Towering skyscrapers and the Statue of Liberty are just part of the story if you visit New York. The City of New York is arguably the most important city in the world, gaining it the nickname of "Capital of the World" to go with its more common moniker of "The Big Apple." Only cultural icons like London and Paris can even begin to compare themselves to the many glistening facets of New York

The real New York is a walker's city, especially in Manhattan, and especially in the Spring. A stroll along its busy streets reveals an endless variety of sights that change with the character of its neighborhoods every few blocks. Visitors find their greatest discoveries by accident, just turning a corner from a sleek glass tower to stumble over a chic bistro inhabiting the storefront of a dirty warehouse, or a small nook of a neighborhood garden where greenery shades a bubbling fountain, providing a world far away from the bustle of the street a few feet away. Stop at a street vendor's cart for a Kosher Dog or a hot pretzel with plenty of mustard. Yum!

There are lots of flyers available at bookstores and street vendors with guides for walking tours. Some of the best are those at Battery Park where you can take in great views and tour a number of memorials, and the unique Rockefeller Center, whose Art Deco buildings still fascinate you 75 years after they were first built.

Even more than her towering skyscrapers, her world-class theater or even the Statue of Liberty, New York is about her neighborhoods. Every few blocks her character changes with the buildings and the people. New York is about many different people living together, promoting and sharing their culture, traditions and food. Some of the best walking neighborhoods?

Little Italy

No longer the large community it once was, Little Italy is now basically confined to Mulberry Street between Canal and Broome streets. Still, this is the area the Godfather movies where filmed, and many places retain their crowded tenement and bustling, but friendly feel. A few remaining Italian-American families and touristy eateries keep traditions alive, such as September's San Gennaro festival and summer sidewalk dining.

Chinatown

Chinatown has grown north of its original boundary of Canal Street, spilling into much of what was once Little Italy, and also farther east into the Lower East Side, a formerly Jewish neighborhood. As you head east from Broadway along Canal Street, Chinese discount stalls and

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