NEW HOT SPOTS LIGHT UP NYC
Venture away from the touristy areas of the Big Apple
Just when I thought I bit off all there was to chew in beautiful New York, the city has gone and done it again. The new Hudson Yards development — and the Thomas Heatherwick-designed Vessel that is one of the area’s centrepiece attractions — is giving visitors a fresh reason to venture to midtown Manhattan’s west side, near the entrance to the elevated park known as the High Line.
As an entertainment editor, I’ve visited the city fairly regularly over the past five years. New York has also been part of my personal travels. Last November, my wife and I spent a couple of whirlwind days near Times Square while in town to see Bruce Springsteen on Broadway. My ideal New York vacation has always revolved around areas near Broadway and Central Park. But that’s changed.
It’s not just Hudson Yards adding more juice to the Big Apple. The city’s Seaport District has got a refresh thanks to Pier 17, an outdoor music venue, while Lower Manhattan has been bolstered by the Oculus, One World Observatory and chic late-night bars like Primo’s, nestled inside the historic Frederick Hotel.
Meanwhile, in nearby Long Island City (which was at one point slated to be one of the second headquarters for Amazon), new restaurants (the Indian-inspired Adda pops to mind) and cool cocktail bars (like the hard-to-find speakeasy Dutch Kills) make a stay across the East River an ideal spot for tourists wanting to be a short subway ride away from the bright lights, but in a spot that feels new and unexplored.
So if you’re like me, and you’ve thought, ‘I’ve seen everything there is to visit in New York,’ guess again.
Following are six new experiences — far from the tourist crunch of midtown — that will let you take a fresh bite out of the juicy Big Apple.
HUDSON YARDS
If you haven’t walked the famous High Line, an elevated park located on the tracks of an abandoned railway, definitely add this to your list of New York must-dos. First recommended to me during a visit in 2016, the park is a cultural barbell that stretches from the Whitney Museum of American Art in the Meatpacking District to West 34th St., just a few blocks from the new Hudson Yards development.
“Hudson Yards offers visitors a treasure trove of dining, shopping, cultural and entertainment experiences,” says Christopher Heywood, executive vice-president of global communications for NYC & Company.
Billed as a “city within a city,” the revamped area brings together high-end retail with an Instagrammable arts centre dubbed The Shed and a climbable public art structure titled Vessel.
With a movable roof, the multiuse Shed offers a mix of traditional theatre and concerts.
In 2020, the neighbourhood will get another boost with the addition of The Edge, a glassfloored observation deck perched 335 metres in the sky. When it opens, The Edge will be the highest outdoor deck in the Western Hemisphere.
Meanwhile, feet firmly planted on the ground, big-name chefs like Thomas Keller, David Chang and José Andrés vie for space in your stomach alongside famed restaurateur Danny Meyer, who is behind an all-day bar operating out of the ground floor of The Shed.
“From climbing Thomas Heatherwick’s Vessel to taking in a cutting-edge performance at The Shed to seeing great views of the city when The Edge observation deck debuts early next year, visitors will find no shortage of things to see and do at New York City’s newest visitor destination,” Heywood adds.
SEAPORT DISTRICT
Cobblestone streets and boutique stores make a trip to this area in Lower Manhattan a must. But foodies will want to book a table at 10 Corso Como. The Italian eatery, which also houses an art gallery and a clothing store, is the first North American outpost of the retail-meets-food emporium from fashion editor Carla Sozzani.
Soon, it will be joined by new restaurant ventures from Chang, Jean- Georges and Andrew Carmellini at the refurbished Pier 17, which also features rooftop concerts at its outdoor event space. This summer you can catch acts like Sheryl Crow and Ringo Starr with a perfect view of the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.
THE OCULUS
Opened in 2016, the winged transportation hub sprouting in the shadow of One World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial Museum will dazzle architecture fans. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the attention-grabbing downtown destination is a springboard for travellers aiming to head uptown. But they want you to shop, too. Familiar retail names like Apple, Casper and John Varvatos line the concourse with the much-loved Eataly, a great spot to grab a bite (we loved the pizza and the pasta, naturally). As a bonus, Canadians headed to these parts will get a preview of the beloved food hall before it opens its first location north of the border at Toronto’s Manulife Centre later this year.
If you want to stay nearby, the Frederick Hotel, which has been around in various incarnations since 1838, offers a perfect blend of vintage decor and contemporary design. And Serafina, an allday Italian restaurant that is on property, serves up some of the best pasta I’ve ever sampled in the city.
ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY
At least until The Edge opens, the hands-down best views of Manhattan can be found at One World Observatory, located on the 101st floor of One World Trade Center — which is the tallest building in the United States.
At just under a minute, the elevator ride up features a video that recounts the development of some of the city’s most iconic structures (the reel alone is almost worth the price of admission). From there, you can get 360-degree views of the city’s spectacularly breathtaking skyline.
LONG ISLAND CITY
You’ve probably zipped past it on cab rides from LaGuardia Airport into midtown, but the edgy neighbourhood is a great starting point for travellers wanting a more authentic New York experience. Culture vultures with an eye for contemporary art should stop at MoMA PS1, a gallery housed inside an old public school.
For a bit of history, you can visit Gantry Plaza State Park, where the famed Pepsi-Cola sign (one of the most recognizable landmarks along the East River) jockeys for a spot on your Instagram feed with views of iconic N.Y.C. gems like the Empire State Building. Nearby, Z Hotel’s rooftop bar offers drinks with a view (rooms too, as all of the property’s digs let you go to sleep with an image of Manhattan glittering in the distance).
WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK
OK, when I visit NYC, a trip to Central Park is a must.
But for a change of scenery, scoot down to Washington Square Park, which is located at the midway point between the East and West Village.
With World Pride happening in the city this month, the spot is a great jumping off point to hit up Pride-friendly bars like Stonewall.
Movie nerds will of course want to check out the Washington Arch, which had a cameo in the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally.