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Summer in New York City: The Greatest Tours & Attractions in the World

Central Park Bike Tours (212-541-8759) have expanded their reach with the 3-1/2-hour Manhattan Island Bike Tour, an easy, 10-mile flat course that covers the city from Battery Park to Broadway.

Circle Line Downtown (212-269-5755) is still the only way to get to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, and their harbor cruises aboard the Zephyr Yacht depart from Pier 16 at the South Street Seaport.

CitySightsNY (212-812-2700) has added the new Uptown Treasures & Harlem Tour, covering Central Park, Striver’s Row, Museum Mile, and other destinations, and includes admission to the Museum of the City of New York.

The cruises offered by Circle Line Sightseeing (212-563-3200) are a perfect way to soak in the city this time of year, but summer also signals the return of The Beast, the 45-mph thrill ride that skirts by the skyscrapers and Lady Liberty.

Grand Central Terminal (42nd St. & Park Ave., 212-340-2210) isn’t just a train station, it’s landmark filled with shops, restaurants, and market stalls. Be sure to take a tour of the beautiful building.

The number of red double-decker buses operated by Gray Line (212-355-0801) are increasing — as are their tours, including the new In a New York Minute Package, for those who have a lot to see but little time to see it; and a combo package that includes admission to Top of the Rock.

Get a lovebirds’-eye view of the city with Liberty Helicopter Tours(Pier 6 & the East River, 212-967-6464; VIP Heliport: W. 30th St. & 12th Ave.) new “Romance Over Manhattan” tour.

Move over, Anderson Cooper! While journeying through the studios and newsrooms on the Inside CNN Studio Tour (10 Columbus Circle, 60 St. & Bdwy., 866-426-6692), you can now make a DVD of yourself reporting news at the new interactive desk.

Helicopter Flight Services, Inc. (212-355-0801) provides sightseeing flights and also offers transfers to the airports, as well as charters to many East Coast destinations.

To celebrate the baseball season, Madame Tussauds New York (234 W. 42nd St. btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves., 800-246-8872) has opened their own diamond, where visitors can pitch to Derek Jeter in front of a packed stadium.

Madison Square Garden’s All-Access Tour (Seventh Ave. btw. 31st. & 33rd Sts., 212-465-5800) and The Radio City Stage Door Tour (Sixth Ave. at 50th St., 212-247-4777) take you behind the scenes of two of the most famous entertainment houses in the city. The Garden tour includes locker rooms and backstage and onstage at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The Radio City tour features an inside peek at the famed Art Deco entertainment palace.

If you’re like us, you’re sad to see the end of “Will & Grace” and “The West Wing.” Pay your respects at the NBC Experience Store (30 Rockefeller Plaza, 49 St. btw. Fifth & Sixth Aves., 212-664-3700), where you’ll find souvenirs from all your favorite shows. It’s also home to the Studio Tour, complete with interactive experiences.

New York Party Shuttle (212-277-8019), NYC’s most comprehensive 5-1/2-hour tour, combines driving and short walks with a ferry cruise past the Statue of Liberty.

New York Water Taxi (212-742-1969) provides 2 days of hop-on & hop-off service to all the attractions, restaurants, parks, and shopping, and the Gateway to America tour covers 400 years of history in a one-hour spectacular.

“Fly” above and around NYC on NY SKYRIDE (Empire State Bldg., Fifth Ave. & 34th St., 888-SKYRIDE), a presentation of movie-motion and sights rolled up into NYC’s only aerial virtual tour simulator.

NY Waterway (800-533-3779) offers a complete range of river-borne tours, from a 50-minute Lower Harbor Sightseeing Cruise to a full weekend getaway.

Showbiz fans will enjoy a tour past the doorsteps of TV and movie characters and celebrities with On Location Tours (212-209-3370) — “The Sopranos” Tour is appropriate as the final season wraps up.

Worried there might be crowds at Top of the Rock (50th St. btw. Fifth & Sixth Aves., 877-NYC-ROCK), NYC’s newest attraction? Try their timed-ticket options: point your browser to www.topoftherocknyc.com.

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