New York's climate is defined by extremes. The city can be hot and humid in summer and bitterly cold and windy in winter. Weather in New York is also rather changeable meaning that dry, sunny conditions can be quickly swept away by a system that brings 95-degree temperatures and extreme humidity, all within the space of a week. Winter temperatures can also fluctuate up to 20 degrees over a few days. Rainfall and thundershowers are common in summer, and freezing rain and snowfall is normal in winter. Though rainy, spring in New York is generally mild, with average temperatures in the 60s and 70s Fahrenheit. Autumn temperatures, in the 50s and 60s, are also pleasant.

Greater New York Chamber of Commerce

Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce

Brazilian Consulate General

Czech Consulate General

Japanese Consulate

Business centers provide a range of services that include secretarial, translation/interpretation, and office services, including computer rentals, audio/visual equipment rentals, cellular phone rentals, copy and printing services, and temporary office space and staff.

Hq Global Workplaces

American Conference Centers

Accent on Language

Interworld Translation Service

Airline Delivery Services

All upper-range and most medium-priced hotels are equipped with dataports that allow guests to use laptop computers. Many hotels offer business centers equipped with computers and Internet access. Outside hotels, cyber cafes are available including:

Internet Lounge

Keelum Broadband Internet Café

Internet Cyber Café

Passports valid for at least six months after arrival are required for all. In general, travelers visiting the U.S. are required visas. However, under the Visa Waiver Program, citizens of Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are allowed to stay for 90 days without a visa. Citizens of Canada and Mexico do not need a visa but must carry proof of citizenship and identity.

Beginning October 26, 2004, all travelers, including children of any age, who want to travel visa-free to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program must have a Machine-readable passport.

Duty-free allowances are 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 2 kilograms of tobacco, 1 liter of alcohol, and gifts worth up to $100. Meat products, seeds, plants, fruits, and hazardous goods are prohibited.

The area codes in Manhattan are 212 and 917; Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens use 718; Long Island is 516.

Emergency police, fire, and ambulance

For local calls, dial the seven-digit telephone number. For long-distance calls within the U.S., dial 1, then the three-digit area code, then the seven-digit number. For long-distance calls outside the U.S., first dial 011 and the country code. Four special prefixes, "800," "888," "877," and "900," are not area codes but indicators of special services. "800," "888," and "877" are toll-free calls. The "900" numbers charge you for the call and are often expensive. For collect calls or operator-assisted calls, dial "0" instead of "1". For local directory assistance, dial 411. For long-distance information, dial 1, and then the appropriate area code followed by 555-1212.

The most common public phone is the coin-operated type. Telephone-card phones are becoming increasingly common.

There are several cellular service providers in the U.S., including: Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Cingular, AT&T Wireless, and Sprint PCS. Mobile phone numbers follow the regular telephone number convention, with the seven-digit telephone number followed by the area code.

If you choose to bring your cellular phone into the U.S., be sure to check with your home cellular service provider to establish compatibility of your phone with systems abroad. Rent a locally compatible cellular phone before you arrive to obtain reasonable rates and reliable service.

Foreign currency must be exchanged to U.S. dollars. Money can be exchanged at banks and various foreign-exchange services. Most restaurants, shops, and hotels will take travelers' checks and major credit cards. Travelers can also withdraw cash from ATMs.

The basic unit of U.S. currency is the dollar, which equals 100 cents. Coins are the copper penny (1 cent) and four silver coins: the nickel (5 cents), the dime (10 cents), the quarter (25 cents), and the half-dollar (50 cents). Silver $1 coins and "golden" dollar coins also exist. Paper bills come in denominations of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100.

• Restaurants
15 to 20 percent of bill, none at fast-food restaurants
• Bars
About US$1 per drink or 10% to 15% of drink prices
• Airport Skycap/Porter
US$1 per piece of luggage
• Taxis
10 percent of fare
• Hotel Bell Desk
US$1 per piece of luggage or per taxi summoned
• Hotel Housekeeping
US$1 per person per day
• Hotel Room Service
15 percent of bill
• Parking Attendant/Valet
15 percent of parking rate
• Haircare/Personal Services
20 percent of bill

New York City lies in the Eastern Time Zone (GMT/UTC minus five hours). During the spring and summer months New York observes daylight-saving time.

New York City has the sales tax of 8.25%. Clothing under $110, prescription drugs, and non-prepared food from grocery stores are exempt from sales tax.

110V AC, 60Hz. Plugs are of the flat, two-pin type.

Subways and buses will get you to any part of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx; the Staten Island Ferry is free unless you're taking on a car; and taxis are prevalent everywhere.

Yellow medallion taxi cabs are the only ones authorized to pick up passengers hailing from the street. Fares, which cover all passengers, start at US$2 and rise 30 cents for each one-fifth of a mile, or 20 cents per minute for waiting time or if the cab is going less than eight miles an hour, which can add up in rush hour gridlock. Most cab rides in Manhattan will cost you around US$8 to US$12, unless it's rush hour.

The New York City bus system is extensive, but riding buses through the city streets can be much slower than taking the subway. It does come in handy for gaps not filled by the subway, such as traveling between the East Side and the West Side. Subway tokens or MetroCards are the easiest way to pay for a bus. Otherwise, you must have US$1.50 in exact change. Only quarters, dimes, and nickels are accepted.

The subway system in New York City is extensive enough to make it your exclusive choice. Though subway tokens are still available (US$1.50), MetroCards are now the more common mode of payment. There are also unlimited daily, weekly, and monthly passes. Unlimited-ride MetroCards can be purchased at subway-station booths.

No specific immunizations are needed to enter the United States. For more information, contact the Center for Disease Control at 800-342-2437.

Dining in New York offers dizzying variety. On the 47th floor of the Marriott Marquis, View, the city's only revolving restaurant offers the New York tasting menu. Mesa Grill is famous for spicy Southwestern American cooking and lively atmosphere. New York's internationally renowned Nobu serves exquisite inventive Japanese cuisine and sashimi. Bombay Talkie is modelled after Indian teahouses and decorated with lush oil paintings of scenes from Bollywood flicks, and the menu spotlights creative street food of the chef Jehangir Mehta. Megu is a 13,000-square-foot Japanese restaurant favoured by savvy Tribeca inhabitants where you will get royal treatment and inventive meal. Service is flawless at Le Bernardin where the house specialty is French-style seafood. Celebrities can often be seen noshing on American food at Tribeca Grill.

If it exists, you can probably find it in New York. The city's best designer shopping can be done along Madison Avenue, lined with brands' flagship stores, and Fifth Avenue, synonymous with fashion. Many unique clothing boutiques and high-end interior design shops are concentrated in the SoHo (South of Houston) neighborhood, an area with a European sensibility. Several stalls at the Annex Flea Market offer vintage clothing and linens.

A walking tour is a good way to take in New York's many architectural marvels. Some of the city's most famous monuments are the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. Among the city's 150 museums, the Guggenheim, Museum of Modern Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art are truly world-class.

A great New York tradition involves seeing a Broadway show. The program of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts includes performances of the Metropolitan Opera, The New York City Opera, the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic. Other renowned venues are Carnegie Center, Kaufman Concert Hall and the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts.

New York offers a range of nightlife scenes. The stylish, occasionally wild clubs in SoHo draw a crowd of models, artists and businesspeople, while East and West Village spots are patronized by a bohemian clientele. Posh lounges and cocktail bars characterize the Upper East and West Sides.

If it's baseball season (April to September), consider catching a Mets or Yankees game.