• Wednesday 03 February 2010

From the imposing figure of the Statue of Liberty to the flashing neon signs of Times Square, from the green oasis that is Central Park to the canyon-like streets full of yellow cabs, everything about New York seems familiar, even if you have never been there before. Like no other city, it has entered into our collective consciousness through a lifetime of images, yet no superlative can really do justice to its aggressive boldness. Sitting at the mouth of the Hudson River, New York is dividing into five boroughs, and Manhattan is the one that forms the heart of the city. Actually an island, Manhattan is much smaller than the first time visitor might imagine, and can be circled in just two to three hours on the famous Circle Line boat trip. Its isolation and compactness have give Manhattan a self-sufficiency and a character quiet distinct from the rest of the city. Each borough of New York is made up of neighbourhoods, often where various immigrant communities have congregated over the years and coloured the city with the particular feel of their homeland. Chinatown and Little Italy, for example, feel like opposite ends of the world, but in Manhattan they are separated by just the width of a street. Navigating the city's grid is relatively easy and the subway is easy to use, keep a subway map handy. Streets run east-west, avenues run north-south and the length of a block between two streets is usually much shorter than that between two avenues. Ironically, Manhattan's high-rise landscape is best seen from above to really appreciate the block after block of skycrapers that all but fill the island. The famous viewing platform on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building offers undoubtedly the best views of the whole city. New York throbs with energy both commercially, socially and culturally and because of this it is described as the "city that never sleeps". From the moment you arrive whether by air, sea or road, you will feel that energy and be infused with it until you must reluctantly tear yourself away. Six per cent of Manhattan is taken up by Central Park, which is a haven from the traffic noise and commotion although it's in the heart of the city. From its south-east corner you get a great view of the park against the backdrop of characteristic New York buildings on bustling Fifth Avenue, Just one more contrast in this city of extremes.