Seven days in New York City is just enough time to taste the best and still have plenty of energy left to play hard in the city that never sleeps. It may be a very busy visitor attraction but you couldn't visit New York without seeing the Empire State Building. The Top of the Rockefeller Center probably has the better view and who's arguing at more than 250m up, but expect to queue and be prepared for times when you cannot see anything in bad weather. Taking a ferry trip and stopping off at the former immigration center on Ellis Island will allow great views of the Statue of Liberty without the long delays that have been normal since 9/11.

Fortunately, the Staten Island ferry is still free and can provide great views of the Statue of Liberty; dropping off at the terminal is the best place because it is where there are some good street artists. Of course almost everyone who spends seven days in New York City will, at some pint, make their way to the site of where the Twin Towers once stood. The area where they stood is surprisingly large plus the emptiness feels strange and if you like taking photographs, you may be disappointed here because it just doesn't feel right. World famous stores are plentiful in New York with names like Tiffany's to the many discount stores along Broadway.

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. At the time of writing the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum was closed for refurbishment but should be open by the fall of 2008; once the refurbishment is complete it will be worth visiting when it re-opens. Many special (and large) craft are located here including a number from World War II, namely the aircraft carrier the USS Intrepid. The New York City Police Museum is worth an hour if you're down that way; it's free to enter but a five dollar donation is recommended to help with its upkeep; because it's about New York's finest (and some not so fine), it has some really excellent NYPD souvenirs.

After that why not visit the Lower East Side Tenement Museum as it's a time capsule of migrant New York built in 1864 and was a grim home for waves of immigrants; it's what made America great (and appalling for a time). For a step back in time it worth going to Central Park where the New York Museum is located; this is an exhibition of many periods relating to the life of The Big Apple.

There is a huge amount to see and do in this city and if you are staying anything less than seven days in New York, you will hardly scratch the surface!

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