Lonely Planet Best of New York City

Epicenter of the arts. Dining and shopping capital. Center of international commerce. Trendsetter in fashion and design. One of the worlds greatest cities, New York wears many crowns, and spreads an irresistible feast for all.

Few other destinations can compete with NYC or even Manhattan alone for its breadth of worldclass attractions and genuine icons. Around 65 million visitors a year flock here to feel like theyre on a movie set by scaling the Empire State, passing through Grand Central Terminal, strolling Central Park or catching the ferry to Lady Liberty. Theres the Met, MoMA and the Guggenheim just the beginning of a dizzying list of art-world icons. Then when the sun sinks slowly beyond the Hudson and luminous skyscrapers light up the night, New York transforms into one grand stage. Got time for more? Well youre in for a treat.

If you can dream it up, its probably happening somewhere in New York. With its compact size and streets packed with eye candy of all sorts architectural treasures, retro diners, atmospheric booksellers NYC is a wanderers delight. Crossing continents is as easy as walking a few avenues in this jumbled city of 200-plus nationalities.

You can lose yourself in the crowds of Chinatown amid bright Buddhist temples and steaming noodle shops, then stroll up to Nolita for fancy boutiques and coffee-tasting. Every neighborhood offers a dramatically different version of the city, from the 100-year-old Jewish delis of the Upper West Side to the meandering cobblestone lanes of Greenwich Village. It should come as no surprise that such diversity makes New York one of the worlds best places to eat, drink and play.