Guide to New York City

"A giant fruit, an insomniac or just plain old New York - whatever you want to call it, this city tops the world's superleague. But be warned - one bite of the Big Apple is never enough.'

Power-walking city slickers. Speeding yellow cabs. Lattes to go. To the outsider, watching New York is like watching a movie on fast forward. Everything happens at twice the normal pace. And if it's your first time here, expect to be shoulder-charged a few times because whilst everything else rushes by in a technicoloured blur, you'll be rooted to the spot. Make no mistake this is a city that's big on big attractions. Crane your neck to see the sun glinting off the elegant Art Deco Chrysler Building. Go goggle-eyed at the ginormous neon signs of Times Square. And then gasp at the extravagance of the fashion houses on Fifth Avenue and the concrete canyons of Wall Street. But one thing that most first-timers feel is something else - a weird frisson of familiarity. The reason's simple. Manhattan's featured in so many movies and TV series, it's like you've already walked the walk on the sidewalks here. On practically every block, there's something to knock you sideways with a dose of deja vu. Steam gushing from manholes. Roadside popcorn carts manned by hollering vendors. And of course, the spectacular skyline as seen from those architectural movie stars - the Empire State and Statue of Liberty.

But beneath its touristy veneer, New York's got much more going on. Take a diversion from the tourist trail south of Times Square and the crowds thin out, the streets get leafier and you'll find the oh-so-cool neighbourhoods of SoHo, Chelsea and Greenwich Village. Here, cupcake cafes neighbour snazzy cocktail lounges and upscale boutiques boasting sky-high price tags. Or venture north to the laid-back Upper West Side. Here, tall brownstones offer flashbulb-free retreats for A-list actors, musicians and directors. Pretty much anywhere you go though, you're guaranteed two things. Firstly, a restaurant scene that spans everything from authentic pizza houses to glittering celeb-owned gastronomic palaces. Secondly, more bars, lounges and clubs than you ever dreamed possible. Whichever way you look at it, this iconic city is the ultimate metropolis. Or to put it another way, it's king of the hill, top of the heap, a number one. So put on your best New York drawl and start spreading the news … there just ain't anyplace else like the Big Apple.

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New York City hotels and apartments

Our hotels and apartments in New York City include Affinia Manhattan, Ameritania, Bedford, Crowne Plaza Manhattan, Downtown New York Marriott, Edison Hotel, Flatotel, Gansevoort, Marriott Marquis, Millennium Broadway, Paramount Hotel New York, Park Central, Radisson Martinique, The Dream, The Muse Hotel, The Night, The Tudor, The Warwick, Waldorf Astoria and Wellington.

More American Cities holiday destinations

Looking for holidays in American Cities? Our American Cities holiday destinations include Las Vegas and New York City.

Eating out

Spain has tapas. Italy has pasta. And New York has … well, everything. A million times over. This mega-munching metropolis overflows with 20,000 eateries, so expect some serious scale-strutinising when you get home. And the variety of food is nothing short of mind-boggling. Cue everything from cheap roadside hotdog stands to classic American diners, swish oyster bars, bagel-stuffed delis, smart bistros and ultra-pricey Michelin-star restaurants. The multi-ethnic population also means you can let loose on a whole swathe of international cuisine. As well as masses of burger joints, diners and seafood bars, every other eaterie dishes out authentic ethnic treats. Dig into delicious dimsum and egg noodles at the 200 Chinese, Malaysian and Thai restaurants packed into Chinatown. Lay into lavish linguines and gorgeous gelato in the trattorias of Little Italy. Or eat your way through the Indian and Japanese menus strewn around the East Village. And that's not counting the innumerable Greek, French, Mexican and Spanish restaurants liberally sprinkled around town. Whatever part of the world cooks up your favourite fare, you'll be in seventh heaven. But whatever you do, make sure you sample the city's staples, too. Plant yourself on a red plastic banquette for a super-sized breakfast of eggs-over-easy, fresh OJ, bacon and pancakes. Feast on a fantastic, plate-sized pizza, cooked in classic, crispy New York style. Or take your pick from the myriad of mouth-opening, mammoth-size sandwiches made-to-order at any one of the hundreds of noisy urban delis. No self-respecting carnivore should miss the steakhouses either. Ranging from brash and bawdy to olde-worlde and wood-panelled, these ever-popular hunger-busters serve up Texas-sized T-bones and prime cuts that'll feed an entire family for a week. And if you fancy something top-drawer, the city's got more Michelin-rated magnets per inch than almost anywhere else on earth. We're talking Nobu, Gordon Ramsay's London eaterie and a veritable galaxy of haute-cuisine haunts serving up coolly elaborate French, American and Asian dishes. Get ready to fork out though - this is one Big Apple experience that'll take a big bite out of your bank balance.

Chanterelle - Exquisite turbot with watercress coulis. Diver-caught scallops. And a parade of elaborate desserts. This chandelier-hung eaterie is uber-pricey but a gourmet grand-dame. Shell out and go.
Patsy's Pizzeria - Frank Sinatra had Patsy's pizza pies flown all the way to Las Vegas, so prepare for a treat. Open since 1932, its coal-oven-cooked pizzas are swoon-inducing and classic Noo Yawk.
Good Enough to Eat - Feast on fantastic French toast, yummy omelettes and irresistible pancakes crammed with choc-chips and coconut at this permanently packed Upper West Side cafe. And that's just the breakfasts.
ACME Bar and Grill - Classic catfish, heavenly hickory chips and scrumptious seafood gumbo are some of the Deep South delights turned out at this cosy, crowded, brick-walled grill. The friendly atmosphere is a winner, too.
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House - The name of this polished Sixth Avenue meat eaterie may be a mouthful, but so are its sensational, belt-expanding steaks. Beware though - they're so big you'll hardly have room for the gluttonous, all-American desserts.

Nightlife

Where do we start? With everything from sweaty rock clubs to swish bar lounges, high-octane nightclubs, great theatre and lots in-between, New York's after-dark scene is so eclectic, it's easy to spend the whole day deciding what to do at night. If you fancy pounding the dancefloor in the city that invented disco, strut around downtown Manhattan. In the neighbourhoods hugging Broadway such as Chelsea and the Gansevoort meatpacking district, you'll find chi-chi dancespots spinning the hottest funk, garage, soul and house tracks at deafness-defying decibels. And plenty of stellar gay clubs, too. Be prepared though - the coolest spots often mean waiting in a velvet-roped queue for your chance to boogie with the beautiful people inside. If rock music's your thing, you're in luck, too. Take an after-dark detour to the East Village and just follow your ears - the narrow lanes here fill with the guitar riffs of indie and retro-punk bands playing at underground clubs. Jazz is big in NYC, too. Ever since the 1920s, the city's been the epicentre of the jazz world and the love affair's still going strong. For a ear-balmy blast of the best, swing down to Greenwich Village or Harlem, where the sidestreets are littered with intimate bistros, buzzing speakeasies and supper clubs where everyone's smooching to mellow bebop, trad, latin and modern jazz. Then there are New York's bars. Here in their thousands, there's one everywhere you turn, and they're brilliant for mixing with the locals or kicking back after a late sightseeing spree. Take your pick depending on your mood and pocket-depth - they range from exclusive rooftop terraces to plush hotel lounges, 'Cheers'-style caverns and Bourbon-and-jukebox waterholes. Still want more? You got it. Even without its bars, clubs and music joints, New York's still a nocturnal wonderland. Take in a wisecracking comedy show - the city's famed for them. Soak up some high art at a ballet, opera or concert. Oh, and go see a show. Broadway's the home of the stage extravaganza and its theatres lay on a gobsmacking array of knock 'em dead musicals and razzle-dazzle shows from The Lion King to arty, independent productions. Grab a ticket at one of the booths on Times Square - you won't regret it or forget it.

Bemelmans Bar, Carlyle Hotel – Slurp on extravagant cocktails served by white-coated waiters at this timeless, mural-painted piano bar in the posh Carlyle. Regal, relaxed and romantic.
Lincoln Center – Amazing modern dance. Rousing concerts from the world's greatest philharmonics. Plus top-notch opera, ballet, film and jazz. New York's magnificent leading arts venue is a culture-vulture's dream.
Rise, Ritz Carlton Hotel – Nouveau-style nibbles. Flamboyant cocktails. Ritzy clients. All packed onto a sleek 14th-floor terrace with scintillating views over Lady Liberty and NY harbour shining over the water.
Radio City Music Hall– Here at Christmas? Then race to the rip-roaring family shows starring the high-kicking Rockettes at this splendiferous Art Deco theatre. An NYC institution, it also hosts top headline acts through the year.
Cielo – A sunken dancefloor. Trendy suede banquettes. And foot-pumping house and electro. One of the city's hippest clubs, this intimate, edgy venue is storming.

Shopping

If there's one place in the world made for serious shopping, it's New York. Retail therapy is a religion here and the chief cathedral to the cult is Fifth Avenue. Grab those dollars and dive into Macy's, the ten-floor emporium that's proclaimed itself the world's largest department store. And once you're done there, cruise around the other bank-emptying stores like Tiffany's, Saks, Chanel and Dior. For the ultimate in luxury though, it can only be Madison Avenue. But make sure you've got some heavy-duty plastic to hand - it's the millionaire's row of deluxe boutiques, gift shops and hushed jewellers where the window-shopping usually comes with a fix of celebrity gazing on top. For less expensive shop hopping, Columbus Circle Mall is good - a humungous, two blocks-wide, four-storey retail temple, it'll delight fashionistas, sports fans and bookworms alike. For something quirkier and more arty-crafty, Greenwich Village and SoHo are your best bets. In Greenwich Village, hip boutiques, bohemian antique stores and dusty music dens hark back to the 1970s and make for fantastic flitting and ferreting. In SoHo meanwhile, you'll find loft-lined streets housing cutting-edge art galleries and super-cool boutiques. Oh and here's a head's up. New York's achingly trendy designer fave is Chelsea, part of what once was the meatpacking district. Its former industrial-style streets are now studded with hallowed outlets worshipping at the altar of Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. And if you're thinking we've missed somewhere, we sure have. Broadway itself. This 14-mile long avenue bisecting Manhattan is stuffed with music megastores, international fashion outlets, wham-bam toy stores and countless discount electronic shops, especially around Times Square and southwards. And one last thing. If you've got the kids with you, FAO Schwarz is a must. One of the city's oldest toy emporiums, it's more funfair than shop. Go see it, but don't expect your wallet to come off scot-free. The spectacular wall-to-wall displays of toys, games and interactive exhibits will have the little ones drooling.