Fascinating Things to Do and See in Manhattan

Are you considering a trip into Manhattan this Chol Hamoed? Here are my picks of the most fascinating places and sights around the big city.

Updated 2025

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 Manhattan can be overwhelming. There are so many things to do there. Every type of attraction is found on that small Island. In addition, there are also the sightseeing options specific to Manhattan.

Below I will share my experiences in Manhattan. I’m sure there are plenty of amazing places that I did not mention, but since I only write about places I’ve been to, you’ll be able to make informed decisions of what is worth your time and of course what is worth the money. Attractions in Manhattan can often be pricey due to the touristy nature of the place.

Getting into Manhattan can be a daunting task. Between the traffic and exorbitant parking rates, it is better to use public transportation if you can. Otherwise, it is best to check for parking online before you get to your destination. There are often better options that way than on the spot.

Another way we’ve traveled to Manhattan is via the Weehauken Ferry-NY Waterway. Keep in mind that return tickets for a few people and parking at the ferry terminal for the day (not especially expensive) can sometimes add up to more than parking fees. Also, a ferry does not include the convenience of being able to go home as soon as you are done. The way it is often more affordable is when there is a special with NY Waterway that children under 12 ride free with paying adults (often during the summertime). Another upside is that there is an enjoyable ferry ride as well.

NY Waterway Ferry

We took the ferry from Hoboken NJ to Manhattan. Parking was very easy and inexpensive at the garage across the street. The 8-minute ferry ride was relaxing and enjoyable. There are a few terminals that the ferry goes to: to Midtown, to Wall Street, and to the World Financial Center. Each terminal offers free bus shuttles leaving from the ferry terminal to various locations in Manhattan. Getting to your destination is easy and convenient.

 Address:

4800 Avenue at Port Imperial
Weehawken, NJ 07086

 Phone Number: (800)-533-3779

Hours: Check the website for schedule: http://www.nywaterway.com/FerryRoutesSchedules.aspx

 Price: Check website for price: http://www.nywaterway.com/FerryRoutesSchedules.aspx

 Approximate Distance from:   

Lakewood: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Monsey: 45 minutes

Roosevelt Island: New York, NY

There’s nothing like seeing NYC traffic from above!

Roosevelt Island is a narrow two-mile-long Island in the East River of Manhattan located between Queens and Long Island.  The Island is on the outskirts of the City and can be accessed through an Arial Tramway. The Arial Tramway station is near the FDR. The tram ride lasts just for a couple of minutes but is fascinating. When we rode the tramway, there was a lot of traffic on the street below. We were enthralled!

The Island has various playgrounds to accommodate different ages. There is also a walkway alongside the river where you can ride bikes or take a leisurely stroll. The open fields are great for ball games or flying kites. The Price of the Arial Tramway is very affordable since it is part of the Metro system. Up to three (3) children 44 inches tall and under ride for free on the Tram when accompanied by a fare-paying adult

 Tramway Station: E 59th St & 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10022

 Phone: (212) 832-4583

 Price: To ride the Tram, you must use an MTA MetroCard. MetroCards are available for purchase at either Tram Station and at subway stations throughout New York City. 

Approximate Distance from:
Monsey: 55 minutes
Brooklyn Bridge: 20 minutes
 Lakewood: 1 hour, 30 minutes 

The Battery Area

The Battery is a beautiful green waterside haven at the tip of Manhattan. It has lots of attractions connected to it. A building housing The Seaglass Carousel, an unusual glass carousel with fish-shaped seats is right in the park. The free Staten Island Ferry leaves from there. Boats that go to The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island leave from there as well. (I haven’t been to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island for many years, therefore, I did not include my experience here). Manhattan By Sail, a sailboat tour also leaves from Battery Park.

Museum of Jewish Heritage also known as the Holocaust Museum is located right across from The Battery and just a few minutes walk to the Freedom Tower and the 911 Memorial Museum.

Museum of Jewish Heritage-Holocaust Museum

Located in the picturesque setting of The Battery, The Museum of Jewish Heritage has a mission of teaching the world about the past, confronting the present, and educating the future generations about the horrors of the Holocaust.

The Museum’s Core Exhibition features a plethora of artifacts and photographs in connection to Jewish history. The Museum is divided into three sections: Jewish Life a Century Ago, War against the Jews, and Jewish Renewal. The sections dedicated to the periods before and after the Holocaust help to understand the events, as well as show how the Jews rebuilt and live on.

One of the most powerful exhibits is the collection of pictures of Holocaust victims. There is also survivor testimony and 24 documentary films interspersed throughout the Museum.

There is, in addition, a variety of temporary exhibits in the Museum at any given time.

The Garden of Stones was planted by Holocaust Survivors and their families in 2003. This garden, visible from the museum, is a place used by many to contemplate the horrors of the Holocaust and the future of the next generations.

There is currently a temporary exhibit on Auschwitz there until this January.

 Address:
Edmond J. Safra Plaza
36 Battery Place
New York, NY 10280

 Phone Number: 646-437-4202

Check for hours and pricing. 

 Approximate Distance from:   

Brooklyn Bridge: 15 minutes
Lakewood: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Monsey: 1 hour

One World Trade Center- Freedom Tower

The beauty of the view from the Freedom Tower is that you get to see all sides of Manhattan clearly. There are beautiful unobstructed views of the Hudson River, The Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. At the same time, there are magnificent city views of the buildings and the streets, of the hustle and bustle that makes New York City such an exciting place. The view from atop the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere is truly breathtaking.

On the way from the entrance to the elevator, there are informative and interesting exhibits about the construction and interesting facts about the Freedom Tower. Climbing to the 102nd floor of the Freedom Tower is just a 47-second ride by elevator. The walls of the elevator have a rapidly changing informative mural of Manhattan and how it metamorphoses from a forest to a city with huge skyscrapers. When exiting the elevator, visitors get to see a two-minute movie all about New York City. At the end of the movie, the walls that displayed the movie lift and the awesomeness of the view can’t help but amaze you. The views can be enjoyed on floors 100, 101, and 102. There is also a restaurant located on the 101st floor.

The Freedom Tower is located adjacent to the 911 Memorial and Museum. It is a real-life lesson of destruction, rebuilding, and moving on.

 Address:

One World Trade Center
285 Fulton Street
New York, New York 10007

Phone Number:  212-602-4000
Check for hours and pricing. 

 Approximate Distance from:
Brooklyn Bridge: 10 minutes
Lakewood: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Monsey: 1 hour

  9/11 Memorial and Museum

There is a deafening silence in the exhibition rooms at the 9/11 Museum. The mood is somber, and visitors can’t help but feel pride in all the people who came to aid those in need, and sadness for all those who lost their lives in the process. 

The 9/11 Museum was designed extremely well. The exhibitions are divided into sections and categories, with some pieces of the original structure displayed within the 110,000-square-foot museum. The museum begins from the planning and building of the towers and continues on to 9/11 and beyond through interactive technology, archives, narratives and a collection of artifacts.

There are sections of witness encounters; there is a memorial section, a Historical exhibition, and a rebirth section.  No flash photography is allowed in the museum and in certain sections, no photography is allowed at all.

The mangled fire trucks and the actual Vesey Street “Survivors Stairs” used by many to escape the towers make the events feel very real. The many Docents around the museum share information and several share personal experiences of how they or their loved ones were in the tower on that fateful day. The many personal accounts and recordings draw people in and you can’t help but realize that the world will never be the same since 9/11.

Outside the Museum are the two Memorial Pools with names of all the victims inscribed on the sides. There is no entrance fee to see the pools which are large and square-shaped. Their water flows downward, not upward. It has a symbolic feel to it, commemorating all those brave men and women who perished on 9/11. 

 Address:
180 Greenwich St,
New York, NY 10007

 Phone Number: (212) 312-8800

Hours: 9/11 Memorial Daily, 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m.

Check for hours and pricing. 

Approximate Distance from:
Brooklyn Bridge: 10 minutes
Lakewood: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Monsey: 1 hour                                          

Top of the Rock 

As one of the three most popular Observation Buildings in Manhattan, Top of the Rock has its own uniqueness. Located within the Rockefeller Center, you’d never believe what 360-degree breathtaking unobstructed views of Manhattan can be seen right there in Midtown Manhattan.

There are three levels of viewing decks. The Radiance Wall (and gift shop), the outdoor Breezeway, and the roof deck. The open-air roof deck on the 70th floor is the highest observation deck of the three. It doesn’t have a gated closed-in feel, it’s open and free. The sweeping views of Manhattan include lots of famous landmarks and a clear view of the Empire State Building.

All tickets for the Top of the Rock are with a time slot. Tickets without a time are available but need to be exchanged for one with a time upon arrival. Tickets may not be available for hours later so it is advisable to get timed tickets. When we arrived, the friendly staff greeted and helped us get to the security line which then led us to the elevator up. The ride up with the elevator Sky Shuttle is really quick featuring a show of lights.  Once on the observation deck, visitors can stay as long as they want. We went during sunset – one of the most popular times. It was quite crowded but awesome at the same time.    

Address:
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112

 Phone Number: (212) 698-2000

Check for hours and pricing. 

Approximate Distance from:
Brooklyn Bridge: 20 minutes
Lakewood: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Monsey: 50 minutes

Intrepid

USS Intrepid, also known as The Fighting “I”, was built during World War II. It was commissioned in August 1943 for the United States Navy. The Intrepid has one of the most distinguished service records of any Navy ship. She fought in WWII, the Vietnam War and served on various missions mainly in the Atlantic Ocean. She was decommissioned on March 15, 1974. In 1982, Intrepid was converted to the foundation of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum features the huge Intrepid Aircraft Carrier with 28 authentically restored aircraft. The Lockheed A-12 Blackbird, the world’s fastest military jet and spy plane, is on display as well as the British Airways Concorde, the fastest commercial aircraft to ever cross the Atlantic Ocean.  The space shuttle Enterprise, the world’s first space shuttle that paved the way for America’s successful Space Shuttle Program, is also a popular exhibition that made its home in the museum in July of 2012.

There is also a guided missile submarine at the Intrepid Museum.  A tour of the ship will take you through lessons in history where you will learn about American innovation and bravery up close. 

 Address:
Pier 86, W 46th St & 12th Ave,
New York, NY 10036

 Phone Number:(212) 245-0072

Check for hours and pricing. 

Approximate Distance from:
Brooklyn Bridge: 25 minutes
Lakewood: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Monsey: 45 minutes                                                

Times Square Approximate Distance from:
Brooklyn Bridge: 30 minutes
Lakewood: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Monsey: 50 minutes