New York City Travel Guide

The ultimate city destination, New York has a diversity of districts and a thrilling buzz that could take a lifetime to fully explore. Midtown and Lower and Upper East Side hotels are all about grandeur – be it historic, modern or functional. Union Square pulls in the crowds thanks to its pivotal location. And hotels in Soho and Greenwich Village lead the pack in the style stakes.

Epitomized by the Empire State Building Midtown also includes Hell's Kitchen, the Diamond District and Times Square, and is the area rendered iconic in films and TV series. There's shopping at Sak's and Bloomingdale's, modern art at MOMA, and dining anywhere from sushi bars to a German brasserie. Midtown accommodation ranges from classic luxury hotels with marble and chandeliers, to modern chic hotels – ideal after a hard day's sightseeing or business.

Off Broadway, Union Square is a busy intersection with excellent transport links. In Union Square Park, New Yorkers buy food direct from farmers at the Greenmarket. This area has a reputation as something of an eco-village, with free yoga in the park and organic dishes served at the Union Square café. Sightseeing is definitely on the cards for visitors staying at a Union Square hotel – budget chic or boutique style, it's up to you.

Pastrami sandwiches and pickles reign supreme in the Lower East Side. Visit Katz's Delicatessen (founded in 1888), or explore the trendy boutiques and nightspots of Orchard Street. The Upper East Side is more ostentatiously affluent. Drink in culture on Museum Mile (the nine museums lining Fifth Avenue) and admire the elegant brownstones on Madison or Lexington Avenues. East Side hotels are both grand and hip - ideal for sightseeing trips with some added romance.

Celebrities have replaced the starving artists formerly in evidence in the bohemian streets of SoHo. The warehouses are now fabulous loft apartments, and erstwhile cafés are designer boutiques. Adjacent Greenwich Village is a wealthy residential zone, supporting the performing arts and the gay community. Style-seeking visitors on shopping trips will be impressed by both the area and the small (but perfectly formed) hotels in SoHo and Greenwich Village, beloved of the rich and famous.