Whizz around New York's sights with the city's new bike scheme

Just as Boris Johnson did for London, New York’s Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is introducing a brand-new bike share scheme to the city’s streets this summer – helping to make the Big Apple’s tourist hotspots even more accessible! This new alternative for public travel is set to launch late July and will see up to 420 bike docking stations appearing every few blocks on sidewalks throughout Midtown and Lower Manhattan, in splotches of northern Brooklyn and along a small slice of Queens. The number is set to increase over the coming year, and by summer 2013, the city expects to have a fleet of 10,000 bikes, making it the largest such programme in the country and one of the largest in the world!

What’s more, for families and nervous cyclists wanting hassle-free biking in the city, the Summer Streets initiative guarantees, for three Saturdays in August, complete safety and hassle-free strolling as the sounds of honking horns are replaced with the cling-cling of bicycle bells. From 7am to 1pm, and from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, Park Avenue and connecting streets will be closed to traffic and open to cyclists and the wandering public. Check out the FREE Summer Streets events, which offer entertainment for the whole family.

Cheap, chic and ideal for visitors wanting to be in the heart of the Summer Streets action, The Hotel @ Times Square offers stays in July from $194.99 per room, per night (£63 per person based on two sharing). Situated just a short stroll from Central Park, Fifth Avenue and Times Square this budget-friendly hotel boasts complimentary wi-fi, continental breakfast, national calls and a fitness suite as well as free stays for kids aged 12 and under. To book, visit thehotelattimessquare.com.