New York

Round‐the‐clock romance in the city that never sleeps

In a nutshell…

For romance with an edge what could be better than a trip to the city that never sleeps? The Big Apple offers round‐the‐clock entertainment and those skyscrapers offer heart‐stopping panoramic views to etch in your romantic memory. Down on the street there’s a constant buzz and a sense that anything goes ‐‐ whether you’re shopping on Fifth Avenue; enjoying the jazz bars of Greenwich Village, former home of the Beatnik poets; or wandering in Central Park with the joggers and skaters.

Magnetic attractions

• Empire State Building Take the lifts to the 102nd floor and your heart will be thumping even before you can take in the stupendous vista. The place where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks were reunited in Sleepless in Seattle, this is one to be savoured at dusk by lovers everywhere. Open ’til midnight.
• Algonquin Hotel Check out this famous old haunt of legendary wit Dorothy Parker and her New Yorker circle, for a few cocktails and some verbal banter with your partner.
• Statue of Liberty The Staten Island ferry will take you as close to the statue as you need to go, with a superb panoramic view of the New York skyline thrown in.
• Museum of Modern Art This temple to modernism contains some of the best modern art in the world, including the Monet water lilies. The sculpture garden is an oasis of tranquility in downtown Manhattan.
• Guggenheim Museum Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1943, this massive spiral staircase gallery will set your head spinning. The wonderfully stylish exhibition space is filled with works by Picasso, Klee and Kandinsky.

Romantic rendezvous

• Central Park Ice‐skating rink If you’re in New York in winter this is a dreamy, romantic setting (especially at night) and the perfect chance to demonstrate your spins and pirouettes. Afterwards, warm your heart with steaming hot chocolate. In summer, opt for a cuddled‐up horse‐drawn carriage tour instead.
• Tiffany’s Ten dollars doesn’t buy much in this store anymore, but just like Holly Golightly, you’re sure to find something you like.
• Coney Island If down‐at‐heel elegance stirs your soul, take a train to this 19th century amusement park, and go for a stroll down the boardwalk next to the beach.

Love bites and love potions

The possibilities for romantic dining in New York are endless. Try the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station for a lunch of New England clam chowder followed by a deliciously naughty dessert.

For cocktail hour, go to the fancy Schrager‐owned Royalton hotel for a martini. It’s the best hotel in New York to see and be seen in, with its very own catwalk‐like entrance to sashay down.

Share some oriental food at Hung Fat in Chinatown, before heading to Little Italy for a cannoli dessert at Ferrara’s. For another breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline, eat dinner at The River Café in Brooklyn, where good food to a live piano accompaniment makes for a perfect lovers’ night out.

Propose here

Atop the Empire State building, by night, with the glimmering vista of New York laid out in front of you. Where else?

To get you in the mood

Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s is perhaps the ultimate Big Apple romance, along with its film counterpart starring Audrey Hepburn. See, too, Sleepless in Seattle; Woody Allen’s Manhattan and Annie Hall; Sunday Afternoon in New York, with Jane Fonda; and Moonstruck, starring Nicholas Cage and Cher.

To get to know the place a bit better, take a look at Stephen Brook’s entertaining travelogue, New York Nights, New York Days.

Language of love

Happy annivoice’ry! = Happy anniversary

Well whaddya know! = Congratulations!

Luv yer assets! = I love you

Shall I have my attorney draw up the pre‐nup! = Will you marry me?

Stags and hens

Familiarise yourself with the city by taking a helicopter tour round Manhattan and look Lady Liberty right in the eye. Or charter the Petrel yacht, a 70ft racing yacht of teak and mahogany on which you can circle the Big Apple in style.

Alternatively, you can take in a little American religion by going to see the New York Yankees or the Mets play ‐‐ the season runs from April to October.