New York Introduction

If you're new to New York or it's been a while since your last visit, there are a few things you need to keep in mind to get the most out of your experience.

It's a city made for walking and going by subway, not by car. The major roads and intersections generally look like the scenes in a post-apocalyptic movie where everyone is fleeing at once in a gridlocked panic.

Stick to the pavement and avoid the delays and the road rage. Manhattan's street grid is easy to navigate once you grasp the arrangement of how major roadways line up with Central Park.

If you must travel by car, the famed cabs are everywhere and the drivers, contrary to their movie image, are quiet and very focused on getting you where you want to be.

The action is on the side streets, not the boulevards, so don't waste your time wading in the mainstream. Detour and be richly rewarded.

There's a paradoxical approach to money. People pay a premium to live here, but there are more interesting low-cost activities on at any hour than you can possibly take advantage of. However, if you want to splurge, you'll be in fine company. The best of the best is here, at a price.

And let's not forget the food. There are almost limitless options for eating, at all levels of quality. The foodie-celeb venues might be booked out for later sittings, but they're more than willing to squeeze in early diners. And there are plenty of non-celebrity venues worth prioritising. Even a visit to a gourmet deli here is sufficient to send most foodies into delirious orbit.

Last, expect to be confronted or astounded by some encounter, view, sound, sight or discovery at least once an hour. And don't pay any mind to the people all around you on the street, in shops and restaurants and on the subway talking to themselves. The city takes it all in stride, so just follow suit.