Top 10 Things Within Walking Distance of the Martinique
1. Get a King Kong view from the top of the Empire State Building.
The Empire State Building is a 102 story landmark Art Deco skyscraper in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. Its name is derived from the nickname for the state of New York, The Empire State. It stood as the world's tallest building for more than forty years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center's North Tower was completed in 1972. Following the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in New York City and New York State.
The site of the Empire State Building was first developed as the John Thompson Farm in the late 18th century. At the time, a stream ran across the site, emptying into Sunfish Pond, located a block away. Beginning in the late 19th century the block was occupied by the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, frequented by The Four Hundred, the social elite of New York.
Observation decks
The Empire State Building has one of the most popular outdoor observatories in the world, having been visited by over 110 million people. The 86th floor observation deck offers impressive 360 degree views of the city. There is a second observation deck on the 102nd floor that is open to the public. The skyscraper's observation deck plays host to several cinematic, television, and literary classics including, An Affair To Remember , Love Affair and Sleepless in Seattle . In the Latin American literary work Empire of Dreams by Giannina Braschi the observation deck is the site of a pastoral revolution; shepherds take over the City of New York. The deck was also the site of a Martian invasion on an old episode of I Love Lucy .
New York Skyride
The Empire State Building also has a motion simulator attraction, located on the 2nd floor. Opened in 1994 as a complement to the observation deck, the New York Skyride is a simulated aerial tour over the city. The theatrical presentation lasts approximately 25 minutes and features Kevin Bacon as the pilot. Since its update in 2002, the simulation includes educational facts about the city, a bird’s eye view, and references to 9/11.
2. You never know what or whom you’ll see on the 1 hour guided tour of Madison Square Garden, “the World’s most famous arena.”
On your tour through Madison Square Garden , get the backstage view of every event that goes on. You’ll be able to visit team locker rooms and experience the world of pro athletes and sports journalists first hand. On the all access tour you’ll also learn how a basket ball court becomes a sheet of ice, tour the WaMu Theater, and explore the 130 year history of the Garden where legends have been made! There are also newly added stops on the tour which include going down to the floor level of the area, meeting a Knicks City Dancer, posing for a simulated photo with a New York sports team member, and receiving a complimentary fact sheet about Madison Square Garden.
3. Step back in time on the classic “wooden” escalators at the original Macy’s on 34 th Street.
R. H. Macy and Company Store was built in 1901–02 by architects De Lemos & Cordes. It is sheathed in a Palladian facade, but has been updated in many details. Other additions to the west were added in 1924, 1928, and 1931, all designed by architect Robert D. Kohn. They are all in the Art Deco style. In 1902, the flagship store moved uptown to Herald Square at 34th Street and Broadway from 14 th Street and 6 th Avenue. Although the Herald Square store initially consisted of just one building, it expanded through new construction, eventually occupying almost the entire block bounded by 7th Avenue on the west, Broadway on the east, 34th Street on the south and 35th Street on the north. Exceptions are the small, pre existing building on the corner of 34th and Broadway, which carries Macy's famous shopping bag sign under an agreement allowing the Macy's sign, and small pre existing building on the corner of 35th and 7th.
The building has been is now a National Historic Landmark and boasts to have one of the few wooden escalators still in operation.
4. Showcased in an episode of “Sex and the City”, sing karaoke and eat dumplings all night in “little Korea.”
“Korea Way” situated on 32 nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway, is Manhattan's center for Korean cuisine, shopping and culture. Located in New York City's Midtown, Korea Way is adjacent to Herald Square (right outside the Radisson’s front door!), a large shopping district that features department stores and various large chain stores, pharmacies and clothing shops. The street features a Korean bank, various styles of restaurants that serve both traditional and/or regional Korean fare and fusion cuisine (including various Korean bbq restaurants), bookstores, video rental shops, tchotchke and stationery shops, a Han Ah Reum supermarket, karaoke bars, nightclubs, doctor's offices, and hair salons. Though only one city block long, Korea Way features stores and restaurants on multiple stories, with small, independently run establishments reaching up to the third or fourth floors. This set up differs from most of commercial Manhattan, where stores usually occupy only the ground floor, with a small frequency of second floor walk ups. There are other Korean establishments scattered in the area as well, though of course at a lesser concentration than on Korea Way proper. The street is also casually referred to as "Koreatown", though it’s just a part of the Koreatown neighborhood.
5. Stand in “the crossroads of the world”, the one and only Times Square.
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. Formerly named Longacre Square, Times Square was renamed in April 1904 after the New York Times moved its headquarters to the newly built Times Building, which is the site of the annual ball drop on New Years Eve. Times Square, nicknamed "The Crossroads of the World" and "The Great White Way", has achieved the status of an iconic world landmark and is a symbol of New York City and the United States. The theaters of Broadway and the huge number of animated neon and LED signs have long made them one of New York's iconic images, and a symbol of the intensely urban aspects of Manhattan. Times Square is the only neighborhood with zoning ordinances requiring building owners to display illuminated signs. In 1992, the Times Square Alliance, a coalition of city government and local businesses dedicated to improving the quality of commerce and cleanliness in the district, started operations in the area. Times Square now boasts attractions such as ABC's Times Square Studios, where Good Morning America is broadcast live, an elaborate Toys "Я" Us store, Madame Toussaud’s Wax Museum and competing Hershey's and M&M's stores across the street from each other, as well as restaurants such as Ruby Foo's, the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Planet Hollywood Restaurant and Bar and Carmine's along with a number of multiplex movie theaters.
6. Ride the Ferris wheel at the Times Square Toy’s “R” Us.
Since its grand opening in November 2001, Toys“R”Us Times Square has occupied a special position in the heart of New York City as one of the Big Apple’s top tourist attractions, welcoming hundreds of thousands of kids each year. The company’s international flagship store – aptly known as The World’s Greatest Toy Store ® – boasts an astounding 110,000 square feet filled with everything from toys to trains to videogames and offers unique product displays, convenient guest services and exciting features and attractions.
Kids and kids at heart come from all over the world to marvel at the many attractions at The Center of the Toy Universe, take a ride on the 60 foot Ferris wheel, hear the roar of the life sized T Rex dinosaur or make themselves at home in the 4,000 square foot Barbie dollhouse. And, with dedicated areas for interactive play, boutiques displaying the hottest toys and electronics for kids of all ages and spectacular views of the crossroads of the world, Toys“R”Us Times Square is a “must see” destination.
In addition, visitors to the store have the opportunity to mix and mingle with popular costumed characters, such as Spider Man and Geoffrey, and enjoy special events to debut the latest and greatest products. And, Toys“R”Us Times Square store hosts appearances by some of today’s kid and tween favorite sensations, including The Wiggles, Barney™, Miranda Cosgrove, Vanessa Hudgens, the cast of Hairspray and many more.
7. Experience rush hour in a “New York Minute”, relaxing by the picture windows in the Café Martinique.
The Martinique Café at our NYC hotel features international and American cuisine catering to our international clientele. Join us for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or an afternoon snack and watch the array of travelers and locals walk by. Whether you’re taking a break from a busy day or shopping and site seeing, or spending a lazy day at the hotel, were sure to cater to any of you culinary preferences.
8. Walk down the memorable Fifth Avenue, visiting favorite stores like the original Sak’s Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the center of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The section of Fifth Avenue between 34th Street and 59th Street is one of the premier shopping streets in the world. Fifth Avenue serves as a symbol of wealthy New York and is consistently ranked as one of the most expensive streets in the world by Forbes magazine. There are enough over the top shopping opportunities on Fifth Avenue to satisfy everyone’s taste. Women will love browsing and buying at stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Versace. Men can check out Bergdorf Men, Brooks Brothers, the NBA Store as well as the famous Apple Store. Looking for something shiny or sparkly? Browse the displays at Harry Winston, Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany and Company, and Van Cleef and Arpels. Kids will love making their way through the stupendous displays at FAO Schwartz. For something a little different, make a stop at Takashimaya, a wonderful Japanese department store that sells beautiful silks, perfumes, gifts and fragrant fresh orchids. There’s even a spa at Takashimaya where you can spend the day pampering yourself. Of course, you won’t want to miss the famous Saks Fifth Avenue as well. Fifth Avenue is not just a shopping street. Here you’ll find palatial homes, grand churches and other historic buildings. You'll also come across numerous museums. In fact, there are so many of them that the area between 82nd and 104th Streets is known as the 'Museum Mile'. You'll find many other interesting sights along Fifth Avenue, such as the magnificent St. Patrick's Cathedral, located between 50th and 51st streets. The gothic structure is the seat of the Archbishop of New York.
9. Visit the first skyscraper built in 1902 that has its own district named after it The Flatiron Building. This triangular masterpiece was one of the first skyscrapers. Its wedge shape is the only way the building could fill the triangular property created by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway, and that happy coincidence created one of the city's most distinctive buildings. Built in 1902 and fronted with limestone and terra cotta (not iron), the Flatiron measures only 6 feet across at its narrow end. So called for its resemblance to the laundry appliance, it was originally named the Fuller Building, then later "Burnham's Folly" because folks were certain that architect Daniel Burnham's 21 story structure would fall down. It didn't. There's no observation deck, and the building mainly houses publishing offices, but there are a few shops on the ground floor. The building's existence has served to name the neighborhood around it the Flatiron District, home to a bevy of smart restaurants and shops.
10. See the most famous lions in the world at the New York Public Library. Roar!
The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building of The New York Public Library , more widely known as the library system's "Main Branch" or simply as The New York Public Library, is the flagship building in the system and a prominent historic landmark(declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965) in Midtown Manhattan. The branch, opened in 1911, is one of four research libraries in the library system. It is located on Fifth Avenue at its intersection with 42nd Street. The famous main Rose Main Reading Room of the Library (Room 315) is a majestic 78 feet (23.8 m) wide by 297 feet (90.5 m) long, with 52 feet (15.8 m) high ceilings. The room is lined with thousands of reference works on open shelves along the floor level and along the balcony, lit by massive windows and grand chandeliers, and furnished with sturdy wood tables, comfortable chairs, and brass lamps. It is also equipped with computers providing access to library collections and the Internet as well as docking facilities for laptops. Readers study books brought to them from the library's closed stacks. There are special rooms for notable authors and scholars, many of whom have done important research and writing at the Library. But the Library has always been about more than scholars; during the Great Depression, many ordinary people, out of work, used the Library to improve their lot in life (as they still do). Two stone lions lie at either side of the stairway to the entrance. The famous lions guarding the entrance were sculpted by Edward Clark Potter. Their original names, "Leo Astor" and "Leo Lenox", in honor of the library's founders, were transformed into Lord Astor and Lady Lenox (although both lions are male), and in the 1930s they were nicknamed "Patience" and "Fortitude " by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. He chose these names because he felt that the citizens of New York would need to possess these qualities to see themselves through the Great Depression. Patience is on the south side (the left as one faces the main entrance) and Fortitude on the north.