Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Appendix: Fast Facts:
New York City
American Express
Travel-service offices are at many Manhattan
locations, including 295 Park Avenue South at 23rd Street (
&
212/
691-9797
); at the New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, in
the eighth-floor lobby (
&
212/575-6580
); on the mezzanine level
at Macy's Herald Square, 34th Street and Broadway (
&
212/695-
8075
); and 374 Park Ave., at 53rd Street (
&
212/421-8240
). Call
&
800/AXP-TRIP,
or check
www.americanexpress.com
for other
locations or information.
Area Codes
There are four area codes in the city: two in Manhat-
tan,
212
and
646;
and two in the outer boroughs, the original
718
and the new
347.
Also common is the
917
area code, which is
assigned to cellphones, pagers, and the like. All calls between these
area codes are local calls, but you'll have to dial 1 + the area code +
the seven digits for all calls, even ones made within your area code.
Business Hours
In general,
retail stores
are open Monday through
Saturday from 10am to 6 or 7pm, Thursday from 10am to 8:30 or
9pm, and Sunday from noon to 5pm (see chapter 8).
Banks
tend to
be open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, with many open
Saturday mornings, and some even open on Sundays.
Doctors
For medical emergencies requiring immediate attention,
head to the nearest emergency room (see “Hospitals,” below). For
less urgent health problems, New York has several walk-in medical
centers, such as
DOCS at New York Healthcare,
55 E. 34th St.,
between Park and Madison avenues (
&
212/252-6001
), for non-
emergency illnesses, and 202 W. 23rd, at Seventh Avenue
&
212/
352-2600.
The clinic, affiliated with Beth Israel Medical Center, is
open Monday through Friday from 8am to 7pm, Saturday from
9am to 1pm, and Sunday from 9am to 1pm. The
NYU Downtown
Hospital
offers physician referrals at
&
212/312-5800.
Drinking Laws
The minimum legal age to purchase and consume
alcoholic beverages in New York is 21. Liquor and wine are sold only
in licensed stores, which are open 6 days a week, with some choos-
ing to close on Sunday, others on an early or midweek day. (You can
usually find an open liquor store on Sundays). Liquor stores are
