A concrete forest of skyscrapers, light and sound, New York is one of the most challenging and rewarding destinations to pack into a short trip. If you've never been before, it can be pretty tricky to fit everything in, but a little careful planning and research will help you visit some of the essential sights. Cheap flights to New York touch down in JFK every day, so now there's no excuse; pack light, bring a camera and prepare for a heady, decadent bite at the big apple.
Have A Hearty Breakfast:Get your day off to a strong start with a wholesome breakfast. Shopsin's in West 18th street has a bafflingly excessive menu. Once famed for having over 900 items, the eponymous proprietor Kenny has still squeezed in eclectic delights from the simple 'Moon over Miami', or eggs on toast, to the vegetarian plates, including 'Que Sera Sera' and 'Strung Out.'Alternatives:Daniel's Bagels serve traditional cream cheese with their fluffy, aromatic bakery goods, as well as offering mouthmelting deserts like a seven layer cake and sugar free blueberry turnover.
Do the Tourist Thing:The single most recommended, hyper-touristy attraction in New York has to be the Empire State Building. The views from its observation deck shrink Manhattan's colossalgrid to resemble an Art Deco toy town.Early starters can expect the shortest wait for an elevator ride to the 86th floor and just $17.00 will get you a ticket to the top. To skip the queues with a streamlined pass the price will soar to $42, it all depends how much time you can bear to sacrifice from your stay. Alternatives:A zip out to The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour is a snip at $13 and will remind you of almost any disaster movie you've ever seen. Alternatively, a stroll through Central Park is free, and will always surprise you.
Learn a little:The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a vast Gothic structure, with galleries of breathtaking pieces. There are around 26,000 Ancient Egyptian artefacts alone, a Costume Institute spanning the last seven centuries and artwork to suit any taste, from Van Goghs and Rembrants to Webers and Warhols.Alternatives:For those who prefer a little celebrity culture, Madame Tussauds will enable you to cosy up to a creepy, lifelike doll of your idol, with everyone from Robert Pattinson to Ronald Reagan eternalised in rubber.
Have a sparkling evening: Finish off your perfect weekend with a show. Broadway encompasses over 40 distinct theatres in Manhattan. With mainstream, long-running shows such as Chicago playing in the Ambassador Theatre, The Phantom of the Opera in the Majestic, or Wicked in the Gershwin, everyone can find a familiar favourite they've longed to see lit up in lights.Alternatives: For something a trickle more delicate, New York City Ballet will pirouette and plié away with your heart. Looking for something with more edge? The Badass Burlesque group provide is a shocking, diversion and frolic to a grungy crowd bimonthly.
