Travel: New York is the city that never sleeps, and that always changes

It may be known as the city that never sleeps, but New York is actually the city that always changes.

And it’s aptly named as you will always find something new.

It had been barely a couple of years since my last visit to NYC, but that’s a lifetime of development in the Big Apple.

First up for a look is something shiny and new – Vessel.

It’s a stunning landmark, a gleaming interactive artwork comprised of 154 intricately-interconnecting flights of stairs.

That’s almost 2,500 individual steps, with the nearly one-mile of vertical climb giving great views of the city and the Hudson River.

© Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

It sits at Hudson Yards, a classy new mall with more than 100 stores and also The Shed, a recently-opened arts centre.

It’s right beside the High Line, the disused elevated railway that offers a wonderful walk through gardens and artworks to the Meatpacking district.

At the end, there was a perfect chance to refuel at Sugar Factory, a haunt of celebs like Kylie and Kendall Jenner and the Kardashians.

Think you’ve seen OTT cocktails? Think again. Our pick was goldfish-bowl-sized, and overflowing with dry ice!

The west side area is undergoing a multi-billion-dollar development and a great place to see it and more is the One World Observatory (oneworldobservatory.com).

It sits at World Trade Center, where the Twin Towers fell on September 11 2001. Standing 1776 feet tall, the panorama over the harbour and the Statue of Liberty takes your breath away. We took time to drink in the views while sipping a tipple at One Dine bar and restaurant.

It’s one of three sky-high observatories that offer a remarkable look at the city and each has its own appeal.

The Empire State Building is the original icon, but the viewing deck is pretty tight and busy.

For more space, and the opportunity to see the Empire State, One World and Central Park, try Top of the Rock.

As this break included a birthday celebration, we splashed out on another new experience at Rockefeller. The Rainbow Room is on the 65th floor and we had a stunning skyline backdrop for a dinner never to be forgotten.

When you’re in Manhattan you don’t want to be far from the action and our base, Best Western Hospitality House Plus, is in an ideal location on East 49th Street.

The smart apartment-style rooms are first rate and it’s just five minutes from the cathedral-like magnificence of Grand Central Station. Each room easily houses a family.

Getting around the city is easy thanks to the Subway. The multitude of lines will take you anywhere across Manhattan in minutes.

One time-saving tip is to look for the express rather than local trains if they connect with the station you’re looking for.

We were looking to find new facts and On Location Tours (onlocationtours.com) were spot-on.

The NYC TV and Movie Tour was a bus tour around some of the many magical filming locations, while the Central Park TV and Movie Sites tour was a walk through the Park’s celluloid incarnations.

Our actor guide also pointed out Lady Gaga’s penthouse apartment in the building next to the famous Plaza Hotel. Let’s just say the Lady has one heck of a view!

There was also the chance to get a fresh take on Brooklyn. We’d previously taken the Pizza Tour from A Slice of Brooklyn (asliceofbrooklyn.com) and the Chocolate Tour was every bit as tasty.

The one thing you’ll always find new is a show on Broadway and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations recently opened at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. In two exhilarating hours it told the remarkable story of the Motown group in a show packed with hits.

From the Brooklyn Bridge to the Statue of Liberty there were many old favourites – but the new attractions will keep us coming back.