Explore the core of the Big Apple

A weekend trip to New York City for most people consists of several crucial elements. First, the shopping: That quick succession of great department store stalwarts – Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue – with a jaunt out to one of New Jersey's mammoth designer malls thrown in for good measure.

Second, a spot of midtown sight-seeing, marvelling at landmarks like the Flatiron Building, the Chrysler Building and the inimitable Empire State Building. Next, the Broadway show: From the magical Mary Poppins to the rip-roaring tunes of Gypsy, the glitz and glamour of a night at the theatre is, for many visitors, quintessentially New York.

And finally, the joy of fine dining: A perfect steak at Delmonico's, a Sicilian feast in Little Italy or a sky-scraping sandwich at the star-studded Carnegie Deli. But what's in store in the Big Apple if you've decidedly been there, done that all before? How can you spend a weekend in the footsteps of a real New Yorker, straying far from the well-beaten Midtown tourist trail whilst still shopping and sight-seeing, sampling great entertainment and good food to your heart's delight?

First, hit the shops. Stroll along the narrow streets of the East and West Villages for fantastic fashion finds (Bleecker Street is a particular hotspot), being sure not to miss Screaming Mimi's on Lafayette St, filled with gorgeous, hand-picked vintage clothes and accessories. For something more cerebral, head to Shakespeare & Co at 716 Broadway, a cosy book store complete with resident cat, then delve into Midnight Records on West 23rd Street to pick up vintage vinyl by long-gone rock-and-roll and blues legends. Anyone looking for their own piece of Americana should head for the twelve-floor Chelsea Antiques Building, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, to sift for that perfect antique quilt or seek out a divine piece of Victorian jewellery. Meanwhile, Sunday sees New Yorkers getting their fill of bargain goods at the street stalls that line Canal, Orchard and Essex Streets, or wandering over to Columbus Avenue, in the leafy Upper West Side, to meander its endearing flea market.

Once you've shopped to your heart's – or arm-muscles'- content, there's plenty of sight-seeing to be done without once encountering an umbrella-wielding tour guide. Take a trip across the Brooklyn Bridge to explore Brooklyn's Park Slope Historic District, with its glorious Victorian town houses clinging to the edge of green Prospect Park, and, if you've kids in tow, stop in at the Brooklyn Children's Museum.

Few children – young or old – can resist the huge piano, where tickling the ivories involves hopping, Tom Thumb style, from one key to another. Later, wander down to the Brooklyn Heights waterfront for spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, joining local joggers, thinkers and families enjoying the breeze.

Next, hop aboard a southbound subway train to Coney Island to take a bone-jolting spin on the Cyclone rollercoaster, which has been thrilling generations of locals since 1927, then catch the incredible views from the top of the mammoth Wonder Wheel, built in 1921 by the Eccentric Ferris Wheel Company. And finally, for another unusual perspective on New York, take a Swiss cable car - known as the tram – out to historic Roosevelt Island, once home to both an asylum and a jail that housed Mae West after a particularly risqué performance.

For an evening's entertainment, New York abounds with fascinating alternatives to the bright lights of the Broadway show. Peruse some twenty 'Off-Broadway' and 300 'Off-off-Broadway' theatres for lesser-known theatrical delights, which often host big-name Hollywood stars taking low-key lead roles. And if it's something more upbeat you're after, it's hard to top Café Wha at the heart of Greenwich Village – where the likes of Hendrix, Dylan and Springsteen got their big breaks – which combines live music with regular comedy acts. In summer, make like a New Yorker by heading straight for Manhattan's manifold parks, to watch Shakespeare, orchestras or rock stars in heavenly green surroundings and beneath starry skies.

After all that action, it's important to keep energy levels high. For a midday snack on the go, don't miss a tasty vegetarian Indian treat from the locally famous NY Dosa cart at Washington Square Park. Here, where Jane Fonda and Robert Redford once cavorted in the classic Barefoot in the Park, you can grab a divine South Indian dosa and chow down with university students on the grassy lawn.

To pick up a picnic, shop with locals as Broadway's world-renowned Zabar's market, or wander over to Union Square to peruse unusual organic produce at the daily Farmers' Market. If it's soul food you're craving, you can't do better than Sunday morning at Sylvia's on Harlem's Lenox Avenue, where a gospel choir accompanies your vast plates of home-style fried chicken. For a hearty brunch or evening meal, wander the eateries that abound on Amsterdam Avenue around 85th Street (the Art Nouveau Café Lalo on West 83rd St and trendy bistro Ouest on Broadway are two particular local favourites). But for the ultimate do-it-yourself dinner, drop into one of countless late night Korean kitchens on 32nd Street, where you can assemble your own spicy soup and then cook it in a pot at your table – a perfect, piquant pick-me-up after a unique and unforgettable day getting right to the core of the Big Apple.



Travel guide

Where to stay

To escape New York's many chain hotels, stay at the book-filled Library Hotel (299 Madison Ave at 41st Street; www.libraryhotel.com; tel: +1 212-983-4500; double rooms around US$520, Dh1,900) with the chic, exclusive feel of a private club

How to get there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies several times daily, direct from Dubai to JFk, New York from around Dh6,300

Must see

Don't miss glimpsing the tourists aboard New York's numerous tour buses, and feeling smug at making your own, off-the-beaten-track discoveries

Must eat

Don't be afraid to sample street food, which covers every conceivable cuisine from A to Z

Don't leave home without

  - Your sunscreen in summer and woollens in winter

  - A sense of adventure