A taste of the Big Apple

To immerse yourself in New York as soon as possible, start your day on Union Square. This huge square is the image of the city: noisy, exciting and eclectic. Hip-hop dancers, chess players, cartoonists, music groups and a bio market are gathered in a joyful mess. From Union Square, on 14th Street, go back to Broadway to 44th Street. You will cross the Flatiron Building and Washington Square Park on 23rd Street, Korea Town and Herald Square on 32nd Street. Stop at Macy's, the world's largest shopping mall, and Manhattan Mall on 34th Street to buy cheap Levi's jeans at JC Penney. Continue on Broadway to Times Square on 44th Street. Walking on Broadway is also the best way to discover the verticality of the city. From Union Square, the height of the buildings is progressive to Times Square. After taking pictures of the huge ads, go to the Empire State Building, for one of the most incredible views in the world. Then, go back to the 5th Avenue to the New York Public Library, recognizable by two stone lions in front of the entrance. Adjacent to the library, Bryant Park, always very lively summer and winter. Turn right towards Grand Central, the masterpiece of Fine arts style. Continue east, along 42nd Street. Admire the Chrysler Building, the Art Deco jewel, and walk to the United Nations headquarters, impressive city in the city and State in the State (and the only place where you can buy the famous stamp of the United Nations). Stroll through Tudor City, just a few blocks away, in front of the United Nations, where you will admire the beautiful buildings and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. Return to 5th Avenue by 46th Street and head to the majestic St Patrick Cathedral and Rockefeller Center. To discover: its Channel Gardens, its statue of Prometheus and its Lower Plaza, where in winter there is a giant Christmas tree and a huge ice rink. And if you haven't climbed to the top of the Empire State, try the top of Rockefeller, the Top of The Rock, less crowded. From there, a detour is required for a visit to the MoMA.

Go to Downtown for a passage to Ground Zero, the memorial site where the Twin Towers stood. You can get closer to the new One World Trade Center, the highest skyscraper in the city and the West. Come to the City Hall and at the foot of the Woolworth Building. Cross the Brooklyn Bridge in both directions for the magnificent view of the south of the city. Once back in Manhattan, head down the Broadway to Battery Park. You will cross on the road, for a glance or a visit, Wall Street with the New York Stock Exchange and the Federal Hall, the Museum of the American Indian on Bowling Green or the Museum of Jewish Heritage of Battery Park. From there, embark on the ferry for the statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a small island through which have passed (from all over the world), the ancestors of one quarter of the American population. On the way back, take a walk through the South Street Seaport, along and around Fulton Street and Fish market, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in New York City and the mafia major place. Dinner in Chinatown and exit in a chic SoHo lounge, a wine bar in Greenwich Village or a trendy nightclub of Meatpacking District.