magicmentalist (7)

New York City is THE city, it's got its reputation and it's always the one place I'm excited about visiting when being sent on a business trip there. Every visit is different and the city is constantly changing, there is so much to do and see that it makes you want to cancel your meetings!

It's one of those cities that on your first visit can be pretty daunting, so I thought I'd pop together a couple of tips that can help you on your first visit.

Leaving or Departing the City
JFK is normally my airport of choice but there's really not much in it. The easiest way into the city is to jump in a yellow cab, it costs a $45 flat rate, plus tips and tolls. Upon making your way to the taxi line you'll be offered all sorts of bus and limo services, ignore them, it's only the cabs that are properly licenced for this. You can of course also book your own car, I do this for the return back to the airport using Dial 7 who charge a decent rate and use fairly new sedans.

Accommodation
New York has so many hotels, so find one that's close to where you're going to be based. I normally use The London, which is well located on West 54th street, not far from the park and Times Square. It's a lovely new hotel with one of the best concierges in town. It's also home to Gordon Ramsey's restaurant, which is perfect for that dinner on expenses... But if you're paying yourself, go at lunch time, same food, half the price. Yum yum.

Foodies
You could write a book on the places to eat in New York… in fact, hundreds of books are already out there, but for my money the top places for a business lunch or dinner are: Gordon Ramsey at The London, The River Café in Brooklyn, Prune for Brunch in The East Village and The Spotted Pig in the West Village. The Spotted Pig is probably the best Gastro Pub in New York, and a perfect places for fans of meat! The River Café has a simple but beautiful menu and offers incredible views over the river to downtown NYC… ask for a window table. Gordon Ramsey I've mentioned above and Prune is a delightful little local place that does THE best brunch in the city in my view... Complete with a huge menu of Bloody Marys. Get there early though or be prepared to wait an hour or so. Just down the road from Prune is Katz Deli which is always rammed and a classic NY food experience - give it a go.

Off Time
If you're not too busy then why not pick up a jogging map from your hotel concierge and take a run round the park to stay in shape. I also love going to the Top Of The Rock at the Rockefeller Building, giving you stunning views of the city and especially usefully in getting to know it in your head if you’re a first time visitor. You can see where everything is and get a rough idea of distances. 5th Avenue is probably your best place for shopping with plenty of places to visit, including the maddening Abercrombie and Fitch which will give you a headache. But you can get your stuff much cheaper from there than in the UK. Department store-wise I find Bloomingdales always serves me best. Don't forget to go shopping in the village as well, Spring Street has some classic locations where you can find the most random of things. If you get a chance to see a Broadway show, rock up to the TKTS half price booth in Times Square and get into a show on the cheap. Spring Awakening seems to be one of the best shows on at the moment. And if you're there on a Friday you can pop into many of the big museums for free, MoMA being a great one to kill a few hours in.

The best thing about New York is that there is always something new, and it's the one place I've never got bored in despite many business trips. So make the most of it.

The wife wants a few nice handbags brought back, but you've not really got enough money to get all the designer gear… never mind, head to Karama, home of all the fakes you could ever want. Be prepared for a very strange experience, as you go into shops and are asked if you want bags or watches, and then are led up to hidden back rooms above and under stores, and are treated to a moutain of fake designer goods. They have everything, watches, belts, bags, clothes - you name it, they've got it. I'm not a big fan of fake stuff, but they have some real quality merchandise, that'll keep the wife and the bank manager very happy. Make sure you haggle with them though, they'll try charge you through the roof, so have a good go at haggling away, you salesmen will get their prices down by half easy.

Got a few hours off and don't want to sit in the sun? Then go to the snow. You know that huge silver bit you see jetting off of the Mall Of The Emirates when you zoom past in a cab, well that my friends, is a ski slope, with real snow and everything. A great way to kill time, and get your practice in for your next visit to the slopes, is to go to Ski Dubai and spend an hour or two zipping your way down their real snow slopes. There are two runs, a fairly mild blue/red and a black (which is more red than anything else!) and plenty of space for beginners to learn on the nursery slope area. They provide all the kit except hats and socks… so bring some with you, even though it's weird putting them in the suitcase to visit the desert, or you can buy them there. Go get completely weirded out and go from 40 degrees to minus 2 in the space of a few footsteps.

A little hidden gem in Greenwich Village is Prune, a cosy neighbourhood restaurant that does the best brunch in New York, perfect for a Sunday morning in the city (yes some of us go there at weekends for business as well!) I've taken clients to this place a few times, and they're always impressed, as it feels like you really know the area, and feels like a real part of New York. It does get VERY busy for Sunday brunch so the earlier the better (I've arrived there before at midday on a Sunday to be told it was a 2 hour wait) - the wait however is worth it. This tiny little restaurant has a huge list of bloody marys and a delightful selection of brunch items which'll knock your socks off. I'm a big fan of their pear pancake. A little New York experience which may be small in stature but is huge on taste.

One of the amazing things about New York is that the city is so iconic, yes it's the old cliché - we've all been there 100 times before in films and movies. The best way to appreciate the city is from a high vantage point, so if you've got an hour or so spare, then a trip up to the Top Of The Rock is great. At the top of the Rockafeller Centre you get the most stunning view of the city, without the madness and crowds and tacky tourist nature of the Empire State Building and fantastically you also get an amazing view of that most iconic building in Manhattan. You reserve your time to go up, meaning it's never too crowded, and after the most amazing lift ride to the roof (I won't spoil the surprise) you're treated to jaw-dropping views, with only full-length glass walls stopping you from falling off. You can stay up for as long as you want, and really get a sense of the city. It never fails to inspire me, and make me feel thankful that I get to travel to New York on business. If you want a similar view without doing the tourist thing, enjoy a meal or drink at the Rainbow Rooms which is just below the Top Of The Rock part of the building. A quick trip to the skies to sample that movie set view will bring you back down to work with a bump, but make you appreciate that you're in the Big Apple, one of the most exciting cities in the world.

When coming from London to NYC it'd be rude not to stay in The London, just to be able to confuse people back home. Lovely new hotel on W54th and 7th, perfectly located for an early morning jog round Central Park before meetings in the day, and real handy for 5th Avenue shopping and Broadway shows. Friendly staff and probably the best concierge in town. They also have Gordon Ramsey's restaurant there, and he does room service... so stick it on expenses and have a real treat.

Beautiful hotel which is perfectly located for business in Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road. Stayed here on my first visit a few years back and have been there ever since. You get stunning views over the star wars part of the city from the higher rooms (and the top floors are there executive rooms complete with nice lounge and food all day). The pool is small enough to seem private yet busy enough not to seem like a loner, there are no screaming kids around and the staff seem to go out of their way to help you. They also have those curtains that open and close with a button so you can feel like James Bond.