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USACity Overview Seldom in world history has a city become so defined by a date. September 11 was an epoch forming event that still dominates New York life and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The ramifications and aftershocks of the terrorist destruction of New York’s two tallest buildings – themselves symbols of the city’s confidence and success – permeate all levels of life and feature in the majority of conversations, whatever the situation. September 11, however, has done little to dent the appeal and vitality of the city. New Yorkers have rallied in a show of defiance that is reflected in everything, from the Stars and Stripes that hang from seemingly every building, to the bumper stickers that patriotically adorn so many cars. New York has always been a city of the world and its multinational, multicultural inhabitants – who speak over 80 languages – continue to infuse its concrete canyons with a buzz that is every bit as energising and electrifying as that depicted in countless films and TV programmes. With over 18,000 eclectic restaurants, 150 world-class museums and more than 10,000 stores brimming with brand names and bargains from across the globe, New York really does have something for everyone. Away from the mayhem of the 24-hour urban jungle, New York also boasts the bucolic oasis of Central Park, the breezy Hudson River and the perfect escape valve of Long Island. However, the epicentre of New York life always has been and still very much is the island of Manhattan, which is surrounded by four other distinct city boroughs – the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island – all of which boast their own charms. New York’s location at the confluence of the Hudson River, Long Island and the Atlantic Ocean reflects the city’s importance as a port and as the disembarkation point for millions of immigrants to the USA. The first European settlement on Manhattan was by the Dutch, in the 1620s, who named the city New Amsterdam. In 1664, the British took over and renamed it New York. The settlement rapidly flourished, expanding from south to north along the island. Mass immigration saw the emergence of distinct ethnic quarters, with the island of Manhattan rapidly developing into a unique cultural melting pot housing an entire world within its 58 sq km (22.7 sq miles). In recent years, the city has undergone something of a renaissance, under the guidance of mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who has eased the city’s once chronic crime problems. With new mayor Michael Bloomberg at the helm, New York today is determined to overcome America’s worst ever terrorist attack and continue the almost interrupted progress and growth of one of the world’s truly great cities. New York is an excellent place to visit at any time of year, although it is particularly pleasant during the spring and fall, when temperatures hover around 70ºF. New York winters tend to be unpredictable, sometimes wild, sometimes severe and stormy, while summers are hot and muggy, often lasting until September. Getting There By Air The three airports serving New York City – John F Kennedy International, La Guardia International and Newark International Airport – are operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (website: www.panynj.gov). Because of increased security since September 11, passengers should plan to arrive for international flights at least three hours before take off. John F Kennedy Airport (JFK) Tel: (718) 244 4444. Website: www.panynj.gov Situated in Queens, 24km (15 miles) southeast of central Manhattan, JFK is New York’s busiest airport, handling over 30 million passengers a year, to destinations worldwide. Major airlines: Airlines include American Airlines (tel: (800) 433 7300; website: www.aa.com) and United Airlines (tel: (800) 241 6522; website: www.ual.com), which both operate international and domestic flights. Primarily domestic national airlines include Delta (tel: (800) 221 1212; website: www.delta-air.com) and Northwest Airlines (tel: (800) 225 2525; website: www.nwa.com). Other major carriers include Aeromexico, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Continental, Lufthansa, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. Airport facilities: These include banks, bureaux de change, ATMs, bars, refreshments, restaurants, post offices, shops, duty-free boutiques and car hire from Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National. Business facilities: Business-class lounges are provided by the airlines in all terminals. Transport to the city: A free airport shuttle bus, the Long Term Parking Lot Bus (tel: (718) 330 1234), operating 24 hours at 15-minute intervals, travels to Howard Beach station. From there, a subway connection on the A line costs US$1.50 and takes approximately 90 minutes to central Manhattan, stopping at a number of stations with further connections on the way. New York Airport Service Express Bus (tel: (718) 875 8200) operates a direct service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal or Grand Central Station, with single tickets costing US$13. Buses operate every 15-30 minutes, 0600-2400 (journey time – 45-90 minutes, depending on traffic). The Super Shuttle Manhattan (website: www.supershuttle.com), available on demand 24 hours a day, is a shared door-to-door service going anywhere between 23rd and 96th Streets. A direct train service to Manhattan is scheduled for completion in 2003. Taxis to Manhattan are a flat rate US$35, plus tolls and tips. La Guardia International (LGA) Tel: (718) 533 3400. Website: www.panynj.gov The airport is located in Queens, 13km (8 miles) east of central Manhattan. It handles about 20 million passengers a year, although almost all flights are domestic. Major airlines: Major US carriers with their own terminals at La Guardia include Delta Airlines (tel: (800) 221 1212; website: www.delta-air.com) and US Airways (tel: (800) 428 4322; website: www.usairways.com). Other carriers include America West, Canadian Airlines and Continental Airlines. Airport facilities: Facilities include ATMs, child care, bars, restaurants, shops, duty-free boutiques and car hire from Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National. Business facilities: Modem connections and a 'Laptop Lane' are available in the Central Terminal. Some airlines also provide executive lounges. Transport to the city: Public transit is available on the MTA (tel: (718) 330 1234) bus 60, which intersects with all subway lines as it crosses to the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The bus operate 0450-0100 and a single fare is US$1.50, plus an additional US$1.50 for the subway. A frequent 24-hour express bus service is provided by New York Airport Service (tel: (718) 706 9658) to the Port Authority Bus Terminal or Grand Central Station. A single fare is US$10. Other shuttle services are also available. The Delta Water Shuttle (tel: (800) 533 3779 or 5935) runs a ferry service from the Marine Air Terminal to 34th Street on the East River or to Pier 11 on Wall Street in downtown Manhattan (journey time – 30-45 minutes). Metered taxis to Manhattan cost around US$20-30, plus tolls and tips. Newark International Airport (EWR) Tel: (201) 961 6000. Website: www.panynj.gov The airport is located in New Jersey, 27km (16 miles) southwest of central Manhattan. It handles just under 30 million passengers a year, mostly to domestic destinations. Major airlines: Continental (tel: (800) 523 3273; website: www.flycontinental.com) operates both domestic and international flights from Newark International. Other carriers include Air Canada, America West, British Airways, Delta, Korean Air, Lufthansa, ProAir and Virgin Atlantic. Airport facilities: The airport has extensive facilities, including banks, a barber, duty-free and other shops, restaurants, bars and coffee shops, a nursery and car hire from Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National. Business facilities: Business-class lounges are provided by the airlines in all terminals. Transport to the city: A new NJ Transit Airtrain (tel: (973) 762 5100) service opened in early 2002, connecting Newark International to Penn Station in Manhattan. Trains run 0500-0200 (journey time – 20 minutes), with single tickets costing US$11.15. Olympia Airport Express (tel: (212) 964 6233, website: www.olympiabus.com) offers bus services to Port Authority Bus Terminal and Grand Central Station for US$11. Buses run 0600-2400, every 5-10 minutes (journey time – 30-60 minutes). Taxis to Manhattan cost around US$35-45 plus tolls and tip. Approximate flight times to New York: From London is 7 hours and 40 minutes; from Los Angeles is 6 hours; from Toronto is 1 hour and 30 minutes; from Sydney is 21 hours; from Frankfurt is 8 hours and 25 minutes; from Hong Kong is 17 hours and 50 minutes and from Tokyo is 12 hours and 15 minutes. Arrival/departure tax: None. Getting There By Water There is no single port for passenger services, although many ferry services operate to New York. The many terminals include Lincoln Harbor, Hoboken, Harborside, Liberty Harbor and Liberty Landing on the Hudson River, St George on Staten Island, Hunters Point in Queens and West 38th Street, Pier 11 and South Ferry on Manhattan. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (tel: (212) 435 7000; website: www.panynj.gov) provides online information. Ferry services: The Staten Island Ferry (website: www.siferry.com) operates from a dingy terminal in Battery Park, in downtown New York, out past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to its destination of Staten Island. There are a variety of ferry operators, including New York Waterway (tel: (800) 53 FERRY; website: www.nywaterway.com), TNT Hydrolines (tel: (732) 872 2628; (800) BOAT RIDE; website: www.seastreakusa.com) and New York Fast Ferry (tel: (732) 291 2210 or (800) 693 6933; website: www.nyff.com), providing services between Manhattan and the other boroughs, as well as to New Jersey. Transport to the City: Ferry terminals are in the heart of the city and are linked to metro and bus lines. Getting There By Road The general rule for numbering on US freeways and interstates is that the odd numbers go north–south and the even numbers go east–west over their whole length, although at any single, localised point this may seem different. Driving in America is on the right and the speed limit is 48kph (30mph) in the city, 80kph (50mph) outside the city limits and 105kph (65mph) on freeways. Speed limits are clearly indicated along highways and are strictly enforced, with heavy fines imposed. Driving visitors should note that it is illegal to pass a school bus that has stopped to unload its passengers and all vehicles must stop until the bus has moved back into the traffic stream. Seatbelts must be worn – both front and rear – and drivers must carry their driving licence. Drink-driving laws are very strict and punishments severe. A blood alcohol level of 0.10% is illegal and drivers will be considered drunk and unable to drive. The minimum driving age is 16 years. An International Driving Permit is recommended, although it is not legally required and a full national driving licence is accepted. All travellers intending to drive in the USA are strongly advised to check that their insurance policy covers their total requirements. A yellow ‘non-resident, interstate liability insurance card’, which acts as evidence of financial responsibility, is available through motor insurance agents. The American Automobile Association – AAA (tel: (212) 586 1166) provides further information. Emergency breakdown service: AAA (800) AAA Help Routes to the city: Travel to Manhattan from New Jersey, Philadelphia and Washington DC is across the George Washington Bridge or through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnels. The Verrazano–Narrows Bridge connects Brooklyn with Staten Island. Queensborough Bridge links Manhattan and Queens. The Triborough Bridge leads to upstate New York, while the New England Thruway and Bruckner Expressway lead to New England (Boston). Driving times to New York: From Philadelphia – 2 hours; Boston – 4 hours; Washington DC – 5 hours. Coach services: The Port Authority Bus Terminal, 40th Street and Eighth Avenue (tel: (212) 564 8484), handles long-distance and regional buses, as well as buses to the airports. Greyhound (tel: (800) 231 2222; website: www.greyhound.com) operates bus services that link New York City to points throughout the USA and into Canada and Mexico. Getting There By Rail New York City’s rail services are primarily operated by Amtrak (tel: (800) 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com). Amtrak’s reputation and levels of service continue to grow with the introduction of new trains and high speed services on the Eastern seaboard. Increasingly, these Eastern services are becoming a viable alternative to the airlines on the sorter routes, such as to Boston and Philadelphia. The city has two main stations. Grand Central Station, 42nd Street and Park Avenue, is the terminus for Metro-North Railroad (tel: (212) 532 4900; website: www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mnr) services to upstate New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Pennsylvania Station, 34th Street and Sixth Avenue, serves both Amtrak and the Long Island Railroad (tel: (718) 217 5477; website: www.mta.ncy.ny.us/lirr). Penn and Grand Central Station both have ATMs, bars, cafés, waiting rooms, shops and taxi ranks and are very well equipped. Grand Central Station, in aesthetic terms, is a model of station regeneration and undoubtedly the city’s most impressive transport hub. Rail travel tends to be expensive, although a number of rail passes are available to visitors from overseas. There is no central rail information number and all enquires should be directed to the relevant provider. Rail services: Amtrak (tel: (215) 349 2152 or (800) 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com) offers services to Canada – towards Philadelphia (journey time – 1 hour 10 minutes) and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; to Atlanta, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana; and to Baltimore, Maryland, and Florida. There are frequent shuttles to Washington DC (journey time – 3 hours) and Boston, Massachusetts (journey time – under 4 hours). Transport to the city: Both stations are centrally located on Manhattan. Getting Around Public transport in New York is run by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), New York City Transit (tel: (718) 330 1234; website www.mta.nyc.ny.us). Services are cheaper and more efficient than the number of private companies also operating in the city. New York’s subway is fast, air conditioned, cheap and much safer than it used to be, although still best avoided at night. The vast network of almost 500 stations serves 24 routes – more than any other system in the world – that are identified by letters or by numbers. These serve Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Staten Island is served by the small-scale MTA Staten Island Railway (tel: (718) 966-SIRT). Entrance is gained from a subway token or MetroCard, for a flat fare of US$1.50, available at subway stations and newsagents. On average, subway trains run every two to five minutes during rush hour, every ten to 15 minutes during off-peak times and every 20 minutes 0000-0500. The Staten Island Railway operates 24 hours. Bus services are extensive and bus stops are located on street corners about every two or three blocks. Fares cost US$1.50 – paid with a MetroCard, subway token or exact change. Buses operate 24 hours. There are three kinds of MetroCard passes. Unlimited Ride MetroCards, costing US$17 or US$63, are valid for seven or 30 days and expire at midnight on the final day of validity. The one-day Fun Pass costs US$4 is valid until 0300 the following day. Pay-Per-Ride Metrocards offer 11 rides for the price of ten and are available in US$15 increments – free transfers to connecting bus or subway routes is included if used within two hours. All passes are available at subway stations and from newsagents. Taxis A trip to New York is not complete without a ride in one of the city’s famous yellow cabs. Taxis are governed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission (tel: (212) 676 1000). Drivers are required to take passengers to any destination within the five boroughs of New York City or Nassau County, Westchester County and Newark Airport. Fare begins at US$2, then increases 30 cents, every fifth of a mile or 90 seconds of waiting time, plus tolls (if any) and a 10-15% tip. There is a US$0.50 surcharge for trips commencing between 2000 and 0600. In the event that there is a problem with the ride, passengers should note the driver’s six-digit license number – located on the roof of the taxi, on the exterior of both passenger doors, on the dashboard and printed on the receipt – and report it toe the Taxi and Limousine Commission. Limousines Limousines can be hired from numerous companies throughout the city, including Chris Limousines (tel: (718) 356 3232) and Executive Town Car (tel: (516) 538 8551). Day rates start from about US$550. Driving in the City Driving in Manhattan is not for the faint hearted and is not recommended to visitors. The traffic is horrendous, parking fees are exorbitant – approximately US$30 per day – and street parking is elusive. The business and entertainment areas get particularly congested and the fast pace can prove intimidating for tourists. In the unfortunate event of having a car in New York, visitors should try the GMC Park Plaza, 407 61st Street, between First Avenue and York Avenue (tel: (212) 838 4158), which is among the cheapest of the parking locations around the city. Drivers should avoid parking on the street, as there are restrictive rules, rampant ticketing and a high danger of theft. Car Hire A valid national driving licence is required for driving in New York, although an International Driving Permit is required by some car hire firms. Minimum third-party insurance is required and drivers must be at least 25 years old. Major providers include Avis (tel: (718) 244 5406; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (718) 656 6010; website: www.budgetrentacar.com) and Hertz (tel: (718) 656 7600; website: www.hertz.com). Prices start from US$30 a day plus tax for standard hire car. Bicycle Hire Many New Yorkers brave the traffic on bikes, however, this is not recommended for visitors. Cycling around one of New York’s parks is by far a preferable option. Central Park Bicycle Tours/Rentals (tel: (212) 541 8759) offers individual bicycle hire for US$36.50 a day, as well as a leisurely two-hour guided bike tour of Central Park, costing US$35 (summer only). Business Business Profile: New York’s economy was already contracting before the attacks of September 2001, due to the US recession. The destruction of the Twin Towers was, in many ways, more damaging emotionally and psychologically than physically for New York’s economy. Although offices were quickly reopened in new buildings and the stock markets were reopened within a week, the confidence and sense of security in the city’s financial district were irreversibly damaged. The benchmark Dow Jones and NASDAQ stock indices both suffered major falls in the weeks after September 11. Nevertheless, the quick recovery programmes that were initiated and quiet determination shown by the major companies ensured long term loss of business to other financial centres, like London and Frankfurt, was kept to a minimum. In December 2001, the city’s unemployment rate stood at 6.5%, which is, however, considerably higher than the national average of 5.4%. New York City remains the international capital of the business world, with nearly 25% of all non-American businesses having headquarters in the city. Most major global business players have a presence in the city, including American Express, Barclays and KPMG. New York stands proudly as the world’s most powerful financial centre, boasting the world’s biggest stock exchange, located on Manhattan’s Wall Street. More than half a million people are employed in banking, real estate and insurance, although the city is also a major international player in the fields of fashion, media and advertising. The real growth industry in New York, over the last three decades – since the brilliant and phenomenally successful ‘Big Apple’ marketing campaign of the early 1970s – is tourism. In the wake of the September attacks, however, it may be some time before visitor levels again top the 35-million-a-year mark and tourist related revenue returns to over US$15 billion a year. Business Etiquette While on business in New York, normal business courtesies should be observed, although New Yorkers are less formal than Europeans and usually use first-name terms. Both men and women usually wear suits but short-sleeved shirts are acceptable in summer. Appointments and punctuality for business meetings are naturally expected. Business hours are officially weekdays, 0900-1730, although an extended working day is very common in certain sectors and it is not unusual for people to be working well into the night or over the weekend. Business meetings frequently take place over breakfast, brunch and lunch. For lunch meetings, alcohol, in moderation, is acceptable. Great care should be taken when discussing anything relating to September 11, as great offence can be caused with even the most seemingly innocuous comment. Sightseeing Sightseeing Overview Most tourists end up spending the majority of their trip on Manhattan and this is where most of the recognisable attractions are located. The remaining four boroughs are primarily residential – the Bronx to the north, Queens to the east, Brooklyn to the southeast and Staten Island to the southwest – although there is a sprinkling of worthwhile attractions located in them all, which will reward the adventurous visitor. Almost completely flat and, for the most part, arranged on an easily navigable grid system, Manhattan itself is very easy to walk around, with the excellent subway system handy for the longer hops between attractions. The city is packed with things to do and places to see – each street and neighbourhood offers its own varied sights and flavours. The top attractions, like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, are renowned throughout the world but there are enough less heralded places to visit to fill weeks of sightseeing. Manhattan has several distinct areas that are worth wandering around, from the ritzy shopping and residential districts uptown, to the financial district of downtown, taking in the villages in between. SoHo is famous for its art galleries, shopping and café/bar culture. Greenwich Village traditionally contains a literary community and has the cafés to go with it. Rejuvenated East Village retains its Bohemian atmosphere, which is reflected in its quirky shops and drinking spots. Chelsea is also up-and-coming, with warehouse conversions mingling with more cutting-edge art galleries. Away from the city, Long Island and a number of city beaches provide an escape on hot and humid summer days. Tourist Information New York Convention and Visitors Bureau 810 Seventh Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd Streets Tel: (212) 484 1222. Fax: (212) 246 6310. Website: www.nycvisit.com Opening hours: 0830-1800 Mon-Fri, 0900-1700 Sat and Sun. Passes City Pass (tel: (707) 256 0490; website: www.citypass.net/ny) offers a combined ticket to selected New York attractions – the Met, the MoMA, American Museum of Natural History, Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum and the Empire State Building Observatory. The pass costs US$38 (concessions are available), is valid for nine days and is available for purchase at any of the attractions or online, at the above address. Key Attractions The Statue of Liberty The ultimate symbol of the American Dream, Lady Liberty – who stands majestically over New York Harbour – is probably the most famous landmark in America. The Statue was donated to the United States by the people of France, in 1886, to commemorate the alliance of the two countries during the American Revolution. It was the first sight of the New World to be seen by the 12 million immigrants who passed through Ellis Island. Visitors can climb the statue or take the lift and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, located at the base of the statue documents the history of the immigration station that operated from 1892 to 1954. New York Harbour Tel: (212) 363 3200. Transport: Circle Line Statue of Liberty Ferry (tel: (212) 269 5755) from South Ferry at Battery Park to Liberty and Ellis islands (costing US$8). The free 24-hour Staten Island Ferry (tel: (718) 815 2628) from Battery Park. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700. Admission: Free. World Trade Center – Ground Zero Whether or not to visit Ground Zero is a personal choice but New Yorkers, as a whole, seem pleased that so many visitors want to come and pay tribute at the site. Tickets are now required to access the viewing platform, which provides a view of the ongoing work and brings home the scale of the devastation. Lower Manhattan Transport: Subway 1 or 9 to Chambers Street Opening hours: Daily 1100-1800. Admission: Free – time allocated tickets are available from the booth at South Street Seaport Museum, Manhattan. Brooklyn Bridge Dubbed the eighth wonder of the world, when it was completed in 1883, Brooklyn Bridge remains a masterful feat of engineering. The world’s first steel wire suspension bridge links Manhattan to Brooklyn, over the East River. The mile-long wooden promenade offers stunning views of the city. Park Row Transport: Subway 4, 5 or 6 to Brooklyn Bridge or City Hall. Opening hours: Daily 24 hours. Admission: Free. Empire State Building Immortalised in celluloid by Hollywood – from King Kong and Fay Wray to Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan – this stunning skyscraper is now once again the city’s tallest building. Completed in 1931, the 102-storey Empire State Building is a wonderful example of period architecture and the observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors offer magical and spectacular views of the city. Fifth Avenue at 34th Street Tel: (212) 736 3100. Fax: (212) 947 1360. Website: www.esbnyc.com Transport: Subway B, D or F to 34th Street. Opening hours: Daily 0930-2400. Admission: US$9, concessions available. Rockefeller Center Built in 1932-40, the Rockefeller Center is a masterpiece of urban design. The best approach is from the Channel Gardens, opposite Saks on Fifth Avenue – a popular lunchtime haunt flanked with shops and services – to arrive at the focal point of the complex, the sunken plaza, used as an ice rink in winter and an open-air restaurant in summer. Behind this, the sumptuous GE building dominates the scene with its Art Deco ambience inside and out. The Rockefeller Center is home to NBC, Radio City Music Hall and Christie's Auction House. NBC tours, lasting one and a half hours, are available and points of interest include the Today Show studio, the skating rink, the Prometheus and Atlas statues and the Channel Gardens. Fifth Avenue, 47th to 52nd Streets Tel: (212) 332 6868 or (212) 664 7174, to reserve a tour. Website: www.rockefellercenter.com Transport: Subway B, D, F, N, Q, R, 1 and 9 to Rockefeller Center. Opening hours: Mon-Sun 0930-1630 (tours run every half an hour) Admission: Adults US$10.00. Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) houses the most important modern art collection in the USA, covering a variety of media from the late 19th and 20th centuries, with impressive touring exhibitions. The museum is currently is the midst of a massive regeneration project that will add much needed extra exhibition space by 2005, however, is limiting what can be displayed in the meantime. 11 West 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Street Tel: (212) 708 9400. Website: www.moma.org Transport: Subway E or F to Fifth Avenue or 53rd Street. Opening hours: Sat-Tues and Thurs 1030-1745, Fri 1030-2030. Admission: US$12, concessions available; Fri 1630-2015 payment at patron's capacity and discretion. Soloman R Guggenheim Museum The Guggenheim Museum – a seven-storey conical building designed by US master architect Frank Lloyd Wright – is worth visiting if only for the building alone. Inside, it features an acclaimed collection of late 19th- and 20th-century art works, as well as touring exhibitions. There is also another Guggenheim in Soho. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street Tel: (212) 423 3500. Website: www.guggenheim.org Transport: Subway 4, 5 or 6 to 86th Street. Opening hours: Sun-Wed 0900-1800, Fri and Sat 0900-2000. Admission: US$15, concessions available. Metropolitan Museum of Art Home to more than two million works of art spanning five millennia, ‘the Met’ is a cherished New York institution. It is the largest art museum in the western hemisphere and its collections are outstanding. 1000 Fifth Avenue, at 82nd Street Tel: (212) 535 7710. Website: www.metmuseum.org Transport: Subway 4, 5 or 6 to 86th Street. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0930-1715, Fri and Sat 0930-2045. Admission: US$10 is suggested. Central Park New York’s famous playground, Central Park, in the centre of Manhattan, is a magnificent garden and a sanctuary from the city. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it opened in 1876 and now offers numerous recreational and cultural outlets. The Belvedere Castle – a stone castle built on Vista Rock in the middle of the park – offers excellent views from its lookout, while the Shakespeare Garden, located behind the castle, contains flowers and herbs mentioned in the Bard’s plays. The Central Park Conservancy Tour offers various free walking tours of the park. The park also has a theatre and sports facilities, including tennis courts, ice rinks and lakes, in addition to the celebrated Central Park Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Center. Considered to be one of the world’s most appealing small zoos, it features a 2.2-hectare (5.5-acre) animal garden. The beautifully landscaped Central Garden and Sea Lion Pool is flanked on three sides by a glass-roofed colonnade, making it accessible even in wet weather. From 59th Street to 110th Street Tel: (212) 360 2727 (Central Park Conservancy Tour) or 861 6030 (Central Park Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Center). Website: www.centralparknyc.org Transport: Subway N or R to Fifth Avenue; or 4, 5 or 6 to 59th Street. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1630. Admission: Free. Further Distractions American Museum of the Moving Image A target destination for serious film buffs, the American Museum of the Moving Image is dedicated to film, television, video and interactive media. Attractions and facilities include classic movies screened daily in the Tut’s Fever Movie Palace; feature films shown at weekends in the Riklis Theater and interactive exhibitions, including a working film set and film editing demonstrations. 35th Avenue, at 36th Street, Astoria, Queens Tel: (718) 784 0077. Website: www.ammi.org Transport: Subway N to Broadway, R or G to Steinway Street. Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1200-1700, Sat and Sun 1100-1800. Admission: US$8.50, concessions available. Bryant Park and Chrysler Building Bryant Park, behind the New York Public Library, is reminiscent of Paris, with gravel pathways, green folding chairs and a manicured lawn. It is extremely popular, especially as it offers free outdoor concerts and comedy shows. While in this midtown area, visitors should wander around and check out its architectural delights. The New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue and Grand Central Station on 42nd Street, at Park Avenue, both boast traditional grandeur. Many a tourist has had their breath taken away by the stunning chrome Chrysler Building on 42nd Street at Lexington Avenue. Further down 42nd Street is the Daily News Building, with its lobby, made famous in the Superman films, which still contains the original 1923 large globe. Bryant Park Between 40th Street and 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue Website: www.bryantpark.org Transport: Metro B, D, F, V and 7 to 42nd Street. Opening hours: Daily 0700-1900 (Nov-Apr); Mon-Fri 0700-2300, Sat and Sun 0700-2000 (May, Sep and Oct); Mon-Fri 0700-2300, Sat and Sun 0700-2100 (Jun-Aug). Admission: Free. Chrysler Building 42nd Street at Lexington Avenue Website: www.chryslerbuilding.org Transport: Metro B, D, F, V and 7 to 42nd Street. Opening hours: Visitors usually admitted into the lobby during weekday working hours. Permission is essential as sneaking in may result in arrest. Admission: Free. Dia Center The Dia Center is dedicated to large-scale, long-term, single-artist projects. The most famous is Dan Graham’s site-specific glass installation on the roof, which reflects and distorts the surrounding views of Manhattan. 548 West 22nd Street, between Tenth Avenue and 11th Avenue Tel: (212) 989 5566. Fax: (212) 989 4055. Website: www.diacenter.org Transport: Subway C or E to 23rd Street. Opening hours: Wed-Sun 1200-1800. Admission: US$6, concessions available. Tours of the City Walking Tours New York’s streets were made for walking, in fact it is the best way for visitors to really explore the city. There are numerous guided tour operators, including Big Onion Walking Tours (tel: (212) 439 1090; website: www.bigonion.com), who, for over a decade, have offered entertaining and informative tours of New York’s historic districts and ethnic neighbourhoods. Tours last approximately two hours and prices start at US$12 (concessions are available). Departure points vary depending on the tour – these are listed on the website. Bus Tours Gray Line New York Tours (tel: (212) 397 2620; website: www.graylinenewyork.com) offers closed and open-top double-decker bus tours, calling at numerous stops around the city in a two- to three-hour loop. The Essential New York Tour offers a 50-stop hop-off hop-on tour of Manhattan for US$69 (concessions are available). Gray Line also offers tours of Harlem and Brooklyn. Boat Tours Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises (tel: (212) 563 3200; website: www.circleline.com) is the only cruise line that circles Manhattan Island, with a three-hour narrated Full Island Cruise, departing from Pier 83 on 42nd Street on the Hudson River and costing US$25. Other options include the two-hour Semi-Circle Cruise, costing US$20, or the evening two-hour Harbor Lights Cruise, costing US$20. At both Pier 83 and Pier 16, South Street Seaport, adventurers can take a spin on the ‘Beast’ for a 30-minute thrill ride, costing US$18. Other Tours Gray Line New York Tours (tel: (212) 397 2600; website: www.graylinenewyork.com) conducts 24 different sightseeing trips by different modes of transport. The ten-minute helicopter tour, A Bird’s Eye View, costs US$94 and allows visitors to see the Empire State Building, the Chrysler and Central Park from above. Helicopter flights depart from the West 30th Street heliport. Scene on TV Tours (tel: (212) 410 9830; website: www.sceneontv.com) operates bus tours of the sites of America’s top TV shows, including Friends, Seinfeld and Law & Order. The company now also offers new Sex and the City and Sopranos tours. The two-and-a-half-hour Sex and the City tour includes 40 sites from the series, departing from in front of the Pulitzer Foundation on Fifth Avenue, Saturday 1430. The tour costs US$25 and booking is essential. Excursions For a Half Day Coney Island: Located just a short subway ride from Manhattan (B, D, F or N to Stillwell Avenue), in south Brooklyn, Coney Island is a popular weekend haunt for New Yorkers and tourists alike, because of its fabulous beaches and amusement parks. Major attractions include the New York Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation, Surf Avenue and West Eighth Street (tel: (718) 265 3400), located halfway to Brighton Beach. The Aquarium is open weekdays 1000-1700 and 1000-1730 on weekends and holidays. It boasts an Aquatheatre, home to dolphins and sea lions, the Sea Cliffs Exhibition, featuring walrus, penguins and giant Pacific octopus, and Discovery Cove, an interactive entertainment complex for children. Entrance is US$11 (US$7 for children). Coney Island’s amusement area comprises several amusement parks, featuring the Cyclone roller coaster and the Wonder Wheel, the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. For a Whole Day Long Island: Situated to the east of New York City, Long Island stretches for 190km (118 miles) into the Atlantic. A popular weekend retreat for New Yorkers, it has also become a major tourist attraction and this is not hard to see why. The island boasts some of the world’s most beautiful white-sand beaches, such as the Fire Island National Seashore. The north and south shores differ greatly – the former is more immediately beautiful, its cliffs topped with luxurious mansions and estates, while the south shore is fringed by almost continuous sand, interspersed with holiday resorts, such as Jones Beach and gay-oriented Fire Island. The quickest way to reach Long Island is via the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station, although numerous bus services cover most destinations. Parking permits for Long Island’s beaches are issued only to local residents. The Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, 330 Vanderbill Motor Parkway (tel: (631) 951 3440 or (516) 951 3440 or (800) 386 6654; website: http://licvb.com) provides further information. Staten Island: The short boat ride on the Staten Island Ferry across Hudson Bay offers spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty, making it an attraction in itself. Staten Island is an upmarket retreat for the city’s wealthier residents and also boasts a number of attractions, including the Staten Island Zoo (tel: (718) 442 3101; website: www.statenislandzoo.org), the Staten Island Children’s Museum (tel: (718) 271 2060) and the Snug Harbour Cultural Centre (tel: (718) 448 2500, website: www.snug-harbor.org). The historic settlement of Richmond offers a fascinating delve into 18th-century New York living. Ferries to Staten Island are free, run 24 hours a day and leave from Manhattan’s Battery Park. The Staten Island Tourism Council, One Edgewater Plaza, Whitehall Street and South Street (tel: (800) 573 7469) provides further information. Hotels Occupancy rates have dropped slightly in New York, mainly because new hotels are popping up all over the place. This does not always mean lower rates, as the newer venues are usually at the top of the range. To get a good deal, visitors should reserve as far ahead as possible. It is a good idea to check out the Internet, as hotels often post specials there that they will not mention over the phone. The prices quoted below are the starting price for a standard double room. They do not include 15% city and state taxes or service charges, neither do they include breakfast, unless otherwise stated. Business Four Seasons Four Seasons is designed by architect I M Pei, so it should not be a surprise that the onyx-trimmed lobby takes the breath away. Even the standard rooms here outshine the suites at other hotels and the most modest accommodations have padded silk walls accented by sycamore furnishings. For guests who need more room to spread out, the executive suites have living rooms with enormous picture windows and terraces with views of Central Park. All have amenities such as walk-in closets and luxurious marble baths. The sophisticated restaurant and bar, called FiftySevenFiftySeven, is a great place to impress that special client. There is everything here that business travellers need, from seven high-tech conference rooms to a health spa to relieve all that tension. 57 East 57th Street (between Park and Madison) Tel: (212) 758 5700. Fax: (212) 758 5711. Website: www.fourseasons.com Price: From US$485. New York Palace When walking past the marble columns of the richly appointed entrance hall, there can be no doubt that the New York Palace is one of the city’s most lavish hotels. Guests can dine in the elegant Istana restaurant in the lobby or go all out at the opulent Le Cirque 2000. The staff pamper guests by pressing that rumpled suit or by massaging those tired muscles in the state-of-the-art health spa. The 15,000 sq ft conference center, located in the historic Villard Houses, will impress even the most finicky client. Those who need room to entertain should try the oval-shaped Villard Ballroom. Rooms were designed with business travellers in mind – even the in-room safes are big enough to store a laptop computer. 455 Madison Avenue (between 50th and 51st Streets) Tel: (212) 212 888 7000. Fax: (212) 212 303 6000. E-mail: info@nypalace.com Website: www.newyorkpalace.com Price: From US$560. St Regis This Beaux Arts showplace was built in 1904 and a recent renovation restored its original grandeur. The marble-floored lobby hints at the luxury found in the guest rooms – silk-covered walls, richly detailed crown molding, and crystal chandeliers. All have everything a business traveller needs, from Internet connections to fax machines. There is no fear about fitting everyone around the conference table, as there are 15 meeting rooms. The Ballroom, overlooking the lights of the city, holds more than 500 people. Guests can dine at Lespinasse, one of the city’s finest French restaurants, or stop by for something cool at the cosy King Cole Bar, where the Red Snapper Cocktail (now known as the Bloody Mary) was first concocted. 2 East 55th Street (at Fifth Avenue) Tel: (212) 753 4500. Fax: (212) 787 3447. Website: www.starwood.com/stregis/index.html Price: US$455. Waldorf–Astoria Occupying an entire block on Park Avenue, the Waldorf–Astoria is the meeting place for the world’s movers and shakers. That line of limousines in front might signal the arrival of a head of state or a captain of industry. The Art Deco showplace, which opened its doors in 1931, retains the glamour of a long-gone era. The murals that once graced the lobby have been painstakingly restored and the rooms exude elegance, especially those in the soaring Waldorf Towers. Yet the Waldorf–Astoria is also the hotel of choice for business travellers, as the rooms have fax machines and computer connection points. A new executive meeting centre includes high-tech meeting spaces with satellite links and video-conferencing. 301 Park Avenue (between 49th and 50th Streets) Tel: (212) 355 3000. Fax: (212) 872 7272. Website: www.hilton.com Price: From US$300. Luxury Hudson Hotel Walking through the front doors of the Hudson Hotel can leave visitors a bit disoriented, as they find themselves in a translucent box the colour of a dill pickle. However, continuing up the escalator, they reach the slightly more subdued lobby. Rooms are small but elegantly appointed, with gleaming chrome and crisp, white fabrics. The adjacent bar, with a lighted floor and a swirling ceiling mural painted by Francesco Clemente, is jammed with celebrities and those who like to hang out with them. Those who cannot get into the bar (particularly difficult at weekends), will probably find space in the library bar around the corner. 356 West 58th Street (between Broadway and Eighth Avenue) Tel: (212) 554 6000. Fax: (212) 554 6001. E-mail: info@hudson.schragerhotels.com Website: www.hudsonhotel.com Price: From US$240. Morgans With its laid-back sense of style, Morgans does not have to shout to get the visitor’s attention. It makes its boldest statement in the lobby, where oversized leather chairs are strewn across the geometrically patterned carpet. Upstairs things are more sparse, with rooms decorated in shades of taupe and honey, providing a respite from the glaring city just outside the windows. The baths are a study in simplicity, with clear glass vanities atop polished steel basins. Morgans Bar, on the ground floor, is a great place to see and be seen. For those here on business, rooms have modem points and downstairs there is plenty of meeting space. 237 Madison Avenue (between 37th and 38th Streets) Tel: (212) 686 0300. Fax: (212) 779 8352. E-mail: morgans@ianschragerhotels.com Website: www.ianschragerhotels.com Price: From US$290. Moderate The Gershwin Not far from the much-photographed Flatiron Building is The Gershwin, one of the city’s last remaining bargains. The lollipop left on the pillow when the maid turns down the bed just might match the buttercup yellow walls or cherry-red molding of the simple but comfortable room. Guests can grab a bite at the downstairs café or catch a concert in the cabaret. During the summer, there are barbecues on the rooftop terrace, making the place popular with young people. 7 East 27th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) Tel: (212) 545 8000. Fax: (212) 684 5546. E-mail: reservations@gershwinhotel.com Website: www.gershwinhotel.com Price: From US$159. Washington Square Hotel There are few places to stay in Greenwich Village, so this unassuming little hotel is quite a find. Looking out onto Washington Square, it feels miles away from the hustle and bustle of New York. Past the lobby with its wrought-iron gates and black-and-white marble floors, the visitor reaches small but comfortable rooms. Perhaps the best part is that the hotel is located just a few steps from some of the city’s best bars and restaurants. 103 Waverly Place (across from Washington Square) Tel: (212) 777 9515. Fax: (212) 979 8272. E-mail: reservations@wshotel.com Website: www.wshotel.com Price: From US$140 (includes breakfast). Other Recommendations The Paramount There’s nothing traditional about The Paramount, a post-modern showplace created by entrepreneur Ian Schrager (who was also responsible for London’s St Martin’s Lane). For example, in the entrance, red roses are displayed vertically in vases set into the wall. The lobby bar, designed by Philippe Starck, has platinum walls and a glamorous staircase sweeping up to the mezzanine. Guests can gaze down from their table to the music and theatre industry leaders reclining on the slightly off-kilter furniture. Half a block to Times Square, the location of this Theater District landmark could not be better. The rooms are rather small but few guests spend much time there anyway. 235 West 46th Street (between Broadway and Eighth Avenue) Tel: (212) 764 5500. Fax: (212) 575 4892. E-mail: paramount@ianschragerhotels.com Website: www.ianschragerhotels.com Price: From US$275. SoHo Grand Close to all the lovely cast-iron façades of the former factories and warehouses of SoHo is this chic lodging place. The sleek and modern structure, built in 1996, has touches that call to mind the neighborhood’s past, such as a stairway in the lobby made of bottle glass. The rooms upstairs are warm and comfortable, decorated with the original art found in the 248 art galleries in the nearby streets, and the suites on the 17th floor look north to the skyscrapers that define Midtown. All have telephones with voice-mail as well as VCRs and CD players. 310 West Broadway (at Grand Street) Tel: (212) 965 3000. Fax: (212) 965 3244. Website: www.sohogrand.com Price: From US$375. Restaurants We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. Visitors to New York who wish to dine in that special restaurant should make a reservation well in advance. It is not unreasonable to call a few months ahead for a table in the trendiest eating places. An 8.25% sales tax is automatically be added to the bill but service charges are only standard for large groups. The prices quoted below are for a three-course meal and a bottle of house wine or equivalent. They include sales tax but not service charges. Gastronomic Babbo This intimate dining room, with crisp linens across simple wooden tables, lets the food take on a starring role. As Babbo is Italy by way of New York, the soppressata with shaved fennel is drizzled with vinegar made from Macintosh apples and the beef short ribs are accompanied by pumpkin polenta. No visitor should pass up the plate of five different pastas. Babbo is fun, friendly and hard to get into, so diners should reserve in advance. 110 Waverly Place (at Sixth Avenue) Tel: (212) 777 0303. Fax: (212) 777 3365. Price: US$45. Wine: US$22. Four Seasons It is hard to believe that before this culinary landmark opened its doors over 40 years ago, no other restaurant had hit upon the idea of changing the menu each season. Philip Johnson’s sleek design in the wood-panelled Grill Room and the marble-centred Pool Room makes this one of the city’s most beautiful spaces. The food is hearty American fare, such as grilled lamb chops with cranberry bean-white corn succotash, that sustains the city’s movers and shakers as they make and break deals. 99 East 52nd Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues) Tel: (212) 754 9494. Fax: (212) 754 1077. E-mail: Iwouldnotmissit@aol.com Website: www.fourseasonsrestaurant.com Price: US$80. Wine: US$25. Gotham Bar & Grill They work miracles at Gotham Bar & Grill. Tables are as tightly spaced, as in any New York restaurant, but the various levels and the soaring ceilings hung with lighting fixtures resembling parachutes give the illusion of space. The staff are harried yet always seems to anticipate the diner’s every whim. What is more, chef Alfred Portale – who pioneered the gravity-defying entrées that everyone emulates – does American food like nobody else. Dishes to try include the Maine lobster tails or grilled Atlantic salmon. 12 East 12th Street (between Union Square and Fifth Avenue) Tel: (212) 620 4020. Fax: (212) 627 7810. E-mail: gothamgm@aol.com Website: www.gothambarandgrill.com Price: US$60. Wine: US$25. Gramercy Tavern A place New Yorkers take out-of-town guests, this old-fashioned tavern is actually two places in one. The bar serves delicious but uncomplicated meals, while the dining room presents extraordinarily flavourful fare, such as salt-baked king salmon with rhubarb and loin of lamb with lemon confit. Those on an expense account should go all out on the market menu and get a little taste of nearly everything. 42 East 20th Street (between Broadway & Park Avenue) Tel: (212) 477 0777. Fax: (212) 477 1160. Web site: www.gramercytavern.com Price: US$75. Wine: US$24. Le Cirque 2000 With tongue firmly set in cheek, designer Adam Tihany transformed the stately Villard House into a circus as imagined by Salvador Dalí. The presentation of the food is just as overstated, from the enormous gilt-edged plates for entrées to the Venetian-glass fantasies that hold devilishly delicious desserts. The real reason to come, however, is the food. Diners can try duck with seared foie gras or veal mignon with potato gnocchi. 455 Madison Avenue (between 50th and 51st Streets) Tel: (212) 303 7788. Fax: (212) 303 7712. Website: www.lecirque.com Price: US$75. Wine: US$25. Business ‘21’ Club Cole Porter sang the praises of this place nearly 70 years ago and it’s still worthy of song. With a clientele that has included every president since Teddy Roosevelt, this former speakeasy has a history few New York eating places can match. Diners enter below a line of lawn jockeys (21 of them, naturally) to reach the string of intimate dining rooms. The ‘21’ burger is the classic choice but chef Erik Blauberg has updated the menu of classic American fare to include dishes such as oven-roasted veal chops and hickory-fired filet mignon. 21 West 53rd Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues) Tel: (212) 582 7200. Fax: (212) 974 7562. Website: www.21club.com Price: US$50. Wine: US$28. Jean George As they are so often set in basements and backrooms, restaurants in New York rarely get to brag about their view. Jean George lets its location in the Trump Hotel speak for itself. Diners can sit on the terrace facing Central Park or enjoy the same view from the Art-Deco influenced dining room. The decor is subdued, allowing chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s French fare to dominate. Few diners will forget dishes like the sliced sea scallops, which sit atop sautéed cauliflower, in a hurry. The wine list is vast, and the sommelier is happy to help select a bottle. 1 Central Park West (at 60th Street) Tel: (212) 299 3900. Fax: (212) 299 3941. Website: www.jean-georges.com Price: US$100. Wine: US$27. Judson Grill Vases holding arrangements the size of compact cars dominate this cavernous space in Midtown. Yet the food is the star at Judson Grill and diners can watch chef Bill Telepan and his staff whip it up in the open kitchen. Starters include a foie gras terrine, before guests move on to the likes of the expertly prepared medallions of tuna. 152 West 52nd Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) Tel: (212) 582 5252. Fax: (212) 265 9616. Website: www.judsongrill.citysearch.com Price: US$40. Wine: US$30. Russian Tea Room A golden tree hung with Venetian glass eggs and a 15-foot tall aquarium shaped like a dancing bear grace the opulent dining room of this long-time New York City landmark. The midnight blue walls reflect the glow of hundreds of candles. Does the food measure up? Guests who have sampled the caviar will not need to ask. 150 West 57th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues) Tel: (212) 974 2111. Fax: (212) 974 2221. Website: www.web.russiantearoom.com Price: US$50. Wine: US$32. Tavern on the Green This is perhaps the most famous restaurant in New York – and with good reason. It’s a fantasy land, hung with thousands of twinkling lights. Inside is a maze of dining rooms, each more extravagant than the last. Any night of the week there is a movie première party, a reception honouring a local dignitary or a political fundraising event. In terms of food, diners should stick with the old favourites, such as the sirloin steak or the rack of pork. Central Park West at 67th Street Tel: (212) 873 3200. Fax: (212) 875 8051. Website: www.web.tavernonthegreen.com Price: US$60. Wine: US$20. Trendy 71 Clinton Fresh Food The Manhattans here are the tastiest (and strongest) in the city, so guests should sample one as they wait for a table at this instantly popular hangout for Lower East Side hipsters. There’s no sign on this tiny storefront – diners must just look for the stainless-steel façade. There are just a handful of options – like the goat-cheese tart topped with applewood-smoked bacon – so that chef Wylie Dufresne can concentrate on creating something truly magical. 71 Clinton Street (between Rivington and Stanton Streets) Tel: (212) 614 6960. Fax: (212) 614 9426. Price: US$35. Wine: US$16. Fressen It is easy to pass right by the demure façade of this chic eatery in the Meatpacking District without noticing it. Inside, the industrial decor attracts a chic crowd (yes, that is Brad Pitt at the next table.) The menu draws inspiration from across the globe – diners can start with the grilled baby octopus with tzatziki and move on to the pan-roasted Alaskan white salmon. If there are problems getting a table, it is at least worth elbowing through to the sleek bar. 421 West 13th Street (at Washington Street) Tel: (212) 645 7775. Fax: (212) 255 2713. Website: www.fressen.com Price: US$40. Wine: US$21. Nobu Lovely birch trees line the dim dining room at this long-standing favourite in TriBeCa. The food is most accurately labelled ‘Japanese-inspired’, which means that chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa lets his imagination run wild. Newcomers should sample the black cod with miso. Diners who cannot get a seat should try the appropriately named Next Door Nobu and those who cannot get as far as New York could try the branch in London. Nobu: 105 Hudson Street (at Franklin Street) Next Door Nobu: 105 Hudson Street (between Franklin and Varick Streets) Tel: (212) 219 0550. Fax: (212) 219 1441. Price: US$70. Wine: US$28. Pastis This picture-perfect recreation of a slightly faded French bistro is the most democratic place in town – no reservations are accepted, so everyone has to wait. Diners belly up to the bar and wait their turn to sample the steak-frites or the croque monsieur. A better option is to head here early for brunch – the basket of warm breads is worth the trip. 9 Ninth Avenue (at Little West 12th Street) Tel: (212) 929 4844. Fax: (212) 929 5676. Website: www.pastisny.com Price: US$35. Wine: US$22. The Red Cat Moroccan lanterns hanging overhead illuminate this long, narrow eating place in the newly chic gallery district of Chelsea. No pretence here – the warm, welcoming staff guides diners through a menu featuring pan-crisped skate with a marinated cucumber and artichoke salad and char-grilled pork chop with olive purée. 227 Tenth Avenue (between 23rd and 24th Streets) Tel: (212) 242 1122. Fax: (212) 242 1390. Website: www.theredcat.com Price: US$45. Wine: US$24. Budget Bright Food Shop East meets West – or, more specifically, Asia meets Arizona – at this unpretentious little luncheonette in Chelsea. For instance, the ‘Bright quesadilla’ is stuffed with tamarind-roasted chicken and topped with smoked Monterey Jack cheese. The lovely neon sign outside is an original, dating from 1937. 216 Eighth Avenue (between 21st and 22nd Streets) Tel: (212) 243 4433. Fax: (212) 243 4735. Website: www.kitchenmarket.com Price: US$25. Wine: US$20. Grange Hall The Great Depression might seem like an odd theme for a restaurant, but this eating place, tucked away on a side street in Greenwich Village, makes it seem inspired. In a dining room with murals celebrating the heartland, guests can sample cranberry-glazed pork chops with poached apples or grilled lamb steak with rosemary and fried Idaho potatoes. Also recommended is a ‘prairie martini’ that can be ordered at the lovely carved-wood bar. 50 Commerce Street (at Barrow Street) Tel: (212) 924 5246. Fax: (212) 255 2117. Price: US$30. Wine: US$20. Holy Basil The city’s best Thai food can be found in the wood-panelled dining room of this East Village standby. Diners cannot go wrong with the crispy duck with basil, which defies gravity as it stands in the centre of the plate. Another favourite is the green papaya salad drizzled with lime juice. 149 2nd Avenue (between Ninth and Tenth Streets) Tel: (212) 460 5557. Price: US$30. Wine: US$15. Moustache The colourful wall hangings and copper-topped tables lend an exotic feel but tasty Turkish food is the real star at this West Village eating place. After starting with the lemony houmus, eaten with billowy pittas hot from the oven, diners can move on to the pizta covered with spicy ground lamb. 90 Bedford Street (between Grove and Barrow Streets) Tel: (212) 228 2022. Fax: (212) 229 2220. Price: US$20. Wine: US$15. Second Avenue Deli New York’s Lower East Side was once overflowing with outstanding Jewish delis but this is one of the last. Diners can eat in the Molly Picon Room, filled with memorabilia of the famous Yiddish theatre star. Portions are huge, so guests may want to try half a sandwich (corned beef, naturally) with a bowl of the city’s best matzo ball soup. 156 Second Avenue (at Tenth Avenue) Tel: (212) 677 0606. Fax: (212) 353 1836. E-mail: 2ndavedeli@2ndavedeli.com Website: www.2ndavedeli.com Price: US$20. Wine: US$16. Personal Recommendations Dok Suni Korean women bustle around the kitchen of this hip little East Village eatering place, which is a good indication that the food is authentic. Diners should try the bulgogi – marinated beef served with a platter of spicy kimchi and a dozen other condiments that guests wrap in lettuce leaves. Dok Suni is always crowded but diners can grab a beer at the bar while they wait. No credit cards are accepted. 119 First Avenue (between Seventh Street and St Mark’s Place) Tel: (212) 477 9506. Price: US$30. Wine: US$16. Florent No longer alone in the trendy Meatpacking District, this old-fashioned diner refuses to be crowded out by showier neighbours. Diners can grab a stool at the counter for French-influenced fare (the steak-frites is great, as are the moules). The sassy message board above the bar is always good for a chuckle. 69 Gansevoort Street (between Greenwich and Washington Streets) Tel: (212) 989 5779. Fax: (212) 645 2498. Price: US$30. Wine: US$16. Home Home is where many a New Yorker’s heart is. This is what Yanks call ‘comfort food’, meaning that it is the type of food mum made. Servers manoeuvre through the narrow dining room armed with dishes such as roasted chicken or grilled pork chops. The spicy onion rings come with homemade ketchup so tasty that diners may want to take some with them. Nobody should dare leave without sampling the intensely chocolately pudding. 20 Cornelia Street (between Bleecker and West Fourth Streets) Tel: (212) 243 9579. Fax: (212) 647 9393. Price: US$25. Wine: US$21. Joe Allen Guests can see the stars, quite literally, at this laid-back restaurant on the edge of the Theater District. Actors hang out here after the curtain comes down, so it is not hard to spot luminaries like Nathan Lane and Bernadette Peters filling up on satisfying American fare such as grilled sirloin steak or sautéed calf’s liver. Those who prefer the West End can stop by the restaurant’s London branch on Exeter Street. 326 West 46th Street (at Eighth Avenue) Tel: (212) 581 6464. Fax: (212) 265 3383. Website: www.joeallenrestaurant.com Price: US$30. Wine: US$18. Miracle Bar & Grill Southwestern fare – New York’s version of it, anyway – highlights the menu at this cosy spot in the East Village (there is also one in the West Village). Diners should insist on sitting in the pleasant garden out back and start with the catfish tacos, then move on to the pork chops with an orange-ancho chile glaze. Branches: 415 Bleecker Streets (at Bank Streets) Tel: (212) 924 1900. Fax: (212) 924 1960. E-mail: miraclebargrill@aol.com Website: www.miraclegrill.citysearch.com Price: US$30. Wine: US$18. 112 First Avenue (between Sixth and Seventh Streets) Tel: (212) 254 2353. Fax: (212) 777 2647. E-mail: miraclegrillny@aol.com Website: www.miraclegrill.citysearch.com Price: US$30. Wine: US$18. Sport Boasting some of the USA’s top sports teams, acres of parkland and beaches and state-of-the-art sports complexes, New York is a sports hotbed, offering the very best in spectator sports and a comprehensive array of activities for lovers of the great outdoors. The ultra-modern Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex, a 12-hectare (30-acre) sports village on four beautifully restored early 20th-century piers at 23rd Street at West Side Highway, on the Hudson River, has emerged as a major attraction and weekend retreat since it opened it doors in 1995. The national sports are baseball, basketball and American football and New Yorkers are sports mad and justifiably proud of their top league teams, including the Knicks (website: www.nba.com/knicks), Mets (website: www.mets.com), Giants (website: www.giants.com), Jets (website: www.newyorkjets.com), Rangers (website: www.newyorkrangers.com), MetroStars (website: www.metrostars.com), and New York Liberty (website: www.wnba.com/liberty). The baseball season, which runs from April to October, attracts huge crowds to Shea Stadium, 123-01 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing, in Queens (tel: (718) 507-METS or (718) 507-TIXX, for tickets), home to the New York Mets (website: www.mets.com) Major League Baseball team, while the New York Yankees (website: www.yankees.com), the most successful baseball team in US history, can be found at Yankee Stadium East 161st Street and River Avenue, in the Bronx (tel: (718) 293-6000). The local basketball season runs from October to April. Madison Square Garden Seventh Avenue between 31st Street and 33rd Street, Manhattan (tel: (212) 465 6741; website: www.thegarden.com), is the home of the city's celebrated team, The New York Knickerbockers (website: www.nba.com/knicks). The American football season kicks off in September. New York’s two leading football teams – The New York Jets (tel: (516) 560 8200; website: www.newyorkjets.com) and The New York Giants (tel: (201) 935 8222; website: www.nfl.com/giants) – now play in New Jersey, at the Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands Sports Complex (tel: (201) 935 3900; website: www.meadowlands.com). Tickets sell out well in advance and there are long waiting lists. Ice hockey is also hugely popular and New York’s National Hockey League teams include the Rangers, who play at Madison Square Garden, the Islanders (tel: (1800) 883 ISLES; website: www.newyorkislanders.com), whose home ground is the Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale (tel:(516)794-9300; website: www.nassaucoliseum.com), and the Devils (website: www.newjerseydevils.com), who play at the Meadowlands Sports Complex (tel: (201) 935 3900; website: www.meadowlands.com). Flushing Meadows, in Queens, hosts the US Open Tennis Championships, which takes place in late August to early September, featuring some of the world’s top seeded players. Ticketmaster (website: www.ticketmaster.com) is the best and most recognised way to buy a ticket to a New York sporting event. Beaches: There are several fine beaches in New York City, such as Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach. Bowling: Bowlmor Lanes, 110 University Place, between 12th and 13th Streets (tel: (212) 255 8188), is Manhattan’s premier bowling centre with 42 lanes. Fitness centres: The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers (tel: (212) 336 6000; website: www.chelseapiers.com) is a 150,000-sq-foot adult membership sports and fitness club featuring indoor track, indoor swimming pool, sundecks, basketball courts, indoor sand volleyball court, boxing ring, rock climbing wall and multi-gym. Day membership passes cost US$50 and allow access to all facilities. Golf: The American Golf Corporation (website: www.americangolf.com) is the world’s largest golf course management company, which offers more than 70 golf courses worldwide and numerous courses in New York City, including Clearview Golf Club, 202-12 Willets Point Blvd (tel: (718) 225 4653), which is open to the public for US$22 (weekdays) and US$24 (weekends). The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers (tel: (212) 336 6400; website: www.chelseapiers.com) is America’s most high-tech super range. There is a 200-yard fairway, all-weather driving range, putting green and a full-service Golf Academy. A session on the driving range starts at US$15 and prices rise with the number of balls used in session. The American Golf website allows on-line booking of tee times. Horseracing: New Yorkers love the races and the main race tracks include Aqueduct Racetrack, Ozone Park, Queens (tel: (718) 641 4700) and Meadowlands Racetrack, East Rutherford (tel: (201) 935 8500). Running: New York Road Runners Club, 9 East 89th Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues (tel: (212) 860 4455; website: www.nyrr.org), are the organisers of the NYC Marathon and promote the sport through races, events and publications. Sailing: Chelsea Marina at Chelsea Piers (tel: (212) 336 5600; website: www.chelseapiers.com) is the city’s largest marina, featuring a sailing school as well as boats for dinner cruising and deep-sea fishing. Skating/ice skating: The Roller Rinks at Chelsea Piers (tel: (212) 336 6200; website: www.chelseapiers.com) has two indoor ice skating rinks, two outdoor in-line/roller skating rinks and a skate park. There are two outdoor ice skating rinks in Central Park and one in the Rockefeller Center (see Sightseeing). Tennis: The tennis courts at Central Park, located at 93rd Street (tel: (212) 280 0201), are open to the public during the summer. Shopping A city famous for its sartorial elegance and Bohemian chic, New York is a shopper’s paradise, boasting everything from the very latest designer fashions to flea market bargains in addition to foods and goods from every corner of the globe. The bargains have got even better of late, as the US recession and the aftermath of September 11 has led to widespread discounting on everything from electrical goods to designer fashion. Sales tax on clothing items under US$110 has recently been removed, further enhancing the bargains. The smartest shops are located on Madison Avenue, where most top designers have flagship stores. Nearby, Fifth Avenue is a magnet for the label-conscious and well heeled. Standing at one of the most famous corners in Manhattan, Tiffany & Co, 727 Fifth Avenue, is an icon to the American Dream. Famous department stores include Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Herald Square, Bloomingdales, 1000 Third Avenue, at 59th Street, and Barney’s New York, 660 Madison Avenue, at 61st Street, which is the trendiest of this retail crop. Both Macy’s and Bloomingdales now offer free ‘personal shoppers’ on request, to help navigate their huge ranges. The famous Ladies’ Mile, which, one hundred years ago, was the epicentre of uptown fashion, with department stores stretching from 14th Street for a mile along Sixth Avenue, is now a major discount centre. However, the spectacular Victorian buildings have been restored and stores such as Bed Bath and Beyond, Old Navy Clothing Co, Barnes & Noble and Filene’s Basement have spearheaded a revival of the historic shopping strip. SoHo is the most European of New York’s neighbourhoods, offering an Aladdin’s cave of original clothing, knick naks, antiques and collectibles, while East Village is the home of street fashion and cutting-edge young designers, with antique shops, designer boutiques and eclectic stores intermingling. Discount stores selling authentic American goods, such as Levi’s, are located throughout the city and there are numerous markets to appeal to bargain hunters. The Annex Flea Market, known as the 26th St Flea Market on Sixth Avenue, made famous by Andy Warhol, is open on Saturdays and Sundays (dawn to dusk). The best bargains are vintage clothing and fine linens. Store opening hours depend on the neighbourhood. Business areas, such as Wall Street, open early at about 0800, while stores in areas such as SoHo and East Village open late at 1100. Many stay open until at least 1900. Department stores are open 1000-1800 and 1200-1700 Sunday. In New York, everything but life’s most basic necessities is taxable and the sales tax of 8.5% on all consumer goods – apart from clothes under US$110 – is one of the highest in the country. Visitors to New York are unable to claim a tax refund for goods purchased. Culture ‘Culture just seems to be in the air like part of the weather,’ author Tom Wolfe wrote. The very heart (and brains) of cultural America, New York has spawned, attracted and inspired artistic and literary luminaries, critics, salons, audiences, geniuses, pretenders and wannabes for almost as long as she has stood. And for this reason, the city continues to be one of the most diverse and heavily textured urban cultural centres in the world. From the bright lights of Broadway to the revered stages at the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, from the high kicks of the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall to the daring manoeuvres of the Big Apple Circus’ trapeze artists, New York City has something for everyone. The principal entertainment districts are the Theater District in the Broadway/42nd Street/Times Square area and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side. Most Broadway theatres are located in the blocks just east or west of Broadway, between 41st and 53rd Streets. Off- and Off-Off-Broadway theatres are sprinkled throughout Manhattan, with a concentration in the East and West Villages, Chelsea and several in the 40s and 50s west of the Broadway theatre district. The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, Columbus Avenue at 64th Street (tel: (212) 721 6500; website: www.lincolncenter.org), is America’s first and largest performing arts complex, containing many venues. It is also the home of the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, the New York City Ballet, the New York Philharmonic, among others. New York continues to grow and, as well as these established attractions, offers something new each day. Times Square is one of the prominent areas to receive attention. The Madame Tussaud’s wax museum, which includes a movie complex, the New Amsterdam Theater, owned by Disney, as well as a number of similar renovations of historic theatres – such as the Victory, the Lyric, the Academy/Apollo – have ensured that New York remains every inch the cultural capital. Tickets can be bought through Telecharge (tel: (212) 239 6200), which handles, Broadway, Off-Broadway and some concerts. Ticketmaster (tel: (212) 307 7171; website: www.ticketmaster.com), also offers Broadway and Off-Broadway, as well as tickets to Madison Square Garden and Radio City. Reduced-priced tickets for same-day entry for both Broadway and Off-Broadway shows can be bought at the TKTS half-price booth at 47th Street and Broadway – open daily from 1500-2000 for evening performances, 1000-1400 for Wednesday and Saturday matinees and 1200-1830 for all Sunday performances. Information on cultural events is available online (website: www.nycvisit.com and www.whatsonwhen.com). Time Out New York also is a good source of information published weekly and sold at newsagents and kiosks for US$2.99. Music: The Avery Fisher Hall (tel: (212) 875 5030; website: www.lincolncenter.org), in the Lincoln Center, is the permanent home of the New York Philharmonic and a temporary one to visiting orchestras and soloists. Tickets for the Philharmonic cost approximately US$15­50. Avery Fisher also hosts the very popular annual Mostly Mozart festival (tel: (212) 875 5103) in August. The Alice Tully Hall (tel: (212) 875 5050; website: www.lincolncenter.org), also in the Lincoln Center, is a smaller venue for chamber orchestras, string quartets and instrumentalists. The greatest names from all schools of music, from Tchaikovsky and Toscanini to Gershwin and Billie Holiday, have performed at Carnegie Hall, 154 West 57th Street, at Seventh Avenue (tel: (212) 247 7800; website: www.carnegiehall.org), which boasts an astonishing and eclectic repertoire at moderate prices. Other leading venues that draw the world top performers include Kaufman Concert Hall, in the 92nd St Y at 1395 Lexington Ave (tel: (212) 996 1100), and Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Bedford Park Boulevard, the Bronx (tel: (718) 960 8232). Known as the Met, the Metropolitan Opera House (tel: (212) 362 6000; website: www.lincolncenter.org), in the Lincoln Center, is New York’s premiere opera venue and home to the Metropolitan Opera Company, from September to late April. The New York State Theater (tel: (212) 870 5570; website: www.lincolncenter.org), also in Lincoln Center, is where the New York City Opera plays. Its wide and adventurous program varies wildly in quality – sometimes startlingly innovative, occasionally mediocre – but seats go for less than half the Met’s prices. Other venues include the Julliard School, 155 West 65th Street, at Broadway (tel: (212) 799 5000), where Julliard students perform with a famous conductor, usually for low prices. Theatre: Theatre venues in the city are referred to as Broadway, Off-Broadway or Off-Off-Broadway – groupings that represent a descending order of ticket price, production polish, elegance and comfort and an ascending order of innovation, experimentation, and theatre for the sake of art rather than cash. Off-Broadway is still the place for theatre punters to see the works of the world’s most innovative playwrights – social and political drama, satire, ethnic plays and repertory... in short, anything that Broadway wouldn’t consider a guaranteed money spinner. Lower operating costs also mean that Off-Broadway often serves as a forum to try out what sometimes ends up as a big Broadway production. Off-Off-Broadway is New York’s fringe. Unlike Off-Broadway, Off-Off doesn’t have to use professional actors and shows range from shoestring productions of the classics to outrageous and experimental performance art. The National Actors Theatre, 1560 Broadway, Suite 409 (tel: (212) 719 5331), presents the classics on Broadway, while Manhattan Theatre Club, 311 West 43rd Street, Eighth Floor (tel: (212) 581 1212; website: www.mtc-nyc.org), produces some of the finest new plays in American theatre. Other theatre groups include Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, 1450 Broadway, Suite 300 (tel: (212) 827 5412; website: www.disney.go.com/disneyonbroadway), which brings the magic of Disney to life on the Broadway stage. For a more ethnic flavour, Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, 253 West 125th Street (tel: (212) 531 5300), has celebrated the legacy and culture of African-American music and entertainment since 1934. Dance: New York has five major ballet companies as well as dozens of contemporary troupes and the official dance season runs from September to January and April to June. The New York City Ballet is highly rated, as is the American Ballet Theatre company. Universally known as BAM, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Street, between Flatbush Avenue and Fulton Street, Brooklyn (tel: (718) 636 4100; website: www.bam.org), is America’s oldest performing arts academy and one of the busiest and most daring producers in New York. In the autumn, BAM’s Next Wave Festival showcases the hottest international attractions in avant-garde dance and music. In winter, visiting artists appear, while, each spring, BAM hosts the annual DanceAfrica Festival, America’s largest showcase for African and African-American dance and culture. The most eminent and celebrated troupes in modern dance perform at City Center, 131 West 55th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues (tel: (212) 581 1212). Big-name companies include Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Joffrey Ballet and Dance Theater of Harlem. Merce Cunningham Studio, 55 Bethune St at Washington St (tel: (212) 691 9751), the home of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, stages performances by emerging modern choreographers. Metropolitan Opera House (tel: (212) 362 6000; website: www.lincolncenter.org), in the Lincoln Center, is the home of the renowned American Ballet Theater, which performs the classics from early May into July. New York State Theater (tel: (212) 870 5570; website: www.lincolncenter.org), in the Lincoln Center, is home to the revered New York City Ballet, which performs more contemporary ballet for a nine-week season each spring. Film: A movie centre second only to Tinseltown itself, New York has hundreds of modern cinema complexes and arthouse cinemas. Cinemas worth visiting include Sony Lincoln Square, Broadway at 68th Street, which is more a theme park than a multiplex, and The Ziegfeld, 141 West 54th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, which often holds glitzy premieres and is the grandest picture palace in town – once home to the Ziegfeld Follies. Arthouse movies are played at Angelika Film Centre, 18 West Houston Street, Lincoln Plaza Cinemas, 30 Lincoln Plaza, and Quad Cinema, 34 West Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. New York has been portrayed through celluloid in a number of ways, ranging from the ridiculous yet enduring images of King Kong, swinging from the Empire State Building, in the 1933 classic starring Fay Wray, to the psychological horrors of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976). In the latter, Robert De Niro plays the part of a mentally isolated New York cabbie and Vietnam vet, driven to violence by the decadence of the city. It is New York decadence – of a slightly more frivolous nature – that Alan Rudolph explores in Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994), which looks at New York literary life and society during the 1920s. The life and times of one of New York's most famous daughters, the acid and hilarious writer, Dorothy Parker, is brought to life amid a lavish New York setting. Cultural events: New York’s biggest antiques event, Manhattan Antiques and Collectibles Triple Pier Expo, is held at three piers on the Hudson River in February. The annual harbinger of spring, the New York Flower Show, is held on piers 90 and 93, 51st Street and 12th Avenue, in March. Art Expo New York, the world’s largest show of popular art, features a wide range of works from paintings and sculpture to posters and decorative arts, at the Javits Convention Centre in March. Ninth Avenue International Food Festival is a gastronomic feast of a street fair in May, with live bands and hundreds of food stalls selling a wide assortment of ethnic and junk food. Summerstage, a festival of free or low-cost concerts in Central Park, features world music, pop, folk and jazz artists throughout the summer. Literary Notes The vibrant city of New York has spawned some of America’s most celebrated writers and provided the backdrop and inspiration for countless bestselling novels and hit movies. Washington Square, at Fifth Avenue and Waverley Place, was home to the 19th-century aristocracy and provided the inspiration for the classic study of the American upper classes, Washington Square (1881), by New Yorker Henry James. Bohemian Greenwich Village has long been the favoured haunt of America’s literati. The Chelsea Hotel, on West 23rd Street, is something of a writers' emporium. Here Arthur Miller penned After the Fall (1964) and William Burroughs worked on Naked Lunch (1959). New Yorker Arthur Miller is celebrated as America’s greatest living playwright, whose numerous works have delighted Broadway and international audiences for decades. His knowledge of the Brooklyn waterfront helped to form his characters in his play A View From the Bridge (1955) and powerful reflections upon his home town are revealed in The Price (1968). New York’s most famous contemporary novelist is, of course, Paul Auster, who won international acclaim for The New York Trilogy (1987), a book comprising three novellas – City of Glass, Ghosts and The Locked Room – all set in New York. Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace’s Gotham (2001) is one of the most illuminating and readable histories of New York. One of the most striking works from the flurry of post-September 11 publications is September 11: A Testimony (2001), assembled by press agency Reuters, with some of the most dramatic World Trade Center photographic images. Nightlife The cliché, ‘the city that never sleeps’, really rings true in New York and especially in Manhattan. This small island buzzes with nefarious nocturnal activity, with everything from bustling neighbourhood bars and glitzy Broadway shows, right through to funky style bars and ultra hip nightclubs, where some of the world’s best DJs entertain the city’s ‘beautiful people’. Home to Broadway, the once louche Times Square is enjoying a renaissance, with popular restaurants, bars and cinemas attracting a huge crowd. The central Village from Sixth Avenue to Broadway is famous for its coffee bars that stay open late, music clubs and lively street scene. SoHo is the hip capital, with its chic and wild nightclubs attracting artists, models and media types, while the gay scene is centred around the bars of the West Village, which also offers a lively mix of jazz clubs. More upmarket tastes are catered for in the sophisticated lounges, clubs and cocktail bars in the Upper East and Upper West Sides. Entrance fees – cash only – to some of the smarter nightclubs can be pricey and the hippest clubs employ strict dress codes, only allowing the cool and the beautiful to break through the velvet ropes. Normal club closing time is 0400, although many are open all night. An ever-changing crop of ‘after-hours’ places offer entertainment until sunrise, however, alcohol cannot legally be served between 0400 and 0800 (after 0000 Sunday). It should also be noted that the minimum drinking age is 21 and carrying photo ID is essential, especially after the events of September 11, which have made bouncers even more cautious. The average price of a beer is US$3-4 – plus the obligatory US$1 minimum tip. Time Out New York is a very good source of nightlife event information published weekly and sold at newsagents and kiosks for US$2.99. Bars: New York has a massive range of bars, with everything from neighbourhood workingmen's dives and dowdy Irish pubs, right through to slick jet-set haunts and skyscraper lounges. One perennially hip bar, in the increasingly trendy eastern flank of Manhattan, is airline-theme bar Idlewild, 145 East Houston Street. Other hip bars include Australian owned Barramundi, 147 Ludlow Street, the former drugstore, Barmacy, 538 East 14th Street, favourite of the ‘beautiful people’ Halo, 49 Grove Street, and Café Carlyle, 35 East 76th Street. Perhaps the most A-list attracting venue is man ray, 147 West 15th Street, where Robert De Niro, Mark Wahlberg and U2 have all been spotted in the lounge, bar and restaurant. The almost laughably futuristic Glass, 287 Tenth Avenue, has a huge patio and there have been rumours that the rest room mirror is a one-way window overlooking the street. Meanwhile, the goings on in the rest room area of SX137, 137 Essex Street, are just as entertaining –performance artist Dave Weston does some celebrity impressions for the patrons of this cool but casual Lower East Side venue. The Campbell Apartment, Grand Central Station, is a more sophisticated lounge, hidden away in this busy rail terminal, serving top-class cocktails and first-rate Martinis. Double Happiness, 173 Mott Street, overcomes its dubious name with décor that smacks of an old speakeasy, boasting a funky 20-something clientele. For old-time New York, there is Chumley’s, 86 Bedford Street, or the White Horse Tavern, 567 Hudson Street. Casinos: Gambling is illegal in New York State. Clubs: The New York clubbing scene is notoriously fickle and hard to pin down, especially after tough mayor Giuliani helped force many of the best promoters underground. Away from the cheesy mainstream venues, two consistently good spots are Vinyl, 6 Hubert Street, and Centro-Fly, 45 West 21st Street. Legendary New York house DJ, Roger Sanchez, often pops in at the alcohol free Vinyl, to play one of his epic night-long sets, while fellow New York clubbing giant, Eric Morillo, often takes the helm at Centro-Fly. Either postmodern kitsch or downright trashy, depending on taste, is Cheetah, 12 West 21st Street. Cheetah-pattern prints are the main décor feature and revellers have to fight with the models and B-list celebrities for space on the dancefloor and at the outrageously overpriced bar. The perennially popular Roxy, 515 West 18th Street, serves up drag queens and happy house to an appreciative gay and lesbian crowd. Comedy: New York’s leading comedy venues, featuring top-line comedians, include Carolines on Broadway, 1626 Broadway, The Comedy Cellar, 117 McDougal Street, and Gotham Comedy Club, 34 West 22nd Street – dubbed the ‘best comedy club in Manhattan’. More off kilter comedy is on offer at Surf Reality, 172 Allen Street, while new faces often appear at Stand Up NY, 236 West 78th Street. Live music: New York is home to numerous jazz clubs, including 27 Standard, 116 East 27th Street, an upmarket restaurant and jazz club serving new American cuisine. Broadway Blues, is another sexy blues/jazz bar at the Amsterdam Court Hotel, 226 West 50th Street. The famous Madison Square Garden, Seventh Avenue between 31st Street and 33rd Street, Manhattan (website: www.thegarden.com), plays host to a number of rock and pop heavies, including the famous fans of the city, U2. Likewise the Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale (tel:(516)794-9300; website: www.nassaucoliseum.com), has seen the likes of Led Zeppelin and continues to present top live acts. City Statistics Location: New York State (NY). Country dialling code: 1. Population: 7.4 million (city); 18 million (metropolitan area). Ethnic mix: 29% African, 27 % European, 25% Hispanic, 13% Native American and 6% Asian. Religion: New York has one of the most religiously diverse populations in the world – figures are constantly changing as the city continues to spiritually evolve. Time zone: GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from first Sunday in April to Saturday before last Sunday in October). Electricity: 110-120 volts, 60Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard. Average January temp: 0°C (32°F). Average July temp: 25°C (77°F). Annual rainfall: 1200mm (47.3 inches). Special Events Manhattan Antiques and Collectibles Triple Pier Expo, Feb, Hudson River Chinese New Year, new lunar year celebrations, early Feb, Chinatown New York Flower Show, Mar, 90 and 93 51st Street and 12th Avenue Art Expo New York, Mar, Javits Convention Centre St Patrick’s Day Parade, Irish-American parade, 17 Mar, Fifth Avenue Tartan Day, 10,000 pipers and drummers march through city streets in celebration of Scotland, 6 Apr, Manhattan Summerstage, free outdoor concerts, May-Aug, Central Park Ninth Avenue International Food Festival, culinary street fair, May, Ninth Avenue Fleet Festival, nautical festival, late May, Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, Manhattan Annual Lesbian and Gay Pride March, street march, ending in street festival and dance party, late Jun, upper Fifth Avenue to the Village Fourth of July, annual firework display in celebration of American Independence, 4 Jul, over the East River Feast of San Gennaro, extravaganza of eating, drinking and merry-making, one week mid-Sep, Little Italy Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, exuberant fancy dress procession, 31 Oct, along Sixth Avenue New York City Marathon, early Nov, starts in Staten Island, finishes in Central Park Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York institution featuring huge hot-air balloons in the shape of cartoon characters, such as Snoopy, the Pink Panther and Betty Boop, 4th Thurs in Nov, 145 Street to 34th Street New Year’s Eve, street party, 31 Dec, Times Square Cost of Living One-litre bottle of mineral water: US$2 33cl bottle of beer: US$2 Financial Times newspaper: US$4.50 36-exposure colour film: US$7 City-centre bus ticket: US$1.50 Adult football ticket: US$35-75 Three-course meal with wine/beer: From US$30 1 American Dollar (US$1) = £0.63; C$1.51; A$1.67; €0.93 Currency conversion rates as of February 2003 Copyright © 2003 Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd.