Nassau, Bahamas
Happy New Years from Paradise
USA - New York
Red Farm - Best Yum Cha in NYC - 529 Hudson Street, New York ( West Village)
The newest addition to the sustainable food scene Red Farm provides a clean fresh appoach to my all time favorite cuisine dim sum. Dim Sum master Chef Joe Ng and Chinese food expert Ed Schoenfeld have excelled in creating a new dining experience for atypical chinese fair providing a rustic barn atmopshere with white brick walls and exposed beams complete with red and white napkins to create the farm to table feeling for patrons. The dumplings are inventive and delicious and include such offerings as pac man dumplings, lobster dumplings on a bed of mushrooms, yuzu wasabi shrimp and lobster noodles. Definitely worth a trip, every Sunday if I had my way.
USA
New York
PS1 Museum of Modern Art Summer Saturday Sessions
PS1 is a contemporary art centre on the outskirts of New York that exhibits eclectic modern art in an old school building, hence the name Ps1. From July till September Ps1 holds a series of “warm up” sessions in its courtyard, every Saturday, playing host to some of the best experimental live music, performance and Dj’s. If you’re not heading out to the Hamptons but want to get your dance on, PS1 is the place to be in Summer.
USA - New York
View from Trump Soho Hotel
USA - New York - Upper East Side
USA - New York - Great Bars
Apotheke 9 Doyers St New York, NY (212) 406-0400
Hidden in the back alleys of chinatown in a former opium den, Apotheke is by far the coolest bar in New York city providing great tunes and an eclectic offering of music every night of the week. From Monday night live Jazz to a DJ spinning great tunes on a Friday night the doormen are big, the crowd fun, and the drinks delicious. From a ginger sour to a lychee blossom, the walls are adorned with bottles of herbs and elixirs like a real apothecry. Mixologists wearing white lab coat serve an extensive variety of specialty cocktails on a marble bar lined with mortars and pestle. More recently prohibition night on Wednesday nights that require a password and a wink continue to make Apotheke the go to destination for a good night out.
Rose Bar – the Grammercy Hotel - 2 Lexington Ave., at 21st St.; 212-920-3300 - Midtown
Artist Julian Schnabel and owner Ian Schrager opened the Rose bar in the Grammercy Hotel some nine years ago and it has not lost its charm. Playing pool with Bono was one of my best memories from hanging out here when I first arrive in New York. The Rose Bar has a sumptuous beauty which is complimented by the crowd that screams finance and decadence. The door is notoriously hard to get into but if you act like you are meant to be there often people think that you are and you can stroll right in.
The Lobby Bar – Bowery Hotel - 335 Bowery, at 3rd St.; 212-505-9100 – The lower East Side
A quaint and relaxing place for a glass of wine and some olives anytime of day is the lobby bar at the Bowery Hotel. Persian rugs line the floors and chairs large enough for three people to sit on provide a civilized atmosphere to talk business or pleasure as Demi Moore or Lindsey Lohan depart their hotel of choice. The lobby bar is a great starting point for a night on the town mid week.
EMPLOYEES ONLY - –510 Hudson Street, West Village, NY
During the prohibition era of the 1920’s and 30’s a way of avoiding detection from drinking ilegally was to create speakeasys that pretended to be a place for employees only to get together after work…hence the name of one of the coolest late night bars in the city. Perch yourself at the curved bar when you arrive and watch the crowds flow in from 7pm till 4am. Serious cocktails mixed to perfection complement the food such as my favorite the steak tartare. Get in early as by 10:30 any night of the week the bar is packed and not easy to manouever.
The Backroom – 102 Norfolk Street, New York, nr Delancey street , NY
Another establishment that harks back to the 20’s and 30s prohibition era is the Backroom nestled in between back streets on the Lower East Side. Enjoy the main room, a speakeasy of sorts with the faux façade of a toy store. Alcohol is served in teacups and velvet paisley wallpaper adorns the walls. If you can’t see yourself in the mirrored bar I think you know that you have had one too many and its time to go home :)
USA New York City
Recommended Hotels
The Crosby Hotel - 79 Crosby Street, New York, NY 10012 www.firmdalehotels.com/new-york/crosby-street-hotel
You know a hotel is popular with the jetset when you’re sitting having breakfast in the lobby with friends from Australia, and a woman taps on you on the shoulder and it’s your best friend’s aunt, also from Australia. The appeal of the Crosby is the eclectic design of each room a combination of bohemian and modern tones make for well designed rooms, a sitting room that I would substitute as my living room any day of the week and a relaxed and comfortable bar/restaurant. It’s conveniently located in the centre of Soho so that if breakfast is not included you can literally hop over to Balthazaar or Cafe Gitane. If you are planning to spend most of your time downtown the Crosby is the place to be.
Trump Soho - 246 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013 www.trumphotelcollection.com/soho/
The Trump Soho is a great hotel for allot of reasons. It is conveniently nestled in between Soho and the West Side downtown, has very well appointed, well designed and sizable rooms and last but not least, it has a pool. Anyone who has a spent a summer in the city knows that the single most valuable asset one may have in the city in summer is a pool. So if you are planning on staying in the city in summer and have friends visiting The Trump Soho is the way to go. Sundays Jazz sessions are not uncommon and they recently welcomed a delicious Japanese restaurant, Koi. The staff are very helpful and the rooms impeccable. All in all I would highly recommend a visit to the Trump Soho.
Thompson LES - 190 Allen Street, New York, NY 10002 www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/nyc/thompson-les
The Lower East Side is famous for the old tenement buildings and what was once a thriving jewish community and of course the pastrami sandwiches at Katz’s Deli. well if you want to be a stone thrown from those infamous pickles and Pastrami the Thompson LES is the hotel for you. The Thompson LES is minimalist in design and aesthetic and offers a great deal of space in each room. They too have a pool for summer sunning although it lacks comfortable seating space around it. Blue Ribbon just installed their latest Sushi restaurant on the first floor which attracts a great crowd as does the members club on the seventh floor. Summer parties are constantly being held here from May through September for those not venturing out to the Hamptons so if that is your thing, then the Thompson is the key. Although I did stay here with my mum a number of years ago, and although pool parties were not her thing she did indeed enjoy her stay. It must have been seeing Kevin Spacey in the bar :)
The Ace Hotel - 20 West 29th Street, New York, NY 10001
www.acehotel.com/
If you are on more of a budget and looking for something that is a bit different and quirky then i would highly recommend the Ace Hotel in the middle of Korean town. It is quirky in style and grandeur and although I find the lobby a bit awkward for drinks and meetings every time I have visited the ACe it has been full of laptop users during the day enjoying the space and trendy hipsters at night. The sister restaurant to the Spotted Pig, the Breslin is housed here, and serves a mean Burger and the coffee from the cafe is actually very good even by American standards. Rooms are available as singles, doubles and even for four persons and is very reasonably priced. It is in a funny area of town but is a short taxi ride up and downtown and given taxis are a dime a dozen The Ace provides an interesting option for those wanting to try something cool and different.
The Whyte Hotel - 80 Wythe Ave. at N. 11th Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11249
www.wythehotel.com/
Originally a Brooklyn snob after three years in the city I know fully appreciate the relaxed atmosphere that Brooklyn has to offer and the different aesthetic that a ton of bearded hipsters can offer :) The Whyte Hotel is a great option for accommodation if you have been to New York a number of times and want to try something different. It is a 72 room hotel in an old factory in the tres cool area of Brooklyn, Williamsburg, and situated near the waterfront. The rooms offer a minimalist design aesthetic and are a reasonable. The most appealing factor of the Whyte is the rooftop bar and restaurant that offers spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline and delicious cocktails day and night. It is close to the epitimous Bedford so you can stroll on a Sunday with the rest of the hipster crowd.
USA
New York
Best Restaurant - The Fat Radish
17 Orchard Street, corner Canal and Orchard, New York 10002
Partial to this Lower East Side uber trendy eatery the Fat Radish remains one of the coolest restaurants in NYC since opening its doors in October 2010. Offering sustainable food with a strong English influence in a farm to table environment the only thing better than the food are the cocktails and the music. From Florence and the Machine to Vampire Weekend, The Fat Radish creates an atmosphere of excitement not just around the food it is serving but the the environment it is served in. You are just as likely to be sitting next to The Edge of U2 at a communal table as you are to spot Scarlet Johansen sharing a Krispy Kale Ceaser Salad, beet crumble, or Scallops in the corner spot.
USA
New York
The Guggenheim Museum with My own Jessica Stimson
USA
New York
Favorite Bar - The Leadbelly - 14B Orchard Street, Corner Canal and Orchard, New York
The Leadbelly is by far one of my favorite bars in NYC. Only opening in September 2012 this cocktail and oyster bar has gained a cult following for their delicious drinks and great food. During the week it has a relaxed vibe great for a chilled dare or even meetings with live music from 7:30-10:30pm. On the weekend it’s allot livelier and full of people wanting an alternative experience to the normal bar in NYC. Vintage trunks, suitcases and vinyl records line the bookcases and old school tunes fill the speakers. Silkstone, the creative group behind The Fat Radish and Ruschmeyer’s are behind the creative menu of sustainable, local and artisanal food that includes a variety of East and West coast oysters, The leadbelly also offers seasonal bar snacks including “Beet Tarte Tatin, with Beltane Farm Goats Cheese” and “Maine Mussel Pot Pie”. The cocktail selection, created by Brit Colin Asare-Appiah, renown for managing establishments such as Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, Babington House, Raincheck and Beach Blanket Babylon, and more recently, Ruschmeyer’s is as playful as it is serious featuring great seasonal drinks such as “The Basil Brush” (Gooseberry, Basil Elderflower and Brooklyn Gin) playful takes on old classics, such as the “Toasted Almond White Russian”, and unique experiences such as ”Tea Time” (Sweet Earl Grey Tea, Smashed Raspberries and Vodka). Definitely a spot not to miss….weekend or weeknight.
