Destination guide for New York City

Most of New York’s draws – world-class theatre, food, nightlife, and museums – are available all year around of course (and are mainly based inside), but New York has extreme weather that it will still have an impact on your stay and experience.

January and February’s winter weather is brutal, with freezing winds blowing up New York’s avenues, while July and August are unbearably hot and crowded. Come in winter or summer and you’ll spend your entire visit indoors.

May, September and October are glorious times to visit; pleasant sunshine, fewer crowds – it’s when New York’s rooftop bars and sidewalk tables come alive.

New York has three primary airports: John F Kennedy and Newark for international arrivals, LaGuardia for domestic. Fixed taxi fare from JFK to anywhere in Manhattan is about $50, with a tip of 15% and up expected. Other fares not fixed, expect about $70 from Newark, $30 from LaGuardia plus extras. From JFK it’s easy to take the Air Train monorail, linking up with the subway into Manhattan – more walking, takes longer but about $10.

Manhattan is surprisingly easy to navigate, being laid out on a grid system. ‘Avenues’ run north to south, starting with 1st Avenue on the eastern edge, to 10th Avenue on the western edge. 5th Avenue runs down the centre. ‘Streets’ run east to west, starting with 10th Street on the southern, up to 218th street in the far northern tip of the island.

Walking the quickest way to get around – and to discover its many secrets. The subway is cheap, safe and efficient if you don’t want to walk, while the ubiquitous famous yellow taxis are fast, easy to flag (except sometimes rush hour/rain/wee hours), although more expensive.

The subway is efficient and fairly easy to understand too. The hardest part is exiting. It’s often hard to tell, which direction is east, west, uptown or downtown amid the skyscrapers. New Yorkers love giving directions – do ask.

Where you should stay in NYC depends on the experiences you are seeking. For hip and cool restaurants, nightlife and shopping, head to Soho or Meatpacking, both of which are central to most of the best attractions. For an edgier, alternative scene, plum for the East Village. For Central Park and 5th Avenue shopping, the Upper West side, home to the city’s young professionals, or Midtown East are your best bets.

Avoid anywhere near Times Square, and even better centrally between 26th and 46th streets. These are horrid parts: dark, dirty, noisy and crammed with bad restaurants and cramped hotels.