American high

'Head downtown to the area around Canal Street. This is what New York is and has always been about; immigrants setting up shops or market stalls to get a toehold in their new home'

It's not as far from the winding, medieval snickleways of York to the broad, bustling boulevards of New York City as you might think. The lure of the Big Apple has always been strong to British travellers, but for those of us Up North it has always meant a long and dull car or train ride to Gatwick or Heathrow, or at best Manchester.

The journey is for many people all part of the fun of going abroad, but four hours on the M1 is no one's idea of the start of an adventure.

But now an airline has introduced a service that, if not exactly door to door, is the next best thing. KLM/Northwest will whisk you from Leeds/Bradford International to John F Kennedy Airport in New York, via a brief stopover in Amsterdam. At least that is the idea, although my experience did not run quite that smoothly. The flight from Leeds/Bradford to Amsterdam's Schipol Airport was running about two hours late and I made the connecting flight to JFK with literally seconds to spare - but my baggage didn't.

Unfortunately, it took nearly 48 hours for my bags to catch up with me at my Manhattan hotel, but on boarding the homeward-bound flight the airline gave me £50 for the inconvenience. I was told in a letter by KLM that "there are times when factors arise which make flight irregularities unavoidable", and that "ground agents in Amsterdam had not expected" me to make the connection, so my seat "was made available to a standby passenger". Which is fair enough, I suppose. It could have happened to anyone, and at least I got to my destination on time.

But at least I was there; New York; The Big Apple; Gotham City. Millions upon millions of words have been written over the years about The City That Never Sleeps, and good or bad, they are all true, such is the scale of the place.

It is a real city of contradictions; from the glamour and extreme wealth of the couture houses of 5th Avenue to the tough streets and violence of Harlem; and from the high-pressure financial dealings in the World Trade Centre to the immigrant street vendors eking out a living flogging perfume and jewellery out of suitcases on street corners.

Unmissable for any first-time visitor - and certainly worth a return visit - is a trip up the Empire State Building. Time it right to miss the queues and just minutes after leaving terra firma you are 102 floors up in the open air with executive helicopters passing underneath you. Visiting on a clear night is the best way to appreciate the cityscape which is arguably the best in the world.

I'm sure that someone put Greenwich Village in the wrong place. It could not be more out of keeping with the rest of Manhattan Island. Situated between midtown and downtown, this district has nothing in common with either. Decidedly bohemian, there are leafy, well-kept residential streets and scores of healthfood shops, bookshops, New Age boutiques and art galleries. It's a browser's paradise, although many of the shops are fairly pricey.

But for a sense of real life, and some great bargains, head downtown to the area around Canal Street.

This is what New York is and has always been about; immigrants setting up shops or market stalls to get a toehold in their new home. Smells of exotic spices, meats and fruits and the sound of Cantonese, Mandarin, Nigerian and Vietnamese voices fill the air.

It can be grubby, but it's authentic and you can get a real feeling for the ambition of people who, having arrived in the Promised Land, have at last the chance to succeed.

If trainers and sportswear are on your shopping list - and few if any British tourists come back from America without a brand-spanking pair of Nikes - buy them here and not in the midtown sports stores or department stores. They are cheaper here and, surprisingly, there is often a better selection.

Shopping bags in hand, getting around Manhattan Island is straightforward enough, although the subway map is not nearly as clear as that of the London Underground. While you can catch the subway, which runs north-south, between the different areas the city, you get a much better feel for the place if you walk it. And it is all but impossible to get lost - as with most American cities, avenues run north-south, streets run east-west and both are numbered. Most locals and guidebooks will warn against heading north of Central Park on foot on your own, especially after dark.

For much of the year you can just book a flight and find accommod-ation when you arrive, as this way you can get some good deals. Helpful agents at all the city's main airports will ring round for you to check availability. But if you are planning to visit in the run-up to Christmas or near an American public holiday - of which there are many - you will need to book well in advance.

David Wiles travelled to New York with KLM UK. Flight reservations on 08705 074074.

PICTURE:A view down 5th Avenue