Travel to the United States

April H. Foley, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, Shares her Favorite New York Pleasures

(Published in the Hungarian daily Metro on February 19, 2007)

View the photo gallery! (© AP Images)

I have lived in or around New York City for 25 years. New York City is a very special place. The city draws talented and driven people from all over who seek its opportunities and bright lights. This more than anything is what gives the city its energy, hustle and breadth.

You could spend a lifetime and never experience all of New York. Doing justice to all the city's attractions would take a large volume, so here is a small sampler of 10 things one could do on a visit to capture a piece of what New York City has to offer:

1. Visit The Temple of Dendur and other exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (82nd Street and Fifth Avenue). The Metropolitan is a world-class museum and is a must-see, just as one must visit the Louvre in Paris. Mihály de Munkácsy's "The Music Room" is one of the highlights of the museum's European paintings collection.  

2. Go to a Yankees or Mets baseball game. To see how New Yorkers relax, you can't beat a trip out to the Bronx or Queens and the simple pleasure of watching America's pastime while drinking a cold beer. But beware the "subway" rivalry.  New Yorkers passionately debate which is the better New York team. Don't get caught in the middle!

3. Have an authentic ethnic meal. New York prides itself on its diverse neighborhoods. Try some dim sum along Elizabeth Street in Chinatown or a pizza pie in Little Italy. And you must, at some point, taste a hot dog from the ubiquitous New York City street vendors. 

4. Visit the penguin exhibit and other delightful creatures at the Central Park Zoo. Then head to Central Park's Boathouse or grab some roasted peanuts to munch while you watch New Yorkers rollerblade and jog by in this oasis in the heart of Manhattan.    

5. Listen to jazz at the Blue Note (131 W. 3rd St.) after having dinner at a corner bistro or oyster bar in Greenwich Village. From Stompin' at the Savoy to Harlem Nocturne to the cool easy sound of Wynton Marsalis, New York is a center for great classic and modern jazz.

6. Explore the historic Orchard Street shopping district. Once the hope of America's immigrants from Eastern Europe, it's now New York's bargain district for high-end fashions at 25% off or more! Head back to mid-town and stroll down Fifth Avenue and end with some window shopping at Tiffany's and Bergdorf's (57th Street). Who can ever forget the image of the elegant Audrey Hepburn having coffee and danish while looking longingly into the window of Tiffany's? It's a feeling anyone can capture.

7. Go to a taping of The David Letterman Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, or Saturday Night Live, followed by a meal or drink at the Rock Center Café, where you can watch the skaters at the ice rink at Rockefeller Center. Top off the evening with a stroll through Times Square, alive and pulsing all night and day. 

8. Walk by the former World Trade Center site. Understand and feel the depth of emotion that all Americans feel when they think of 9/11.

9. Check out "Jersey Boys" or another popular Broadway show. If you are short on budget and dying for the classic Broadway experience, there are half price tickets available, but you have to wait in line in Times Square and take your chances on what will be available that day. Still, even that is part of the New York experience. 

10. Visit the new Museum of Modern Art to enjoy the impressive new building and perhaps the world's best collection of modern and contemporary art. If you think you have done your museum thing by visiting the Metropolitan, think again. The experience is completely different and riveting - well worth another museum visit.

As you enjoy New York, don't forget that the surrounding area has lots to offer as well. Long Island, Connecticut, Upstate New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia offer a whole different range of activities, including beaches, historic homes, antiques and great food.  Each has its own flavor including the beautiful and historic Hudson Valley, the quaint charm of New England, and interesting American Revolutionary war sites. Car hire and public transportation make most sites outside of the city readily accessible.

Indeed, much of New York is far more accessible than people think. There are possibilities to tour, shop, eat and drink, and be entertained, for young and old, on just about every vacation budget. The truth is that a record number of Hungarians -- more than 85% -- receive visas to the United States.  We are actively seeking ways to increase both that number and the number of those who are applying. You can find out more about the United States and how to apply for a visa at www.usembassy.hu.
 
Visit New York City for the first time, or come back and see what you missed before.  The possibilities are endless.