New York Fashion Week sees the cool crowd flock to the big apple twice a year, and not only to see what spectacle Marc Jacobs pulls out of the (hobo) bag, whether Ralph Lauren, Jason Wu and Calvin Klein can out-slick their last collections, or have next season's brand of hipness laid out for them by Alexander Wang. 

They're also there to hustle tables at the latest hole-in-the-wall restaurant everyone in Brooklyn is talking about and sip cocktails the whole world is about to go crazy for in speakeasy style bars on the Lower East Side. They're more than likely to rummage around for some golden vintage finds or swish around Fifth Avenue's finest department stores in search of something fresh off the catwalk too. Or maybe, they'll simply do as New Yorkers do and jog around Central Park, mooch around MOMA, or take a Jitney up to the Hamptons for a weekend of Gwyneth spotting. 

Whether you're visiting on serious fashion business, or for an anytime jaunt, do not pass Terminal 5, and do not collect $20 without first swotting up on the best places to eat, drink, sleep, shop and visit in our guide to New York City.