Singles in Manhattan Should See the City

If you are single and going on vacation in Manhattan, you are in for some life-long memories. Manhattan has very diverse areas in it. Little Italy, Chinatown, Greenwich Village (east and west), Hell’s Kitchen, SoHo, the Upper East Side, and West Side are the more popular areas. All of these areas offer a wide and ethnic variety of foods and cultures. No matter what you are looking for, Manhattan has something for you. A ride in a New York City taxi can determine if you are going to see Manhattan as the residents or locals do, or if you are only going to visit the tourist spots. For the single traveler in Manhattan, there is no end to the amount of activities for you. From the street performers at the South Street Seaport to the breathtaking view of the Brooklyn skyline, the South Street Seaport is a great place to have lunch, spend the rest of the day, or start your evening with dinner before your night on the town. The South Street Sea Port is located just outside of the Wall Street district on the lower east side of Manhattan. Are you a fan of Chinese food? Then Chinatown is the place to go. With food like the locals eat, a few thousand miles away, Chinatown sets the standard for Chinese restaurants everywhere. You can also go to authentic Asian grocery stores and buy the spices, cuts of meat or whatever you may need at home for your home-cooked authentic dinners. As a single traveler in Manhattan, you have the chance to go into the smaller restaurants, the hole-in-the-wall places that are not normally visited by tourists, but the ones that sometimes offer the best foods you will ever eat. What about Broadway? There are two standards for shows, on or off Broadway. Now is the time to see the show that has held your interest for years. However, if you do not have a ticket before you head over there, be prepared to pay a premium for the ticket. I personally paid $250.00 per ticket to see Phantom of the Opera in the early ‘90’s (9th row orchestra seats). The seats were worth every dollar that I spent. Central Park also has a zoo, rowboat rentals, and trees. You can spend time walking the paths in the park or you can shop. Shopping is a huge tourist attraction in Manhattan. From the high end stores like Prada, Cartier, Gucci, and the department stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdales you can shop till you drop. There are also smaller specialty stores where you can get the bargains that Manhattan and New York are famous for. The city has changed since September 11, 2001. Now you can visit the site of the World Trade Center located in lower Manhattan in the Battery Park district. The city has museums located throughout and there is no shortage of historical buildings and other sites to visit. To be a single visitor in Manhattan gives you the freedom to visit as much of the city as you can. I was at Carnegie Hall one day for the graduation ceremony of my brother-in-law from Columbia University and decided to walk back to Battery Park. The walk was a little long but is one of my fondest memories of Manhattan. Walking through Washington Park and seeing the street performers, walking down 42nd Street, eating French fries in Times Square (fries with chili), shooting pool at a bar on Wall Street, and watching the sunset over the Colgate Clock with the Statue of Liberty in the distance. These are memories that will be with me for the rest of my life. Being single in Manhattan has some serious advantages. Enjoy your trip to Manhattan and take advantage of all that it can give you.