One of the best ways to get around in Manhattan is to walk. Whether it's window shopping along Fifth Avenue or strolling the narrow streets of Little Italy, walking is a marvelous way to enjoy the sights and sounds of New York City. It also beats sitting in traffic.

One thing you must remember when walking is to look very carefully when stepping off a curb. Just because the light has changed does not mean a cab driver is going to stop — many take red lights as a mere suggestion. Bicycle messengers do not adhere to traffic laws and have been known to hit pedestrians. Always wait a moment before crossing, or follow the crowds of people at a busy intersection. Jaywalking is a fine art to New Yorkers, who spend years honing their skills.

If you have the luxury of not having to get somewhere on time, walking through New York City can be exhilarating. Times Square, Greenwich Village, Broadway, Fifth Avenue, Wall Street, the Upper East or West Sides — they all offer a host of stores, restaurants, street vendors, and excitement found nowhere else in the world. People watching is often half the fun. From a film crew to an A-list star to a clown or mime, you can spot just about anything and anybody on the streets of New York.

The city is an architectural paradise, effortlessly mixing cultures and periods. An ornate nineteenth-century church standing next to a sleek black-glass skyscraper, the outlines of a demolished “ghost building” on the outer wall of a standing structure, or a skyscraper wrapped around a small building whose owner wouldn't sell (Macy's on West Thirty-fourth Street is a famous example) are not at all uncommon — and great fun for the kids to look out for.