So Good They Named It Twice!

There are 6,376.6 miles of streets in New York City and 8.1million official citizens tramping or driving them, plus sundry business and leisure visitors from all over the world.

From the dreamy high of its art, architecture, literature and music to the grit, heat, hustle and constant in-your-face attitude of its citizens, New York is a panoply of ups and downs. A city that excites and overwhelms just as it defies expectations.

Since the dust settled after the devastation of September 11th 2001, New Yorkers have fought back to economic stability with grit and fortitude. Against the odds, the city has got back on its feet. Hotel prices have been slashed, restaurants have reduced their tariffs, and the tourist office is offering packages with discounts on accommodation, dining, theatre tickets, limousine rides and numerous other attractions.

Though it's only 13 miles long and a maximum two miles wide, the island of Manhattan encompasses 19 district neighbourhoods. Beyond Manhattan are the four boroughs that make up New York City - Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island - each with their own diffuse communities, which actively welcome both the business visitor and tourist with heart-warming enthusiasm.

Getting There

There are direct flights by all major airlines to New York from London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City Airport, Manchester, Glasgow and Prestwick. Flight time is seven to eight hours there and, because of prevailing winds, six to seven hours back. Jet lag is usually worse on the return.

New York has two main international airports – JFK, which is 15 miles from midtown, and Newark, in New Jersey, 16 miles away. A third, La Guardia, is used predominantly for domestic flights. The easiest way to get into the city from JFK is by licensed yellow cabs which wait outside the main terminals. Charge is a flat fare of $30, though bridge and tunnel tolls can add another $15. Cabs from Newark cost around $45-$65 (there is no flat fare) and from La Guardia $25-$30.

There are private bus services to Manhattan ($10-$15) and the New York Airport Service operates shuttle buses between JFK and La Guardia from 6am to 11pm, dropping off at Grand Central Station and Port Authority Bus Terminal (Tel: 212 875 8200; http://www.nyairportservice.com).

Gray Line runs a minibus service from the three airports to midtown from 5am to 11pm (Tel: 212 757 6840), Olympia Trails has a bus service between Newark Airport and Pen Station and Grand Central (Tel: 212 964 6233), and SuperShuttle Vans operate a door-to-door service costing $14.50 from the airports or $19.50 to them (Tel: 212 209 7000; www.supershuttle.com). For complete transport options, telephone 800 247 7433.

Getting around

The subway runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some 6,250 cars carry 4.8million passengers each day, and stop at 500 stations whose entrances are marked by red or green globes. Green signifies the station is manned 24 hours a day, red that it is closed or entry restricted. Flat fare tokens and multi-journey cards are purchased at booths in stations.

New York City Transportation Authority (www.downtownny.com) also has a fleet of 4,500 buses plying some 200 routes over all five boroughs. Stops are on street corners and identified by a yellow painted kerb, the bus ensign and route number. Most stops display maps and schedules. Tokens or the exact fare ($2) are required and deposited in a box on boarding.

Taxi drivers are the city's fount of knowledge. Their rates are cheaper than in London - beginning at $2.50 and thereafter 40c each fifth of a mile - but they don't always know where they are going. They can be flagged in the street or hired at stands outside transport terminals and hotels (www.nyc.gov/taxi).

Limousines are the way to travel in style. Operators include Chris Limousines (Tel: 718 356 3232; www.chrislimousines.com) and AA Executive Town Car and Limousine (Tel: 516 538 8551; www.exectownlimo.com). Both take credit cards.

Eating Out

There are more than 20,000 restaurants in the City, serving every type of cuisine. Best value meal is breakfast and whether eating in diner or hotel restaurant the portions are hearty. At weekends, brunch - combining breakfast, lunch and alcohol - is almost compulsory and such an institution that almost all restaurants offer superb brunch menus. Booking ahead is usually essential.

Classic venues for brunch include Aquavit, on West 54th Street (Tel: 212 307 7311) and Balthazar, on Spring Street between Broadway and Crosby Street (Tel: 212 965 1414). Also worth trying are Good Enough to Eat, on Amsterdam Avenue between 83rd and 84th streets, and Sylvia's, on Lenox Avenue.

Some of the best meal deals for business visitors as well as family tourists can be had at lunchtime. Nearly all the top celebrity restaurants offer $19-$30 fixed price menus. At dinner you can also opt for prix fixe but it will be more expensive and you will likely have to book days ahead. Check out the New York Times, Time Out New York or a New Yorker for good places to eat. But for starters, here is a short selection ...

Expensive: Babbo, 110 Waverly Place (Tel 212 777 0303) - inventive Italian cooking with a $59 seven course tasting menu; Le Bernadin, 155 West 51st Street (Tel: 212 489 1515) - top fish and seafood cuisine with $45 prix fixe lunch and $77 dinner.
Moderate ($25-$45): Josephina, 1900 Broadway (Tel: 212 799 1000) - New American cuisine; Pastis, 9-11 Little West 12th Street (Tel: 212 929 4844) - glamorous French restaurant.
Cheap (Under $25): La Palapa, 77 St Mark's Place (Tel: 212 777 2537 - authentic Tex-Mex; Chip Shop, 383th Avenue (Tel: 718 832 7701 - English fish and chips, mushy peas, shepherd's pie. From $6.

Where to stay

A multitude of good hotels offering nearly 72,000 rooms in all price ranges cater for every type of visitor. Many of them, particularly the chains, provide excellent business, meeting and corporate hospitality facilities. A few of the luxury hotels stick to published rates, but nearly all offer special packages. These can include discounted accommodation, two-for-one nights and meals, chauffeured cars, cocktails and champagne, Broadway tickets or shopping vouchers. For a full list of hotels in all price brackets, and information on special discounts and promotions, visit www.nycvisit.com.