It?s close to midnight and I?m standing in the crowded auditorium of the Bowery Ballroom in Soho, New York City. In this time zone, I?m six hours behind South Africa and so it?s actually 6am in the morning at home and I?m beginning to feel the effects.

Suzanne Vega?s opening act was cancelled at the last minute and so an unnamed friend of hers, who has never performed publicly in her life, has just sung some heartrendingly beautiful ? and original - lyrics and thanked us for 'being so kind' to her.

That says a lot about this city. The island of Manhattan is teeming with the most breathtaking, talented no-bodies. 'No-bodies' - simply because the level of expertise is so high, that to become a Robert de Niro (who lives around the corner in Tribeca by the way) you have to have more than just the 'X factor'.

Enter... Suzanne Vega

Suzanne Vega finally appears and begins an intimate and unforgettable performance. Despite the 200 hundred-odd people in the club, I felt as if she was singing to our small group of friends over dinner and am instantly revived. Her songs are interspersed with mundane and funny tales, told in her melodious tones, about taking her toddler to school in Manhattan and being called a ?dumb ho? by an irate driver, stuck behind her parked car. Here, even Suzanne Vega is not instantly recognised and revered.

Our arrival earlier at John F. Kennedy airport was uneventful. Having flown via Paris for a total of 17 hours, I felt relatively fresh and excited. My biggest concern was getting our hand luggage - two cases of Graham Beck Brut - through customs.

We exited JFK and, under strict instructions, ignored the Car Services signs (more expensive) and headed straight for the famous yellow taxicabs. There is a flat rate of $35 from the airport into Manhattan and this excludes the Brooklyn bridge toll (about $4) and tip (15-20 percent). Our driver was from Senegal and taking pity on our exchange rate, drove us over the Williamsburg Bridge instead, which is less exciting but has no toll.

After settling down in our friend?s apartment in Soho?s Spring Street, we walked to Little Italy for lunch. The choice of venues was overwhelming. Soho is packed with cafes, restaurants, bars and very expensive boutiques. Our meal, which was delicious, cost $100 for three people, including wine and tip. Our waiter, Denny, was from Albania, and because he had never met a South African, gave us a complementary glass of wine.

At your service

Wherever you go, the service is generally very good - in fact, there is a refreshing amount of pride that people take in their jobs. One word of caution: New York has just imposed a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars and, unlike SA, this law is taken very seriously. You may smoke outside a venue as long as you are not seated.

The next day, we took "the Train" (not the Tube or the Metro) to Times Square, after buying a week?s travel pass for $21 ? well worth it. When we surfaced from the station?s stairs, I saw New York as it is often portrayed in film and photography. People everywhere. Skyscrapers and neon signs.

Just like the movies

I recognised where the scene from Vanilla Sky was shot, when Tom Cruise runs down a deserted and surreal street in Times Square. I was also interested to see the MTV studios, where the programme TRL broadcasts live from each week, as well as the Studio?s balcony, where U2 performed an impromptu concert for the people below.

Times Square also has another tourist attraction: The Naked Cowboy. I couldn?t help but wonder if he rides the subway like that?

Ground Zero was next on the list. It is almost two years since 9/11 and construction of the World Trade Centre Memorial has begun. What really makes an impact is how vast the space is ? in both depth and width. Seven buildings collapsed that day.

Aftermath

There was a man at the viewing wall, handing out photocopied site maps and information and as I watched him, I wondered who he had lost that day. The site is a place of sobriety and reflection, and people are quieter here.

A few days later, we were lucky enough to book tickets for "Cabaret" ? one of New York?s hottest Broadway shows, performed in the once infamous 'Studio 54' and now in its sixth year. The show is co-directed by Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall and the $95 tickets are worth every cent.

Broadway baby

Cabaret previously featured the likes of Brooke Shields in the starring role of Sally Bowles, as well as Alan Cummings as the naughty MC. Currently, Jon Secada has taken over this role, and Deborah Gibson plays the female lead. The show is set in pre-Nazi Berlin in the notorious Kit Kat Klub and its costumes of saucy lingerie have sparked a major trend in New York?s Victoria?s Secret stores. (Happy days for the boys, as suspenders and stockings make a huge comeback!)

Before the show, in the plush surroundings of the Studio 54 bar, I tried a Cosmopolitan ? the cocktail made famous by 'Sex and the City' ? for a mere $18! It?s a delicious but lethal combination of vodka, triple sec and cranberry juice, so you won?t need more than one.

Retail therapy

I was fascinated by the fact that the character of Carrie Bradshaw in 'Sex and the City' has sparked a big clothing trend: something along the lines of 'Seventies-Disco-Retro-Goes to Maui' and very entertaining.

The Prada store in Soho is a Mecca for all fashionistas. The interior can only be likened in concept to a modern art gallery. There is a massive wooden skate ramp in the middle of the store, populated by at least 100 mannequins in eerily regimental arrangement. As you walk around, each space has been segmented into separate installations, complete with clothing, music and plasma screens showing video footage of what looked like a Tokyo butchery.

If your budget allows, pick up a chiffon skirt for a mere $4900 or perhaps a crocodile-skin clutch, available in three colours, for only $5500. But for those on a more realistic budget, look out for H&M, Gap, Old Navy, Strawberry and Zara.

Reliving history

I spent at least five hours taking in some of the world?s greatest art and artefacts, including the renowned Temple of Dendur installation (Egyptology), and countless works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, Manet, van Gogh, and Dali. I was also fortunate enough to see the special exhibition: "The French Taste for Spanish Painting" which chronicles the effect of Spanish artists, such as Velazquez, on the French Manet and his peers.

I enjoyed a lunch break in the Roy Lichtenstein Roof Garden which has great well-priced food, frozen margaritas and a spectacular view of the city. New York is so much greener and prettier that I had ever imagined.

Boating about

On our last day, we took a one-hour Circle Line boat tour ($13) which views the Brooklyn Bridge, the River Cafe and the Financial District of Manhattan, before heading out to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

This is a great activity for a scenic view of the city and the on-board guide gives an interesting background to the city as you sail past it.

Historically, New York is a treasure of facts and fiction. Did you know, for example, that the term 'cops' originated here in the early 1900s when rowdy immigrants on the Bowery beat up policemen for wearing uniforms and 'looking too British' and so the police reverted back to wearing only plain clothes and copper badges? Also, the "Gentleman's Directory of New York City", published in 1870, acknowledged that the city had more brothels per capita than any other major city in the US.