From EJP Photo. Far better advice than “Get your new man to buy you something from Tiffany’s”.

To answer your question, I’d stay away from the tourist traps (Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, etc). They’ll suck up your time, they’re really not much to see up close, and you’ll only be hanging out with other tourists. I’d stick to the stuff you don’t need a ticket for - Times Square, Central Park, Washington Square Park*, walk the Brooklyn Bridge. What really defines NYC is the unique culture and diversity, and those are the kinds of places you’ll find the natives. The only exception I’d make to that is for the museums, of which there are many well worth experiencing. But eat the pizza (I recommend Grimaldi’s, under the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side), stop in bars, and check out anything that catches your eye.

Have fun!

Just over 12 weeks to go and I’m already so excited! I’ve always wanted to go to New York, and although I would have expected to spend a bit more time there, this just sounds so much fun. Alright, I admit, when H first told me his idea I thought it was a bit mad, then I thought why not? Life’s too short, pack in what you can . Just visiting for 24 hours makes the whole thing more of a challenge, just how much can we fit in? It’s going to be high-paced, non-stop fun for every single minute.

I’m keen to see some off-the-beaten-track sights, not just the tourist hotspots, get a feel of what a true 24 hour city has to offer. What things can we do through the night other than clubbing? I can’t wait to find out. Would love suggestions on what we really shouldn’t miss out on – please share and help us make this the best 24 hrs we’ll ever have.

Spending twenty four hours in New York has been the plan since I had this idea. In October 2008 we’ll be flying out of Heathrow on a Saturday morning, arriving in JFK just before midday. We’ll be flying out of JFK on the following Sunday evening. We’ll be on the ground in New York for about 30 hours, so that should give us plenty of time to get through immigration and in to the city, plus spare time for check-in on the return flight.

We’ve not planned the day yet - there’s plenty of time for that - but I figure the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, and the Statue of Liberty will be on the cards. Hopefully we’ll have time for a bit of Frizbee in Central Park at some point.