So good they named it twice

Statue of Liberty
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Home to a hundred movies and every one of them with the classic sweep around the Statue of Liberty, it’d be rude not to pay a visit to the lady herself when you are in the city. Standing proud on Liberty Island and with no doubt, one hell of an arm ache, you need to get a ferry across to see her in her all her splendour. Most days you can climb up the monument to the observation level for a view of the Manhattan skyline unrivalled by even Mr Spielberg.

You also get to drop by Ellis Island on the same trip, where more than 20 million immigrants first entered the United States between 1892 -1924. Apparently half of all Americans can trace back their family tree to at least one person that passed through the Port of New York at Ellis Island. It’s certainly worth a visit to get away from the commercialism of modern America and for an insight into the story of US immigration. Plus the ferry over to Liberty Island goes there anyway, so why not?

NYC is pretty unique in that you can tailor it to suit your budget...

Me at the top of the Empire State Building
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So that’s must-see sights for the price of one ferry ride across to both islands. Normally it costs $7 to head across to see one of NYC most famous landmarks, but with the New York Pass, it’s free and you get to jump the queue at the ticket office. You do have to deal with a slightly mad book shop owner to get your ticket, but that’s a small price to pay. Plus it’s $7 saved that you can put towards one of those foam Statue of Liberty crowns - it’s got to be done, I’m afraid...

New York skyline
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Whilst in NYC, it’s important to look up every now and again. Sounds obvious, but with pretzels, bargain basement sales and the Naked Cowboy holding your interest at ground level, it’s all to easy to forget. When you do remember to look up, there will be one building that will dominate the scene no matter where you are in the city. The Empire State. A true testament to America’s preoccupation with doing everything bigger and better, heading up the observation deck on the 86th floor is really a must-do for NYC, if only to get a better idea of the scale and diversity of the city. To one side, skyscraper after skyscraper and to the next a blanket of green as far as the eye can see - Central Park. A breathtaking sight.

Me with the Wall Street Bull
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The New York Pass gives free access to the observation deck, but be prepared for at least half an hour of queues before you get there. Peak times are weekends and lunchtimes - I’d recommend early mornings (it opens at 9.30am) and last thing at night to see NYC bathed in neon. The last lift (I refuse to say elevator) goes up at 11.15pm and the observation deck closes at midnight.

The pass also gives you the opportunity to go on the New York Skyride within the Empire State building. I’d give this a miss though, unless you get some kind of perverse enjoyment from seeing movie stars doing even the most degrading things for money. Kevin Bacon narrates while you are seated in a simulator and taken on a ‘ride’ across NYC. The script is awful and the experience not worth the 30 minutes queuing time - on the plus side, it is free but that doesn’t make it right. And I thought Mr Bacon was bad in Hollow Man...

View from the top of the Empire State Building
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I also got to travel around in style while I was in town and one of the best ways to get up close to the skyline of NYC was a helicopter tour. Now this ain’t cheap - it costs around $108 per person to do the The Big Apple helicopter tour which takes you around lady Liberty, the Empire State, Central Park, Wall Street and the Chrysler building and lasts around 12 minutes. However, the New York Pass knocked 15% off this price which made it a little more bearable. An added extra is a free eavesdrop in on the pilots of the helicopters chatting to one another whilst they are in the air. Hearing them really thinking that they were Goose and Maverick from Top Gun made the hour-long wait pass a bit quicker.

Central Park
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Once you’ve done the helicopter bit, chances are you’ll be pretty broke. However, there is no need to throw a cap on the ground and get bodypoppin’ to Destiny’s Child like one group of guys I saw. There’s plenty of free stuff to do in the city. Like visiting the world-famous toy shop FAO Schwarz right next to Central Park on 5th Avenue. It was featured in the film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York as well as Big with Tom Hanks... and here’s the best bit of all. The enormous keyboard featured in the film is still there and you can play on it... for free! Just swipe away the toddlers, kick your shoes off and go running up and down the keys like a good ‘un Theres also thrice daily performances by the shops staff - but there’s no fun in that. Jump on and perform your own unique version of Chopsticks and don’t worry about the embarrassed looks from your friends... I didn’t.

Another great free thing to do is a walk through the only bit of green you will find in NYC. Getting yourself into the thick of the park, you can almost forget that you are in one of the busiest cities on the world. It’s also home to the Central Park Zoo which you can visit for free with the New York Pass. Plus, for only $4, you can pull on some ice skates and whizz around the park’s rink between the months of November and March. Or for $2 dollars, less bruises and no coordination needed, you can have a hot chocolate and watch others fall on their arses. Or asses, as the Americans say..

Finally, you can’t go to NYC without visiting the shops. There’s the biggest department store in the world, Macys on 34th Street, Bloomingdales on 59th and the legendary Tiffany’s jewellery store on 5th Ave. Realistically you aren’t going to be parting with much money is any of these places as they are all pretty pricey, but it’s nice to have a look. Prices in NYC are generally pretty similar to those on the UK, just remember to add tax on the price you see on the tag otherwise you could end up paying more than you expected for your purchases. However, you can pick up some good deals on sportswear, Ipods and other electronic stuff. Plus hotdogs from the street vendors are only $1... cheap at half the price and even better if you try not to think what’s actually in them.

NYC is pretty unique in that you can tailor it to suit your budget. From helicopter rides and limos to free tours, cheesy skyrides and slides on a giant keyboard, there’s plenty for everyone and the Americans are right to feel proud of such an amazing place. Yes, I admit it... I heart NYC. Just don’t expect me to buy a t-shirt, mug and baseball cap to prove it.