24hous in New York

24 HOURS IN NEW YORK BY KARIN JONES

INTRODUCTION WINTER in the big apple is glorious. Crisp, sunny days light up its major attractions, basking the Statue of Liberty in a soft winter glow, glinting off the skates of the ice skaters at the Rockefeller Centre and lighting up the sprinkling of snow that has stuck to the trees in Central Park. The city that never sleeps continues to offer visitors something new on every visit and the winter months can offer a completely different experience and take, on one of the worlds greatest citys.

WINTER in the big apple is glorious. Crisp, sunny days light up its major attractions, basking the Statue of Liberty in a soft winter glow, glinting off the skates of the ice skaters at the Rockefeller Centre and lighting up the sprinkling of snow that has stuck to the trees in Central Park.

AMERICAN BREAKFAST 9am: One of the coolest areas of New York these days is the Meat Packing district (known officially as Gansevoort Market). By night the area the area is alive with butchers and meat-cutters as many wholesale meat companies are still based there, but by day they make way for the models, magazine editors and Sarah Jessica Parker look-alikes.

Start the day at what is now dubbed a New York institution, Florents (www.restaurantflorent.com), a chic and quirky diner that is as good for its food as it is for people watching with its eclectic clientele. It was established way back in 1985 before the area went through its trendy revamp and has been serving customers 24-hours a day ever since. On Saturdays and Sunday mornings it is packed by 11am as people flock to do brunch and chill out over the days newspapers. Check it out 12 hours later and it is still buzzing with the in crowd, albeit a different selection of New Yorkers as it serves into the night.

WALKING TOUR 10am: Walk off the big American breakfast with a tour around the Meatpacking district. Interesting places to check out include Swiss furniture company, Vitra, which uses its 12,000 square foot showroom like a museum space and the Highline, a 75-year-old railway that hovers above the streets that has been preserved and will eventually become a 1.5-mile long public park. Some fashionable designers also have stores in the area including Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Yigal Azrouel.

FASHIONISTA 11am: Walk into Chelsea and the Garment District to visit the worlds biggest department store, Macys, and take advantage of the excellent dollar / pound exchange rate, which is the best its been for almost 10 years. This area was once one of the raunchiest parts of New York and in the early 19th century was filled with dance halls and bordellos. The arrival of Macys in 1901 changed all this and the streets around the store moved over for fashion. Wandering around the streets today you will still see men pushing trolleys piled high of clothes and be able to browse the shops fronts and see the many warehouses, proving that business is still booming here for the fashion trade.

SKY VIEW 12noon: The Empire State Building is in this part of town and offers a great opportunity to get up high to the viewing deck for a birds eye view over the whole of Manhattan. This is still New Yorks most famous skyscraper and has attracted around 90 million visitors since it first opened in 1931. Travel up the high speed lifts to the 86th floor to the observations decks where on a clear day you can see for around 80 miles all around the city.

LUNCH IN THE VILLAGE 2pm: Take a yellow cab down to Greenwich Village known locally simply as the Village. This is a bohemian pocket of New York, full of cosy cafes and trendy boutiques and is a great place to go for lunch. There are plenty of options from delis to bistros and coffee houses to diners, depending on how hungry you are.

Finish lunch and wander around the streets checking out some of New Yorks more unusual shopping options before popping into one the citys best discount designer store Fileness Basement. This is one of the USAs oldest and most famous off-price stores and has been selling fashions since 1908. There is a branch at 4 Union Square where you can browse a huge selection of clothes and shoes at rock bottom prices.

The Village is also a great place to hang out at night when the area comes alive with experimental theatres, music clubs and some of the best jazz venues in town.

CULTURE VULTURE 3pm: The Museum of Modern Art (or the MoMA as it is known locally) has recently been revamped and re-opened in its expanded and renovated building in the Midtown in November 2004, to commemorate its 75th anniversary. The Museum was founded in 1929 with an initial gift of just eight prints and one drawing, and has grown immensely over the years with now more than 150,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and photographs in its collection.

Obviously to view all the works could take weeks but it is worth popping in and wandering around the amazing building that has been designed by Yoshio Taniguchi and making a start. As with most museums of this scale this is one that can be re-visited each time you find yourself in New York and you will never get bored.

ICE SKATE AT THE ROCKEFELLER CENTRE 5pm: Outdoor ice-skating is one of the activities that epitomises the city in winter. Sophisticated New Yorkers don their smartest winter gear and mingle with the towns visitors for a gentle glide around the rink. The dark evenings are a particularly nice time for this with romantic twinkling lights providing the backdrop.

The rink at the Rockefeller Centre is one of the most famous in the world and has been used in several films. It is open till 10.30pm midweek and 12midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Entrance fees are $9 in the week and $13 on Fridays Sundays and it is open seven-days a week until early April. Warm up afterwards with a hot chocolate or a brandy in one of the many cafes and bars that are close by.

DINNER 8pm: A great place for dinner is the Cit Grill (120W 51st Street) this restaurant is known for its popular wine-dinner that kicks in after 8pm that has been a tradition for 13-years. Situated in the theatre district this steakhouse offers a three-course prix fixe menu including all the wine you can drink for $69.

The food is excellent from jumbo shrimps to grilled foie gras for starters to huge steaks and a good range of fish dishes for mains. The wine is also surprisingly good and flows endlessly with the waiters not being stingy in the slightest. The restaurant has a great atmosphere and as expected is always busy, so its best to book. Check out their web site at www.citerestaurant.com for menus and location before you go.

DRINKS 10pm: For lovers of champagne, Flute Gramercy at 40 East 20th Street is an ideal place for after dinner drinks. Small and intimate with plenty of candle-lit nooks and crannies to sit in they have one of the most extensive champagne lists in New York. There are around 100 different bottles to choose from, with around 15 that can be served by the glass from a reasonable $9. They also serve top shelf cocktails, fine wines and some beers. If you are around on a Tuesday evening time your visit for the champagne happy hour from 5-8pm.

LATE NIGHT LOUNGE 12midnight: If more drinks are the order of the evening with a spot of dancing thrown in then head down to Bleecker Street in Soho and late night lounge bar Table 50. This underground bar has the confident air of a 1920s speakeasy and lacks the pretension of some of New Yorks other late night establishments. The crowd is funky and friendly and once past the large doorman you can groove away to the DJs pulsating house and techno beats till the early hours. The clubs interesting name refers to well-known New York gossip columnist Walter Winchells table at the Stork Clubs exclusive Cub Room.

FACTBOX This holiday can be booked through travel company Flight Centre. For further information and reservations contact Flight Centre on 0870 499 0042 (www.flightcentre.co.uk)