Hampton Inn Brooklyn/Downtown

Take a walk on the wild side as a family at the Bronx Zoo. Around 4,000 animals live here in what is considered to be the nation's largest metropolitan zoo. The 265-acre park is home to a variety of exhibits and attractions that house animals like lions, zebras, tigers, elephants, giraffes and many others.

NYC is known for its public transportation system, and the New York Transit Museum offers full details on how this storied system came to be. Exhibits include explanations of labor involved in subway operations, the methods of travel used by New Yorkers, the construction of the Triborough Bridge, the old process of revenue collection, history of the city's street transport and more. Memorabilia and exhibits include old signs, station artwork, models and dioramas of the subway, two working subway tracks, preserved subway cars, a working signal tower and other equipment.

Fans of classical music will enjoy seeing a performance at Bargemusic. This classical music venue was founded in 1977 and makes its home in Brooklyn. Bargemusic is unique because it's a converted coffee barge, docked on the East River at Fulton Ferry. The barge is 102-feet-long and can seat 130 people comfortably for performances. The venue hosts about 220 concerts annually in front of the scenic view of the East River and the lower Manhattan skyline.

Take the time to pay your respects to our military by visiting the New York City Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza. The memorial features Honor Plaques, a Reflecting Fountain, a Memorial Wall featuring letters from soldiers, and the Walk of Honor, etched with all 1,741 names of those who were killed in Vietnam.