To many New York City New York State, but there is much more to this historic and scenically diverse state than the Big Apple. Within an hour's drive visitors can find the beaches of Long Island or escape to the Catskill Mountains to fish, hike or ski. A little further north, on the Hudson River, is the state capital Albany, which is a good base from which to explore 'upstate' New York. In the centre of the state the solitude of the Adirondacks region can be found - home to some of the highest and most dramatic mountains in the eastern United States, attracting the energetic with a range of activities including hiking, skiing, horse riding and mountain biking.

On the border with Canada, between lakes Ontario and Erie is possibly the country's most spectacular natural attraction, and certainly the most popular - the Niagara Falls. Located midway between Niagara Falls and New York City are the Finger Lakes, which despite being within 200 miles (322km) of the city remain one of the most unspoilt vacation areas in the USA, renowned for their picturesque lakes, wineries and lush forests.

Until the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, most of the area that is now New York was controlled by the Iroquois Confederacy, a group of Native American peoples. Henry Hudson discovered and named the Hudson River in 1609 and claimed the area for the Dutch, sixty years later the British took control and named it New York; the Native Americans prospered during this time, controlling the lucrative fur trade. A century later, during the French and Indian Wars the British defeated the French and took control of all of northeast America. The victory was largely thanks to the Iroquois allying themselves with the British and in 1763 all the new British Territory, extending as far as the Mississippi, was declared an Indian reserve. This was short-lived however, the Iroquois again allied themselves with the British during the War of Independence, and in the reprisals entire communities were wiped out and much of their land was deeded to the revolutionary war veterans.

George Washington was sworn in as the republic's first president in 1789 in New York City. By 1830 the population had exploded to 250,000, but mass immigration did not start until the 1840s, with the arrival of the Irish. By 1880 the population was 1.2 million. With this abundant labour, vast natural resources and unfettered capitalism New York, and the other Mid-Atlantic States, became one of the most industrialised regions in the world and home to one of it's greatest modern centres in New York City.

Tarrytown

The Statue of Liberty

Address: Liberty Island, New York Harbor

Admission: No fee is charged, but the ferry costs $12 (adults), $5(children). Daily 9am to 5pm (except Christmas Day)

Telephone: (212) 363 3200; 866-782-8834 (ferry information)

World Trade Center - Ground Zero

Address: Tribute WTC Visitor Center: 120 Liberty Street

Admission: Suggested donation to the Tribute Center is $10 for adults Museum: Daily 10am to 6pm, except Tuesday and Sunday when it opens at 12pm. Tours of the perimeter: Monday to Friday 1pm and 3pm, Saturday and Sunday 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm

Telephone: (212) 393 9160

Empire State Building

Address: 350 Fifth Avenue, between 33rd and 34th Streets, Manhattan

Admission: $20 (adults), $14 (children 6-11), other concessions available. Observatory: daily 8am to 2am; last elevator at 1.15am

Telephone: (212) 736 3100

Central Park

Telephone: (212) 310 6600

Museum of Modern Art

Address: 11 West 53 Street, Manhattan

Admission: $20 (adults), free for children under 16 accompanied by an adult. Free on Fridays from 4pm to 8pm Daily 10.30am to 5.30pm (until 8pm on Friday); closed Tuesdays

Telephone: (212) 708 9400

The Guggenheim Museum

Address: 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street

Admission: $18 (adults), free for children under 12. Rates differ during special exhibitions Saturday to Wednesday 10am to 5.45pm; Friday 10am to 7.45; closed Thursdays and Christmas Day

Telephone: (212) 423 3500

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Address: 1000 Fifth Avenue, at 82nd Street

Admission: $20 (adults) is suggested; free for children under 12 accompanied by an adult. There is no additional charge, beyond the admission contribution, to attend an exhibition Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday 9.30am to 5.30pm, Friday and Saturday 9.30am to 9pm. Closed Mondays, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas

Telephone: (212) 535 7710

American Museum of Natural History

Address: Central Park West, at West 79th Street

Admission: Suggested admission $15 (adults), $8.50 (children 2-12); plus Planetarium Space show: $24 (adults), $14 (children 2-12); plus special exhibition or Imax show: $24 (adults), $14 (children 2-11) Daily 10am to 5.45pm, except Christmas Day and Thanksgiving

Telephone: (212) 769 5100; 769 5200 (tickets and programs)

Niagara Falls

The Catskills

Finger Lakes

Buffalo

Broadway

Times Square

Address: cnr 42nd Street and Broadway

Admission: Free 24 Hrs

Rockefeller Centre

Address: Between 48th and 51st Streets; and 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue, Manhattan

Admission: Free with a NY Pass 8am – 9pm

Brooklyn Bridge

Admission: Free 24 Hrs

St Patrick's Cathedral

Address: Fifth Avenue, between 50th and 51st Streets

Admission: Free Daily 6.30am to 8.45pm

Telephone: (212) 753-2261

Grand Central Station

Address: 110 E. 42nd St.

Admission: Free; tours cost $5

Telephone: (212) 340-2345

Central Park Zoo

Address: 64th St. and Fifth Ave, Central Park

Admission: $10 (adults); $5 (children) Open daily from 10am – 4.30pm

Telephone: (212) 861 6030

Toys “R” Us, Times Square

Address: 1514 Broadway, Times Square

Telephone: (646) 366 8800

New York Aquarium

Address: Castle garden, Battery Park, Coney Island

Admission: $13 (adults); $9 (children) Open Monday to Friday from 10am – 6pm. Saturday and Sunday from 10am – 7pm

Telephone: (718) 265 3491

Trump Wollman Rink

Address: Central Park

Admission: Monday to Thursday: $10 (adults); $5.25 (children). Friday to Sunday: $14 (adults); $5.50 (children) Public Skating hours: Monday and Tuesday from 10am – 2.30pm. Wednesday and Thursday from 10am – 10pm. Friday and Saturday from 10am – 11pm. Sundays from 10am – 9pm

Telephone: (212) 439 6900

Brooklyn Children's Museum

Address: 145 Brooklyn Avenue

Admission: Open Tuesday to Thursday from 11am – 5pm; Fridays from 11am – 7.30pm; Saturday and Sunday10am – 5pm

Telephone: (718) 735 4400

The Frick Collection

Address: E 70th Street at 5th Ave

Admission: $15 Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm

Staten Island ferry

Top of the Rock

Address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza

Admission: $17.50

Telephone: 877.NYC.ROCK (877.692.7625)

Home

Address: 20 Cornelia Street, between Bleecker and West 4th Street

Food Type: American

Tribeca Grill

Address: 375 Greenwich Street

Food Type: American

Le Bernardin

Address: 155 West 51st Street (Midtown West)

Food Type: Seafood

Delmonico's

Address: 56 Beaver Street, near Wall Street

Food Type: American

Balthazar

Address: 80 Spring St, SoHo

Food Type: French

Gramercy Tavern

Address: 42 East 20th Street (between Broadway and Park Avenue)

Food Type: American

Nobu New York

Address: 105 Hudson Street (Tribeca)

Food Type: Japanese

Daniel

Address: 60 East 65th Street (between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue)

Food Type: French

Park Avenue

Address: 100 East 63rd Street at Park Ave

Food Type: American

Hill Country

Address: 30 West 26th Street

Food Type: American

Momofuku Ssäm Bar

Address: 207 Second Avenue

Food Type: Oriental

Acme Bar & Grill

Address: 9 Great Jones Street

Food Type: Southern

Great Jones Café

Address: 54 Great Jones Street

Food Type: Southern

Paul's Place

Address: 131 2nd Ave

Food Type: American

Una Pizza Napoletana

Address: 349 East 12th Street

Food Type: Pizzeria