BURNING THE BOOKS: NEW YORK
TEXT LUCILLE HOWE
PHOTO MEGHAN PETERSON
Holding a travel guide shouts, “I’m a tourist!” Plus, they go off quicker than a banana. Burn them, we say.
Let’s be fair. Travel guides do have their place – on your bedside table, helping you dream up your big trip. But they weigh a ton in your hand luggage and they don’t always give you the nitty-gritty details you need.
I decided to get on a plane and do the legwork for you so that you know the info is coming from someone who’s been there and done that herself (I’m good like that).
Since Jet2.com are offering special Thursday-to-Sunday New York shopping packages this winter we want to make sure you get the most out of your long weekend with all the insider tips you’ll need on where to hit and where to miss.
SEXY BEDS
…AT HOTEL GANSEVOORT
“Hugely popular fashionista hangout, with a heated rooftop pool for guests only and an adjacent bar for spectators. Modern rooms are small but lushly appointed, and some have views of the Hudson River.”
The Mini Rough Guide to New York City
“Coated in zinc-coloured panels, and booming up top where rooftop bar Plunge attracts block-long lines, the 14-floor Gansevoort has been a swank swashbuckler of the Meatpacking District since it opened in 2004. Light pours in the windows of all 187 rooms – full wall deals.”
Lonely Planet New York Cit
BURN THE BOOKS: I don’t know how the Mini Rough Guide defines a ‘fashionista’ but the Hotel Gansevoort guests weren’t well-dressed enough to be intimidating. At the same time it did feel like you were sharing a lift – sorry, elevator – with the in crowd. Put it this way, a good frock and heels will be fine and there’s no pretentious, ‘No Trainers’ policy in the bar so boys, keep your Converse on.
Do head up to the Plunge rooftop bar – even in winter – because when the sun sets over the Hudson, you have the best view in town.
Likewise ask for a room with a view of the river or you’ll miss out.
Rooms are ‘small’? Only if you’re a morbidly obese American. Otherwise, they’re big enough to do a cartwheel and come with a dock for your iPod, a chill-out compilation CD to get ready to, and – here’s a real rarity – a proper-sized hairdryer.
As for star guests, Kanye West and Jay-Z have stayed here so do a bit of swotting up on your hip-hop. And Oliver Stone recently used the hotel’s Ono restaurant for filming. Go for sushi and check out huge sexy pictures of tattooed backs that adorn the walls.
FIND IT: 18 Ninth Avenue (at 13th Street) New York, NY 10014. Tel: (+1) 212 206 6700.
Email: contact@hotelgansevoort.com. hotelgansevoort.com
CUTE CUPCAKES
“The show has long since wrapped, but it manages to live on in syndication and, apparently, in this tour. Visit more than 35 sites where Carrie & Co. once ate, drank, hooked up, gossiped and shopped.” Time Out New York
“[This tour] conjures all the girlie glamour of Sex & the City, bouncing groups of girlfriends around to retrieve Magnolia Bakery’s cupcakes, sit on Carrie Bradshaw’s stoop, and grab a pink Martini at a bar from the show.” A Hedonist’s guide to New York
BURN THE BOOKS: Grab your three best friends and take this trip! When they promise you 35 sites in three-and-a-half hours, you don’t anticipate making a first stop buy sex toys but The Pleasure Chest is where Charlotte bought her famous Rampant Rabbit and 50 hysterical (and bouncing, yes) woman bundle off the coach to pay homage.
The highlight of this tour – aside from Stacey, our scream of a host – is cupcakes from the Magnolia Bakery. With a stash laid aside in advance, you can avoid the permanent round-the-block queue and swap shoe compliments with your neighbour while you munch.
Wrong, Hedonist’s Guide, you don’t get to sit on Carrie B’s stoop (the American word for the stairs in front of a typical NYC apartment). Tired of tolerating hoards of SATC fans, the tours now give the ‘official’ line that it’s actually a set. Discontent with that fob off, I found it for you. One block south of Magnolia, hook a left onto Perry Street. It’s number 66. Jump over the chain and strike a pose before someone calls the cops!
FIND IT: Meet in front of Pulitzer Fountain by Plaza Hotel, 5th Av between 58th and 59th Street. Book it at isango.com (search for New York city tours)
FLY BY CHOPPER
…WITH LIBERTY HELICOPTERS
“A more exciting option is to look at the city from the air, by helicopter. This is expensive but you won’t easily forget the experience. If you leave from 30th Street, the best seat for photos is on the right in the back; note there’s a $15-per-passenger surcharge on all flights leaving from this location.” Mini Rough Guide
“Take a tour up and down the Hudson either during the day or as the sun sets over Manhattan, although flights are, understandably, not allowed over the island itself. The Big Apple Tour takes 12 minutes, but you get to fly around Lady Liberty and back up towards Central Park.” Hedonist’s Guide
BURN THE BOOKS: Yes, a helicopter ride is right up there as a box-ticker in terms of glamour, excitement and a profile picture for your Facebook that will guarantee loads of comments.
I left from the 30th Street Midtown Heliport – it’s in the middle of nowhere but riverside and convenient. To make the most of your 12 minutes, take a ride at sundown, when the traffic on the Hudson is minimal and they can take you closer to Lady Liberty than during the day. If you fly by night, Central Park will just look like a blackout in the distance.
I rode next to the pilot and my pics came out just as well as my friend who was in the back, on the right, so don’t get too caught up with seating arrangements. Sure, it’s more expensive that a pepperoni pizza and a root beer but if you don’t get in a chopper over Manhattan now, are you ever going to get the chance again? Just do it.
FIND IT: Meet at the Midtown Heliport, West Side at 30th Street and 12th Avenue. Book it at isango.com (search for New York air activities)
GO NUTS
…AT THE PEANUT BUTTER COMPANY
“Nutella-bred Europeans may recoil in horror, but to Americans, nothing says ‘happy childhood’ like a peanut-butter sandwich. Every day, the staff grinds a fresh batch of peanut butter, which is used to create gooey mood-pacifiers like the popular Elvis – the King’s infamous grilled favourite of peanut butter, banana and honey.” Time Out New York
“What more could a kid (or a parent) ask for? [Try] the cinnamon-raisin-flavoured peanut-butter sandwich, with vanilla cream cheese and tart apple slices; and Death by Peanut Butter, a landslide of ice cream, Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch, Reese’s Pieces, peanut-butter chips and peanut-butter sauce.” Time Out New York Kids
BURN THE BOOKS: Even Nutella-bred Europeans aren’t exclusive about their toast toppings. Thank God, or they would miss out on the artery-clogging, died-and-gone-to-heaven experience that is a bite of the Elvis. I went straight for this classic and it sure didn’t disappoint. I had wholemeal bread option as a ploy to make me feel healthy but I needn’t have bothered.
The brown bag theme makes it feel like an authentic New York snack so take a seat near the window with a copy of the Village Voice and enjoy some serious comfort food. You can even buy a couple of jars to bring home for your family. The neighbourhood around this Greenwich Village speciality café is great for a stroll when you want a break from the chaos of uptown – everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker to Julianne Moore lives in the area. But don’t make a journey especially unless you’re a peanut butter nut. You can shop online for everything from peanut butter pretzels to marshmallow fluff and have it delivered to your hotel instead.
FIND IT: 240 Sullivan St between Bleecker and West 3rd Street. Tel: (+1) 212 677 3995.www.ilovepeanutbutter.com
EXCLUSIVE! OUR DIAMOND FIND
…THE GUIDE BOOKS DIDN’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT
DEATH & CO: In 1919 the Volstead Act paved the way for Prohibition by outlawing bartending in America. It was thought that to drink booze was to live in the shadow of death, hence the name of this supercool cocktail joint where I toasted the grim reaper and lived to tell the tale.
Death & Co is so very New York. The outside is dark and anonymous and gives nothing away. A hole in the wall let’s you peep at how fabulous you might be if you were inside. Lit well by chandeliers and sultry lamps, it’s a great place to forget what time it is and find yourself on a date and or rubbing shoulders on a bar stool with young, downtown scenesters. I had the 6th Street Swizzle cocktail made with rum, sugar cane syrup, bitters and lime and served with a great deal of theatre by the barman.
The tempura cauliflower and Surf and Turf Tartare with salmon were fun plates to share and the quality was as good as similar posh grub I’ve eaten in Asia and Australia. The pound is super-hero-strong at the moment so you can glam it up without shedding a tear over the bill.
FIND IT: 433 East 6th Street. Tel: (+1) 212 388 0882. deathandcompany.com
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