For the urban adventurer there’s nowhere better to sniff out the quirkiest, most off beat activities and fun-filled after dark antics than in the city that never sleeps – NYC. Whether you’re a Broadway superfan or a flea market hipster hanging out in Brooklyn, an art aficionado or cool techno club kid, New York City still has the hottest music, the most down and dirty club scene and all the food trends we love started here first. New York is completely electric it’s fast and achingly trendy, so here’s our guide to the best New York city break.
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What to See
Stay at The Bowery Hotel
The Bowery has hip NY style all sewn up. The décor is retro-glamour with the kind of luxurious yet beaten up vibe that proliferates around this area of the city. Bedrooms are paired-back yet homely with some traditional elements. The bar, restaurant and lounge areas, however, have an eclectic wood-panelled meets exposed brick style with antique rugs, 20th-century lounging chairs paired with chandeliers and candelabras. This is a real gem in Greenwich Village.
Party at the Top of the Standard
The Top of the Standard, which is literally at the top of the Standard Hotel, is one of the best drinking spots in town for city vistas. In summer there’s an alfresco terrace to sip on cocktails lounging above the New York skyline on those humid summer days. In winter head to the Top of the Standard bar after dark for bar snacks and a glass of wine gazing into the glittering lights of New York’s most iconic buildings at night.
Explore 5 Pointz Aerosol Art Center
The 5 Pointz Aerosol Art Center in Long Island is a 200,000 square foot warehouse that is a large ever-changing canvas for graffiti street art. Artists from around the world come to leave their mark on the walls of 5 Pointz, while it also attracts musicians, rappers and DJs making it a pretty cool urban hang out.
Dine at The Spotted Pig
For some serious food try April Bloomfield’s modern menu at The Spotted Pig. Londoners will feel right at home among the pub styling of its interior and it’s a favourite with resident New York celebrities. The real reason to pull-up a bar stool here is the ingenuity of the menu, dishes such as crispy pig’s ear salad with lemon caper dressing and sheep’s milk ricotta gnudi with brown butter and crispy sage are mouth-wateringly good.
Chill on the Highline
Built on the historic freight line that runs above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side, the Highline has been transformed into an elevated park walkway. It runs from Gansevoort Street to West 34th Street and is lined with wild flowers along the paved walkway, which still holds the original train tracks. There are cafes, benches and even a small seating space holding screenings.