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To discover Midtown, you just need to follow the route I suggest below. It all depends on your pace, of course, but this tour can be done over a day, from climbing the Top of the Rock in the morning to a beautiful end in Times Square.
1/ Le Top of the Rock
To start your walk in Midtown, I suggest you start with the Top of the Rock, the Rockefeller Center observatory. In the morning you will enjoy a perfect light on the Empire State building and all of South Manhattan and, by adding an extra to your ticket, you can then return in the evening, for the night view.
The Top of the Rock and its 3 terraces will offer you a view that you will remember for a long time! I recommend that you go directly to the highest terrace: you will indeed have a view of New York without any glass or fencing. Magic !
For more information, visit the page dedicated to Top of the Rock.
2/ Le Rockefeller Center
After admiring the view from the Top of the Rock, take some time to visit Rockefeller Center, a huge business complex designed as a city within a city. The entrance hall of the building which houses the Top of the Rock is also well worth a visit for its monumental and typically Art Nouveau frescoes.
You will also find a number of shops, including major brands like Nintendo or Lego for children.
If you have a little more time, feel free to visit NBC Studios in New York. Then continue along Fifth Avenue, turning left: you will then come across the monumental statue of Atlas.
3/ St-Patrick Cathedral
Right in front of the Atlas statue and Rockefeller Center, here is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, an imposing monument completed in 1878. At the time, the cathedral had been built in the middle of the fields which stretched in the North of Manhattan, far from the center of New York then. Today you will see that the cathedral is completely engulfed by the glass towers that surround it.
Inside, you will appreciate the neo-Gothic architecture which gives pride of place to Caen stone. Do not miss the superb rose window, the choir and the organ, made up of 9,000 pipes. More info on the Saint-Patrick Cathedral page.
If you are interested in art, note that the Museum of Modern Art is a short walk from the cathedral. To see therefore according to your schedule. More info on the one nicknamed MoMA on the page dedicated to the Museum of Modern Art.
4/ Bryant Park
I invite you now to go down Fifth Avenue to the South. Fifth Avenue is neither more nor less than the Champs-Elysées in New York. If you like shopping, this is your neighborhood!
Continue to 42nd Street to see Bryant Park, a park much smaller than Central Park but with a crazy charm. This park indeed seems like a little breath of nature in the middle of the glass towers, in particular the imposing Bank of America. You will also see the top of the Empire State building appear.
Don’t hesitate to take a chair and enjoy the place. More info and photos on this page dedicated to Bryant Park.
5/ La New York Public Library
Between Bryant Park and Fifth Avenue, you will recognize the New York Public Library, New York’s central library. Film buffs will obviously remember the scenes from Jour d’After. If you haven’t seen the film, the library is also worth a visit for its impressive reading room.
More pragmatically, the New York Public Library is an excellent stopover for a free pee break …
6/ Grand Central Terminal
Exit the New York Public Library and Fifth Avenue and continue along 42nd Street, towards the East River. In the distance, you will then see the silhouette of the Chrysler building, with its shiny stainless steel spire.
But before arriving at the foot of the Chrysler building, you will pass the Grand Central station. Even if you don’t have a train to take, you absolutely must visit this station!
Forget the cold architecture of the Montparnasse station in Paris or the drafts of the Valence TGV station: Grand Central Terminal is a true work of art! The Beaux-Arts style is absolutely magnificent and you will particularly appreciate the vault studded with stars. A realization of the French architect Paul César Helleu.
If you start to get hungry, go down to the Food Concourse level – you’ll find a whole bunch of food stalls. Convenient, good and inexpensive. For dessert, I recommend the Junior’s Cheese Cake in particular. More info on the page dedicated to Grand Central Terminal.
7/ Chrysler Building
A few steps from Grand Central station, you finally reach the Chrysler Building. For me, it is quite simply the most beautiful building in New York. Its original Art Deco style and architectural finesse are remarkable.
Unfortunately the building cannot be visited but you can still enter the lobby. Take a look at the elevators and take the time to read the historical explanations.
Then feel free to photograph the spire and the gargoyles from all angles. The Chrysler Building is one of New York’s most photogenic landmarks. More info and photos on the Chrysler Building page.
8 / L’ONU
Continuing on 42nd Street towards the East River, you will finally come to the New York headquarters of the United Nations, located right on the edge of the East River. You will immediately recognize the large building that we see so often on television, with the flags of all the countries of the world at its feet.
If you have time, do not hesitate to take the guided tour of the UN: you can then see the famous Security Council as well as the General Assembly Hall. Please note: tickets must be reserved well in advance because demand is high! Tickets are on sale on the UN official website. For more information, read this article which explains how to visit the UN Headquarters.
9/ L’Empire State Building
From the UN, I suggest you go down to the Empire State Building, the tallest building in Midtown. If you’ve followed my route and had lunch at Grand Central, you’ll arrive at the Empire State Building in the early afternoon: the perfect time to enjoy the view of Upper Manhattan, with the sun in your back. You will see the Chrysler Building shine and Central Park emerge in the distance.
For more information, visit the Empire State Building page.
10/ Times Square
After the Empire State building, I suggest you join the corner of 34th Street and Broadway to go up Broadway, the longest avenue in New York. Walk north to head towards Times Square. As you go, you’ll see the lights of Times Square getting closer! It’s the point of reaching Times Square by taking Broadway ???? And then, from 42nd Street, you will take advantage of the pedestrian area.
Times Square lights up all day long and this square is absolutely unparalleled in the world! You will not know where to turn!
Times Square is also the heart of the theater district and you can extend the evening with a typical New York musical. Here are the musicals to watch in New York right now.
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