With its soaring skyline, legions of yellow taxis and glittering lights, New York City is the ultimate metropolis: big, brash and on the move 24/7. Yet, geographically speaking, Manhattan is quite compact. Everything you could possibly want to do or see is crammed into just 23.7 square miles – a kaleidoscope of attractions, restaurants, shops and arts for every taste and budget. And if that isn't daunting enough, there's more to discover in the outer boroughs, such as über-hip Brooklyn.
Buzzy Asian eaterie
Since the success of Momofuku Noodle Bar, sizzling-hot chef David Chang now has a trio of sleek, modern Korean eateries in the East Village (though it's almost impossible to score a table at tiny Momofuku Ko)....
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Classic shellfish spot
In the bowels of New York's landmark transport hub, the Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant is an unmissable classic – a fixture since 1913....
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A stronger UN for a better world
Step inside this 18-acre complex and you'll no longer be in New York City – the UN is technically international territory under the jurisdiction of member countries....
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50 gardens and plant collections
The serene 250 acres of the New York Botanical Garden comprise 50 gardens and plant collections, including the Rockefeller Rose Garden, the Everett Children's Adventure Garden and the last 50 original acres of a forest that once covered all of New York City....
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For art's sake
After a two-year redesign by Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi, MoMA reopened in 2004 with almost double the space to display some of the most impressive artworks from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries....
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Living history
As more than 40 per cent of New Yorkers are descended from someone who arrived at Ellis Island, a visit to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum offers valuable insight into the city....
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Gangway for young art dealers
Becky Smith's popular gallery has been on a steady rise since its move from Brooklyn....
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Hip designer department store
The city's trendiest department store, Barneys New York has a reputation for stocking new and unusual labels, both domestic and international....
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Deadly serious about drinks
The nattily-attired mixologists are deadly serious about drinks at Death & Company, this pseudo speakeasy with Gothic flair (don't be intimidated by the imposing wooden door)....
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Eclectic music venue
As you approach the entrance to Le Poisson Rouge (The Red Fish), note the vintage sign overhead: from the late 1950s until the early '90s, this was the site of the Village Gate, where such diverse talents as Nina Simone and Jimi Hendrix took to the stage....
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Hip downtown dance den
Santos Party House may not be the flashiest or most glamorous club in town, but the unassuming, two-floor space on the Tribeca/Chinatown border has been hailed by the nightlife cognoscenti as signalling the resurgence of the ailing underground Downtown dance scene....
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The show that's the pride of NYC
The Lion King began as an animated Disney film and has evolved into a unique, one-of-a-kind musical that over 50 million individuals from around the world have experienced....
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A Broadway's Tony Award®-winning classic
Performing at The Richard Rodgers Theatre, In The Heights is a musical that tells the universal story of a vibrant community in Manhattan's Washington Heights....
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