When people think of New York they think big: big buildings, big Broadway shows, big ideas, big money and big attitude. But when visitors first explore Manhattan, the most famous of the city’s five boroughs, many are surprised: it’s tiny, relatively speaking. The slender sliver of an island comprises just 23 of New York’s 309 square miles. But from a past that saw the city start off as a trading post for the Dutch, the city has come a long way – and, though it’s not the capital of the US, it remains the country’s center of capitalism.

Of course, there’s a lot to do in Manhattan. The lack of real estate gives the district a close-knit (if cramped) feeling that makes it superbly easy to navigate. But be sure to venture past the island’s waterfront; tourists and locals alike tend to overlook New York’s outer boroughs. Big mistake. You don’t want to miss attractions such as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 10458, +17186237200), Yankee Stadium (161st Street and River Avenue, NY 10451, call +17185794531 for tours) in the Bronx and the scenic jaunt to Staten Island on its eponymous – and free – ferry.

One of the city’s largest museums is the American Museum of Natural History (Central Park West, at 79th Street, NY 10024, +12127695000/+12127695100) – great for spine-tingling dinosaurs. The Museum of Modern Art Queens (33 Street at Queens Blvd, Long Island City, Queens, NY 11101, +12127089400, www.moma.org) is open on Monday (closed Tue, Wed), when most institutions are closed (note that the main MoMA site is due to reopen after renovations end 2004/beginning 2005). Along Fifth Avenue is the Empire State Building – now the tallest building in New York at 1,250 feet – and the New York Public Library Center for the Humanities – the third-largest library system in America. Veer off Fifth Avenue into the 19 buildings of the Rockefeller Center (from 48th Street to 51st Street, NY 10017) and you’ll understand why this masterful use of public space is so lavishly praised.

Music buffs should visit the Apollo Theater (253 W 125th St, NY 10027, +12127495838), which helped launch the careers of Ella Fitzgerald and Michael Jackson, and served as the hub for R&B for years. The Theater District and Times Square is on Broadway at 42nd Street. Take a few steps south of Canal Street west of Broadway and you’ll happen upon the largest Chinese immigrant community outside Asia – Manhattan’s Chinatown. The markets on Canal Street sell some of the best, most affordable seafood and fresh produce in the city. Its busy streets get even wilder during the Chinese New Year festivities in January or February and around the Fourth of July when the area is the city’s best source of (illegal) fireworks.

You’ll have heard of Central Park, of course, and the 151-year-old parkland is a welcome respite from the overwhelming pace of New York City life.

At Whitehall Street you can catch the Staten Island Ferry (see Top 5), a commuter barge that offers unguided but romantic panoramas of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Near to Whitehall Street is Battery Park, where you can catch a ferry to Liberty Island for a visit to the iconic Statue of Liberty. Sadly, for security reasons, the statue’s museum, pedestal and crown are no longer open to visitors. On the way back to Manhattan, tour boats stop at Ellis Island where the Ellis Island Immigration Museum (52 Vanderbilt Ave, Ste 4, NY 10017, +12123633200, www.ellisisland.com) is a moving tribute to the (approximately) 12 million people who entered the country here with dreams of a better life.

Memories of NYC’s iconic duo can be obtained at the World Trade Center Viewing Platform at Ground Zero.

From Manhattan, cross the Brooklyn Bridge to visit the Brooklyn Heights Promenade - one of the most romantic New York photo ops. While you are here, be sure to visit the aforementioned Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is bloomin’ beautiful all year long. Coney Island, on the peninsula just west of Brighton Beach, is a summertime destination. After decades of decay, the weirdly wonderful community known for its amusement park, beach and boardwalk has made a comeback.

Northeast of Manhattan the Bronx is one-quarter parkland and rich in cultural landmarks. A highlight is the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society (2300 Southern Blvd, NY 10460, +17182205100, www.bronxzoo.com).

If September 11th forced the city to become more neighborly in its approach to daily life, it continues to think big. Reinvention has long been the engine of New York and this – when the city is actively reinventing itself – is a particularly splendid time to visit.