NYC Weekend
Springtime in NYC – Here are just a few ideas of the thousand ways to enjoy a relaxing weekend before the conference begins.
RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL TOUR
John D. Rockefeller planned to develop a “city within a city” on land he purchased from Columbia University in 1929. One of the first tenants of the new complex (Rockefeller Plaza) was the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), and the center soon took the nickname "Radio City." Not long afterwards, the Music Hall in Rockefeller Center became known as Radio City Music Hall, perhaps the most famous and popular part of Rockefeller Center.
Reopened after an extensive restoration on October 4, 1999, the Music Hall now reflects its original grandeur of opening night, 1932, sporting behind-the-scenes upgrades and refurbishment. Following the lead of Radio City's experienced tour guides, explore the beautiful art-deco interiors, learn the secrets of the Great Stage, one of the largest indoor performance stages in the world; the stage's hydraulic system, still in operation since the '30s; And as an exciting climax to the Stage Door Tour, guests will meet one of the world-famous Radio City Rockettes.
Order tour tickets through Ticketmaster: Click here
Tours Monday through Sunday: 11:00 am- 3:00pm
Order by Phone: Call 212.307.7171
NEIGHBORHOODS IN MANHATTAN
Tribeca
Did you know what the term Tribeca means? Tribeca is a contraction of Triangle Below Canal (Street). Two things distinguish shopping in Tribeca - the genuinely original, one-of-a-kind nature of its stores, and the breathtaking old spaces that house so many of them. Click here for useful information.
SoHo
SoHo is shorthand for south of Houston (pronounced "how-stun")
street, north of Canal Street, and between Sullivan and Lafayette Streets.
This most diverse neighborhood in lower Manhattan has had a long history
before becoming the heart and soul of New York City. Artists such as Phillip
Glass, Twyla Tharp, Nam
June Paik, Meredith Monk, Chuck
Close, Frank Stella,
plus many others helped create the ideal situation to make SoHo the Nexus
of creative activity for a very magical time in the 1960's.SoHo came to
represent the hip, avant garde scene. Check out the scene by clicking
here.
BUS TOURS
For Fans of the Sopranos
Visit over 40 locations associated with your favorite bad guys!
- Stop at Father Phil’s Parrish
- Go inside the Bada Bing
- Sit on steps of the diner where Chris was shot
- Visit the spot where Big Pussy spoke with the FBI
- Go on location to the high school where A.J. dumped pizza boxes into the pool
- See Pizzaland, the Muffler Man, and
- Sit at the booth where Tony sat where the final scene of the series was filmed.
Click here for tickets
For TV and Movie Buffs – Double Feature Combo Tour
The bus tour portion meets at 51st St and Broadway (New York, NY) Click
here to reserve your ticket.
A ticket for On Location Tours' bus tour - the New York TV and
Movie Sites tour! Among other spots, you will visit sites
of over 60 locations from your favorite movies and TV shows
- The apartment building where the Friends live
- New locations from Hitch, The Apprentice and Ugly Betty
- The building where Grace has her design studio on Will & Grace
- The diner used in Men in Black and Woody Allen's Manhattan
- The Seinfeld "Soup Nazi" (Subject to seasonality you can order soup!)
- The Ghostbusters firehouse
Admission to the NBC Studio Tour! An NBC
Page will be your guide, as you visit:
- The Television Operating Center
- NBC/ Sharp History Theatre -- learn about NBC's early days
- Model Mini Control Studio -- have your photo taken at the NBC News Desk
- NBC's most famous studios -- you'll usually visit 2-3 of the following studios: Saturday Night Live, Today Show, Dateline NBC, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and others
- The Make-up Room -- see prosthetic pieces built for Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Conan O'Brien
WATER SIGHTS
Match
Race between Schooner Adirondack and Schooner Imagine – Saturday,
May 31
Pier 59 - Chelsea Piers | 212-627-1825 The Classic
Harbor Line hosts her own Schooner Match Race between the Schooners Adirondack
and Imagine. Join us for a lunch of fruit, gourmet sandwiches, chips,
and dessert as our highly experienced racing crew and captains compete
in a three-hour Match Race starting from Chelsea Piers. Purchase tickets
at www.sail-nyc.com
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
Pier 83
New York, NY 10036
(p) 212-563-3200
The only cruise line that circles Manhattan island with the 3-hour narrated
Full Island Cruise. Also, two-hour Semi-Circle Cruise or evening two-hour
Harbor Lights Cruise, various seasonal live music cruises, and the Beast,
a 30-minute thrill ride.
WALKING TOURS
Revolutionary
Era Walking Tour – Saturday,
May 31
Patriot Tours, Inc. Lower Manhattan | 212-209-3370 Visit
lower Manhattan's historic landmarks while learning about the city's colonial
history and strategic role in the American Revolution. We use storytelling,
newspaper samples, etchings and broadsides to bring the era's people and
events to life. Includes St. Paul's Church, Federal Hall, Trinity Churchyard,
Fraunces Tavern & more. Closed
Sunday.
Free Wall Street Walking Tour
Saturday, May 31
Don't miss this FREE 90-minute guided walking tour, weaving together history, events, architecture and people of Downtown – the birthplace of New York, the financial capital of the world, and the hottest new neighborhood in the city.
Stops include the U.S. Custom House, Trinity Church,
Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange and other architectural and cultural
sites
.
Date: Every Saturday, rain or shine
Time: Noon
Place: Meet at the front steps of the US Custom House, One
Bowling Green
Cost: Free
Reservations are not required for individuals, but are required for groups. Please call for details (212) 606-4064.