High society in the Big Apple

New York truly is the ultimate city. Travelling through the Big Apple's diverse neighbourhoods can be like travelling the world. Almost every corner of the globe can be visited in this most vibrant of American cities.

All you need is a good guide book, a map and a Metrocard to get on the subway.

But it is unlike any other city in America. In fact, it is unlike any other city in the world.

It is a city that anyone would find difficult to grow tired off. Each visit leaves you wanting to go back for more.

There is so much to see and do in this city, which really does never sleep, you could visit once a year for the next decade and still not see everything.

If you have never visited before, there are several tours on offer that would be a great starting point for exploring this great city.

Aside from the infamous Manhattan skyline – which you'll probably spot from the plane window as you land – the Brooklyn Bridge, New York yellow cabs, Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, there are other iconic scenes that many of us will already be familiar with, often without realising it.

For decades, the city has been the backdrop for countless blockbuster movies and the location for endless TV series – Friends, Ugly Betty, Sex And The City, Spiderman, I Am Legend, Men In Black, Breakfast At Tiffany's, The Devil Wears Prada, Ghostbusters, When Harry Met Sally, to name just a few.

On Location Tours (www.screentours.com) offer a number of bus tours.

The New York TV and Movie Sites tour takes you on a three-hour jaunt around Manhattan.

It is a great way to see a large swathe of the city, taking in neighbourhoods between Downtown and Central Park.

Along the way, the location of Hollywood A-listers' luxury homes are pointed out, including Bruce Willis, Renee Zellweger and Sandra Bullock.

New York is the perfect place to spot a world-famous celebrity in a restaurant, or upmarket shopping mall.

But if you do spot a familiar face, don't stop dead in your tracks, point and stare or fumble for your camera. A real New Yorker would carry on walking, without so much as a second glance.

So, a movie tour is a fun way to get your bearings and the perfect way to begin your stay.

It also helps you locate notable landmarks around Manhattan that you'd be mad to miss, even on the shortest of stays – Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building, Macy's, Times Square, Broadway, the Empire State Building and Tiffany on Fifth Avenue.

Top tip; if you happen to be searching for an engagement ring for the girlfriend, then you really do get more bang for your buck, despite the exchange rate not being as good as it once was.

Another great way to see Manhattan – and a photographer's paradise on a clear day – is to look down from one of the city's tallest skyscrapers.

Most guide books will tell you that the Empire State Building is a must-see, and they're not wrong.

But, and here's another top tip, avoid the lengthy queues of tourists snaking around the block from outside the Empire State Building and go up the Rockefeller Center instead.

The Top of Rock tour is less popular and also gives you a great view of the Empire State Building, which you obviously don't get from the top of the Empire State.

Many of you will have seen copies of a black and white photo of builders sat eating their lunch on a metal beam hovering high above Manhattan – that iconic image was taken while the 70-floor tower was being built in the 1930s.

From the top, there are spectacular 360-degree views of not just Manhattan, but also Queens, Brooklyn, The Bronx and Staten Island – the five boroughs that make up New York.

But to see the real New York, you need to get out of Manhattan (if for no other reason than to capture views of Manhattan Island).

Brooklyn, also the backdrop of numerous movie locations, has a real gritty edge.

As well as its landmark views, New York is also famous for its food: hot dogs, giant pretzels, steaks, eggs (fried, over-easy, scrambled – you name it) cheesecake, coffee and pizza. Pizza is a particular favourite, especially in Brooklyn.

A great way to way to see Brooklyn is on must-do bus tour: A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour (www.asliceof brooklyn.com).

If Brooklyn were not part of New York City, then it would be America's fifth largest city, and there is no better way to see it than with A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour's Tony Muia, a real character who was born and bred in the borough.

If you're going to book, then make sure Tony is leading the group; he really is that good.

His four-and-a-half-hour tour covers pizza and Brooklyn – two things extremely close to his heart.

Of course, two things missing from the skyline these days are the Twin Towers.

A visit to New York would not be complete without a mention of September 11. Speak to any New Yorker and they'll tell you about their experiences on that horrific day.

One of the areas still feeling the impact of the terror attacks – other than Ground Zero itself – is TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal Street) in Lower Manhattan.

It was so badly affected by the rolling clouds of dust after the towers collapsed that many residents and businesses were forced to move out. Many have never returned.

But one man trying to put the area back on the map is one of New York's favourite sons, Robert De Niro.

His co-owned restaurant TriBeCa Grill, 375 Greenwich Street at Franklin Street, is a must – book early to avoid disappointment.

A great time of year to visit New York is in the fall. The heat of the summer has gone by early September, allowing you move about the city without needing to take a shower once an hour.

Spring is another favourite time to see the city at its best.

Of course, New York's museums, theatres, shops, sights and diverse culture can be enjoyed at any time of the year and in every season.

You'd be mad not to visit at least once in your lifetime.

Go once and you'll be hooked, I promise you that much.

Continental Airlines is the only trans-Atlantic carrier that serves the South West, flying from Bristol to New York. Return fares from Bristol to New York Newark in economy class are available from £334.20, including all taxes and charges.

Since the route's inception four years ago, more than 300,000 passengers have flown on the service and avoided London's congested airports.

For more information and to book tickets, visit www.continental.com/uk or call 08456 076760.

Located in New Jersey just 16 miles from midtown Manhattan, Newark Airport is ideally placed for onward travel into New York.

A train takes you from the airport to Penn Station for $11.55 (about £7) one way. A taxi from the airport to any Manhattan location would cost in the region of $50 to $75 (£30-£45).

The Hotel Beacon is located in New York's trendy Upper West Side. Prices for a one bedroom suite, which can accommodate up to four people, start at $245 (£145) per night, Sunday and Monday, or $295 (£175) per night Tuesday to Saturday. Email: reservations@beaconhotel.com. Website: www.beaconhotel.com