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Visit Downtown’s Best Tours and Attractions

Downtown New York City is one of the most historic and intriguing neighborhoods in the United States. It has long been the heart of the financial industry and home to Wall Street; in recent years, Downtown has also emerged as an around-the-clock community for working, living, and entertaining, an elegant residential neighborhood, a home to world-class cultural institutions, and a center for music, dance, and visual arts events.
   
Downtown is also home to one of the city’s largest selections of audio, video, and digital equipment: J&R Music and Computer World. They offer an unparalleled selection of audio, video, digital, SLR and professional cameras, computers and software, PDAs, iPods and MP3 players, as well as CDs, DVDS, 110/220 products, and more. Plus, they have a well-stocked, in-house Apple Store. You’ll find a vast selection of low-priced products in a user-friendly, interactive environment, with knowledgeable, multi-lingual salespeople. Park Row, across from City Hall, 212-238-9000; www.jr.com
   
From J&R, it’s a short walk to one of the most breathtaking sights in New York City. At nearly 125 years old, the Brooklyn Bridge one of the most spectacular monuments to progress and human industry, and its broad pedestrian walkways afford an unsurpassed view of lower Manhattan. But no sight is more impressive than the bridge itself—nearly 6000 feet long, 272 feet high, and reinforced by four steel cables, each composed of 5700 wires. Its grand silhouette has inspired generations of New York poets, and has brought out the poet in generations of New Yorkers.
   
A couple of new venues joined NYC’s roster of museums this past year, and are definitely worth a trip downtown. SoHo’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Annex, like its Cleveland counterpart, focuses on the greatest moments in rock history with selected artifacts from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s vast collection. Included in its 25,000 square feet of exhibition space is New York Rocks, an ongoing homage to the city that has been so integral to music history, and includes an oversized interactive map to highlight key locations around Manhattan that have musical significance. 76 Mercer St. (Spring-Broome Sts.), 866-976-2569; www.rockannex.com
   
The Sports Museum of America, the country’s first and only interactive, multimedia all-sports museum experience, features a wide variety of exhibits include a 180-degree Immersion Theater and interactive exhibits that put you inside a hockey goalie’s net, inside the play-by-play booth, and even on a NASCAR racetrack. It’s also home to the Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center and the original Heisman Trophy, college football’s greatest honor. 26 Broadway, corner of Beaver St., 212-747-0900; www.sportsmuseum.com
   
The South Street Seaport district dates back to the 1600s and has grown into one of the city’s most vital commercial centers with a museum and many shops and restaurants. In the 1960s, the streets that run through the heart of it were closed and repaved with cobblestones, making it a unique place to eat, shop, stroll, and view riverfront activities. Pier 17 (Water-Fulton Sts.), 212-732-7678
   
While at the Seaport, be sure to check out the long-running, popular exhibition, BODIES. In this talked-about attraction—where preserved whole-body specimens as well as organs and partial-body specimens are on display—visitors can see exactly “what lies beneath” and the complex systems involved in the activities that are a part of daily life. 11 Fulton St., 888-9BODIES; www.bodiestheexhibition.com
   
And if you’re looking to experience a special insider’s view of the engineering marvel that is the Statue of Liberty, Statue Cruises (877-523-9849; www.statuecruises.com) is the official ticketing and information site for ferry transportation to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island from Battery Park.

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