Nothing is as breathtaking as the approach to New York City from the water. One of the world's busiest cities and a thriving port, Manhattan's skyline is distinguished by its legendary buildings and monuments such as the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Citicorp Building, Chrysler Building, and the flurry of skyscrapers clustered around the famous Wall Street area.

Besides being a global financial capital, Manhattan is an unrivaled epicenter for the arts, one of the world's great cultural destinations. The restless city moves at a frantic pace, ever changing and evolving through its restaurants, nightlife, theatre, and residents from 170 different countries.

Whether approaching from Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook or from Manhattan at the New York Cruise Terminal on the Hudson River, cruising into New York City offers a view of a skyline that is one of the most dramatic and instantly recognizable in the world.

New York City, ‘the city that never sleeps', is one of the world's great metropolises, offering visitors everything from the ethnic flavours of Chinatown and Little Italy, to the boutiques of SoHo, the jazz clubs of Greenwich Village, the galleries of Chelsea, the glitz of the Theater District, the shopping on Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue, the affluence of Park Avenue, and the food shops and cafes of the Upper West Side. 

New York City is made up of five boroughs and is laid out on a grid of avenues and streets (with the notable exception of Greenwich Village which has winding, narrow streets). Most tourist sights are found on the island of Manhattan, the city's entertainment and business centre. Here, visitors can see the bright lights and neon signs in busy Times Square, watch joggers and rollerbladers in Central Park, or take a lift to the top of the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock for amazing views across the Big Apple. No trip to New York would be complete without a visit to the Statue of Liberty, New York's most famous image - a monument given to the US by the French in 1886 and enjoying a fine position in the middle of New York harbour.

Highlights
• Ellis Island
• Ground Zero
• Broadway theatres
• Rockefeller Center
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
• American Museum of Natural History
• Chrysler Building
• Central Park
• South Street Seaport Historical Area
• Carnegie Hall
• Lincoln Center
• United Nations
• St Patrick's Cathedral

NYC & Company
810 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, USA
Tel: +1 212 484 1200.
Website: www.nycvisit.com

New York is a shopper's paradise, offering up everything from the very latest designer fashions to flea market bargains as well as goods from every corner of the globe. Shops range from multi-floor department stores, including world-famous Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales, to tiny boutiques and exclusive home furnishing stores. The smartest shops are located on Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue, where most top designers have flagship stores. In the heart of one of the most famous shopping areas in Manhattan stands Tiffany & Co, 727 Fifth Avenue, an icon to the American dream and the home of floor after floor of glittering jewels and gifts. SoHo is the most European of New York's neighbourhoods and offers an Aladdin's cave of original clothing, antiques and collectibles, while the East Village and NoLita are home to street fashion and fashion-forward young designers and funky shops. Bargain shoppers know Loehmann's and Century 21, both located downtown from the higher-priced designer label showrooms and both offering designer clothing at significantly lower prices.

Where? Upper East Side, 59th to 90th streets, between Fifth and Lexington avenues.
What? Bloomingdales, flagship Tiffany & Co, designer boutiques.

Where? SoHo and NoLita, Grand to West Houston streets, between Sullivan street and the Bowery.
What? Prada, Longchamp, Chanel, Young Designer's Market, chic downtown boutiques. 

Where? East Village, 14th to Houston Street, between Third Avenue and Avenue A.
What? Trash & Vaudeville, St Mark's street vendors, plethora of thrift stores, funky designers.

New York's melting-pot heritage is best seen in its wide selection of international restaurants with pretty much every kind of cuisine. Typical American breakfast specialties include bagels (with or without cream cheese and smoked salmon), pancakes or waffles with maple syrup, or egg sandwiches. Lunch and dinner is anything from the very casual and ethnic (inexpensive to moderate) to the very formal fine-dining experience (expensive to very expensive). There are literally thousands of restaurants in New York, including Chinese restaurants in Chinatown, Italian restaurants in Little Italy, and Indian restaurants and cheaper eating places in the bohemian East Village. In warmer weather, outdoor cafes are abundant. There are also many fast food chains in the city serving 'all-American' hot dogs and hamburgers. The newest rage is ‘small plates' or tapas, offered at restaurants of many nationalities and found throughout the city.

New York specialities
• Street food (includes hot dogs, kebabs, pretzels), served up by the ubiquitous street vendors.
• Bagels (dense, chewy, ring-shaped dough), according to New Yorkers, done right only in NYC.
• Gyros (meat, tomato, onion and tzatziki sauce served on pitta bread).
• New York-style pizza (wide, thin, foldable and light on the sauce).
• Knishes (Yiddish snacks with fillings such as mashed potato, sauerkraut or cheese wrapped in baked or fried dough).
• Nathan's Hot Dogs (NYC's most famous hot dogs), still served from the original stall, which dates back to 1916, in Coney Island.
• Delis (found practically on every corner), these stores sell a huge variety of fresh food.
• New York cheesecake (baked cheesecake with a rich, smooth consistency).

New York City is a year-round city. Winter can be very cold but also exhilarating during the magical holiday season. Springtime is less busy with slightly warmer temperatures and the beginnings of beautiful blooms. Summer is alive with people and flowers but the humidity can be unbearably high. Autumn kicks in with crisper temperatures as everybody gears up again for school and work and cultural venues prepare for new productions.

New York City has hotels to cater to all budgets with both inexpensive (relatively) and luxury chains and boutique hotels. Rooms tend to be smaller than in other US cities. Midtown hotels are usually the most expensive. Downtown hotels and more residential neighbourhoods like the Upper East Side, Murray Hill and Upper West Side offer less expensive options.

The major port locations in NYC are along the Hudson River in Manhattan and in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Manhattan Terminal
711 12th Avenue, from West 47th to West 53rd streets, Manhattan
Website: www.nycruise.com 

Brooklyn Terminal
Pier 12 at Bowne & Imlay StreetsRed Hook, Brooklyn
Website: www.nycruise.com

Grand Central Terminal
87 East 42nd Street
Website: www.amtrak.com  

Pennsylvania Station
33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues
Website: www.amtrak.com

John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Building 14, Jamaica, New York 11430
Website: www.kennedyairport.com

LaGuardia Airport (LAG)
Hangar 7C, Flushing, New York 11371
Website: www.laguardiaairport.com 

Newark International Airport (EWR)
Administration Building, Building One, Newark
Website: www.newarkairport.com

New York.

5.6km (3.5 miles).

10-15 minutes.

New York

GMT - 5.

US Dollar (US$) = 100 cents.

English.

New York state, northeast USA.

8.2 million.

Federal Republic since 1789. Gained independence from the UK in 1776.

All major religions, and many less well-known ones, are present in New York City.

While New Yorkers may seem harried and rushed for the majority of the time, they tend to be friendly and helpful if approached politely. Foot traffic is a top concern of New Yorkers; try to constantly move with the flow of traffic and not block sidewalks - step aside for pictures or when stalling. All forms of dress are accepted. Dress is casual on the streets, while New Yorkers tend to get more dressed up for dinner outings and nightlife. Smoking is not allowed on city transportation or indoors in public places, and it is polite to ask permission before lighting up. Shaking hands is customary when being introduced to a new person, and ‘Ms' is used to address a woman if unsure of her marital status.

Tipping: Tipping in NYC can be a minefield for those unused to the practice. As a guide, here are the customary tipping rates:
• Taxi drivers: 15%-20% of total fare
• Bellhops: $2 per bag
• Hotel maids: $2 per day
• Doorman who helps with cab: $1-$2
• Hotel concierge: depends on services rendered and quality of service
• Waiters: 15%-20% of the bill (tips not included in bill unless specifically noted)
• Bartenders: $1 per drink