By Mike Virgintino
New York's many attractions and neighborhoods are known for their fun times, unique characters and great food. Spending a day in Manhattan can include visiting the wax images of well-known contemporary people and historical figures at Madame Tussaud's museum in Times Square. Then, just steps away, depending on the time of day, you can meet the Naked Cowboy, who greets locals and tourists with music and conversation. The best lunch and dinner selections can be found a subway or taxi ride away in lower Manhattan's Little Italy and Chinatown.
Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum
If you always wanted to see your favorite celebrities up close, visit the five-story Madame Tussaud's wax museum. The New York version presents the famous and the infamous people of yesterday and today. Themed areas showcase about 200 lifelike wax figures.
Madame Tussaud's New York
234 West 42nd Street, Times Square
New York, NY 10036
(800) 246-8872
Meet the Naked Cowboy
Chatting with the Naked Cowboy
Only in New York would you meet someone like the Naked Cowboy. He really isn't naked --- he wears a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, a guitar and briefs. Robert John Burck has been a fixture in Times Square for a number of years. He also has made appearances in the French Quarter during the New Orleans Mardi Gras season, in his hometown of Cincinnati for summer festivals and elsewhere. He also performed at a rugby match in Ireland, singing his theme song, "I'm the Naked Cowboy," before 18,000 spectators.
The Naked Cowboy
Times Square (near Broadway and 44th Street)
New York City
Little Italy and Chinatown
How about lunch in Chinatown and dinner in Little Italy? They are located adjacent to each other in lower Manhattan. Chinatown has grown tremendously in recent years and has encroached on the Italian section that was home to the immigrants who arrived during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Although Little Italy is smaller than it once was, it remains filled with tremendous restaurants and pastry shops. The San Gennaro feast, in September, which celebrates the patron saint of Naples, is one of the area's most popular events. Other similar Italian sections can be found in Brooklyn and The Bronx.
Chinatown restaurants provide all kinds of Chinese delicacies. The huge celebration of the Chinese New Year is a popular attraction for residents and tourists. The dates of the celebration fluctuate between January and February.
Manhattan's Little Italy and Chinatown border on Canal Street, located between Greenwich Village and the financial district on the lower portion of the island.
Resources
About the Author:
Mike Virgintino began as a broadcast journalist and has been a marketing communications executive for more than 25 years. A graduate of Fordham University in New York, Virgintino has directed corporate, nonprofit and product branding initiatives for many leading companies and nonprofits. His articles have been published in a variety of trade magazines and American history publications such as Civil War News.
