TEN years ago, a mother and daughter stood side by side in Edinburgh Airport. Mum was heading for her first bite of the Big Apple, and the girl in the school uniform was inconsolable at the prospect of being left behind (or possibly just miffed that she had to go back to school while I was off on my jollies).
A decade on, though, my daughter is coming too. And my travelling companion isn't the only thing to change. Ten years ago I had to stop off in Schiphol in Amsterdam before getting a connecting flight to JFK, making it a long and tedious journey. But
now we can fly direct to New York from Edinburgh with no stops. And less time travelling means more time shopping.
The shuttle bus from Newark drops us at Grand Central Terminal, a mere block or two from the Kitano, our midtown hotel. And we have just enough time to dump our bags and hit Macy's before the jet-lag kicks in. Memories come flooding back as we trawl the streets, from Bloomingdale's to Barneys. But, bearing in mind the rather flaccid state of the pound, we're holding out for a hero.
Fortunately, a saviour comes to our rescue in the shape of Woodbury Common, home to more than 200 stores – from Adidas and Armani to Versace and Ugg (plus Prada, Chanel, Tory Burch and Tommy Hilfiger in between) – all with discounts of up to 65%. Around an hour's drive out of Manhattan, it is well worth the trip and needs a whole day (or maybe more) to do it justice. My daughter picks up a great belt from American Apparel, a T-shirt from Kenneth Cole and a fabulous Jonas Brothers cushion (a present for a friend, she insists) from the Disney Store, while I have to be dragged out of Barneys after eventually settling on a great Mawi bangle at around half the price it was when I spotted it in Harvey Nichols.
A laid-back Sunday sees us brunching in Chelsea. We feast on giant waffles with strawberries and cream at Le Petite Abeille (44 West 17th Street), then while away the afternoon wandering the nearby vintage shops and market stalls. I narrowly avoid buying a 1950s multicoloured chandelier (too complicated to ship home, thank heavens), but my daughter falls hook, line and sinker for the trays full of mismatched earrings and old necklaces. It's heaven for treasure-seekers.
But, surprising even ourselves, we find time to do more than just shop. We climb to the Top of the Rock – the 70th floor of the Rockefeller Centre, with views that are, quite literally, breathtaking. Back down on the Plaza, we try out our skills on the ice rink under the golden gaze of Prometheus in flight.
We take afternoon tea in the sumptuous surroundings of the Lowell Hotel (28 East 63rd Street, between Madison and Park, www.lowellhotel.com), complete with champagne, the skinniest sandwiches that ever saw bone china, and lemon curd on warm scones – an extravagant treat for weary shoppers.
In the evening, we hit the town at the longest-running show on Broadway, Chicago. After filling up on bagels and pretzels, it's disconcerting to be so close to some of the fittest, hottest bodies in the business, all wrapped up in fishnet, lace and push-up bras (except Tom Wopat, that is, one-time star of The Dukes of Hazzard), but it's a night of drop-dead-sexy, wickedly funny entertainment.
And though we are beginning to flag, the show must go on. So the next day sees us on a tour of film and television sites. Remember the diner where the heroine worked in Men in Black? The restaurant where Sally thoroughly enjoyed her meal with Harry? The Friends apartment building? They're all there, and more, in a fun, three-hour bus trip complete with snacks and singalongs.
We have a late lunch at the Carlyle (Madison Avenue, at 76th Street), the luxury hotel where JFK once kept an apartment and where Woody Allen plays with his jazz combo every Monday night. Fittingly, we have the Ladies Who Lunch lunch (£25), a set menu of Caesar salad, salmon or steak plus a dessert from the sweet trolley, all followed by one of the best martinis in town – mixed by Tommy Rowles, the hotel's famous head barman.
The afternoon sees us at another famous film spot, the Museum of Natural History, setting for the Ben Stiller movie Night at the Museum. We make a beeline past the mammoths and the sarcophagi, straight to the dinosaur exhibits. And, thanks to Mum's excellent forward-planning, a CityPass not only gets us in here, but also into all the other major museums, as well as a sightseeing cruise down the Hudson river past the Statue of Liberty. Even better, it represents a saving of more than 100 (about £68) – which should pay for that lovely vintage necklace I spotted in SoHo, and still leave change for the subway there and back. Now that's what I call budgeting.
Fact file New YorkGetting there
Continental Airlines (0845 607 6760, www.continental.com) flies to New York from Edinburgh from £378.90 return, based on travel throughout December.
Where to stay
Midtown The Kitano, at 66 Park Avenue (00 1 212 885 7000, www.kitano.com), is Maria Sharapova's favourite place to stay when she's in town. You might even see the Chrysler Building or the Empire State from your bedroom. Rooms cost from 290 (£198) a night.
Downtown Thompson LES, at 190 Allen Street (00 1 212 460 5300,
www.thompsonhotels.com), is the coolest new destination in town. Madonna partied here for the launch of her Filth and Wisdom movie, where guests included Lindsay Lohan, Naomi Watts and Jessica Alba. An outdoor members' bar and pool will complete the picture when they open in spring next year. Rooms start from 375 (£256) a night.
Brooklyn Hotel le Bleu, at 370 4th Avenue (00 1 718 625 1500, www.hotellebleu.com), has the comfiest beds ever slept on. It's like sinking into a giant marshmallow.
The complimentary mini-bar and balconies with views of the Manhattan skyline are pretty tidy too. Rooms are priced from 249 (£170) a night.
What do to
Chicago is at the Ambassador Theatre, at 219 West 49th Street (www.chicagothemusical.com). Tickets cost from 64 (£44). To book from the UK, see www.keithprowse.com, which can pre-book all the other top shows, concerts, exhibitions, museums and tours.
The New York TV and Movie Sites tour runs daily from 11am, and advance booking is essential – contact On Location Tours (00 1 212-209-3370,
www.screentours.com). Other tours include Sex and the City and The Sopranos.
There is regular bus service (
www.shortlinebus.com) from Manhattan to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets (www.premiumoutlets.com), or you can travel in comfort and style in a sedan car from Air Brook (www.airbrook.com).
A CityPass (
www.citypass.com) provides entrance to the Empire State Building, American Museum of Natural History, Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Circle Line sightseeing cruise – all for 74 (£50).
