So you're in New York, you've done the Empire State and the Statue of Liberty, what now? As any music fan knows, the streets of New York are drenched in musical history. The city was the playground for Dylan and Warhol in the 60s and the birthplace of punk in the 70s. So what should you see and do?

If you want a guided tour, local historian Bobby Pinn hosts a 2 hour walk around the lower east side and will tell you stories of The Ramones, New York Dolls, Warhol, Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop and more. Go to www.rockjunket.com to make a booking.

If you'd rather go it alone, it's easy. Just pop on your headphones and include these destinations in your magical mystery tour …

Chelsea Hotel
For the ultimate rock n roll experience, check into the Chelsea on West 23rd. The hotel's been a favourite with the boho crowd since the 60s. Immortalised in song by Leonard Cohen and frequented by the Warhol crowd, it has been home to Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe and Dee Dee Ramone.

If you're romancing a loved one, see if room 100 is free. You can bed down in the knowledge you're where Sid murdered Nancy in '78.

Location: 222 West 23rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenue

On your iPod:
Leonard Cohen - Chelsea Hotel no2
Sid Vicious - My Way

CBGB
Little did Hilly Kristal know, when he opened his Country, Bluegrass and Blues club in '73, that he was about to become godfather to a rock scene that would change music forever. First providing a stage for Television, the roster expanded to include The Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads and a host of artists who formed the CBGB sound.

Today the venue is under threat of closure, so take advantage before it's too late. Stop by during the day to take a picture and buy a t-shirt. Then hop back in the evening to see what the local bands have to offer.

Location: 315 Bowery between 1st and 2nd Street (end of Bleeker Street)

On your iPod:
Television - Marquee Moon
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer

St Mark's Place
A short walk from the Bowery is St Mark's Place. Hang on to your history hats, cos there's a lot to take in here …

At no. 4 you'll see Trash and Vaudeville clothing store. A nice place to pick up some threads, this was once the Bridge Theater where Yoko Ono performed in the 60s.

19 - 25 is where Warhol opened Electric Circus and put on Exploding Plastic Inevitable and the Velvet Underground.

34 is where Dee-lite lived and rehearsed in the 80s.

On the corner of St Mark's and 2nd you'll see the Gem Spa, a building that remains intact from its glory day as the backdrop of the New York Dolls first album cover.

No 96 might look familiar; it's the building from Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti sleeve.

Need to sit down? Take a seat in Tompkins Square Park, this is where the Grateful Dead performed and where Lady Bunny launched Wigstock - the city's annual drag pageant.

After that, head to St Marks-in-the-Bowery Church. If you're lucky you'll run into Patti Smith, she began her poetry career here and still performs at the long standing Poetry Project.

On your iPod:
Velvet Underground - Venus in Furs
Patti Smith - Piss Factory

Max's Kansas City
Head up town and visit the site of Max's Kansas City. A forerunner to CBGB, Max's was the birthplace of the New York Dolls and Jayne (then Wayne) County. Debbie Harry worked there, Andy Warhol's crowd took up virtual residence in the upstairs backroom and Lou Reed wrote Take a Walk on the Wild Side about the whole concoction.

Though the building still remains, it's now a deli. Stop off for a bite to eat and have dreams of what used to be. Sadly, Debbie no longer waits the tables.

Location: Park Avenue South, between 17th and 18th Street.

On your iPod:
Lou Reed - Take a Walk on the Wild Side
Jayne County - Max's Kansas City

Quickstops

Joey Ramone Place - A perfect photo op., the corner of 2nd Street and The Bowery was renamed in honour of Joey in November 2003.

53rd and 3rd - Dee Dee wrote the Ramones classic about this male pick-up spot where he used to hustle.

Gramercy Park Hotel - currently closed for renovation, this was once the home of Debbie Harry and Chris Stein. The Clash were regular visitors.

The Factory - Warhol's Factory was located at 19 E. 32nd and 22 E. 33rd, between Madison and Park.

Pyramid Club - this long standing venue hosted Nirvana's first NY gig in '89. Nico once lived on the 2nd floor.