If you haven´t yet been to the Big Apple, March is a great month in which to do it. As the end of winter draws near, the temperatures start easing and the crowds are lighter – between the madness of the holiday season and the increasing number of visitors as the weather warms up further – and lodging costs are even a bit lower. All in all, a great time to do a great city.
3 Unique March Experiences in NYC
This is also a great time to visit the New York Botanical Garden, up in the borough of the Bronx (north of Manhattan) to witness a variety of flora – such as cherry trees – in the process of blossoming. Also running here this month is the popular and thoroughly spectacular Orchid Show, with thousands of striking blooms in myriad colours, shapes, and sizes.
And speaking of a bounty of beautiful blooms, the famous department store Macys stages its own renowned flower show at its flagship location in midtown Manhattan´s Herald Square from March 24 to April 7.
In addition, this month two of the city´s three most iconic parades take over Fifth Avenue. On the 16th beginning at 11 am it´s the St. Patrick´s Day Parade and on the Easter Sunday (which this year falls on 31 March) you won´t want to miss the extravagant headgear and other fanciful costumes “with all the frills upon it” on display Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival from 10 am to 4 pm.
The thrill of ice skating in Central Park’s Wollman Rink or the smaller rink in Rockefeller Center is still available through the middle of the month. Gliding along beneath the towering Manhattan skyline is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Beyond That, March Manhattan Musts
Monuments to include on your bucket lists include the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, Midtown´s Empire State Building, and the Freedom Tower downtown – and be sure to schedule enough time for each (although fortunately, as we already mentioned, you´ll find wait times considerably less at this time of year than during high season).
Then there are the amazing museum musts, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the east side of Central Park, the nearby Guggenheim Museum: Museum of Natural History and Haydn Planetarium on Central Park´s west side, and Midtown´s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).
Finally, areas and neighbourhoods also not to miss start with iconic Times Square along with the rest of Midtown, and also include the aforementioned Central Park, as well as Chinatown, Little Italy, Greenwich Village, Wall Street and the Financial District, and SoHo.
Also Well Worth Your Time, If You Have It
North of Midtown, on the Upper West Side, the Cathedral of St John the Divine is impressive indeed – climb its 11 floors via the spiral staircase for some great interior ad exterior views. Or head out to the borough of Brooklyn to experience its beautiful Prospect Park: gracious Park Slope neighbourhood: incredible Brooklyn Museum of art: and alternative Williamsburg and DUMBO neighbourhoods.
Culture vultures will also have a field day with the many offerings of Broadway and off-Broadway theatre, as well as the symphonic, opera, and ballet programming at Lincoln Center.
And one final tip: for some of Manhattan´s best views and cocktails, head to Rockefeller Center´s Bar SixtyFive, part of its legendary Rainbow Room.
As you can see, March is magnificent in the Big Apple – come take a bite with Iberia!
Photos: StockByM;Portra;Elena Chertovskikh;resulmuslu;JavenLin;