New York is one of the most exciting cities in the world, offering global cuisine, breathtaking attractions, blockbuster Broadway shows, exceptional exhibitions and, of course, unrivalled shopping.

Many visitors try to take in as much as possible, so to make the most out of your visit to New York, Etihad Airlines — who launched their route to the 'Big Apple' in October 2006 — has provided its top tips to this entertainment-packed city.

1) On Top of the World
Top of the Rock, the observation deck at the legendary Rockefeller Centre offers visitors spectacular 360-degree views of the city from a unique vantage point — atop the 70-story GE Building. The observation deck has been redeveloped into a 55 000 square-foot, multi-level complex with state-of-the-art features.

2) Shop ‘til you Drop
Affectionately known as 'Bloomie's', Bloomingdale's has been a Saturday afternoon "see-and-be-seen" institution for decades. This East Side mecca's main floor handbag department has one of the best selections in the city. Visitors can find young designer favourites on the second floor, and the tempting fourth floor shoe salon stocks many of the models seen in fashion magazines.

3) Shoot Some Hoop
Basketball has become a year-round event at Madison Square Garden. From October to April, the New York Knicks take centre stage and the WNBA’s Liberty play 17 home games from May to August. March Madness comes to New York City every year during the annual Big East Tournament and the National Invitation Tournament.

4) Sights n’ Sounds
Gray Line New York Sightseeing recently introduced The History Channel’s Official New York Heritage tour, a new daily, hop-on-and-off trolley tour that takes visitors on a journey through time as it visits many famous New York City sites. Guides in period costume relive illustrious New York moments such as George Washington bidding farewell to his officers during the Revolutionary War.

5) Movers n’ Shakers
A MetroCard Fun Pass allows visitors to enjoy unlimited rides on the city’s comprehensive network of subways and buses for just $7 a day.

6) 15 minutes of fame
The best way to get yourself on television is attend one of many talk shows filmed in New York City. By planning in advance, you can attend free tapings of popular television shows including Late Night with David Letterman; Live with Regis and Kelly and The Montel Williams Show. Standby tickets are available on the day of taping for some shows.

7) Wining and Dining
After extensive renovations and relocations, two classic New York City restaurants will shortly reopen their doors. Le Cirque, formerly Le Cirque 2000, is set to open on 58th St. and Lexington, with the new restaurant including a main dining room, a wine bar, a lounge and private dining rooms on two levels. The Waldorf Astoria’s Peacock Alley, which first opened in the 1960s reopens November 1 after a $5.5-million dollar renovation.

Foodie visitors should plan to travel to New York City during the popular Restaurant Week. In a salute to New York city as a 24 hour, 7 days a week city, diners can enjoy prix-fixe, three-course lunch menus for $24.07, while three-course, prixe-fixe dinners are $35. Nearly 200 notable New York City establishments will take part in this much-anticipated culinary event including quintessential eateries Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, and Nobu. The event runs from January 23 - 27 and January 30 - February 3, 2007.

8) The Show must go on
There have been many new openings in 2006 for the stage lover to enjoy. 'High Fidelity', a new musical version of the Nick Hornby novel and the 2000 film of the same title, and Dr. Seuss's 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical!' opens for a limited run just in time for the holidays running from October 25, 2006 to early January 2007.

Other productions that flew into Broadway recently include 'Mary Poppins' in a stage adaptation of the classic Disney film and 'WICKED', the untold story of the witches of Oz.

9) Little Kids in the Big City
if you've got kids in tow you might want to take a turn past the world’s largest Build-A-Bear Workshop, which recently opened and offers visitors a unique interactive shopping destination. Kids can make their own stuffed animal friends and personalise them with hundreds of fashion items and accessories.

Build-A-Bear joins other retail family experience destinations American Girl Place, which offers live musical theatre, a café, doll hair salon and special events. There's also the Interactive World of Disney with Cinderella’s Princess Court, Goofy’s Candy Company and a multi-media zone and the newly reopened FAO Schwarz.

10) Take a Break
New York offers unlimited experiences throughout the year, whether you choose to travel there in Summer, Autumn, Winter or Spring. There are a number events and festivals to enjoy in each season and having the opportunity to take part in these will enhance your New York visit.

One of the popular times to travel is the week before Christmas, where you can enjoy the festivities and indulge in some Christmas shopping. New York hotels are primarily occupied by business travellers, but not during the holiday seasons. As such, hotels offer large discounts to the leisure traveller during this time.

Etihad Airways launched its daily service to New York in October 2006. The airline currently flies twice a week from Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi, providing easy onward connections to the airline’s fast growing global network of 35 destinations.

For more information about the airline, visit www.etihadairways.com.