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Residents rallied to save a historic rail line in Chelsea – and in 2009, it debuted as the High Line. It’s a destination as much for nature (there are 15 garden zones) as for its unique perspective on city life. Adding to the appeal are art installations, live performances and food trucks.

New York got a new neighbourhood in 2019 with the opening of Hudson Yards. Eye-popping architecture includes the beehive-like Vessel and Edge, a 345-metre-high observation deck with a champagne bar and city views encompassing the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty.

Central Park is a 340-hectare playground at the heart of Manhattan. Rent a paddleboat at the Loeb Boathouse; stroll along Bethesda Terrace; ice skate at Wollman Rink; observe feedings at Central Park Zoo; spot migratory birds at the reservoir; catch summertime Shakespeare performances at the Delacorte Theater; and much more.

Hunt for vintage clothes, handmade jewellery, furniture and crafts at the Brooklyn Flea weekend market. Alternatively, find tasty treats at Smorgasburg, a one-stop destination to eat your way around the world: think takoyaki octopus balls, jerk chicken, Peking duck dumplings and Mexican ice pops.

If you haven’t munched a slice of pizza - have you even travelled to New York? Cheesy, easy to fold, cooked in a gas oven and sold cheap by the slice: these criteria have defined New York-style pizza since at least the 1950s, and Joe’s Pizza and Sal and Carmine are two standard bearers.

Art lovers are spoilt for choice along Fifth Avenue. The Met’s encyclopedic collection includes everything from Greek sculptures to Chinese paintings, while The Guggenheim is as famous for Frank Lloyd Wright’s spiralling design as its modern masterpieces. Meanwhile The Frick Collection showcases Old Master paintings and 18th-century French furniture.

A marvel of 19th-century engineering, the Brooklyn Bridge is a classic New York attraction. It’s a pleasant 20-minute stroll from lower Manhattan across the East River, where you can explore the beautifully landscaped waterfront Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Immigrants travelling to New York often passed through Ellis Island and landed on the Lower East Side. The Tenement Museum’s guided tours illuminate their experience. Many set up small businesses: like Katz’s Delicatessen, est. 1888, which built its reputation on corned beef and pastrami on rye – and was then immortalised in When Harry Met Sally.

Gramercy Tavern has enticed locals with its elevated comfort food since 1994. Choose between the buzzing bar area or the dining room’s seasonal set menus. Keens Steakhouse has even more historic bona fides – the wood-panelled dining rooms are full of memorabilia, including clay pipes once reserved for regulars like Teddy Roosevelt and Babe Ruth.

Manhattan’s Chinatown is home to one of America’s oldest dim sum spots, Nom Wah Tea Parlor, while around the corner is the famous Wing On Wo & Co. porcelain shop. True foodies should head to the Chinatown in Flushing, Queens, with street stalls and restaurants specialising in everything from Sichuan mapo tofu to Taiwanese meatballs.

The Strand (est. 1927) is the biggest and best-known of New York’s indie bookstores, with about 2.5 million volumes and plenty of events. Uptown, Albertine showcases America’s largest collection of translated French literature. It’s worth popping in just to marvel at the gorgeous deep-blue ceiling, painted with celestial motifs.

Monet's water lilies are among the crowd-pleasers at the Museum of Modern Art – MoMA. Shop for covetable goods at the MoMa Design Store or head to the MoMA PS1 exhibition space in Queens for more current and experimental art.