New Year in New York

Hi, My hubby %26amp; I are thinking of going to New York for New Year 07/08. Any advice???? We%26#39;ll be flying from Manchester. I was thinking of 5days - is this long enough? Any cheap airlines? Good central hotels? Places to celebrate New Year?

We%26#39;re in our early 30%26#39;s %26amp; like good lounge style bars, drinking / partying, good food, shopping %26amp; sights.

Would appreciate any advice, as I actually know very little about the place.

New Year in New York

Ringing in the new year in New York is great, as long as you%26#39;re not near Times Square! In order to be there at midnight, you%26#39;ve got to stand in penned off areas for more than 12 hours -- no toilet breaks, no alcohol, no place to sit. That%26#39;s why we leave it to the tourists who think that%26#39;s a good way to spend the evening.

We typically celebrate with a late dinner and then stroll over to Central Park for the fireworks. There%26#39;s also a midnight road race, if that%26#39;s your thing.

New York is quite festive over the holidays, and the Christmas decorations stay up until the first week of the new year. So you%26#39;ll have lots to see, and after the celebrations come the big sales. So plan on bringing an extra suitcase, or just buy one here.

Now the bad news.... the holidays are probably the most expensive time to be here too. Our transit system is old but reliable, so there%26#39;s no need to stay in midtown. You might want to pick up a guide book so you can get an idea of what%26#39;s where, and start reading reviews of hotels in your price range. Be sure to look at the Candid Traveler Photos, they tell a lot!

Have fun planning!