OK, let’s establish some ground rules. It’s called the City, not Manhattan. And under no circumstance should you ever say New York City. Yes, we know some New Yorkers do take things a bit too far and say they are from the City even when they are visiting relatives in Tulsa - where the nickname really loses its luster.

Whatever it is you are trying to do while you’re in the City, do it quickly and get out of the way. That applies to ordering at the deli (where do you think the Soup Nazi idea came from?), riding the escalators, crossing the street or buying a paper. Things have a faster pace up here and people like it that way. This City will eat you alive if you don’t prepare properly.

But even with all of the millions of people scurrying around, you can still blend into the madness and fit right in. That’s because everyone is too busy to notice you as they race to the subways, run to catch the ferries, or fight for a cab. New York has a “kick you in the teeth” attitude that can make you feel satisfied when you actually accomplish something. And, you know you earned it because you’ve just navigated thru all the madness. Here’s a local tip so don’t sound like a tourist when you are downtown- it’s pronounced “How-Stin” even though it is spelled like Houston. SoHo means south of Houston - now go figure out NoHo on your own.

Immerse yourself in the City, with all it has to offer, and you’ll understand why it’s like no other place on earth. The diversity, the energy, the attitude - you can find anything and everything in the City that never (EVER) sleeps. There’s always a new neighborhood to explore, another restaurant to try, another club to dance at, and another bar to drink in.

Dreams have been realized here since the first settlers and you can feel that same spirit as you walk the streets of each neighborhood. Where else can you see millionaires mingling seamlessly with the working class? From munching on their morning bagels to singing along with Frank Sinatra at the end of the Yankees game, New Yorkers share the local pride. Maybe it’s because everyone has one thing in common - they’ve all lived in that 300 square foot studio apartment and paid $2000 a month for it. And why does everyone say their address like it’s the most regal location in the known universe?

NYC was built (and still runs) on its neighborhoods. You’ll find that each has its own character, so get out and explore. People from all walks of life are really what make this place so special.

Restaurants

New York has so many types of food - from American to Japanese, from French to Asian - you can find anything and everything in this City. Where else can you walk down the street and smell the aromas from innumerable food stands that line the streets and the kitchens that pack them in every night? The diversity of NYC is unparalleled to any other. Here are some of our favorites:

Gascogne: If you can’t make it out to Paris, make sure you can find your way to this charming French bistro in the city’s Chelsea district. With French-speaking waiters, indoor/outdoor seating and culinary indulgences, this place can make you forget you’re in NYC! The escargots and foie gras are always a pleaser! Gascogne is located on Eighth Ave. (Between 17th & 18th Streets).

B-Bar and Grill (formerly Bowery Bar): A popular summertime setting with indoor/outdoor ambiance, B-Bar is great for summer drinks and dinner on the patio. The place is known to draw A-listers and occasional celebrities. The grill offers delicious appetizers and the calamari & popcorn shrimp are always a great choice! B Bar is located on East 4th & Bowery.

Per Se: You’ll go running down the streets in glee after dining here (located at 10 Columbus Circle, between 58th and 59th Sts.). With a French-New American menu that changes daily, this pricey culinary experience is a worthwhile treat for your senses (the dishes are as delicious as they are colorful). Whatever you do, begin your meal with the “Oysters and Pears” and make sure you save enough room for the “Coffee and Doughnuts” dessert.

Il Mulino:This is the epitome of an Old New York hangout, the restaurant boasts some of the best Italian food you’ll ever eat. Located in the West Village (on 86 W. Third St., between Sullivan & Thompson and near NYU), the place is small, crowded & quite loud, but the food makes it all worth while. Bring your appetite (portions are big enough to feed a small country) and your wallet.

Dos Caminos (Soho): With made-to-order guacamole and some of the best margaritas in town (in addition to more than 150 tequila selections), you can’t go wrong with the city’s top Mexican spot. With indoor and outdoor seating options, this place brings the fiesta downtown! Dos Caminos is located at West Broadway & Houston (along with a location on Park Avenue and a Midtown location opening in Fall ‘06).

Jean Georges: It’s simple, French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten can’t get it wrong (ever!) This restaurant, inside the Trump International Hotel, is as sophisticated as it is superb. Located off Columbus Circle (1 Central Park West, between 60th and 61st Sts.), this divine masterpiece offers a formal dining room, more casual cafe and an outdoor terrace for those cool summer nights. Don’t you dare leave without sampling the baby scallops and the four-part citrus tasting.

Babbo: Who doesn’t love Mario Batali? With its trademark pasta tasting menu, make sure you aren’t watching your waistline when you arrive at this two-story townhouse. You’ll find that the simplest ingredients have never tasted so good! Everything is tasty but we fancy the ravioli with beef cheeks and the goat cheese tortellini. Reservations are a must. Babbo is located at 110 Waverly Pl., between 6th Ave. and MacDougal.

Una Pizza Napoletana: Seriously, who needs Italy? This is, by far, the best pizza in the City - “The Best, Jerry…the best.” Each bite is light, fragrant and oh-so delish! The buffalo mozzarella is shipped directly from Italy and pairs nicely with the finger-licking-good basil-infused tomato sauce. Una Pizza (349 E. 12th St., between 1st and 2nd Aves.) is not to be missed.

Bouchon Bakery: Located on Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Building, this casual French Boulangerie is anything but plain. You’ll find everything from mouth-watering fresh croissants, to good-ol’ PB&J sandwiches. This place has the best tuna fish sandwich we’ve ever had. And, did we mention they make their own hand-made chocolates?

Momofuku Noodle Bar: If you need a quick ramen fix - this is your spot. Just be prepared to wait (they don’t take reservations). And, if you don’t mind getting packed in like sardines and eating thigh-to-thigh with your fellow patrons - find your way to this amazing noodle bar. The three-variety steamed buns (pork, chicken or shitake) are worth the trip and the wait. Momofuku is located at 163 First Ave. (at 10th St.).

journeyPod.com is the only place you need to visit for information on the trendiest bars and restaurants, the most luxurious hotels, and the most exclusive parties and shops for discriminating travelers. Visit journeyPod.com for the lowdown on where to go in Atlanta, New York, Miami, LA and other major cities around the world, and listing to our monthly travel podcast for the best in upscale travel and entertainment. If you like the finer things in life, journey to journeyPod.com!

Before you embark on your New York journey read about the hotels that will make your stay a memorable one.
The Library in Midtown Manhattan

The Library Hotel is more ‘literati’ than ‘glitterati’: more private club than hotel. Each of the ten guestrooms is dedicated to one of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System: Social Sciences, Literature, Languages, History, Math & Science, General Knowledge, Technology, Philosophy, The Arts and Religion. Each of the sixty rooms is individually designed with a collection of art and books relevant to one distinctive topic within the category of floor it belongs to. Guests may request their room based on their personal interests. The Writer’s Den with its skyline views and the Poetry Garden, a sparkling green house, are perfect places to relax and absorb this culture.

Tips:

Access to the hotel’s video library of the American Film Institutes top 100 films — Monday through Saturday there’s a complimentary wine and cheese reception — For the night time players, magical nights await you at the Bookmarks Lounge on the 14th floor, which serve signature cocktails like the Great Gatsby and the Capote.

Sofitel New York in the Manhattan area
The contemporary 30-story Sofitel New York, represents the French art of living through its d

New York is arguably the premier city for American art; its variety of eclectic galleries always provides something for the art lover, whether you’re a fan of impressionism or post-modern sculpture. Some of New York’s most famous galleries are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art and, perhaps most famously, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).

MOMA first opened its doors in 1929 and has been the toast of the modern art world ever since. The first New York gallery to dedicate itself solely to modern art - though it was closely followed by the opening of the Guggenheim in 1936 - MOMA’s first director, Alfred H. Barr Jr. soon realised the gallery’s potential as an outlet for new forms of modernist art. Barr commented:

“This museum is a torpedo moving through time, its head the ever-advancing present, its tail the ever-receding past of 50 to 100 years ago.”

Nearly 80 years on this still seems to be a very accurate summary of MOMA’s ambitions and aims. Its current collection houses some of the art world’s most infamous pieces, including works by iconic American painters Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol, as well as those by celebrated international artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Salvador Dali and Frida Kahlo. Furthermore, its photography collection is one of the most important in the world hosting works by important photographers like Cindy Sherman and Andreas Gursky.

While the stature of its art collection is staggering, one of the main reasons that MOMA has remained so important today is its intriguing architectural landscape. Since 1929, the museum has shifted its location four times - three of those in its first year - before moving to its present permanent home between 5th and 6th Avenue. Between 2002 and 2004, MOMA was closed for renovation, while its building was designed and re-imagined by Yoshio Taniguchi. Taniguchi is the celebrated Japanese architect, also responsible for Tokyo’s Nagano Prefectural Museum and the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures at the Tokyo National Museum.

When MOMA re-opened in November 2004, Taniguchi’s redesign was initially very controversial; however, it has since been lauded as one of New York’s most interesting landmarks and upheld as a bold example of contemporary architecture, making MOMA in itself a piece of art that visitors can enjoy. MOMA is certainly an essential point to visit when you’re on a trip to New York; its optimum location means that visitors will find plenty of great hotels near the gallery, such as the luxury Waldorf Astoria, through to other slightly less lavish accomodation options for the budget conscious. So make sure you visit MOMA on your next trip to New York - your understanding of the American and international modern art world will never be the same again.

Andrew Regan is an online journalist who enjoys socialising at his local rugby club.

You think of New York City, many of its wonderful attributes come to mind - upscale shopping, Broadway Theater, and, of course, exotic and delicious cuisine. Tourists and residents alike enjoy daily the fare offered at world-renowned restaurants, from the upscale celebrity-studded Sardi’s to even the unassuming Hello Deli, right around the corner from Dave Letterman and the Ed Sullivan Theater. New York is famous for hot dogs sold by corner vendors, paper-thin crust pizzas, and cheesecake at the Carnegie Deli, but did you know the city is also the unofficial home of that sourest of marinated vegetables, the pickle?

Did you know, for that matter, that New York City has its own Pickle District?

A friend once told me about the time he and his wife were shopping on Orchard St. when all of sudden people came from nowhere, walking zombie-like toward one shop that has just opened its garage door. Guss’ Pickles was ready for business, and the business was more than ready for Guss! Sour pickles, half-sours, hot and sweet, garlic pickles and pickle relish…Guss has it all. Our friend mentioned that he hadn’t realized how big pickles go over in the City. True, a hundred words might come to mind when one thinks of New York City, and “pickle” might now always make the list…maybe it should.

So, if you’re ever in New York City and feeling hungry, no need to be in a pickle. Aside from ol’ Guss, you can visit The Pickle Guys and Sunshine Pickles, where you’ll definitely get the chance to sample a variety of flavors and learn the difference between a kosher dill and a half-sour. If you happen to be in town during the fall, stick around for the annual Pickle Festival. With all this talk of pickles, one must wonder why the city is called The Big Apple!

Suggested Pickle Stops

The Pickle Guys
49 Essex Street

Guss’ Pickles
85 Orchard St.

Just Pickles
569 9th Ave

L Hollander and Son
35 Essex St

Kathryn Lively writes for the NYC Limousine Blog and other websites that offer tourists unique ideas for vacations.

Toronto, my city of birth, is the largest city in Canada with a population of about 3 million (5 million in the greater area) and it keeps growing every year as it seems to be the first city of choice for immigrants from around the world. With over 100 languages spoken here, Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world according to the United Nations. This is actually a good thing since Toronto can be a model for the rest of the world in regards to showing how it is possible for different people of many different cultures and faiths to get along peacefully. Friends of different racial backgrounds and religions can be found here where they would probably be enemies in other parts of the world.

Having lived in Toronto for most of my life so far, I’m always amazed on how the city has grown as a tourist destination. Torontonians seem to take world class attractions like the CN Tower and the Skydome for granted since many see it every day during their commute. Of course, the CN Tower is a very worthwhile visit as a ride to the top is a must for every visitor.

Toronto has one of the best redeveloped harbourfronts anywhere. This area has boutiques at Queen’s Quay, restaurants, cafes and galleries. Nearby Ontario Place and the Canadian National Exhibition are annual favorites among locals. This is also where one takes the ferries across to the Toronto Islands. The islands are all connected via bike paths and offer a unique view of the Toronto cityscape as well as a nice break from the busy downtown. Located on the main island, Centreville is a petting zoo and small amusement park for kids.

The action is downtown and probably where most tourists should stay. Although the hotels prices are higher in downtown than the suburbs, Toronto traffic is unfortunately not getting any better so it is best to stay where commuting is kept at a minimum. There is a very efficient transit system for those who want to stay outside of the downtown area though. A walk along Yonge Street near the Eaton Centre mall will reveal the wilder parts of Toronto life. For the latest trends, Queen Street West is where the funky boutiques and bars are. For upscale shopping, go to Bloor Street between Yonge and Avenue Road as well as the Yorkville area.

Toronto is a live theatre town, second to perhaps only New York or London. The theatre district on King Street has a lively after theatre scene including restaurants and clubs. During the day, the world renowned Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario and the Planetarium showcase treasures from around the world (as well as out of the world). Many also come to see the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Toronto has Canada’s largest Chinatown. Actually, the growth of the Asian population has resulted in four different Chinatowns in the greater area. The main one is centered around Spadina and Dundas. The dim sum in Toronto is one of the best outside of Hong Kong since most Chinese immigrants here were originally from Hong Kong. Other ethnicities are also represented by such districts as Little Italy, the Greek Danforth area and many others. For outdoor markets, the Kensington and St. Lawrence Markets are great. Since Toronto is so multicultural, it is an excellent place to try out different cuisines.

For animal lovers, the Metro Toronto Zoo northeast of the city is world famous and will take an entire day to see. During the summers, Canada’s Wonderland is a family oriented theme park just north of the city. Niagara Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, is just ninety minutes away and worth a day trip or even an overnight stay. There are just too many things to see and do in the Toronto area to mention in one article. Vancouver has the ocean and mountains while Quebec City has that old European touch. But to see world class live theatre and Canadian multiculturalism at its best, Toronto is where it’s at.

Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca, an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.