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Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Godfather, Manhattan, New York Stories, Sleepless in Seattle, Vanilla Sky, King Kong, Wall Street, West Side Story..the movies say it all. At just under three hundred and fifty years old, New York is a young cosmopolitan city that everyone can make their own. Just don’t mention that to the movers and shakers who live there: They’ve made this metropolis into one of the most exciting and glamorous cities in the world to call home. Do yourself a favor and get the touristy stuff out of the way in one fell swoop. Then slip on some comfortable (but stylish!) shoes and treat yourself to what the city really has to offer.
To kick things off, there’s fashion. Every important designer in the world has a shop (if not a megastore) here, and there’s no shortage of hot, young, edgy up-and-comers. Visit during Olympus Fashion Week and witness it for yourself. Midtown and the Upper East Side are your best bets for established names, while SoHo and NoLIta are packed to the brim with unique boutiques. Truth be known, if you want to see New Yorkers at their most stylish, just take to the streets. They aren’t shy, and in some neighborhoods, the busy sidewalks can look like runways. New York serves as the mecca for fashion trendsetters year-round. Those gauzy scarves you see fashionistas sporting in the West Village? Look for them on the racks in the rest of America in another 6 months.
Needless to say, “the City” (as the suburbanites call Manhattan) is the perfect stomping ground for all that is entertaining and artful. Some of the best museums in the world can be found in Manhattan, mostly on the Upper East Side, shoulder-to-shoulder with Central Park. If you favor the contemporary art scene, a quick cab downtown to Chelsea will never be a letdown. The Upper West Side is home to the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, and the newly designed Jazz at in the Time Warner Center, where a view of Central Park serves as the perfect backdrop to an evening of jazz. The smaller music venues are where you’ll find the next rock stars rehearsing for their future world tours. If you’re more of a theater fan, Broadway (on and off) showcases the most incredible musical and method talent of the actor’s craft.
You don’t need to venture beyond Manhattan’s restaurants to discover that dinner can be considered a night out on its own. Just go into one of the city’s 12,000 restaurants for a glimpse. The menus vary for the haute connoisseur and the finicky eater, who will be equally thrilled to find a cast of star chefs vying for the chance to wow their taste buds. The decor in many restaurants and bar lounges can easily be mistaken for one another. The modern design, decor, and lighting create an ambience that makes you want to settle into your table and stay a while. You can even order from a full menu at some of the city’s pristine hotel lounges, giving New Yorkers all the more reason to eat out almost every night.
All you have to do to be a real New Yorker is don an outfit from your favorite NY movie and assume the role.
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