New York City's Most Iconic Landmarks

Rising from Liberty Island in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France, dedicated in 1886. Designed by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi with an internal framework engineered by Gustave Eiffel, the copper figure depicts Libertas, the Roman goddess of liberty, holding a torch and a tablet inscribed with the date of American independence.

For generations of immigrants arriving by sea, the statue was the first sight of a new home, a role deepened by its neighbor Ellis Island. Over time the weathered copper turned the soft green that defines its silhouette today. The pedestal and museum tell the story of how the monument was funded, built and shipped across the Atlantic in crates.

A visit is as much about the harbor as the statue itself. The approach by boat frames the skyline of Lower Manhattan behind you and the figure ahead, a view that has anchored countless arrivals and departures.

Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first steel wire suspension bridge and, at the time, the longest in the world. Designed by John Roebling and finished by his son Washington and daughter in law Emily after John's death, it connected the then separate cities of New York and Brooklyn across the East River.

Its Gothic stone towers and web of cables have become one of the city's most beloved images. An elevated wooden promenade runs down the center, lifting walkers and cyclists above the traffic and delivering ever changing views of the harbor, the skyline and the neighboring Manhattan Bridge.

The walk across is a rite of passage. From either end you pass through the great arched towers while the water, the ferries and the towers of Lower Manhattan shift around you with every step.

Named for The New York Times, which moved its headquarters here in 1904, Times Square sits at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in the heart of the Theater District. The paper marked its arrival with a New Year's Eve celebration, launching the ball drop tradition that still draws enormous crowds each December 31.

Today the square is defined by its walls of illuminated billboards and screens, a canyon of light that never fully sleeps. Pedestrian plazas let visitors pause in the middle of the spectacle, surrounded by the bright signs, costumed characters and constant motion that make the area unmistakable.

Beyond the lights, Times Square is the gateway to Broadway, with dozens of theaters within a few blocks. The energy is deliberately overwhelming, a concentrated dose of the city at its loudest and most electric.

Rising on the site of the World Trade Center, One World Trade Center opened in 2014 as the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Its symbolic height and mirrored facade stand as a statement of resilience above Lower Manhattan, with an observatory near the top reached by high speed elevators.

At its feet lie the twin reflecting pools of the National September 11 Memorial, set within the footprints of the original towers. Water cascades into the voids while the names of the nearly three thousand victims are inscribed in bronze around the edges, a quiet counterpoint to the busy district around it.

The adjacent memorial museum preserves artifacts and testimony from that day. Together the tower, the pools and the museum form a place that holds both grief and hope, drawing visitors from around the world.

Built during the 1930s, Rockefeller Center is a sprawling complex of Art Deco buildings, plazas and public art conceived by the Rockefeller family. Its centerpiece is the sunken plaza that becomes a celebrated ice rink in winter, watched over by the golden statue of Prometheus and, each holiday season, an enormous Christmas tree.

The complex includes Radio City Music Hall, the studios of a major broadcaster and the Top of the Rock observation deck atop the tallest tower. From that deck the view famously includes the Empire State Building, making it a favorite among photographers.

Murals, sculptures and the elegant Channel Gardens tie the buildings together into a walkable ensemble. It was one of the first developments to weave commerce, entertainment and public space into a single planned whole.

Completed in 1930, the Chrysler Building is widely regarded as the finest Art Deco skyscraper in the world. Designed by William Van Alen for the automaker Walter Chrysler, it briefly held the title of tallest building before the Empire State Building surpassed it the following year.

Its stainless steel crown, with sunburst arches and triangular windows, catches the light and dominates its stretch of the skyline. Automotive motifs run throughout, from the eagle gargoyles modeled on hood ornaments to the radiator cap decorations, a playful nod to the company that built it.

The lavish lobby, with its marble, murals and inlaid elevator doors, is a jewel box of the era, though the upper floors are private offices. The tower is best appreciated from a distance, where its glittering spire remains one of the most beloved shapes in New York.