New York

Overview

NY is one huge and mercurial melting pot. Fashion forward, status conscious, food and culture epicentric, exasperating, exhilarating and never, ever out of vogue.

Need to know
When to go

Tipping etiquette: in restaurants and cafes, adding 15-20% works, in bars add a dollar per drink. If the service really sucks don’t tip, but be prepared to explain yourself and/or run fast. Check that a service charge hasn’t been added before tipping (usually done for group bookings).

Autumn and spring are blissful and Christmas is magical; winter can be brutal and summer can be sweltering, but there is, in fact, no bad time to visit.