offerings at Serendipity are definitely large enough to share and their best known menu item is their famous frozen hot chocolate.  You can also purchase their famous frozen hot chocolates from the gift store in the front.  If you're looking for something beyond extravagant, they also offer a $1,000 sundae that you can ask them about.  It won't be on the menu.  But, ask about it if you are interested.

If you're looking for other options, there are plenty of restaurants in the area.  Here are some other restaurants near Rockefeller Center.

After dinner, a calm stroll through Central Park will help you digest the food.  If you're looking for something  less strenuous and just as romantic, there are also horse-drawn carriages that will provide you with a nice tour of Central Park. 

Central Park is a large public, urban park in New York City.  Central Park has been a National Historic Landmark since 1963 and is visited by over 25 million visitors annually.  Central Park is entirely landscaped and contains several natural-looking lakes and ponds, extensive walking tracks, two ice-skating rinks, the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, a wildlife sanctuary, a large area of natural woods, a reservoir with an encircling running track, and the outdoor Delacorte Theater.

Day 3 is a day for foodies.  If you enjoy good food and want to try out some amazing restaurants in New York, this is a good way to sample a large number of them.  It's a relatively simple walking tour of the Greenwich Village area that you can do on your own or with friends.  You'll get a chance to check out the charm and beauty of the Greenwich neighborhood of New York City while also trying out the food that makes New York so unique and so special.  This food tour (and others like it) are available for those who wish to purchase it courtesy of Foods of NY - here.  This is a slight variation on one of the food tours.

First stop: Pommes Frites where you can try over 100 different sauces with your fries.  Pommes Frites isn't just your typical restaurant.  In fact, it's anything but an ordinary restaurant.  It's a specialty shop where their primary focus is on serving you delicious and authentic Belgian fries, or as the Belgians call them, "pommes frites."  There is a limited number of seats here, but you don't come here to sit down and eat a relaxing meal.  You come here because you want to try one of the tastiest treats in town.  Pommes Frites uses premium fresh fried potatoes and creates a treat that is crunchy on the outside while retaining a soft interior.  Their trick is that the pommes frites are all fried twice.  The first time, they are cooked through.  The second time provides a golden color and makes them deliciously crisp.  Another unique feature of this restaurant is the choice in sauce.  Europeans have been eating their fries with everything but ketchup for many years, and now you can share in the experience.  Some options for dipping sauces include exotic mustards and mayonnaise, vinegar, curry sauce, or even a peanut satay sauce.  The selection of toppings for your frites includes everything from the familiar to the exotic, and is limited only by imagination.  It's a unique experience that you'll have to taste to believe. 

Next stop: Mamoun's Falafel is quite possibly the best bargain in Greenwich.  Established in 1971, Mamoun's Falafel has been delighting residents and tourists with tasty and authentic Middle Eastern cuisine for quite awhile.  The most popular option at Mamoun's is definitely their falafel - a fried and seasoned chick pea mixture stuffed inside a pita bread with a salad mixture and topped with sesame sauce. Their popular falafels can be had for just a few dollars (although prices seem to be rising slowly).  For those who have their own favorite Middle Eastern dishes, Mamoun's also offers hummus, baba ghannouj, kebabs, and just about anything else you might crave at the moment.  Seating is definitely limited, so you may want to take your food to go.

Third stop: The famous Joe's Pizza is a restaurant that you may have seen in popular movies.  It's also popular amongst the celebrities.  In fact, Ben Affleck said that “Without a doubt this is the best pizza in the entire city.”  Affleck also said that “It’s so good, in fact, that I don’t even want to ruin the taste of it by putting any toppings on it. I just get a cheese slice and savor it. There are tons of pizza places all over New York. It definitely has the best pizza in the world. But Joe’s is the best of the best.”  Quite an endorsement for a small pizzeria in Greenwich Village.  Definitely worth a try since you're in the area.  The pizza at Joe's provides a taste of what New York style thin crust pizza is all about.  Crunchy bottom with a thin layer of cheese and toppings.  Don't go overboard on the toppings though, generally 1-2 toppings is preferred on these thin-crust pizzas.  In fact, most people stick with the plain cheese ones.  Try it for yourself.  

Fourth on our list: Rocco's Pastry Shop has a long history of selling delicious pastries.  Rocco's Pastry & Espresso Cafe has been satisfying the great citizens of New York for 31 years. With an astounding selection of baked goods - nearly everything under the sun - Italian family traditions live on at Rocco’s.  A highly recommended treat for fans of sweets is their delicious cannoli's.  It's a real treat that you won't want to miss out on.

Fifth: Milk and Cookies hits the spot after all the other food items and is a great place to stop for some more dessert.  As the name suggests, this restaurant serves up the all-American treat that people just can't seem to get enough of - milk and cookies!  It's a real treat when they have fresh cookies fresh out of the oven, but even when it isn't fresh out of the oven, one bite into one of their cookies can cheer up anyone's day.  If you prefer, you can spice up your day with a variety pack where you "mix-in" a mini batch of cookies with the flavour of your choice - they'll be ready in 10 minutes!  And after you've had your fill, don't forget to add a glass of milk to top it all off.  

Last but definitely not least is another dessert favorite: Magnolia's bakery is the place to go if your sweet tooth has not yet been quenched.  This famous bakery is especially well-known for their cupcakes and its chic ambience.  Many trendsetters are spotted here nibbling on some cupcakes with chocolate, mocha or white butter cream icing.  One taste of the cupcakes and you'll see why they are so hard to resist.  The presentation of the cupcakes adds to the already irresistible frosting and makes them perfect for special occasions.  Magnolia's also bakes all of their products directly on their premises.  So, it's a chance to see bakers at work right before your eyes.  It makes you appreciate the cupcakes and encourages you to purchase more.  

The symbol of freedom and New York City is the Statue of Liberty.  So, this is a sight that new tourists to New York City should definitely check out.  So, today, we'll check out the Southern tip of Manhattan New York and check out the Wall Street area and walk over to Battery Park before heading over to the famous Statue.  There's lots of sights and attractions in this area so get your cameras ready.

Wall Street is a street in lower Manhattan, New York NY and has now become synonymous with the financial district of New York NY.  Wall Street runs from Broadway to South Street on the East River through the financial district and is also home to the New York Stock Exchange and the famous Charging Bull Statue.  Over the years, Wall Street has also become shorthand for the "influential financial interests" of the American financial industry, which is centered in the New York City area.  Several major stock exchanges continue to be headquarterd on Wall Street and in the Financial District of New York including the NYSE, Nasdaq, AMEX, NYMEX, and NYBOT.  

Located within Wall Street is one of the most famous stock exchanges in the world - The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).  The NYSE is a stock exchange that is based in New York and has become the largest stock exchange in the world by dollar value of its listed companies' securities.  The New York Stock Exchange trading floor is located at 11 Wall Street and has four rooms used to facilitate trading.  The main building is located at 18 Broad Street and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978 as was the 11 Wall Street building.

While you are taking a stroll through the Wall Street area, don't forget to take a picture with the famous Charging Bull Statue.  The Charging Bull, also referred to as the Wall Street Bull or the Bowling Green Bull has become a symbol of Wall Street and is frequently shown when news reporters are showing the Wall Street area.  Busy New Yorkers and busy business men may walk by this famous statue, but this is something that a new tourist to New York City should definitely take a picture with.  And, you'll notice that most people agree since it can be pretty tough to get the sculpture all to yourself for photographs.  

The Charging Bull Statue is a 3,200 kg (7,000 pound) bronze sculpture by Arturo Di Modica.  The sculpture sits in Bowling Green Park near Wall Street in New York.  The sculpture depicts a bull, the symbol of aggressive financial optimism and prosperity leaning back on its haunches with its head lowered as if ready to charge.  The Charging Bull has become one of New York City's most photographed artworks and has become a popular destination for tourists in the Wall Street area.

Once you're down strolling around the Wall Street area and soaking in the fact that millions and millions of dollars are changing hands, head on over to the tourist attraction that everyone needs to see at least once - The Statue of Liberty.

The Statue of Liberty was formerly known as the Liberty Enlightening the World statue and was a gift from the people of France to the United States in 1886. There are several ways to see the Statue of Liberty.  The most popular way for tourists to see the Statue of Liberty is to take the ferry over to Liberty Island in New York Harbor and experience it face to face.  Another is to marvel at its beauty from Battery Park.  And, still another free way is to take the Staten Island Ferry and view it from the Harbor as the ferry sails past.  Liberty Island is the most popular method to see the Statue of Liberty because you come face-to-face with the Statue in all its glory.  A ferry ticket to the Statue of Liberty also includes the ferry to Ellis Island. 

The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States to commemorate the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and was given as a representation of the friendship established between the French and the Americans during the American Revolution. The statue is of a robed woman holding a torch and is made of a sheeting of pure copper, hung on a framework of steel with the exception of the flame of the torch, which is coated in gold leaf (originally made of copper and later altered to hold glass panels).  The Statue of Liberty is 151 ft tall and stands over 305 ft. tall with the pedestal and foundation.  The Statue of Liberty has become one of the most recognizable icons of the United States around the world and was also one of the first sights that greeted immigrants after a long ocean voyage from Europe.

An important part of a vacation is having the time to purchase some gifts and souvenirs.  And it's also great when you can get some gifts for your friends and family at a discounted rate.  If you like getting souvenirs for bargain prices, New York's Chinatown is definitely the place to go. 

The Chinatown neighborhood of Manhattan New York is an ethnic enclave with a large population of Chinese immigrants similar to the Chinatown districts at other American cities.  The Chinatown in New York is the second most populous Chinatown in the Western hemisphere after San Francisco's Chinatown. 

If you're looking for delicious and unique Chinese cuisine, Joe's Shanghai is a great restaurant to try out.  The first Joe's Shanghai was founded in Flushing, New York in 1995.  Fame and fortune came quickly as their Shanghai dumplings also known as shao long bao or soup dumplings became an immediate hit.  Their famous Shanghai dumplings come in two main flavors - crab or pork meat.  Both flavors helped Joe's Shanghai earn numerous accolades and awards and became favorites of locals and visitors.  Over the years, Joe's Shanghai has received awards from the New York Times, Gourmet Magazine, Travel and Leisure, New York Magazine, and Zagat Survey.  They have also been featured in many gourmet magazines and tv shows.  There are now three Joe's Shanghai locations in Chinatown, Flushing, and upper Manhattan.  

Joe's Shanghai is more than just Shanghai dumplings.  Some other popular dishes here includes Shredded Turnip Shortcake; Twin Prawns in Chili Sauce; Crispy Whole Yellow Fish; Lion's Head (Stewed Pork Balls), Braised Duck, Braised Pork Shoulders, cold cuts like Wine Chicken, and Shanghai Fried Bean Curd.