By michael vivar
There was a time when New York City could have been called the undisputed capital of the world. Some argue it always will be.
Beyond Times Square or a Broadway show, there are allures both subtle and spectacular that make NYC the most singularly unique city on Earth. Here are eight.
To save European monasteries from impending WWII, tycoons moved them, stone by stone, to uptown NYC. It houses some of the best collections of medieval art.
The Queens neighborhood is arguably the most diverse on the planet. Immerse in the din of languages and sample global cuisine ranging from the Filipino to Peruvian.
It's not just a boarding house, gym and community center. It's been a stage to such intellectual giants as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
Skip MSG and Barclay's. The hottest hoop games in NYC are found on this hallowed ground in Greenwich Village. Legends like Dr. J and Smush Parker have played here.
Every June, the acclaimed director of Do The Right Thing and many more films throws a free festival in Brooklyn. It attracts both locals and celebrities.
The storied restaurant in Midtown Manhattan has been where the elite meet to eat meat since the 1880s. Gastronomes travel for their dry-aged steaks and chops.
In 2006, an abandoned West Side railroad spur was repurposed into a green pedestrian walkway from SoHo to the Javits Center. It now extends to Penn Station.
Over decades, Chinatown has been encroaching upon Little Italy. One of NYC's biggest street fairs celebrating Neapolitan culture in the latter neighborhood endures.
The venerable and intimate music venue hosts acts in genres from folk to electronica. Huge stars like Paul McCartney and Cardi B have sprung surprise performances.