• Home
• Registration
• Keynote Speaker:
  Kathleen B. Yancey
• Session Highlights
• Full Program (pdf) Schedule-at-a-glance (pdf)
• National Resource Center
• Accomodations
• Around New York City
• Directions to LaGuardia

LaGuardia staff picks (cont'd):

5) Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge:
Quite possibly the best free activity New York has to offer, the Brooklyn Bridge footpath offers breathtaking views of the city and fascinating history lessons along the way—just watch out for speeding bicyclists!  From the Manhattan side, enter across the street from City Hall Park at Park Row and Centre Street (4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall); from the Brooklyn side, follow the ramp at Johnson and Adams Sts. next to the Brooklyn Federal Court Building (A to High St.).

6) Eat at Katz’s Delicatessen:
Nothing says New York eating quite like a Rueben sandwich the size of a small car.  Just finishing one is a cause for celebration (205 E. Houston St.; F, V to 2nd Ave.).

7) Spend an afternoon at the Cloisters:
Situated at the northern tip of Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River, The Cloisters—made up of five structures imported from France—houses the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of medieval European art and artifacts.  Check out the collection and be sure to set aside time for a leisurely stroll through the scenic gardens.  (Fort Tryon Park; A to 190th St., then take the M4 bus to Fort Tryon Park/The Cloisters).

8) Have your picture taken at Blackwell Lighthouse:
One of New York’s secret gems is this gothic-style lighthouse, commissioned in 1872 and located in Lighthouse Park at the northern tip of Roosevelt Island in the East River.  The island is accessible by bridge from the Queens side of the river, or, for an even better view, by Tramway Car line spanning the river from the Manhattan side at the 59th St./2nd Ave. station.  For complete transportation info to the island, click here.

9) Let go of your inhibitions at the Museum of Sex:
The first of its kind in the United States, this museum is “dedicated to the exploration of the history, evolution and cultural significance of human sexuality, advocating open discourse and striving to present to the public the best in current scholarship unhindered by self-censorship.”  (233 5th Ave. @ 27th St.; N, R, 6 to 28th St.).

10) Get up close and personal with the penguins at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island:
Visit the oldest continually-operating aquarium in the country, featuring more than 350 species of aquatic life (Surf Ave. & W. 8th St., Brooklyn; F, Q to W. 8th St.).  While you’re in Coney Island, be sure to check out Astroland Amusement Park (1000 Surf Ave. at W. 10th St.)—home of the world-famous Cyclone rollercoaster—and challenge your companions to a hot-dog eating contest at Nathan’s (1310 Surf Ave.)

12) Marvel at the New York City skyline from the Top of the Rock Observation Deck:
Take the high-speed shuttle 70 floors skyward to the 360˚, panoramic observation deck for one of the most breathtaking views you’ll ever see.  Tickets are pricey ($20), but, hey, this is New York.  (30 Rockefeller Plaza; B, D, F, V to Rockefeller Center/47-50th St.).

13) Coney Island -- The famous Ferris Wheel is not going full tilt until after Memorial Day, but if you want a look at the Atlantic off season, a chance to stroll the boardwalk, grab a hot dog at Nathan's, New York's best hot dog place, and the opportunity to check out the bare-chested in all weather Russian sunbathers in Brighton Beach (a short walk down the boardwalk), head for the F train. Take it all the way to the last stop in Brooklyn, and you're there. If you feel like biking, rent one, and take the bike path all the way to the ocean. Hope the sun's out. By the way, the Coney Island lovers amongst us are fighting off the developers; if you want to see the place before it gets gentrified, and while it still looks a bit like its good old New York self, now's your chance.