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Things to do in New York City

Cut loose and climb New York

For avid climbers, New York has great indoor walls to grapple with. In Manhattan, the best place to climb is at the Sports Center Climbing Wall (tel: +1 212 336 6000; www.chelseapiers.com). Brooklyn has a wider range of options: Brooklyn Boulders (tel: 347 834 9066; www.brooklynboulders.com) boasts 2,044sq m (22,000sq ft) of climbing surfaces and beginner classes.

Lose the crowds and hike Central Park

New York is very much a walking city and ripe for urban hiking, but if you want to surround yourself with nature then head to Central Park for some solitude. Appropriately named, The Ramble makes for a good hike and birdwatching, whilst the waters edge at Harlem Meer offers tranquillity.

Navigate the city's seas from a sailboat

Local sailing schools offer the chance to admire New York from the water. Manhattan Sailing School (tel: +1 212 786 0400; www.sailmanhattan.com) charters boats in the city or you can enjoy a range of classes, including a weekend-long, learn-to-sail course. Out on Long Island, the New York Sailing School (tel: +1 914 235 6052; www.nyss.com) has a good selection of programmes and vessels.

Paddle to the Statue of Liberty

New York is surrounded by water, so for an adventurous alternative to harbour tours, try kayaking. The Manhattan Kayak Company (tel: +1 212 924 1788; www.manhattankayak.com) runs group tours, including easy paddles across the Hudson River, intermediate trips out to the Statue of Liberty and advanced 80 km (50 miles) courses that circumnavigate the island of Manhattan.

Race round the rink at the Rockefeller Center

In the winter months, New Yorkers love getting their ice skates on. Join them at the Rockefeller Center's ice rink (tel: +1 212 332 6868; www.rockefellercenter.com) or the much-visited rinks at Central Park (www.centralparknyc.org) and Bryant Park. If the weather is less than ideal, Riverbank Park on the Hudson River has a covered rink too.

A digital image at https://illuminoto.com

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The Greenwich Hotel

This hip downtown spot fills a renovated historic building in the Tribeca neighbourhood. From the eclectic lobby with its comfy chairs and imported Moroccan screens, to the luxurious bathrooms featuring Carrara marble and hand-laid Turkish tiles, you'll feel a rich combination of style and decadence.

Crosby Street Hotel

This chic downtown hotel features 86 individually designed guestrooms and suites, all with floor-to-ceiling windows, original artwork and a stylish contemporary design. Guests also enjoy the leafy garden, the private screening room and a whimsically designed bar. The hotel is beautifully located on a cobblestone street just a short stroll from the great dining and shopping in Soho and Nolita.

Ye Olde Carlton Arms Hotel

A somewhat divisive 'art' hotel that lots of people really love for its location and pricing, but which you're going to dislike if you're humourless, or are a stickler for high levels of cleanliness. The rooms are individually designed with striking, and sometimes shocking, motifs, and the casual air recalls a backpacker's hostel but with individual rooms. Bohemian, definitely.

Lowell Hotel

New York hotels don't come too much classier than this 1927 landmark building, set on a leafy street in one of the Upper East Side's most fashionable spots. Discreet and aristocratic, the liveried doormen escort you to opulent rooms crammed with period furniture and antique décor. It manages to retain an understated air, though, and is the ultimate retreat for those that can afford it.

The Paramount

There is nothing traditional about The Paramount, a post-modern showplace. For example, in the entrance, red roses are displayed vertically in vases set into the wall. The lobby bar, designed by Philippe Starck, has platinum walls and a glamorous staircase sweeping up to the mezzanine. Guests can gaze down from their tables to the music and theatre industry leaders reclining on the slightly off-kilter furniture below.

The Gershwin

Not far from the much-photographed Flatiron Building is The Evelyn, set in a historic building that has housed one hotel after the other since 1905. Recently renovated rooms feature soft cocoa colour schemes, crisp white linens and spacious bathrooms, and the location is superbly central.