There's no city on Earth quite like New York. While Paris works hard to keep itself elegant, Bangkok prevents the party from ever stopping, and Los Angeles offers a glimpses of movie stars, New York blends business with the arts, nightclubs with black tie restaurants, and a gritty urban landscape with some of the best city parks in the world. Like certain other cities in the world, New York is one of those that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.

Entire volumes have been written about New York's history, arts, and must-see destinations. What follows below barely scratches the surface of what New York has to offer, but at least hits a few of the city's major highlights.

Central Park

New York City is divided into five boroughs, of which Manhattan is the one which most visitors tend to stick to. From Wall Street, the epicentre of global economic boom and bust cycles, to the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan is what most people think of when they think New York. In the very heart of this bustling borough is Central Park, an 843 acre park that hosts around twenty-five million visitors every year. Inside Central Park, you can ride in a horse-drawn carriage, watch one of the many races that take place inside the park, take in a little Shakespeare at the annual New York Shakespeare Festival, listen to a concert, or go rock climbing. In Central Park, even though you're in the middle of one of the world's densest cities, you'll be surrounded by rolling green hills, ponds, fountains, and plenty of space to play.

Broadway

Speaking of plays, everyone visiting New York should make the effort to take in a Broadway show. A long avenue that runs the full length of Manhattan right into the Bronx, Broadway is lined with theatres, running live shows every day of the year. If you want to avoid the big crowds at night and on opening nights for new shows, try a matinee show, when you can enjoy a (relatively) uncrowded, less expensive show.

Greenwich Village

The lower west side of Manhattan is home to Greenwich village, which in the 19th and into the 20th century was known as the bohemian capital of America. It was in the Village that the Beat movement was born. Today, the neighbourhood has gentrified, but its still rich with culture and fantastic food. At night in the Village, you can still catch a cutting edge, avant garde film or two at an art house theatre, or visit a jazz club to recreate those Beatnik days.

Art Museums, Eating, and Nightlife

The Metropolitan Museum of Art ('the Met') and the Modern Museum of Art ('the MOMA') are the two most famous art museums in New York, but they're not the only ones. The Whitney and the Guggenheim, along with a plethora of other museums in all five boroughs provide such a rich experience of art that one could visit New York multiple times without seeing them all.

When all that art works up an appetite, you'll never be far from a unique restaurant. As the centre of America's cultural melting pot, you can eat like a true globetrotter without ever leaving one square block. From Jewish delicatessens to Jamaican fast food, New York City will never leave you hungry.

At night, after a day of lounging in Central Park, catching a Broadway show, and strolling through the Village, you can find any type of bar or nightclub to suit your preference. Whether you're looking for something upscale or something casual, New York City will never disappoint. Nightlife here is world-famous; after all, everyone knows that New York is the city that never sleeps.