Navigating Big Apple

The most cosmopolitan of U.S. cities is a trendsetter in its own right and is usually the first to filter through what's new and cutting edge from around the world.

This multifarious metropolis means so many different things to such a diverse crowd that it would be nearly impossible for anyone to produce a conclusive travel guide to the city.

The pulse is constantly changing and evolving to the tempo of its own beat. De rigueur today is passé tomorrow. However, there are many classic New York experiences that remain relatively unchanged over the decades.

The following is a guide to a sampling of the new and cutting edge in the summer of 2001 in NYC and some classic places that are either timeless or just plain old school cool.

On the shopping front, NYC should be the first American pit stop for the latest in cutting edge fashion – either homegrown or imported from abroad, the city has it all. Most shops are open Monday through Saturday, from 11a.m./noon - 7/8 p.m., and on Sundays from noon - 6 p.m.

Flight 001 (96 Greenwich Ave) should be your first stop, where you can pick up credit card-sized subway and street maps of Manhattan. It also stocks the hippest retro-inspired futuristic travel gadgets and accessories on the planet.

Nolita (North of Little Italy) is one of many good places to explore for hip boutiques. Check out the following:

Final Home (241 Lafayette St.) is a cutting edge DJ/Japanese design shop with ultra cool streetwear and accessories. It offers a decent selection of 2-Step, Down Tempo and Experimental electronica, an in-house DJ and cool vibes.

BBL (Baby Blue Line) (238 Mott St.) offers retro inspired clothing and classic designs for women.

GOTO (85 Kenmare St.) sells cutting edge unisex streetwear and Accessories, and is a good place to pick up the ubiquitously trendy Swiss recycled Freitag messenger bags.

Hiponica (238 Mott St.) offers cool handbags and purses for women.

Another area where trendsetting wares can be found is in the Noho area (north of Houston), between East Village and Nolita. Cool shops include Transit (665 Broadway), the place to score tight trainers, shades and urbanwear, and Bond 07 (7 Bond St.), offering chic designs and accessories, vintage and new.

Another up and coming area to check out new designs is the Lower East Side (LES). A few worth noting include Vo (169 Ludlow St.), TG-170 (170 Ludlow St.), and Recon (237 Eldridge St.).

If you're short on time but still want to score next season's fashion wardrobe, head to some of the best department stores in the world, from Macy's (151 W. 34 St.) to Barneys New York (660 Madison Ave.) to Bergdorf Goodman on the trendy Fifth Avenue (754 Fifth Ave.).

All stock an incredible array of the world's cutting edge designers of clothes, accessories and beauty products.

If you're on a limited budget or just plain thrifty, head to designer discount Century 21 Department Store (22 Cortland St.) or the trendy Swedish import, H & M (640 Fifth Ave.), which offers cheap high quality versions of the latest catwalk fashions.

Record shopping in NYC is a DJ's heaven.

Bring an empty box and just fill it up – if you have the money to spend.

Outside Europe, NYC is ground zero for the latest global grooves. Satellite Records (259 Bowery St.) has the most comprehensive selection of all genres and a plethora of listening stations.

If you've a late night craving for vinyl, for the coolest record buying experience, schlep out to the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn and hit Halcyon (227 Smith St.), a café, cum bar, cum DJ shop, where you can order some killer Belgian beers and listen to an eclectic selection of global talent, while any number of top-notch DJs from all over the world, may pop their heads in and spin as the in-house DJ.

The New York restaurant scene offers the best of every type of global cuisine, encompassing the five-star restaurant to the all-night deli (kosher of course). The quintessential New York dining experience is to eat at any number of the city's historic kosher delis.

From Carnegie Deli (854 Seventh Ave.) near Times Square, to Katz's Deli (205 E. Houston St.) in the Lower East Side, they all offer classic staples that should not be missed, such as piled high peppered pastrami sandwiches, to fluffy matzo ball soups, to delectable cheesecakes and egg creams.

Another fantastic dining experience is to eat in the ubiquitous Italian restaurants sprinkled throughout the city.

Twenty-first century Little Italy is nothing more than two city blocks surrounded by an ever-expanding Chinatown.

For the least touristy old world charm head to Luna's Restaurant (112 Mulberry St.), followed by dessert and espresso at Café Roma (385 Broome St.).

To escape the tourist hordes and gain a feel for what it was like 50 years ago, head to the Little Italy section of the Bronx.

Centered around Arthur Avenue, this off-the-beaten path area is attracting new immigrants from Albania and has a distinct old world family feel and ethnic flavor. There, one can dine at Amici's Ristorante (566 E. 187th St.), serving traditional style Italian food made from scratch for the last 25 years, amidst a Godfather-like setting.

Steakhouses are another of the Big Apple's classics. Peter Luger's (178 Broadway St.) located in the hip artists' Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, has been serving choice dry-aged porterhouses in an old world beerhall setting since 1887.

For authentic soul food head to the legendary Sylvia's Restaurant (328 Lenox Ave.) in a re-emerging happening Harlem.

Or if you prefer Eastern European cuisine, try the homey flavor of the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant at 140 Second Ave.

A trip to New York would not be complete without sampling some of the world's best pizza. Legendary local favorites include John's Pizzeria (278 Bleecker St.) and Ray Bari (201 Amsterdam Avenue at 69th St.), which has grown to a chain of five establishments throughout the city.

For a city that never sleeps, there is a wide range of high quality choices for post club grub. Wo Hop (17 Mott St.) in Chinatown tops the list; open 24-7, this NYC institution has served excellent wonton soup, chow fun and noodle dishes since 1938.

Another high-grade 24-hour option is Florent's (69 Gansevoort St.), a French inspired bistro diner that trail blazed the now hip Meatpacking District scene 16 years ago.

For an old school drinking good time head over to McSorley's Old Ale House (15 E. 7th St.) in the East Village; one of the oldest pubs in the city, that has been serving its tapped light and dark ales by the pair since 1854.

NYC has always been at the pinnacle of musical breakthrough in the United States. From Gershwin in the 1920s to the Harlem renaissance in the 1930s to disco, paradise garage and punk rock days of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the city has forever fostered music revolutions in practically every genre.

Today, the top clubs have the best of local and international DJs spinning a wide selection of electronic grooves, from hip hop to down tempo, and UK Garage to funky house.

You can always find out more on NYC in the New York press – Timeout, or the Village Voice weeklies, and Paper, a New York-based lifestyle magazine.

Local hipster mini mags 411 or Flyer, offer the latest info about New York City nightlife and are available at trendy shops such as Final Home. For the very latest on DJ gigs, go to Satellite Records and check out the multitude of club flyers.

If you want to hear the best DJs in the world, come to NYC on any given night of the week, and you will be left with too many to choose from.

Some of the best club nights include: GBH@ Centro-Fly on Fridays, Giant Step Records Weekly Sessions @ Shine on Thursdays, Tuesdays @ Spa, and Hangover Helper @ Halcyon on Sundays.

Another good party can be found at the Central Park Summerstage (summerstage.org) which has hosted the likes of the Basement Jaxx in its summer-long lineup.

If electronic music and DJ's aren't your thing, head to SOB's, the pre-eminent venue for world music, from Indian Bhangra music to the Manhattan Samba group on Saturday nights, this place rocks.

CBGB's, a punk rock landmark, is the place to check out performances of the latest underground bands.

For the true old school experience, head to the beautifully restored Art Deco Lenox Lounge in Harlem; once the stomping ground for the likes of Billie Holliday and Duke Ellington, this is a nostalgic place to hear incredible jazz talents. Another option for cutting edge swing music is Lansky's, a former speakeasy turned hipster hangout.

CHELSEA

Chelsea Hotel (222 W. 23rd St.) Built in 1887, former residents include Mark Twain and Titanic survivors.

Algonquin (59 W. 44th St.) New York literary landmark; home to the legendary Round Table.

CHEAPER SLEEPS

The Chelsea Star Hotel (300 W. 30th St.)

Hotel 17 (225 E. 17th St.)