Bitesized guide: New York City

Arrive

Both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways fly direct to New York from London Heathrow or London Gatwick.

Why now?

New York celebrates the festive season with great effort. Join the 3 million-big crowd in Manhattan to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on 27 November, an annual event since 1924.

See

Don't miss the most important collection of modern art in the USA - the Museum of Modern Art covers a variety of media from the late 19th and 20th centuries, as well as touring exhibitions.

See the city from Brooklyn Bridge. Completed after 30 years of construction in 1883, the steel wire suspension bridge links Manhattan to Brooklyn over the East River. A mile-long wooden promenade, located above the car traffic, is open to pedestrians and cyclists.

Change up your regular museum viewing experience at the Guggenheim. The seven-storey conical building, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, has an open rotunda that makes many levels and exhibitions visible simultaneously. Visitors descend from the top floor on a continuous, circular ramp.

Do

Wrap up warm and take to The Rink at the Rockefeller Center (tel: 212 332 7654). Lessons are available for those who wish to display a more stylish technique.

Eat breakfast or lunch in one of New York's famous delis. The piles of meat, bagels and cheesecake will tempt visitors - as will the enormous sandwiches. Popular places include Carnegie Deli (tel: 212 757 2245) and Stage Deli (tel: 212 245 7850), both on Seventh Avenue.

Venture out of Manhattan and take a Brooklyn Bus Tour. The Pizza Tour takes in all of Brooklyn's famous and historical landmarks with regular stops at pizzerias along the way. The company also runs a Christmas Lights tour.

Top event

Watch the city's runners take to the streets on the first Sunday of November - the annual New York City Marathon is the largest in the world.

Did you know?

Garbage collectors remove 50,000 tonnes of trash from Manhattan every day.