Description

New York is known as the ‘city that never sleeps’. Though it is made up of five different boroughs called The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan, inevitably, visitors are attracted to Manhattan. It is very difficult for a visitor to cover all the attractions and experiences of New York in a single visit. The pace of the city is very high, with its 24/7 pasta restaurants, full of life Chinatown and Broadway theatres etc. which keeps people always on their toes. New York has a plethora of galleries, clubs, museums, bars and parks. It is the most densely populated, multi-cultural city with the tallest buildings and sky-scrapers like the Empire State Building and ‘Statue of Liberty’ to the sprawling Central Park.

Shopping

Shopping in New York is extensive but there are some chief rain-and-snow-proof destinations where visitors can go like, Smith Street, Time Warner Center, Grand Central and Bleeker Street which are equipped with ATMs, Snack-bars, rest-rooms, bars and restaurants and gift-wrapping facilities. The crowded side-walks of Chinatown offer both visitors and residents a wide range of restaurants, shops, and fruit and fish markets in its winding alleys. A visitor will also get to see a mind-boggling range of designer wear and boutiques to choose from.

Restaurants

Restaurants in New York range from Shanghai-style restaurants in Chinatown like Dim Sum Go Go, East Corner Wonton and Evergreen to Demonico’s which is a Wall Street landmark. Tribeca Grill is a classic New York social gathering place, ideal for celebrity spotting and is co-owned by Robert de Nero. Nobu can be visited for a taste of Japanese cooking and Gramercy Tavern has a lively bar and a series of formal dining areas at the back. Washington Park and Daniel require reservations. For Daniel’s, the reservations have to be done up to a month in advance. Junk food like hot dogs, fish and chips, vegetarian hot dogs, Tofu sandwiches and coconut-curry sauce with rice are popular at the ‘Schnack’ restaurant.

Night Life

New York City is the ‘hub’ of nightclubs, dance clubs, Jazz clubs and late night hangouts like bars, pubs, dining, pool halls and bowling alleys. Comedy clubs and lounges like sports bars to dance halls with VIP rooms also are present here where a person can sit comfortably and drink and listen to music. Some of the popular nightclubs and bars in New York are Pink Elephant, Hi Fi, Prey Bar and Lounge, Uptown Lounge, Social, The Big Easy etc.

Activities

The Central Park in New York offers a variety of activities from jogging, biking, ice-skating, sun bathing to yachting. The 843-acre rectangular park also has a zoo in it. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has over 2 million works of art and organizes walking tours. The unicorn Tapestries are worth seeing.

Communications

The international access code for USA is +1. The outgoing code is 011, followed by the relevant country code. Plenty of pay phones are available throughout the country. Cingular and T-Mobile are the largest mobile operators and cover the entire nation. Internet is widely available.

Contacts

Consulate in UK: United States Embassy, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7499 9000
Consulate in Canada: United States Embassy, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 238 5335
Consulate in Australia: United States Embassy, Canberra, Australia: +61 (0)2 6214 5600
Consulate in South Africa: United States Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 342 1048
UK Embassy or Consulate: British Embassy, Washington DC: +1 202 588 6500
Canadian Consulate: Canadian Embassy, Washington DC: +1 202 682 1740
Australian Consulate: Australian Embassy, Washington DC: +1 202 797 3000
South African Consulate: South African Embassy, Washington DC: +1 202 232 4400

Currency

USD

Attractions

The Statue of Liberty is a 450 thousand pound gift from the French to New York. The sights of the harbor from the observation deck are matchless. The Empire State Building is the ninth tallest building in the world and the fastest built skyscraper at 4.5 stories per week. The Grand Terminal, Trinity Church, Staten Island Ferry, Solomon R.Guggenheim Museum, The Frick Collection etc. are some of the attractions in New York. Visitors can best enjoy the city’s sights and sounds by taking a helicopter flight over the Statue of Liberty or watch a Broadway show. They can take a drive along the uptown and downtown loops on the Gray line sightseeing buses or take a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central park to get a closer feel of the city.

Language

English

Language Description

English is the official language of the country. Spanish is taught as the second language in most schools. French, German and Italian speaking population are also widely present.

Tipping

15% tip is expected by most services, including waiters, driver and bartenders. In the more expensive hotels a 15% charge is added onto the bill, so there is no need to tip extra. Tipping is not necessary in self catering restaurants and fact food joints.