Central Park • Times Square • Harlem • Rockefeller Center • Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island • Greenwich Village • Little Italy • Chinatown • Lower East Side • Brooklyn Bridge • 911 Memorial • Wall Street • Union Square 

New York City is full of sights, sounds and tastes that will create memorable experiences to last a lifetime. Beyond Times Square’s (BTSQ) New York Student Excursions create student programming to captivate the young learner and traveler. Students experience a lesson in history and a cultural awakening that no text book can depict. It’s also physical education exploring the playground of the world’s largest outdoor museum — New York City!

FROM THE BATTERY TO THE CIRCLE

An Exploration of Lower Manhattan and Midtown

The most popular part of New York City is the area between Columbus Circle and Battery Park. Within those borders are some of the world’s most famous places: The Empire State Building, Chinatown, Grand Central Terminal, The United Nations, The Brooklyn Bridge, South Street Seaport, Washington Square Arch, Little Italy, Rockefeller Center and Times Square. On tour with a private guide your group will see, hear and explore the city. In some cases they will get out and walk around, so they can experience Gotham. We can obtain passes so your group can enter the 911 Memorial

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY & ELLIS ISLAND

America’s Symbol of Freedom

The Statue of Liberty was a gift of international friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States. It is one of the most universal symbols of political freedom and democracy. The views of the Statue from the water are breathtaking and reminiscent of what immigrants first saw entering NY Harbor. Ellis Island opened in 1892, and was the entry point for European immigrants for more than sixty years. Twelve million people passed through the halls that are now the historical Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Walk through the Great Hall as the new Americans once did — ancestors of more than half of the U.S. population. Your group can search for their family surname on the American Immigrant wall of Honor®. With over 600,000 entries, it is the longest wall of names in the world.

911 MEMORIAL AND LOWER MANHATTAN 

A Walking Tour

Previously The site World Trade Center and now the 911 Memorial and Museum (museum to be complete in 2013/2014). It has been marred by controversy, but is a memorial for one of the worst terror acts ever against the United States. It has gone through many changes since September 11, 2001. The students who are now visiting NYC were just four, five, six years old when the attacks occurred. Your students and their guide will walk around the area of the 911 Memorial and have passes to enter the memorial.

SUBWAY 101

Navigating The Underground Arteries

This walking and subway tour includes many popular landmarks and neighborhoods. Before the adventure begins, students will learn a lesson on the NYC subway system from their guide. The escapade starts with stories of Lower Manhattan, then on to Battery Park, with vistas of Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. Next, they’ll jump on the subway to Greenwich Village to meet some “Friends.” Then it’s north for the energy of Times Square. Students will then take a walk to the grandeur of Rockefeller Center. The tour concludes with a stroll to Central Park, Manhattan’s backyard.

THE MANHATTAN TRIANGLE

Rockefeller Center, Central Park & Times Square

These three sights make up one of the most popular triangles in the world. All within walking distance of one another, they are three of the most visited places in NYC. Times Square with its mesmerizing bright lights and Broadway Theaters, Rockefeller Center with its 22 acres of skyscrapers, and finally Central Park, Manhattan’s lush backyard. This walking tour will take students to each location, showing specific highlights and pointing out well-known locations from television and motion pictures.

CENTRAL PARK

Manhattan’s Backyard

Central Park is more than just a green space in the middle of Manhattan Island. It is an 843-acre oasis, 150 years in the making and a favorite retreat for New Yorkers. An essential part of the urban landscape, Central Park is a place no New Yorker can live without. Your group will follow their guide on the park’s winding paths, over the bridges, through the tunnels, and learn how the architects Olmsted and Vaux created New York’s “backyard.” This tour can be all walking or a mix of motor coach and walking. Groups enjoy a lunch stop at the famous Carmines on the Upper West Side.

JAZZ & OTHER GIANTS

History In Harlem

Outside of its native New Orleans, no community has nurtured jazz more than Harlem. Many greats like John Coltrane and Billie Holiday had their unique sounds reverberate through Harlem’s fabled streets. Students will attend a live jazz performance, discussion and Q&A at the National Jazz Museum of Harlem before embarking on a historical tour of Harlem. The tour will infuse students with knowledge on jazz greats, authors and other artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Of course, no visit to Harlem would be complete without a soul food meal featuring fried chicken, ribs, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and banana pudding.

BUSINESS IN NYC

How It Began

New York is all about business. New York has a Federal Reserve, the NY Stock Exchange and Wall Street. It is also the headquarters for some of America’s largest corporations. The roller coaster ride of finance is a commonplace in NYC and shapes the makeup of the city. Students will explore the history of commerce and the birth of the financial industry. They’ll walk away with a true understanding of what business means to New York and the rest of the country.

ART IN NYC

Public Art Unfiltered

Public art is part of the fabric that creates the backdrop of the city. Where ever you look, there is art just waiting to be admired, criticized, debated and defended. You’ll find it in the subways, parks, inside lobbies, and on the sidewalks. Some pieces are created by the famous and some by the unknown. Either way, it is always there and always changing. Students will explore the city by coach or subway and see the works that exists, for all. Enjoy the show in the largest public art museum, New York City.

NYC SNACK ATTACK

A Tasteploration of Manhattan

New York City is famous for its food. The first licensed pizzeria was established in Manhattan in 1905. Hotdogs have been sold in the streets of the Lower East Side since the 1860’s. Besides tasting some their favorite foods (and some strange ones), students will also explore the neighborhoods of Midtown, Little Italy, Chinatown, Greenwich Village, and the Lower East Side. The lunch tastings will be served off the coach and are enough to satisfy the midday appetite.