New York - Hotels, Restaurants, Bars and Galleries
1 August 2014
New York is a city that needs no introduction, but it’s also one that will defy your expectations. Do you picture blinking lights, speeding cabs and bustling crowds when you hear its name? Midtown may fit that billing, but it’s only one pocket of a much wider experience. From verdant Central Park to the historic brownstones of Brooklyn, from the rarefied museums of the Upper East Side to the global streets of Queens, you’ll soon discover that there are as many New Yorks as there are New Yorkers.
Hotels
The Standard High Line
Straddling the High Line, the gleaming Standard is a Meatpacking District icon. Luxurious rooms with a view are complemented by the ground floor Standard Grill and the rooftop Le Bain, where the young and beautiful frolic in seasonal plunge pools.
standardhotels.com/high-line
The Marlton
A firm favourite among the city’s fashion set, the Marlton is often described as a pint-sized version of the Ritz. Rooms, with their crown moulding and gilded touches, do reference antique glamour, but blend in equal parts of chic, contemporary cool.
marltonhotel.com
Ace Hotel New York
Virtually synonymous with hip, the Ace Hotel has served as a destination for the young and plugged in set since opening. Rooms come equipped with guitars and turntables, while the cinematic lobby is permanently filled with the laptop-illuminated.
acehotel.com/newyork
The Surrey
Part luxury townhouse and part art museum The Surrey’s collection contains masterpieces from the likes of Richard Serra and Chuck Close. After a browse, guests can wander through the hotel’s black-and-white themed interior up to the 17th floor private roof garden.
thesurrey.com
Restaurants
Pok Pok Ny
Forget everything you thought you knew about Thai food: there’s no green curry to be found at Brooklyn’s Pok Pok Ny. In unfussy surroundings, this eternally popular spot serves chilli-laced, explosively flavoured, and richly authentic northern Thai cuisine.
pokpokny.com
Sushi Nakazawa
For those who watched the documentary Jiro Dreams Of Sushi and bemoaned the fact that they probably wouldn’t ever get to sample ‘authentic’ sushi, there’s an answer: Sushi Nakazawa. Opened by one of Jiro’s apprentices, it ranks among the best Japanese restaurants in the city.
sushinakazawa.com
Alder
Following news that molecular gastronomy whiz Wylie Dufresne is closing the iconic wd~50, Alder, his newer eatery, is sure to attract even bigger crowds. Here, the culinary pyrotechnics are toned down a touch as Dufresne hones in on creative gastropub fare.
aldernyc.com
Betony
A modern American restaurant opened by veterans of Eleven Madison Park, Betony serves a carnival of small dishes packed with seasonal flavours: summer squash pairs with lemon verbena and goat’s milk, while butterscotch marries Islay scotch and hazelnut for dessert.
betony-nyc.com
Bars
Nitecap
It might occupy a dimly lit basement space in the Lower East Side, but Nitecap is no speakeasy. Instead, this cocktail bar, beloved by industry types, lightens its ambiance with warm service and drinks that are creative but thoroughly unpretentious.
nitecapnyc.com
The Dead Rabbit
The Dead Rabbit has racked up awards with its 1850s Gangs Of New York atmosphere and drinks menu that cherry-picks the best recipes from bygone eras. From possets to punches, it demands an attentive read-through pre-sipping.
deadrabbitnyc.com
Barcade
Originally opened in Brooklyn, Barcade’s recipe of vintage arcade games and local craft beer made it a favourite. Now, its expansive new Chelsea location caters to Manhattanites craving a refreshing pint (and the chance to beat the high scores).
barcade.com
Up & Down
The celebrity-packed Up & Down serves two different nightlife sets: its upper floor, styled like an Italian villa, offers up drinks alongside a quieter ambiance, while the DJ-spun space downstairs is for those who want to let loose.
uadnyc.com
Galleries
The New Museum
Designed to resemble a stack of boxes from the outside, The New Museum is the only Manhattan museum dedicated strictly to contemporary art. Temporary exhibitions feature the work of artists from around the world and frequently involve participatory elements.
newmuseum.org
MoMA
MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) is the place to see some of the 20th century’s biggest masterpieces: from Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon to Van Gogh’s Starry Night, it provides the rare opportunity to discover these treasures in person.
moma.org
The Metropolitan Museum Of Art
The Metropolitan Museum Of Art is the quintessential New York museum: a neoclassical grande dame on the edge of Central Park that would take days to explore in full. The Temple Of Dendur, a reconstructed Egyptian temple, is a good starting point.
metmuseum.org
The Whitney Museum Of American Art
Dedicated to American artists, the Whitney’s collection consists primarily of 20th century and contemporary work. Alongside exhibitions that showcase the likes of Jeff Koons and Edward Hopper, it also hosts the Whitney Biennial, one of New York’s biggest annual art events.
whitney.org