48 Hours in New York: hotels, restaurants and places to visit in the Big Apple

With new flights and endless new openings, spring is a great time to explore the city that never sleeps...

Why go now?

There's never a bad time to take a bite out of the Big Apple, but the gentle months of spring, sandwiched between bitter winter and sweltering summer, are when New York is at it's most welcoming. But there's more to entice you beyond the blissfully sunny days.

Touch down

New York is well connected from the UK, with multiple daily flights from London and direct links from a number of other cities. Flights land at either JFK Airport, 12 miles to the east of Manhattan, or at Newark International Airport, 16 miles away on the west side of the Hudson River in New Jersey.

British Airways launches a direct flight from Gatwick to JFK regularly, in addition to it's Heathrow routes to both JFK and Newark and London City business-class only route to JFK via Shannon.

Get your bearings

In 1785, New York become the nation's first capital, a tenure that lasted five short years. But that did little to suppress its rampant development, transforming from boggy swampland to mega metropolis in the late 19th century. Located to the north-east of the United Sates, New York is a city of five boroughs: Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island and, of course, Manhattan which is its beating heart. The island of concrete canyons was created by ruler-straight avenues that are now lined with skyscrapers that tickle the clouds, and is where most visitors spend the largest chunk of their time. Its neighbours each have distinct characteristics: fro money and commerce in Downtown and the bars and live music venues on the Lower East Side to fashion forward and arty SoHo and the monied Upper East Side.

Check in

The hotel scene in New York is fierce and competitive, with dozens opening each year and everything from old school luxury to intimate boutique boltholes and trendy budget options to choose from. These are among the best.

The Mandarin Oriental at 80 Columbus Circle not only offers luxury on the southwest corner of Central Park, but it's 35th-floor bar has wonderful views of the skyline.

Equally plush is the simply-styled Royalton Hotel at 44 West 44th Street, housed in a beautiful, century-old Midtown building.

Cheap but desirable gigs can be elusive in the Big Apple but the Yotel at 570 10th Avenue, close to Times Square fills the void nicely with small but stylish rooms. It also claims to have the largest terrace of any hotel in the city.

Day One

Take a view

The Empire State Building at 350 Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Centre at 45 Rockefeller Plaza are both excellent options for a sky-high overview of Manhattan, but the newest viewpoint is the One World Observatory on the 100th floor of the One World Trade Center. The viewing platform is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere opened last year and offers unrivalled panoramas from its Downtown location of Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Statue of Liberty.

Take a hike

Take the higher road by walking the High Line, a 2.5km stretch of elevated of freight tracks last used by trains in the 1980s that runs along the western flank of Manhattan. There are numerous entry and exit points at street level, but start at 34th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues for views of the Hudson train yards and walk south before finishing in the Meatpacking District at Gansevoort Street.

Lunch on the run

Chef Mare Meyer supports local farmers and produce at Tenth Avenue Cookshop, 156 10th Avenue. This seasonal lunch menu includes tasty salads and sandwiches. Tuck into one stuffed with fontina cheese with roasted broccoli and black olives in the busy dining room, decorated with verdant potted plants.

Window Shopping

Retail therapy doesn't get much better than in New York, where each neighbourhood promises a different experience. High-end shoppers will enjoy the luxury stores and creative window displays along 5th Avenue, home to everything from Apple to Tiffany; while SoHo, particularly Spring Street, is good for independent fashion designers and local hits such as Madewell and Etro. Better yet, visit the outdoor weekend Chelsea Flea Market at West 25th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue for 135 stalls ranging from vintage clothing to antiques.

Dine with the locals

The culinary scene in New York changes as fast as the billboards on Times Square. One of the newest is Brooklyn institute Speedy Romeo at 63 Clinton Street, which arrived on the Lower East Side in 2016. It's already proving popular thanks, in part, to its wood oven-fired Paul's Boutique pizza topped with pastrami from Katz's deli, dijon bechamel, smoked red cabbage, fontina cheese and 1000 island dressing.

Day Two

Sunday morning: out to brunch

There are a few things New Yorkers love more than brunch. The menu at Prune at 54 East 1st Street in the East Village, includes oven-cooked pancakes with pears, bacon and maple syrup and spicy stewed chickpeas with flatbread.

Go to church

America's largest Catholic church is located slap bang in the middle of Midtown Manhattan. St Patrick's Cathedral, directly opposite the Rockefeller Centre on Fifth Avenue is a neogothic masterpiece built during the Civil War long before its gleaming glass-fronted neighbours arrived. Inside you'll find beautiful stained glass windows by Charles Connick.

Cultural afternoon

Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue, is home to nine cultural hotspots including the Guggenheim at number 1071, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art at number 1000. One of the Mile's lesser-known but no less intriguing options is the Museum of the City of new York at number 1220, which charts the rise of the city. Art aficionados will enjoy the works on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art at 99 Gansevoot Street, which will exhibit a collection of Stuart Davis's work, known for his modernism work in the mid 20th century.

A walk in the park

Where else but Central park. One of the world's most famous patches of greenery was designed by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted and took shape in 1858. Walk the 58 miles of pathways, hire a rowboat on the lake or visit the Shakespeare Garden, a cosy spot blooming with plants and flowers featured in the Bard's work.

Take a ride

A recent bid to reduce noise pollution has seen the number of sightseeing helicopter flights cut, but they remain the ultimate way to see the city and appreciate the ingenuity of its urban planning. Flights are typically 15 minutes long and depart from different locations. including Pier at South Street in Downtown Manhattan. They are offered by a number of different companies; book in advance with attraction tickets to get the best deals.

The icing on the cake

It's no secret that Brooklyn is a borough on the up but give Williamsburg, the neighbourhood of the moment a miss in favour of the nearby Bushwick. An area in transition, its streets and independent coffee shops. The best place to eat? Roberta's at 261 Moore Street a pizzeria with an industrial themed terrace complete with shipping containers and tents draped with fairy lights.

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