NEW YORK CITY! – A place that is probably on your bucket list. Have you been wondering what fascinating places will welcome you once you decided to travel to New York? In this article, we will give you ideas about New York’s hidden gems that you will surely enjoy.
Top 9 Best Hidden Gems in New York
1. Fort Tryon Park
Fort Tryon is one of the most alluring open spaces in New York City.
New York City’s Fort Tryon Park is located in the Hudson Heights and Inwood neighborhoods of Manhattan.
In Fort Tryon Park, you will also see the Met Cloisters, a part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The cloisters, built in a Gothic style created by architect Charles Collens, house almost 5,000 medieval items of art and architecture, with an emphasis on the Romanesque and Gothic periods.
2. Whispering Gallery in Grand Central Station
The 125-foot ceiling vault painted with constellations and the iconic Booth Clock ornamented with beautiful sculptures of an American eagle and Roman deities are some of the most known features of Grand Central Terminal.
If you are wondering why it is called the whispering gallery, it is because you can whisper your messages to each other when you and your friend stand on opposite corners of the tiled wall. Surely, this will give you some interesting acoustic effects! Interesting, right?
3. Secret Garden of Rockefeller Center
Well-known New York City attractions like the Radio City Music Hall, the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, and the NBC studios are housed by Rockefeller Center. However, there is one area in the center that most people don’t know exists: the secret rooftop gardens.
Sadly, the public cannot easily access the rooftop gardens. But, there is one thing you can do in order to at least have a glimpse of the garden: secure a meeting or a job at the neighboring Tishman Speyer office that overlooks the space.
4. Little Red Lighthouse
The Little Red Lighthouse, standing on 40-foot high, was built in 1880 and moved to its current location in 1921. It is one of the few surviving lighthouses in New York City.
Tucked under the George Washington Bridge, in Fort Washington Park, along the Hudson River, visitors can descend a long, iron stair to the top of the tower to look at the lantern room, and appreciate unparalleled views of the Hudson River.
5. City Hall Station
One of New York’s gems is the Old City Hall Subway Station. Historically, it is the first subway station in NYC. The station has never failed to mesmerize the dazzle visitors because of its immense beauty.
The station was designed by renowned architects Heins & LaFarge and incorporates stained glass windows, gorgeous arches, artful vaulted tile ceilings by master artisan Rafael Guastavino, and extravagant chandeliers.
6. Renwick Smallpox Hospital
Renwick Smallpox Hospital is one of the gems of New York City making it an interesting place. Built between 1854-1856, the hospital was designed by James Renwick, Jr., What makes it historic is that it was the first in the country to accept smallpox patients.
After a successful vaccine was implemented in the late 1800s, the Renwick Smallpox Hospital was then closed. However, people can still visit and marvel at the creepy and majestic Gothic Revival construction.
7. The 4 Sections Of The Berlin Wall
You don’t have to go to Europe to see the famous Berlin Wall. Following the fall of the wall, chunks were dismantled and sold, and four of them now reside in New York City.
The Berlin Wall parts can be found in the following sites in New York City: one inside Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Times Square, another at the United Nations, a third at a public plaza in Battery Park City, and the last inside a public office building lobby in Midtown.
8. The Van Cortlandt Museum
Located in a 1,000-acre urban park, the Van Cortland House Museum is once owned by a wealthy Van Cortlandt family. The mansion is among the oldest surviving building in New York City making it one of the gems of the city.
General George Washington utilized the Van Cortlandt House as a headquarters at various times during the American Revolution. It was here in this mansion that George Washington and General Rochambeau planned a strategy to end the war.
9. Stone Street
Stone Street was the first cobblestone street in New York City. It is located in the heart of Downtown Manhattan, in the Financial District.
Originally paved in 1658, when Wall Street was still a timber wall, the street was elegantly restored and repaved in the 1990s before being designated a Historic District in 1996.