So good, they named it twice! But while it certainly feels larger than life, it isn’t unduly overpowering.  Confined to a relatively small space, it sprawls upward rather than outward, so many of the must-see sights are within quite easy walking distance of a centrally located hotel. And when the feet can’t  go another step, you can always hop onto a passing bus – provided you’ve got loose change for the fare: no notes accepted!

It was a thrill to see ‘in the flesh’ all the sights and scenes only encountered on a screen or the page of a book before. The Statue of Liberty is impressive, if a little bizarre, as it gazes out over the watery approaches to Manhattan, whose skyline is still dramatic despite the absence of the twin towers of the doomed World Trade Centre. Ground Zero itself is completely screened off, but a rusty iron cross, fashioned from two girders salvaged from the debris, is a stark memorial to all those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

Strolling the streets of downtown Manhattan, the eye is drawn ever upwards.  In some areas the sky-scrapers are so de4nse that the sunlight barely penetrates to ground level. Modern glass-and-steel edifices rub shoulders (almost) with more classic, designs - a monument to the patience of those who stoically raised them, brick on brick in the days before prefab! The tallest is once again the Empire State Building, and from gazing up at its soaring spire to gazing down at the carpet of fairy lights spread out below after dusk, requires a considerable leap of faith. 

Times Square is literally in another dimension: a plethora of silver screens, gyrating, contorting and constantly changing, reflecting the patterns of life in the ‘city that never sleeps.’ The atmosphere is a heady mix of light and sound, rushing traffic, jostling people, the tantalising aroma of street-corner hot-dog stands. We stood bemused as a street entertainer sang, played and tap-danced his way through an enthralling routine – until NY’s finest boys in blue moved him on.

5th Avenue, it goes without saying, is a shoppers’ paradise – lots still to experience there, many more visits-worth! The food experience likewise will tempt us back – a limitless choice of mouth-watering delights, including the best Indonesian food we’d tasted since Singapore and Jakarta.

All in all, a satisfying first encounter with lots yet to discover.