THE US STYLE WEEKEND North American cities
Easy to reach and packed with pleasure, the USA’S east coast is ideal for a short city break – or cross the border into Canada – says Travel Editor David Wickers
FRIDAY Catch an early morning flight to arrive at lunch, local time – you’ll be tired, but will have an afternoon and evening to start discovering the local area. Stay in Soho, in the perfectly positioned, contemporary art-filled Crosby Street Hotel, surrounded by cool designer shops and restaurants. In the evening, head to the Ear Inn (Spring Street), a historic and affordable pub/diner. After supper, watch the sun set over the Hudson River. If the weather is fine, you’ll see trapeze artists practising alongside the river in an open-air ‘gym’.
SATURDAY NYC makes a slow start at the weekend but you’ll be awake with the larks. Have breakfast at the hotel, then take a slow stroll north to Washington Square, the heart of Greenwich Village and hub of the old Beat culture. From there, head to the High Line elevated walkway, once a railway track but now planted with trees, flowers and shrubs. Stop off at the new Whitney Museum of American Art, and don’t miss the bustling Chelsea Market (West 15th and 9th). If you are hungry, go to Artichoke Basille’s Pizza (West 17th and 10th) or to the Spotted Pig (West 11th Street), a gastro pub, for brunch/lunch.
You’ll be a tad tired by late afternoon, so maybe take a nap back at the Crosby, then explore the designer shops on your doorstep near West Broadway, or head to the iconic Empire State Building (buy tickets in advance to avoid queues).
Return to Soho for supper, either Lombardi’s, allegedly America’s first pizzeria (Spring Street) or the hip Blue Ribbon Brasserie (Sullivan Street).
SUNDAY Walk down Fifth Avenue, with window shopping along the way, past the Flatiron Building, to the retro Brooklyn Diner (West 57th Street) for a stack of buttermilk pancakes with lashings of maple syrup or a huge chocolate chip cookie (more chocolate than cookie!) and neverending refills of coffee that will set you up for the day.
Walk off breakfast with a stroll (or bike hire) around Central Park. Book tickets ahead to MOMA (Museum of
Modern Art) to see its collection (which includes Picasso, Matisse and Jackson Pollock), and visit its excellent store. By way of contrast, the Frick Collection is full of old masters, such as Rembrandt and Vermeer. If you add the original Whitney Gallery and the Guggenheim, you’ll fill your day with wonderful art. Another midtown highlight not to be missed is Grand Central Station’s magnificent Beaux-arts painted ceiling and chandeliers.
For dinner, go to the Trattoria Dell’arte opposite Carnegie Hall, and join the pre-performance crowds for some of the very best Italian antipasto and homemade mozzarella.
MONDAY Catch a late-evening flight home, so you can squeeze in another day of sightseeing. Make another early start (you can sleep on the plane!), and take a (free) ride on the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty for dramatic views of the New York skyline. Next, walk over Brooklyn Bridge, then back to Wall Street, the Federal Hall, birthplace of the American government, and the touching 9/11 memorial and museum.
There will be time for some afternoon tea in the Crosby Street Hotel’s garden courtyard before hailing an iconic yellow cab back to the airport for the flight home, exhausted but happy.
A tailor-made three-night stay at New York’s Crosby Street Hotel with Bridge & Wickers (bridgeandwickers.co.uk) costs from £1,622 per person, including British Airways flights from Heathrow to JFK.