48 hours in New Year New York

WHY GO NOW?

WHY GO NOW?

The New Year celebrations in Times Square are among the most memorable in the world, with the lowering of the Waterford crystal ball on the stroke of midnight; there is also a spectacular firework display every year in Central Park. The city retains a holiday feel even after the new year has started, with the Empire State Building lit in holiday colours, and the shop windows, particularly at places such as Lord and Taylor on 5th Avenue, providing an extra attraction.

BEAM DOWN

Fly from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow to JFK and Newark airports with British Airways (0870 850 9 850; www.ba.com), Virgin Atlantic (0870 380 2007; virgin-atlantic.com), and a number of American carriers. However, travel over the New Year holiday won't come cheap if you book at this late stage; a typical fare is around £650 return. But for travel from 5 January, BA will have fares as low as £199 return in the seat sale that begins on Tuesday. From JFK the new AirTrain link ($5/£3) takes you to Howard Beach Subway station for the A-train to Manhattan ($2/£1.25); buses run to Grand Central Station or Penn Station for $13 (£8). From Newark, a bus to the Port Authority Bus Terminal costs $12 (£7.50).

GET YOUR BEARINGS

Most tourists stay in Manhattan, an easy place to navigate due to its grid system. Avenues run north to south and are numbered from east to west; streets run east to west, with the low numbers furthest south; and Broadway is a diagonal artery. Manhattan is linked to New York's other four boroughs by bridges, buses and the Subway. The main tourist office is at 810 7th Avenue (001 212 484 1222; www.nycvisit.com), and is open 8.30am-6pm Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm at weekends. A one-day New York Pass, which costs $49 (£31), allows access to 40 of the main sights, as well as discounts in some shops and restaurants; passes are also available for two, three and seven days. These can be bought at a few of the attractions; or by calling 001 877 714 1999; or online at www.newyorkpass.com.

CHECK IN

One of the most impressive new hotels is the Mandarin Oriental, part of the new Time Warner Centre at Columbus Circle but with its own entrance on West 60th Street (001 212 805 8800; www.mandarinoriental.com). Rooms start at $490 (£306). Another new place is the equally stylish, though smaller, Alex Hotel at 205 East 45th Street (001 212 867 5100; www.thealexhotel.com); prices start at $342 (£214). Hotel Gansevoort is a new boutique hotel at 18 9th Avenue (001 212 206 6700; www.hotelgansevoort.com) in the trendy Meatpacking District. Rooms have high ceilings, and there is a pool on the roof; prices start at $370 (£231). In a slightly lower price bracket is the Hampton Inn , at 108 West 24th Street (001 212 414 1000; www.hamptoninn.com). This well-equipped Chelsea hotel has rooms from $183 (£114).

TAKE A VIEW

In Central Park, stand on the platform above the Wollman Ice Rink and look across to the city skyline, and its distinctive buildings: these include the Dakota building , where John Lennon lived and outside which he died. The Ice Rink (001 212 332 7654; www.wollmanskatingrink.com) is in use throughout the winter, and is open 10am-2.30pm Monday and Tuesday, 10am-10pm Wednesday and Thursday, 10am-11pm Friday and Saturday, and 10am-9pm Sunday. Prices start at $8.50 (£5.30).

TAKE A RIDE

The New York Subway celebrates its centenary next year, and it remains the easiest way to get around. When it opened in October 1904, it was the fastest urban transport system in the world. Passengers paid a nickel a ride, a fare that was maintained for the next 42 years. The present fare is $2 (£1.25), although a $10 (£6.25) Metrocard covers six rides, and there is a one-day Fun Pass that allows unlimited travel for $7 (£4.40) a day. Part of the Subway is overground, and the most thrilling line is the J/M/Z from Broadway Junction in Brooklyn into Manhattan, a stunning rooftop ride.

TAKE A HIKE

Walk around what remains of the World Trade Centre at Ground Zero , a chilling memorial to the events of September 11, 2001, and location for the new 1,776-foot Freedom Tower, plans for which were unveiled this month. You can view a photographic exhibition of what the space once looked like. Walk down West Street to Battery Park City to see the new headquarters of the Skyscraper Museum (001 212 968 1961; www.skyscraper.org), due to open in February to celebrate the New York skyline. Nearby is the Museum of Jewish Heritage at 36 Battery Place (001 646 437 4200; www.mjhnyc.org).

LUNCH ON THE RUN

You can hardly move for eating places around the financial district, mainly catering for the lunchtime business crowd. Mangia , at 40 Wall Street (001 212 425 4040), is always a good, cheap bet for salads and sandwiches. Look out for one of the soup chains such as Hale and Hearty, which already has 10 branches in the city and is still expanding. The specials change every day, and there are some unusual combinations such as chicken-and-andouille jambalaya, or more traditional offerings such as New England clam chowder. Prices from $2.95 (£1.70) for a small serving. Another trend is for communal eating: order a tasty organic sandwich at one of half-a-dozen branches of the Belgian outfit Le Pain Quotidien, and join other lunchers at one of the long tables.

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

Renovation work has almost finished on the Brooklyn Museum of Art at 200 Eastern Parkway (001 718 638 5000; www.brooklynart.org); Subway line 1 and 2 to the museum's own station. The second-largest museum in the United States is known particularly for its Egyptian works, and has an extensive collection of European paintings, and about 50 of Rodin's sculptures. The museum is open 10am-5pm Wednesday to Friday, and 11am-6pm at weekends (until 11pm on the first Saturday of each month); suggested admission $6 (£3.60).

WINDOW SHOPPING

The opening of the Time Warner Centre at Columbus Circle is still a few weeks away, but Manhattan's shoppers are eagerly awaiting the designer stores that are set to move in there. Just opened is a new Asprey store in Trump Tower on 5th Avenue, and Louis Vuitton is opening in February nearby on 58th Street . But the long-established stores such as Saks , Bloomingdales and Macy's have plenty to offer, and even though January sales are not such a feature of retail life as they are in Britain, prices overall are much lower. For budget prices on designer clothing, don't miss Century 21 at 22 Cortlandt Street (001 212 227 9092; www.c21stores.com).

AN APERITIF

The regeneration of the financial district is continuing, and the area is increasingly popular in the evening. A favourite is South West NY at 2 World Financial Center (001 212 945 0528), where 50 different types of margarita featuring on the menu. A new English pub, the Pound and Pence, will be opening at the end of January at 55 Liberty Street . As an alternative to drinking in a bar, visit the American Museum of Natural History (001 212 769 5100; www.amnh.org) on Central Park West on the first Friday of the month for an hour of tapas and live jazz (performances at 5.30pm and 7pm; suggested admission $12/£7.50).

DINNER WITH THE LOCALS

"We're so cool, the latest place hasn't opened yet!" said one New York restaurant-watcher recently. On that basis, Riingo, at 205 East 45th Street (001 212 867 4200), inside the Alex Hotel , is the latest place, since it doesn't open until mid-January. The chef, Marcus Samuelsson, is half-Swedish, half-Ethiopian, although the food here will be Japanese-American; he has already had great success with Scandinavian cuisine at his other restaurant, Aquavit , at 13 West 54th Street (001 212 307 7311). Another chef who has been creating a stir is Wylie Dufresne, with his restaurant wd-50 at 50 Clinton Street (001 212 477 2900), which features a wide range of cuisines, and has quickly become a trendy place to eat.

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

St John the Divine at 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue (001 212 316 7540; www.stjohndivine.org) is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world ­ and it isn't yet finished; building work has been proceeding slowly since 1892. Many events are held in the cathedral, one of the most popular of which is the Concert for Peace, held on New Year's Eve at 7.30pm. Admission is free, but reserved seats cost $55 (£34).

OUT TO BRUNCH

Going out for brunch at the weekend is a feature of New York life, and a really typical New York day would include dim sum in one of the restaurants in Chinatown, followed by a movie. Try New Green Bo at 40 Bowery (001 212 625 2359) or Tai Hong Lau at 70 Mott Street (001 212 219 1431) for Chinese dumplings, and then head for a cinema. Girl With A Pearl Earring, which opens in the UK on 16 January, is already showing in New York, as is Tom Cruise's new film, The Last Samurai.

A WALK IN THE PARK

Not content with the large green space in the centre of Manhattan, the city is building Hudson River Park (001 212 791 2530; www.hudsonriverpark.org) ­ a green strip that will eventually continue for five miles along the bank of the Hudson river, from Battery Park at the southern tip of the island to West 59th Street. In addition to a walkway and cycle path, amenities already include volleyball, kayaking and a trapeze school.

THE ICING ON THE CAKE

While you are in New York, go to the theatre. Several of the Christmas shows continue into January, including the Rockettes at Radio City (001 212 247 4777; www.radiocity.com), and the Nutcracker at the Lincoln Centre (001 212 870 5570; www.lincolncenter.org). On 23 January, Alfred Molina will open in a revival of Fiddler On The Roof at the Minskoff Theatre at 200 West 45th Street (001 212 307 4100, www.nederlander.org).

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