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New York City, New York
The root: The harbor where twelve million immigrants passed through Ellis Island — five boroughs still remaking America daily.
Eat: Katz's Delicatessen — the pastrami sandwich since 1888. Di Fara Pizza — Midwood's legendary slice, a true pilgrimage. Xi'an Famous Foods — hand-pulled noodles, immigrant New York in a bowl.
Skip — don't: The Times Square chain restaurants with costumed characters outside — the worst food in the city at the highest prices.
Specialty: Every cuisine on Earth, done right — the deli, the slice, the bodega bacon-egg-and-cheese, all of it.
Shops & crafts: The Strand — 18 miles of books in Union Square. Canal Street — chaotic, fun, bargain-hunt with care. Smalls and bodegas in Queens — 138 languages, and snacks from every one.
See: Ellis Island — walk the halls your ancestors walked. Tenement Museum — immigrant life room by room. A five-borough food crawl — Queens alone is a world tour.
Main Street: Broadway — from the canyons of Lower Manhattan to the lights of Times Square, the city's spine.
After dark: A Broadway show or a jazz club in the Village — or just ride the subway late and watch the city that never sleeps.
When — events
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade — Thanksgiving morning. West Indian American Day Parade — Labor Day, Brooklyn.
Event dates are the typical annual timing; confirm with the town before traveling.