KEY POINTS:
When all you've got is 16 hours overnight in New York you're going to feel like you're on the Amazing Race.
I faced that bitter-sweet proposition after arriving aboard Emirates' inaugural super jumbo commercial flight into the United States from Dubai.
The plane touched down at JFK airport
on a Friday afternoon, 15 minutes ahead of schedule around 4pm - good start.
The queue to get into the country was a long one. I was regular checking my watch and feeling for the passengers who'd gone too hard on the flight and were suffering the dreaded pre-dinner hangover.
Those in the know reckon JFK and Los Angeles are the worst places to get into the States; one boy aged about four and wearing a Spiderman suit was not in the mood for waiting. He threw a wobbly that filled Terminal Four with his screams and then did a runner eluding New York's finest and for a time, his mother.
It took an hour to make it through immigration with two New Zealand media colleagues I'd flown from Auckland to Dubai with a day earlier.
The international press pack was slipping through in dribs and drabs. Time was ticking so we made our excuses and a break for it ourselves.
Stern airport announcements warn against taking rides into town with unregistered operators but the yellow cab line was too long and it was hard to resist the deal Alexander, our friendly unregistered operator was offering.
The Airbus A380 we'd touched down in was one of the most modern passenger machines in the world, worth close to $300 million. We left the car park in a dusty sedan that would have looked old the day it rolled off the assembly line in the 80s.
Alexander, originally from Lebanon, was excellent at driving on the margins of every lane. He was also an informative host and was unfailingly patient given some confusion over the hotel we were heading for.
He was a bit stingy with the air conditioning but with gas at US$4 a gallon who could complain?
Alexander was not a Bush supporter - "They go and fight a war for oil - where is it.?"
In addition to the famous sports stadiums, Flushing Meadow and Shea Stadium, he pointed out a massive mosque in the Jamaica district.
He also proudly gave us a look at his own neighbourhood in Queens before taking us over the Queensborough Bridge to Manhattan.
We'd been told Dubai is challenging for the title of having the most spectacular skyline in the world but will always be a series of mega districts built on sand. Manhattan is built on rock and it shows.
Our initial itinerary had us staying at one of the coolest hotels in town, unfortunately nobody there knew anything about us and we caught up with the rest of the media group at the Marriott on Broadway, right on Times Square. It was impressive in its way filled with American families, co-eds, and Europeans flexing their powerful Euros.
After establishing there was nothing organised by our hosts and filing for Herald Online it was time to take on Manhattan.
Times Square is a bit of tourist trap so we got a cab and headed towards the Empire State building, enjoying a classic New York moment on the way.
Our impatient driver inched into a bunch of pedestrians nearly squashing the foot of one who yelled "Why couldn't you just wait?" drawing the response: "Why don't you go f ... yourself?"
But cabs get you there in a hurry and are around the same price as in Auckland.
We'd resisted the the temptation of the cocktail lounge aboard the plane so a quick drink was in order. Not as easy to find as you'd expect around the Empire State but we settled briefly at the Radisson Martinique on West 32nd Street and then up the skyscraper for US$19.
The advice from the concierge was we'd face a wait of around one hour 15 minutes. He was just 15 minutes out - it only took an hour but as far as queues go it wasn't a bad one, snaking around the ground floor, regularly changing your line of sight and getting a sense of the solidity of the building.
An elevator takes you to the 80th floor and if you want to avoid another line, you can take the stairs up the remaining six floors.
It may have been crowded and those who have done it before say daytime's better but on a hot August night it was not a bad spot to be.
10.45pm and time for dinner. Again our destination was vague - anywhere in Soho. We stumbled on the Spring Street Natural Restaurant, between Cleveland Pl and Lafayette St, and it turned out to be an excellent find.
A couple of courses and drinks for the bargain price of US$40 each - the pizza margherita was a highlight - and it was a friendly, casual place.
But at the end of a 20-hour day, on top of an 18-hour flight from Auckland to Dubai we hit the wall.
We had to head back to the airport at 7.45am and so big talk of an all-nighter came to nothing and a little after midnight we headed for the hotel. Our race was run.
Advice:
* Taxis cost around US$45, plus tip into Manhattan, we negotiated $65 plus a $15 tip for Alexander, who took us the scenic route. Use your common sense if you're not using taxis.
* Book online in advance for The Empire State Building, or look into the additional US$17 express option if the line is very long.
* Grant Bradley travelled to New York courtesy of Emirates.
