New York still has star quality

IT is like a gigantic movie set.

That is what friends said to me when I told them I was flying to New York City.

They were right, but it is so much more besides.

Ever since I was entranced by the great New York films of the 1970s - Klute, The French Connection, The Godfather, Annie Hall, Marathon Man, Taxi Driver - NYC had been on my wish list of cities to visit. This was my first trip, but it won't be my last.

Strolling through the John Lennon memorial gardens to the lake in Central Park, or bar hopping in Greenwich Village, I had the recurrent feeling that I had been here before. Even on the transfer from Newark Liberty International Airport into the city centre, which is a quick hop on the AirTrain to Airport Station then a 30 minute train ride, felt like a journey I had made a hundred times before. Perhaps it was all those hours spent watching DVDs of Tony Soprano making his regular 'business' trips from New Jersey to NYC.

But New York is more than just a backdrop for iconic movies and TV series. It was THE business and leisure destination 100 years ago, and it still is today.

The steam that puffs from orange and white chimneys on the tarmac of Manhattan like Mad Men's Don Draper exhaling smoke from a Marlboro epitomises the restless energy of this city. Everyone I speak to during my visit is brimming with life and a determination to succeed. From Tom Travers, the charming general manager of the Hotel Beacon NYC in the historic Upper West Side, which is my home for three nights, to the Irish/American bar tenders of Midtown, this is a place where the residents give everything of themselves.

As a visitor you need to throw yourself headlong into the New York experience to get the most out of it. Whatever you ask of this place - food, shopping, nightlife, business, sport, culture - it repays you in bucket loads, and leaves you yearning for more.

New Yorkers have a reputation for being brash and opinionated. Chat show host Johnny Carson reckoned if four New Yorkers got into a cab together without arguing then a bank robbery had just taken place. But if you love sharp wit and lively banter you'll find the natives of Gotham brilliant company.

Take James (Jimmy) Canora, one time private chef to Robert De Niro, who joins us for a pre dinner cocktail at Delmonico's Kitchen, an offshoot of a legendary New York eatery, which, if Chef Jimmy is to believed, invented everything from Baked Alaska to baked potatoes. The bragging and the portion sizes are both whopping in this town.

Chef Jimmy was one of a group of culinary experts tasked with taking United Airline’s in-flight dining experience to new heights. Back on terra firma he recommends almost everything on the Delmonico's menu, but the undeniable star of the show is the house steak. At $48 (£32) it's not cheap, but it is easily the best piece of meat I have tasted in my life. You can see why American diners think nothing of asking the waiter to wrap up leftovers in a tinfoil doggy bag. The food here is far too good to leave behind.

On the previous evening we take a bite at Molly Shebeen, an Irish pub with sawdust on the floor and a log-burning fireplace, that serves hearty fare such as burgers, shepherd’s pie and Irish stew at around $18 (£12) each. If you're lucky you'll get to craic with co owner Pete O'Connell, from County Meath, who'll recount tales of close shaves with the cops when he was trying to earn a fast buck in the Big Apple during the 1960s. The pub's name - a Shebeen is an illegal drinking establishment - takes on an extra dimension after you've supped a Guinness or three with Pete.

We leave the heaving bar for a head-clearing trip to the top of the Empire State Building. Even at 10.00pm the snaking queue of tourists means it takes an hour to reach the final elevator to the summit. But the sight of New York lit up in all its bejewelled glory reminds you why it has inspired some of the greatest novels, songs and films of all time. As I gaze at one of the most famous skylines in the world I remember the opening lines of Woody Allen's Manhattan - "He adored New York City. He idolised it all out of proportion." It's easy to see what he meant.

Here are a couple of tips if you want to enjoy views of the city but would rather avoid the crowds. Head over to the art deco splendour of the Rockefeller Centre on West 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, where the Top of the Rock observation deck affords a stunning 360 degree cityscape, which includes views of the Empire State Building. There is a swanky bar and cocktail lounge on the Rockefeller's 65th floor where you can sip a Manhattan and gaze out at the place itself. If roof top bars are your thing - and surely they are everybody's thing - then visit 230 Fifth where on chilly nights they lend you a red velour robe so you can rock the Hugh Hefner look while you take the sting from a gin and tonic.

Another smart idea is to buy a New York City Pass. For $114 (£76) you save 42 per cent off admission to must-see attractions, including The Empire State, Top of the Rock, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the 9/11 Memorial, and some world class museums.

Considering its size, New York is remarkably easy to get around. The subway system is great, albeit a bit scruffy, and it's hard to resist hailing a yellow cab, but the grid of avenues and streets mean you soon feel confident enough to go for a wander. After visiting the 9/11 memorial I cross Wall Street into the Tribeca and Soho districts, once havens for artists but now occupied by marble-fronted designer stores and apartment blocks for the mega rich. Justin Timberlake, David Bowie and Alicia Keys have homes here among the beautiful 19th century buildings clad with cast iron facades. The gentrification has no doubt robbed these areas of bohemian edge, but for visitors from the UK it means you feel safe and secure navigating the streets.

Beer Authority, a short walk from Times Square, boasts a 63 ft mahogany bar, a vast choice of draught beers, and thumping music. It is a lively place to enjoy more man-versus-food servings, with main meals priced around $16 (£11).

Back at the peaceful haven of the Beacon Hotel NYC, where the Dalai Lama stays when he is in town, manager Tom tells me about the local etiquette when star spotting. "We ignore them," he says. "That's why so many famous people feel comfortable living in this city. New Yorkers are way too cool to make a fuss when they see a big movie star."

This city might be a gigantic film set, but the people on its streets are very much the real deal.

FROM Newcastle International Airport, United Airlines flies five times weekly non-stop to its hub at New York/Newark from May 23 to September 7, with onward connections to more than 300 destinations throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, including more than 100 served non-stop.

Return fares Newcastle to New York/Newark in economy start from £518.19 (including taxes) and in business first from from £2,685.19 (including taxes). If you can afford it the service, food, comfort and ambience in business first is worth every penny. 

Visit www.united.com or call 0845 8 444 777.

For more information on visiting New York City go to www.nycgo.com