An editor’s guide to New York City: where to stay, eat, shop and get creative in the Big Apple

QCNY

Credit: QCNY

Travel


An editor’s guide to New York City: where to stay, eat, shop and get creative in the Big Apple

By Tom Gormer

10 months ago

9 min read

Top tips on where to stay, eat, shop and spa in the city that never sleeps by Stylist’s deputy editor and New York superfan Tom Gormer.


I love New York. I love it so much that I would choose five days in the city over a fortnight on a beach. I love the noise, the extreme weather and the fact dogs are allowed everywhere. I love that it’s the only place in the world that looks exactly like it does on the screen (I still can’t get over that steam really does rise from the streets).

If you have never been before, please do be a tourist: visit all the things you think you want to see (the Statue of Liberty, Grand Central Station, Central Park) and fully embrace it. As someone who has been many, many times, I can honestly say that each visit is different: one trip I can live like a local, on another I’ll visit all the museums, and sometimes I’ll just stay in one area. My top tips are to get a MetroCard, travel by subway, never forget to tip and wear your comfiest footwear – your step count will go through the roof.

The Loews Regency

Credit: The Loews Regency

Where to stay

Booking accommodation is probably one of the most stressful things about organising a trip away. Will the rooms be too small? Am I staying in the right area? Is it safe? Loews Regency New York (above) is situated on Park Avenue on the Upper East Side, and just a stone’s throw from Central Park. Rooms are spacious – a bed you can walk around! – staff are friendly and the wi-fi is speedy. The Loews was the hotel that invented the ‘power breakfast’ and, to this day, you will still find a room full of very important people doing business over bagels and eggs benedict at 8am (and if you don’t have a morning rendezvous, the lobby serves complimentary coffee). During fashion week, designers can be found working or taking meetings here, and on the first Monday in May, expect to see Met Gala guests taking advantage of the fact that the hotel is a mere 20-minute walk to the Metropolitan Museum.

If you want a slightly more central place to stay, The Ace Hotel will never let you down. Although the lobby is dark and noisy (and the rooms pretty small), its midtown location is perfect for exploring the whole city. Plus, it has a retro photobooth in reception. For the ultimate in blow-your-budget luxury head to The Edition or, if you want to reside over the bridge in hip Williamsburg, The Hoxton is a great alternative.

MoMa

Credit: MoMa

Where to be creative

For me, New York has the world’s greatest museums (and accompanying gift shops). The Whitney houses the best of American art – head straight for the Warhol. You’re also in the perfect area to join the High Line trail and visit Chelsea Market, with its world-famous food hall.

The Museum Of The Moving Image is a bit of a schlep but worth it if you’re a Muppets or Sesame Street fan as it has over 300 treasures from the Jim Henson archive on display.

And then there is MOMA (pictured above). The Museum of Modern Art is the place where you can get up close to Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Gustav Klimt’s Hope II and Mondrian’s primary colour originals (as referenced in our recent Keeley Hawes cover). It does close at 5.30pm, though, which is early for a city that never sleeps, but on a Saturday it stays open until 7pm. One of the best (and most fancy) meals I have ever had was at the in-house restaurant, The Bar Room – who knew a caviar hot dog for a starter could be so good ($32 for two)?

To keep your Instagram followers happy, head to Summit and discover three floors of immersive spaces that will “challenge, inspire and thrill”. Or, for an interactive and artistic couple of hours, The Color Factory won’t let you down (who doesn’t love a turquoise-coloured ball pool?).

Via Carota

Credit: Via Carota

Where to eat

Food, glorious food. New York has so many options and everyone you ask for suggestions will tell you something different. Even Pret has a different menu, including almond butter, blueberry and banana sandwiches.

Nigella Lawson once told me that the best burger in New York was at the Minetta Tavern, and I can confirm she’s not wrong ($38 (£31) with fries). Balthazar is always reliable (and you may bump into Anna Wintour, who is a regular), and the vodka/chilli/tomato pasta at Carbone is just dreamy.

Elsewhere, Via Carota in the West Village (go for lunch, not dinner) is an Italian foodie’s dream, while Gem is a not-to-be-missed small plates and wine bar. For a cheap yet delicious offering, King Dumplings is a snug counter-service local restaurant selling the best crispy pan-fried dumplings and sesame pancakes in the city. And if you’ve room for more, a four-minute walk will land you at Super Taste for saucy hand-pulled noodles.

For the very best lox and cream cheese bagels – and Jake Gyllenhaal-approved merch – Russ & Daughters is worth the queue. And for the most imaginative bakes head to Supermoon Bake House, where you will be presented with an array of Wonka-esque flavour combinations such as its salted caramel, pistachio and brown butter cardamom cruffin or honey lavender doughnut.

Don’t let Economy Candy’s unassuming exterior put you off entering: it’s filled floor-to-ceiling with sweets of every kind. And dotted around the whole of Manhattan you’ll see the iconic pink neon Milk bar logo, which is amazing for soft serve and cookies. They will also deliver to your hotel if you’ve done too much walking already.

QCNY

Credit: QCNY

Where to spa

Imagine sitting outside in a warm pool looking out over the Manhattan skyline. The QCNY spa (pictured above) is quite possibly the most random, quirky, relaxing experience you could have in the Big Apple. A 10-minute ferry from the mainland (wave to Lady Liberty), you arrive on Governors Island, where a former military barracks houses this multi-level, tranquil odyssey. Once checked in (you are given a locker key with a bag containing flip-flops, a robe and a towel), you can explore relaxation rooms, steam baths, saunas and hydro pools. Some rooms are for chilling out in (think crackling fires and the sound of chirping birds), while others offer health benefits (I loved the infrared beds), but the highlight is the outdoor pools where you can relax in heated water while taking in the panoramic sights of the city. You can also book a massage, and the spa stays open until 10pm.

Swanky but affordable, Bathhouse has just opened in the Flatiron District (it also has a location in Brooklyn) or if you want to be transported to the Roman times, head Downtown to Aire. For a more old-school experience, head to the Russian Turkish baths. Reader, this is not a luxury spa but an unforgettable and traditional experience with locals (check the website before turning up).

Aman Jazz Club

Credit: Aman Jazz Club

Where to have a night out

No sign, no swanky entrance, no fuss: The Jazz Club at Aman New York (above) is so anonymous that you may well walk past it a few times. Part of the swanky Aman New York and just across from Trump Tower, the only clue to its existence is a bouncer on the door. Go down a stairwell via the coat check and you enter a 3,000-square-foot room that feels so exclusive it’s like you’re about to be an extra in a film. Table service and deluxe booths complete the speakeasy (albeit with a state-of-the-art sound system) feel. The clientele is a mix of the coolest New Yorkers and power couples. Snacks include mini bowls of gnocchi and truffled cheese toasties; the bar serves everything from champagne and cocktails to the best Japanese saké.

For a spot of celeb-spotting, head to Temple bar in NoHo, which not only has the most inventive drinks menu (banana espresso anyone?) but Taylor Swift, Sophie Turner, Emily Ratajkowski and Anya Taylor-Joy have all been spotted there. Treat yourself to the $20 caviar bump.

Round the corner (a two-minute walk), Jac’s on Bond is hidden down a cobbled street and housed in an 1800s townhouse. Give your tastebuds a surprise and order the caprese martini (olive oil, tomato and basil-infused Grey Goose vodka, lustau blanco and balsamic vinegar).

For a totally different vibe, head to Rays. This Lower East Side joint is owned by actual Cousin Greg from Succession and local Justin Theroux has been seen behind the bar. You might have to queue, but this dive bar with a jukebox will guarantee you a good night out.

Glossier in Soho, NY

Credit: Glossier; SeanDavidson

Where to shop (for yourself and others)

So many shops and not enough time…

Sarah Jessica Parker has her own shoe shop on the corner of the street that her SATC apartment is set on, so you can buy some shoes and then annoy the locals by sitting on the front steps of Carrie Bradshaw’s home. (She has been known to work the odd shift too.) Also on Bleecker Street is a Ganni, the excellent Marc Jacobs bookshop (good gifts) and the Magnolia Bakery, famed for its delicious red velvet cupcakes and banana pudding. 

For magazine-lovers, Casa Magazines is a tiny store chock-full of magazines from all around the world. Ask the owner for a magazine and he will point to it with his laser pen. For books, Barnes & Noble and Strand Book Store are essentials.

Although it now has UK branches, Sephora is still everyone’s must-visit beauty destination for those items you can’t buy here. The end of the aisles is where to look for lesser-known brands. Supergoop! has way more options and products than in the UK (hunt down their tinted SPF), and it also has a stand of perfume rollerballs that come in smaller sizes that really need to cross the pond soon. Beauty fans should also head to Glossier’s flagship store in SoHo (pictured above) – the interiors are a thing of beauty and, let’s be honest, make a great photo opportunity.

Random but useful, Goods For The Study sells just that, and it’s a stationery lover’s dream with notebooks and pens for everyone. The Hermès store on Madison Avenue is one of the most beautiful boutiques I have visited (and is where I nearly spent $70 on dog shampoo). Also on Madison Avenue is Still Here – perfect for denim lovers – Burberry, Apple and almost every famous fashion boutique you can think of. It goes without saying that hours can be lost in Target, CVS and Whole Foods for things you really don’t need or want. And if you are going to lose hours somewhere, New York is the only place to do it.

Fly from London Heathrow to New York/Newark from £515.49 (economy); £841.49 (United Premium Plus); £3,317.49 (United Polaris business). 

A superior room at Loews Regency New York starts at $599 per night (£475 per night). 

To find inspiration on things to do in the city: nyctourism.com

Photography: courtesy of brands

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