For those people that think they can visit the top American city for a long weekend, think again, as you will be hard pushed to see everything it has to offer in seven days in New York. For those people that enjoy a view it would be foolish to miss out on the Empire State Building. There is of course some competition between the Empire State Building and the If you want to see The Statue of Liberty but are short on time then have the ferry drop you at Ellis Island (the former immigration center) where great views are to be had.

The Staten Island ferry can still be traveled on without cost and can offer excellent photo opportunities of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty; this is also a great place to spend some time enjoying the talents of local (almost professional) street entertainers. Without going to the site of where the World Trade Center Towers used to be no seven day visit to New York would feel right. It is true to say that the location does affect people emotionally and until you are there, it is hard to imagine just how much space was taken up by the Twin Towers. The reason many people travel all the way to New York, even for a weekend, is for the stores and you can pop along to Tiffany’s or look for bargains around Broadway and Lower East Side.

Bloomingdales is another famous store (for the wealthy) to look around but it is Maceys, who will give 11 percent discount on production of a tourist card where most people will head for. The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum will also be worth visiting late next year when it re-opens after a period of refurbishment; if you’re going to be there next year it will be a worthwhile place to see. The center piece is the World War II aircraft carrier Intrepid, packed with historic aircraft including Concorde, a destroyer and a submarine but be prepared for a size test if you want to enter the sub Growler. It is also worth a visit to the New York City Police Museum and whilst the museum does not have an entrance fee, five dollar donations are generously accepted; all sorts of items are on display here and it’s a great place for souvenirs.

The Lower East Side also has a very large time capsule called The Lower East There is more history in the City of New York Museum on Central Park which holds exhibitions of the past, present and future. The museum is in a beautiful building which is free to enter but a nine dollar donation is normally given with plenty of souvenirs available. For such a large vibrant city, seven days in New York should be viewed as minimum if most of the major attractions are to be seen comfortably and not as part of a ‘whistle stop’ tour.