Doing business
The city at the centre of the universe is wonder-fully inward-looking, so be ready to dance to New York’s tune when here. That means getting to the point quickly, talking and eating at the same time and, best of all, enjoying the bar scene or a baseball game with contacts who'll fast become friends.

Cool hotel
New York teems with brilliant, individual hotels, but the most bleeding-edge of the lot is the Hotel on Rivington. Towering over the unsigned bars of the Lower East Side, it’s a glass palace with unusual and unrivalled views over Lower Manhattan. See: www.hotelonrivington.com

Hip restaurant
Little Italy may not be what it was for dining, but Nolita (the area immediately north of Little Italy) has picked up the slack. La Esquina looks from the outside like a taco take-out joint. And it is – until your pre-arranged reservation gets you into the extremely hip cave of a downstairs restaurant. Once you're in, a feast of fantastic and unusual Mexican food is yours.

Happening bar
Plunge is located in the 15th floor penthouse of the hopelessly trendy Gansevoort Hotel, and is a star of the Meatpacking District drinking scene. The sunset over the Hudson and New Jersey is superb, but get here early or risk being sardined in the bar.

No-go area
Manhattan’s off-limits areas are shrinking as middle-class spread takes over most of the island, but watch out for wandering at night in Alphabet City north-east of the East Village.

Must-see sight
If you're going to have one New York Moment, make it a ride on the Staten Island Ferry which is bracing, free and offers fantastic views of New York harbour and the Statue of Liberty. If you’re going to have a second, take a trip up the Empire State Building. Going for a run in Central Park is a great way to start the day.

Getting downtown
JFK is linked by AirTrain/subway to Manhattan; from Newark, get the train into Penn Station, both from £5. Journeys takes around an hour. Taxis from both are around £20-30 but are not a wise choice during peak traffic hours.

The details
Make sure your passport is in good working order when you enter the US. The visa waiver programme for British visitors to the USA is still in place. NYC is five hours behind the UK. Currency: £1=$1.85 (Oct 2006). Climate: New York has hot summers, colourful wet autumns, frosty winters and fresh springs. Contact: British Consulate-General in New York, 845 Third Avenue, NY10022; tel: 001 212 745 0200; see: www.britainusa.com/ny.

Getting there
New York has three airports: JFK, Newark and La Guardia. The latter primarily serves domestic flights only. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin and Shannon all have direct connections to NYC. Continental flies to Newark from nine UK destinations while BA, Virgin, American Airlines, Delta, United, Aer Lingus and all-business class airlines Eos and MAXjet fly to JFK.

INSIDER’S TIP
“Don’t stay anywhere north of Central Park. Times Square, however, is very central. The W Hotels are certainly to be recommended, as is the Bryant Park Hotel at 40 West 40th Street. Eating is best in the Greenwich Village, Soho and Little Italy area. Serendipity is very popular.”
Will Leonelli, FCm Travel Solutions New York

Compiled by Tom Hall on behalf of Lonely Planet. www.lonelyplanet.com

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