Attraction of the Week - When Harry Met Seinfeld Bus Tour

By Go City Expert

Tom's Restaurant aka Monk's Cafe from Seinfeld / Photo by Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

People from around the world get to see New York city broadcast on screens at any time that they want. What's more rare is the opportunity to go to the exact same places in the city that your favorite stars have been and get background knowledge of each venue. On Location Tours is offering customers just that with the 'When Harry Met Seinfeld Tour'. The tour will allow visitors to jump into the screen and visit places like the townhouse where the Sheffield's and their Nanny Fran Fine lived, the famous Monk's Cafe from Seinfeld and locations from When Harry Met Sally. Obviously there are some great opportunities for photos on this tour but also some great insight on these historic film and television locations. Beginning in Columbus Circle and making your way through the upper East and West sides, the bus tour will come back down to midtown for its completion. By then you'll have sat in McGee's Pub like the cast of How I Met Your Mother and viewed the Plaza Hotel from Home Alone 2. Visitors can access the 'When Harry Met Seinfeld Tour' on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2PM. Overall, the tour lasts approximately 2 hours. Visit the tour website to make a reservation.

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Remembering September 11 in NYC

No event in history has shaken up New York City like the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers on September 11th, 2001. This year, 15 years after the event, we still remember even though we have rebuilt the city and the scars are no longer visible. Every year on September 11th, New York City commemorates the tragedy through powerful displays and moving tributes. Here are some that you can see this weekend, on the 15th Anniversary of 9/11. [spacer height="20px"] Tribute in Light [caption id="attachment_826" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Tribute in Light from Brooklyn Bridge Park | Photo by Mark Lennihan/AP[/caption] [spacer height="20px"] Since 2002, 88 7000 Watt Xenon lights beam into the sky every year from Ground Zero of the World Trade Center Twin Towers, giving powerful tribute to the iconic towers on the New York City skyline. The Tribute was originally supposed to be temporary, but since 2013 has been run every year on September 11. The lights are lit at sunset on 9/11 and are turned off at sunrise on 9/12. The tribute is easily visible from pretty much anywhere in and around Manhattan. For the best views, try Brooklyn Bridge Park. [spacer height="20px"] National September 11th Memorial and Museum [caption id="attachment_828" align="aligncenter" width="801"] 9/11 Memorial Fountain at Night[/caption] [spacer height="20px"] [caption id="attachment_831" align="alignleft" width="302"] ‘Raising the Flag at Ground Zero’ by Thomas E. Franklin (Photo: 2001 The Record (Bergen Co. NJ)/Getty Images)[/caption] The National September 11 Memorial and Museum has recently acquired a long-lost flag pictured in a photo (left) of three firefighters lifting it from the rubble. You can now view the flag at the museum. Brand new art exhibit called Rendering the Unthinkable: Artists Respond to 9/11 opens on September 12th, showcasing responses and emotions tied to the even through artistic expression. On September 11, the 9/11 Museum and Memorial will be open only to the families of those affected and closed to the public, including New York Pass holders. The annual Commemoration Ceremony will live stream, starting at 8:46am. The Museum and Memorial reopens on September 12th. [spacer height="20px"] 9/11 Tribute Center [caption id="attachment_834" align="aligncenter" width="800"] 9/11 Tribute Center[/caption] [spacer height="20px"] The 9/11 Tribute Center is a small museum, founded and operated by the September 11th Families Association. It connects visitors with the authentic experiences through photos, video, audio recordings and artifacts. Leading up to the 15th anniversary, the Tribute Center will feature an increased number of their daily #My911Story presentations, which are designed to connect visitors with real survivors, their families and volunteers through their personal stories. The Tribute Center will be be open to the public after 1pm on September 11th. [spacer height="20px"] NYPD Parade [caption id="attachment_836" align="aligncenter" width="800"] NYPD Officers at the 9/11 Memorial | Photo by Jin Lee[/caption] [spacer height="20px"] The New York City Police Department will hold a special parade on Friday, September 9th to commemorate the 122 officer lost during or after 9/11.

About the Iconic Coney Island Luna Park

The famous Luna Park at Coney Island has resumed operations after its annual winter hiatus. The Luna Park has become an iconic New York City landmark, enjoyed by thousands of families every season. Its history is a little rocky but today it operates like a well-oiled machine. [caption id="attachment_468" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Post Card from Luna Park at Coney Island from 1912.[/caption] The Luna Park was originally built in 1903 and was a part of the three amusement parks on the South-East Brooklyn peninsula named Coney Island. The other two were the Steeplechase Park and Dreamland, neither of which is in existence today. The original Luna Park was a New York City favorite and brought joy and amusement to locals and visitors alike during difficult times like World War I, the Great Depression of the 1920s and World War II. Most of the premises were caught in a fire in 1944 resulting in destruction of the majority of the park. The park never re-opened. That is until 2010, after an initiative by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to rebuild the largely desolate Coney Island. The year 2010 gave way to the new Luna Park at Coney Island, an amusement park built on the premises of Astroland, another local amusement park operating from 1962 to 2008. [caption id="attachment_469" align="aligncenter" width="599"] Aerial photograph of Coney Island by Jeffrey Millstein (www.jeffreymilstein.com)[/caption] Today, the Luna Park at Coney Island is home to many iconic rides and sites. Perhaps the most famous, the grand Cyclone roller coaster, is made out of wood and was originally opened in 1927. The track of the Cyclone is 1640 feet long and 85 feet tall at its highest point It was awarded National Landmark status in 1988. In 2016, the Cyclone got a fresh coat of paint and was refurbished to welcome the new season. [caption id="attachment_474" align="alignleft" width="434"] Thunderbolt[/caption] [caption id="attachment_473" align="alignright" width="385"] The Tickler[/caption] [spacer height="20px"]Apart from the famous Cyclone, the Luna Park is home to other iconic rides such as The Tickler, a crazy, funny spinning roller coaster that doesn't take itself too seriously, the scary Thunderbolt roller coaster with a nausea-inducing free-fall drop, or the kid friendly Tea Party. There are dozens of other rides, carousels, human sling-shots, as well as shops, beaches and the original Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs shop. The Luna Park is now officially open for the 2016 season and will operate every weekend until Memorial Day (May 30th, 2016), after which it will be open every day until September 2016. For more information about rides, history and hours of operation, visit the Luna Park website.

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SUMMIT One Vanderbilt vs The Edge Comparison

Choosing between SUMMIT One Vanderbilt and The Edge? Never fear, our guide will help you make a decision. Both observation decks have a jaw-dropping view of New York City and beyond, but which one will you go for?

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