Houzz Travel Guide: New York City for Design Lovers
Where to stay, shop, eat and explore in the Big Apple, from a design-minded architect who lives there
Putting together a guide to New York City is difficult, because the city offers so much for so many people. It's harder to figure out what not to include than to determine what to highlight. So as much as possible, this guide avoids the obvious icons that come to mind when people think of NYC: the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center site, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Times Square, though some (Central Park, the Guggenheim, Grand Central Terminal) are included. Yes, we'll start with Times Square, but only as a jumping-off point to some of the delights this city of 8.25 million people offers.
Must-Sees
"Top of the Rock": An observation deck atop "30 Rock"
Cost: $27
Location: 30 Rockefeller Plaza (on W. 50th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues), Midtown
Noteworthy: Panoramic views of New York City and New Jersey
Before hitting the town to visit museums, eat at fancy restaurants or do some shopping, it's great to get some bearings with a trek up to one of the city's sky-high observation decks. The deck at 1 World Trade Center won't be open until 2015, so I recommend the one at "30 Rock" over the one on top of the Empire State Building, partly because the former gives visitors a view of the latter.
"Top of the Rock" also has more generous terraces and a great light show in the glass-top elevator on the way up and down. The panorama offers close-up views of Midtown, distant views of Lower Manhattan, and a great, all-encompassing view of the next must-see, Central Park.
More info: Top of the Rock
"Top of the Rock": An observation deck atop "30 Rock"
Cost: $27
Location: 30 Rockefeller Plaza (on W. 50th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues), Midtown
Noteworthy: Panoramic views of New York City and New Jersey
Before hitting the town to visit museums, eat at fancy restaurants or do some shopping, it's great to get some bearings with a trek up to one of the city's sky-high observation decks. The deck at 1 World Trade Center won't be open until 2015, so I recommend the one at "30 Rock" over the one on top of the Empire State Building, partly because the former gives visitors a view of the latter.
"Top of the Rock" also has more generous terraces and a great light show in the glass-top elevator on the way up and down. The panorama offers close-up views of Midtown, distant views of Lower Manhattan, and a great, all-encompassing view of the next must-see, Central Park.
More info: Top of the Rock
Central Park: The 1.3-square-mile green heart of Manhattan
Cost: Free, although places like the zoo charge admission
Location: From 59th Street to 110th Street, between Fifth and Eighth avenues
Noteworthy: The Mall, Bethesda Fountain, Central Park Zoo, the Great Lawn, Strawberry Fields, the Ramble, the Conservatory Garden ... too many great places to list
While it's hard to imagine Manhattan without its tall buildings, it's even harder to think of the island without Central Park. The city had the foresight to set aside 150 blocks (about 800 acres) in the early 19th century for a large park, well before the built-up portion of the island went too far beyond what is now considered downtown.
Not surprisingly, some of the most valuable real estate in New York City (and the world) lines Central Park. Yet what makes the experience of the park so amazing is being in certain parts in its middle without sensing the city around it.
More info: Central Park
Cost: Free, although places like the zoo charge admission
Location: From 59th Street to 110th Street, between Fifth and Eighth avenues
Noteworthy: The Mall, Bethesda Fountain, Central Park Zoo, the Great Lawn, Strawberry Fields, the Ramble, the Conservatory Garden ... too many great places to list
While it's hard to imagine Manhattan without its tall buildings, it's even harder to think of the island without Central Park. The city had the foresight to set aside 150 blocks (about 800 acres) in the early 19th century for a large park, well before the built-up portion of the island went too far beyond what is now considered downtown.
Not surprisingly, some of the most valuable real estate in New York City (and the world) lines Central Park. Yet what makes the experience of the park so amazing is being in certain parts in its middle without sensing the city around it.
More info: Central Park
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: A world-famous museum of modern and contemporary international art
Cost: $22; pay what you wish on Saturday evenings
Location: 1071 Fifth Ave. (at 89th Street), Upper East Side
Noteworthy: James Turrell exhibition (his first in an NYC museum since 1980) in summer 2013
Along much of Central Park's east edge is Museum Mile, running from 82nd Street to 110th Street on Fifth Avenue, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Museum for African Art (under construction).
Most striking is Frank Lloyd Wright's design for the Guggenheim, an inverted cone that transformed museum architecture forever upon its 1959 completion. The art seems to be secondary to the building, but thankfully the curators know how to host shows that often take advantage of the unique atrium space.
Take the elevator to the top floor and descend via the spiral ramp around the full-height atrium, taking in the adjoining skylit galleries. Grab lunch at The Wright on the ground floor in a space designed by Andre Kikoski.
More info: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Cost: $22; pay what you wish on Saturday evenings
Location: 1071 Fifth Ave. (at 89th Street), Upper East Side
Noteworthy: James Turrell exhibition (his first in an NYC museum since 1980) in summer 2013
Along much of Central Park's east edge is Museum Mile, running from 82nd Street to 110th Street on Fifth Avenue, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Museum for African Art (under construction).
Most striking is Frank Lloyd Wright's design for the Guggenheim, an inverted cone that transformed museum architecture forever upon its 1959 completion. The art seems to be secondary to the building, but thankfully the curators know how to host shows that often take advantage of the unique atrium space.
Take the elevator to the top floor and descend via the spiral ramp around the full-height atrium, taking in the adjoining skylit galleries. Grab lunch at The Wright on the ground floor in a space designed by Andre Kikoski.
More info: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Grand Central Terminal: The grandest of New York City's train stations
Cost: Free
Location: 42nd Street and Park Avenue, Midtown
Noteworthy: Grand Central Terminal is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2013, with events throughout the year.
Grand Central Terminal may be one of New York City's icons — like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and even Central Park — that visitors don't need to be told about, but it's worth highlighting for its amazing architecture, grand spaces and hidden gems. And a restoration in the 1990s means that the building celebrates its centennial without looking a day over 10!
The design of Reed and Stern with Warren and Wetmore elevates and reroutes Park Avenue around the building to, among other things, create the grand main hall (seen here looking toward its newest tenant, the Apple Store). A subtle indication of the before condition can be found by looking to the northwest corner of the ceiling, where a small dirty patch can be seen, exhibiting the decades of cigarette smoke that lined the surfaces.
Hidden gems include the whispering gallery outside the Oyster Bar and the Campbell Apartment (a bar), accessed via an elevator off one of the ramps leading down to the whispering gallery.
More info: Grand Central Terminal
Cost: Free
Location: 42nd Street and Park Avenue, Midtown
Noteworthy: Grand Central Terminal is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2013, with events throughout the year.
Grand Central Terminal may be one of New York City's icons — like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and even Central Park — that visitors don't need to be told about, but it's worth highlighting for its amazing architecture, grand spaces and hidden gems. And a restoration in the 1990s means that the building celebrates its centennial without looking a day over 10!
The design of Reed and Stern with Warren and Wetmore elevates and reroutes Park Avenue around the building to, among other things, create the grand main hall (seen here looking toward its newest tenant, the Apple Store). A subtle indication of the before condition can be found by looking to the northwest corner of the ceiling, where a small dirty patch can be seen, exhibiting the decades of cigarette smoke that lined the surfaces.
Hidden gems include the whispering gallery outside the Oyster Bar and the Campbell Apartment (a bar), accessed via an elevator off one of the ramps leading down to the whispering gallery.
More info: Grand Central Terminal
41 Cooper Square: Cooper Union's engineering building
Cost: No public access beyond the lobby
Location: 41 Cooper Sq. (at East Seventh Street), East Village
Noteworthy: Those cuts in the metal facade echo the atrium within; take a few steps inside to catch a glimpse upward.
Since 2000 many developers and institutions have lured big-name architects to design striking pieces of architecture that stand out from everything around it (Wright's Guggenheim apparently influenced more than just museums). The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art — an art, architecture and engineering college that is traditionally tuition free for students — hired Thom Mayne, the Pritzker Prize–winning head of Morphosis Architects, to design a building for its engineering students, across the street from its 1858 Foundation Building.
The new building is about the same size as the old one, but otherwise it is a completely different beast — metal instead of stone, irregular instead of regular, gray instead of brown. The building is also situated at the northern end of the Bowery, historically a holdout to gentrification but now home to the New Museum (at Prince Street), galleries, pricey restaurants and, as we'll see, some fancy hotels.
More info: 41 Cooper Square
Cost: No public access beyond the lobby
Location: 41 Cooper Sq. (at East Seventh Street), East Village
Noteworthy: Those cuts in the metal facade echo the atrium within; take a few steps inside to catch a glimpse upward.
Since 2000 many developers and institutions have lured big-name architects to design striking pieces of architecture that stand out from everything around it (Wright's Guggenheim apparently influenced more than just museums). The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art — an art, architecture and engineering college that is traditionally tuition free for students — hired Thom Mayne, the Pritzker Prize–winning head of Morphosis Architects, to design a building for its engineering students, across the street from its 1858 Foundation Building.
The new building is about the same size as the old one, but otherwise it is a completely different beast — metal instead of stone, irregular instead of regular, gray instead of brown. The building is also situated at the northern end of the Bowery, historically a holdout to gentrification but now home to the New Museum (at Prince Street), galleries, pricey restaurants and, as we'll see, some fancy hotels.
More info: 41 Cooper Square
Must-Eats
Morimoto: The NYC restaurant of "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto
Cost: $125 for the "Chef's Choice" tasting menu
Location: 88 10th Ave. (between 15th and 16th streets), Chelsea
Noteworthy: A gorgeous interior designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Tadao Ando
It's hard to go wrong with any food in New York City, provided you stray from chains and tourist traps around Times Square. But given that restaurants can have a short shelf life in Manhattan, it's worth highlighting a couple recent examples with great design and some (relative) longevity.
This Asian-fusion restaurant is tucked underneath the High Line in the Chelsea Market. Access is through an opening in a wall of dark metal panels, an arch hung with Japanese noren (curtains). The two-story interior is light and bright, marked by a wall made from thousands of water bottles. Tadao Ando's signature concrete can be found in partial-height columns, but softer elements, like the draped ceiling, prevail.
More info: Morimoto
Morimoto: The NYC restaurant of "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto
Cost: $125 for the "Chef's Choice" tasting menu
Location: 88 10th Ave. (between 15th and 16th streets), Chelsea
Noteworthy: A gorgeous interior designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Tadao Ando
It's hard to go wrong with any food in New York City, provided you stray from chains and tourist traps around Times Square. But given that restaurants can have a short shelf life in Manhattan, it's worth highlighting a couple recent examples with great design and some (relative) longevity.
This Asian-fusion restaurant is tucked underneath the High Line in the Chelsea Market. Access is through an opening in a wall of dark metal panels, an arch hung with Japanese noren (curtains). The two-story interior is light and bright, marked by a wall made from thousands of water bottles. Tadao Ando's signature concrete can be found in partial-height columns, but softer elements, like the draped ceiling, prevail.
More info: Morimoto
Brasserie: A restaurant in the basement of the Seagram Building
Cost: $35 for a prix fixe dinner
Location: 100 E. 53rd St., Midtown
Noteworthy: Voyeuristic interior designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro
When the Seagram Building was completed in 1958, it included two restaurants: The Four Seasons and the Brasserie, both designed by Philip Johnson. The first has remained basically unchanged since its opening, but the latter was renovated in 2000 by then-avant-garde architects Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio. They created a link to the exterior through a surveillance camera that would take a photo each time somebody entered the revolving door, posting the snapshot above the bar for all to see.
The camera no longer works, but the shallow stair still delivers diners into the middle of the room like a catwalk that puts those coming and going on display. The food is decent, but a visit is worth it just for the design and the people-watching.
More info: Brasserie
Cost: $35 for a prix fixe dinner
Location: 100 E. 53rd St., Midtown
Noteworthy: Voyeuristic interior designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro
When the Seagram Building was completed in 1958, it included two restaurants: The Four Seasons and the Brasserie, both designed by Philip Johnson. The first has remained basically unchanged since its opening, but the latter was renovated in 2000 by then-avant-garde architects Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio. They created a link to the exterior through a surveillance camera that would take a photo each time somebody entered the revolving door, posting the snapshot above the bar for all to see.
The camera no longer works, but the shallow stair still delivers diners into the middle of the room like a catwalk that puts those coming and going on display. The food is decent, but a visit is worth it just for the design and the people-watching.
More info: Brasserie
Blanca: A tasting kitchen behind the popular restaurant Roberta's
Cost: $180 for a 20-course tasting menu; drinks not included
Location: 261 Moore St., Bushwick, Brooklyn
Noteworthy: This place sums up Brooklyn's culinary revolution.
One of the hippest places in the hip neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn, is Roberta's, an unassuming pizzeria with some shipping containers in the side yard that are topped by herbs and vegetables used in the pizza and other foods. Behind Roberta's, and run by the same folks, is the 12-seat Blanca, an ultraexclusive place (only 12 diners a night, five days a week, feasting on a 20-course tasting menu) where the kitchen takes up more room than the seating. Eric Safyan describes his design as "a state-of-the-art kitchen and a casual and elegant dining space." It looks more akin to the set of America's Test Kitchen than a typical restaurant. Reservations are taken only one day a month for the prized spots at the counter.
More info: Blanca
Cost: $180 for a 20-course tasting menu; drinks not included
Location: 261 Moore St., Bushwick, Brooklyn
Noteworthy: This place sums up Brooklyn's culinary revolution.
One of the hippest places in the hip neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn, is Roberta's, an unassuming pizzeria with some shipping containers in the side yard that are topped by herbs and vegetables used in the pizza and other foods. Behind Roberta's, and run by the same folks, is the 12-seat Blanca, an ultraexclusive place (only 12 diners a night, five days a week, feasting on a 20-course tasting menu) where the kitchen takes up more room than the seating. Eric Safyan describes his design as "a state-of-the-art kitchen and a casual and elegant dining space." It looks more akin to the set of America's Test Kitchen than a typical restaurant. Reservations are taken only one day a month for the prized spots at the counter.
More info: Blanca
Must-Dos
High Line: A 1.5-mile park atop an old elevated railway
Cost: Free
Location: From Gansevoort Street on the south to West 30th Street on the north, along 10th Avenue
Noteworthy: One of the most unique experiences in the city and a magnet for developments alongside it
Trains ran up and down the west side of Manhattan as early as the 1860s, but it wasn't until 1934 that an elevated section was built from 34th Street to Spring Street in SoHo, in response to the dangerous conditions along "Death Avenue." But the rise of trucking that started in the 1950s meant that the usefulness of the elevated line was short-lived; the last car ran in 1980. In response to local property owners' cries to tear it down, Joshua David and Robert Hammond started Friends of the High Line in 1999. And good thing they did, for now residents and visitors can traverse more than 20 blocks three stories above traffic and take in the buildings — new and old alike — that line it in the Meatpacking District and Chelsea.
The park itself was designed by landscape architect James Corner with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro. It's a great place to take a stroll after a meal, although it's an equally good place for eating lunch and soaking in the sights and sun.
More info: High Line
High Line: A 1.5-mile park atop an old elevated railway
Cost: Free
Location: From Gansevoort Street on the south to West 30th Street on the north, along 10th Avenue
Noteworthy: One of the most unique experiences in the city and a magnet for developments alongside it
Trains ran up and down the west side of Manhattan as early as the 1860s, but it wasn't until 1934 that an elevated section was built from 34th Street to Spring Street in SoHo, in response to the dangerous conditions along "Death Avenue." But the rise of trucking that started in the 1950s meant that the usefulness of the elevated line was short-lived; the last car ran in 1980. In response to local property owners' cries to tear it down, Joshua David and Robert Hammond started Friends of the High Line in 1999. And good thing they did, for now residents and visitors can traverse more than 20 blocks three stories above traffic and take in the buildings — new and old alike — that line it in the Meatpacking District and Chelsea.
The park itself was designed by landscape architect James Corner with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro. It's a great place to take a stroll after a meal, although it's an equally good place for eating lunch and soaking in the sights and sun.
More info: High Line
Brooklyn Bridge Park: A new park on industrial piers overlooking Lower Manhattan
Cost: Free
Location: East River, south of the Brooklyn Bridge
Noteworthy: Great views of Lower Manhattan
The iconic Brooklyn Bridge is appropriately the namesake for a new park designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh that overlooks the bridge and much of Lower Manhattan. The park occupies former industrial piers that run from the bridge down to Atlantic Avenue. The park is a mix of relaxation and play spaces, with seating, playgrounds and places for strolling between the piers.
Some edges of the park, such as the one shown here, are designed to deal with the rising waters that Hurricane Sandy made clear are a part of NYC's future.
The best way to experience the park is to start near City Hall in Manhattan, walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and descend at Washington Street, walking through Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and south to the park. It's also worth checking out Jane's Carousel in the Empire-Fulton Ferry Park (now part of Brooklyn Bridge Park), just north of the Brooklyn Bridge; the old carousel is inside an enclosure designed by Pritzer Prize–winning architect Jean Nouvel.
More info: Brooklyn Bridge Park
Cost: Free
Location: East River, south of the Brooklyn Bridge
Noteworthy: Great views of Lower Manhattan
The iconic Brooklyn Bridge is appropriately the namesake for a new park designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh that overlooks the bridge and much of Lower Manhattan. The park occupies former industrial piers that run from the bridge down to Atlantic Avenue. The park is a mix of relaxation and play spaces, with seating, playgrounds and places for strolling between the piers.
Some edges of the park, such as the one shown here, are designed to deal with the rising waters that Hurricane Sandy made clear are a part of NYC's future.
The best way to experience the park is to start near City Hall in Manhattan, walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and descend at Washington Street, walking through Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) and south to the park. It's also worth checking out Jane's Carousel in the Empire-Fulton Ferry Park (now part of Brooklyn Bridge Park), just north of the Brooklyn Bridge; the old carousel is inside an enclosure designed by Pritzer Prize–winning architect Jean Nouvel.
More info: Brooklyn Bridge Park
FDR Four Freedoms Park: A memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt and his famous "Four Freedoms" speech
Cost: Free, but full fare for the tram to Roosevelt Island is $2.50
Location: Southern tip of Roosevelt Island
Noteworthy: The great architect Louis Kahn's design was realized four decades after his death.
"Better late than never," they say. Such is an appropriate phrase for Kahn's posthumously completed FDR Four Freedoms Park. It transforms the southern tip of Roosevelt Island (in the East River between Midtown Manhattan and Queens) into a tree-lined place for strolling, relaxing and remembering. Louis Kahn's design is formal and symmetrical, culminating in an outdoor room at the tip where the sky is more expansive than anywhere else in New York City. Views of Midtown, including the United Nations (shown here), are a treat, as is taking the tram to get to and from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island.
More info: FDR Four Freedoms Park
Cost: Free, but full fare for the tram to Roosevelt Island is $2.50
Location: Southern tip of Roosevelt Island
Noteworthy: The great architect Louis Kahn's design was realized four decades after his death.
"Better late than never," they say. Such is an appropriate phrase for Kahn's posthumously completed FDR Four Freedoms Park. It transforms the southern tip of Roosevelt Island (in the East River between Midtown Manhattan and Queens) into a tree-lined place for strolling, relaxing and remembering. Louis Kahn's design is formal and symmetrical, culminating in an outdoor room at the tip where the sky is more expansive than anywhere else in New York City. Views of Midtown, including the United Nations (shown here), are a treat, as is taking the tram to get to and from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island.
More info: FDR Four Freedoms Park
Center for Architecture: Home of the local American Institute of Architects chapter and the nonprofit Center for Architecture
Cost: Varies; usually $10 for non-AIA members, but sometimes events are free
Location: 536 LaGuardia Pl., Greenwich Village
Noteworthy: The three-story space hosts at least one and often two or three events almost every night of the year.
If you're interested in architecture and design, it's worth seeing what's happening at the Center for Architecture, be it an exhibition, lecture, book launch or even party. Events are free for AIA members (who receive continuing education credits for attending), but some events are also free for nonmembers.
The extent of the three-story space can be grasped from the storefront, which gives glimpses to the basement lecture hall.
More info: Center for Architecture
Cost: Varies; usually $10 for non-AIA members, but sometimes events are free
Location: 536 LaGuardia Pl., Greenwich Village
Noteworthy: The three-story space hosts at least one and often two or three events almost every night of the year.
If you're interested in architecture and design, it's worth seeing what's happening at the Center for Architecture, be it an exhibition, lecture, book launch or even party. Events are free for AIA members (who receive continuing education credits for attending), but some events are also free for nonmembers.
The extent of the three-story space can be grasped from the storefront, which gives glimpses to the basement lecture hall.
More info: Center for Architecture
Storefront for Art and Architecture: A nonprofit organization committed to the advancement of innovative positions in architecture, art and design
Cost: Free
Location: 97 Kenmare St., Nolita (North of Little Italy)
Noteworthy: A hinged facade opens and closes depending on the time of year and needs for the exhibition or event inside.
If the Center for Architecture is the heart of the profession in NYC, then the Storefront is its avant-garde heart. The organization started in 1982 and moved into its distinctive pencil-tip-shaped space, designed by Steven Holl and Vito Acconci, in 1993. The hinged facade is usually an invitation to step inside the gallery from the sidewalk and see what's on display. Likewise, once you're inside, the street is a constant presence rather than something that is ignored. There is always something of interest in the space, be it an exhibition, a presentation or sometimes both simultaneously.
More info: Storefront for Art and Architecture
Cost: Free
Location: 97 Kenmare St., Nolita (North of Little Italy)
Noteworthy: A hinged facade opens and closes depending on the time of year and needs for the exhibition or event inside.
If the Center for Architecture is the heart of the profession in NYC, then the Storefront is its avant-garde heart. The organization started in 1982 and moved into its distinctive pencil-tip-shaped space, designed by Steven Holl and Vito Acconci, in 1993. The hinged facade is usually an invitation to step inside the gallery from the sidewalk and see what's on display. Likewise, once you're inside, the street is a constant presence rather than something that is ignored. There is always something of interest in the space, be it an exhibition, a presentation or sometimes both simultaneously.
More info: Storefront for Art and Architecture
MoMA PS1: A contemporary arts institution housed in an old public school
Cost: $10; free with MoMA ticket
Location: 22-25 Jackson Ave. (at 46th Avenue), Long Island City, Queens
Noteworthy: Each summer the courtyard is taken over by an installation that is a backdrop for weekend "warm ups."
Everybody visiting NYC knows about MoMA, but its younger sister institution is also worth seeing. MoMA PS1 takes its name from the building (Public School 1) in which it's housed, but in the summer the focus is on the triangular courtyard. Here is where the winner of the annual Young Architects Program constructs a pavilion that shades, cools and serves as a backdrop for warm-weather parties with lots of music and dancing.
Pictured is the 2012 installation, "Wendy," by HWKN; the blue explosion housed fans and sprayed mist over revelers, but it was also treated with a nanoparticle spray that actually cleaned the air.
More info: MoMA PS1
Cost: $10; free with MoMA ticket
Location: 22-25 Jackson Ave. (at 46th Avenue), Long Island City, Queens
Noteworthy: Each summer the courtyard is taken over by an installation that is a backdrop for weekend "warm ups."
Everybody visiting NYC knows about MoMA, but its younger sister institution is also worth seeing. MoMA PS1 takes its name from the building (Public School 1) in which it's housed, but in the summer the focus is on the triangular courtyard. Here is where the winner of the annual Young Architects Program constructs a pavilion that shades, cools and serves as a backdrop for warm-weather parties with lots of music and dancing.
Pictured is the 2012 installation, "Wendy," by HWKN; the blue explosion housed fans and sprayed mist over revelers, but it was also treated with a nanoparticle spray that actually cleaned the air.
More info: MoMA PS1
Historic House Trust of New York City: A nonprofit organization working with the city to support houses of architectural and cultural significance, all open to the public
Cost: From $3 to $8
Location: Houses in all five boroughs
Noteworthy: The Historic House Festival (in October) included tours, lectures and other events.
For those interested in history and houses, the Historic House Trust offers access to nearly 30 houses in all five boroughs, reaching back more than 350 years. Many of the houses are located in parks, such as the King Manor Museum in King Park, shown here. This house may look like it is located outside of NYC, but it's in Jamaica, Queens, a couple blocks from the Long Island Railroad and the county's court buildings.
More into: Historic House Trust of New York City
Cost: From $3 to $8
Location: Houses in all five boroughs
Noteworthy: The Historic House Festival (in October) included tours, lectures and other events.
For those interested in history and houses, the Historic House Trust offers access to nearly 30 houses in all five boroughs, reaching back more than 350 years. Many of the houses are located in parks, such as the King Manor Museum in King Park, shown here. This house may look like it is located outside of NYC, but it's in Jamaica, Queens, a couple blocks from the Long Island Railroad and the county's court buildings.
More into: Historic House Trust of New York City
Must-Stays
The Standard, East Village: The Bowery sister to The Standard Hotel atop the High Line
Cost: From $275
Location: 25 Cooper Sq. (Bowery at East Fifth Street), East Village
Noteworthy: A swooping design by architect Carlos Zapata
It will hardly be a surprise that staying in a hotel in NYC isn't cheap, especially if you opt for hip neighborhoods and cool architecture and decor. While the Bowery hardly exudes hipness, the connotations of the thoroughfare are changing, thanks to buildings like Cooper Union, the New Museum and this hotel that towers above its surroundings. The verticality might be its best draw, giving guests great views of Lower Manhattan. The restaurant and bar spaces are well done, and a renovation in progress will hopefully make those even better.
More info: The Standard, East Village
The Standard, East Village: The Bowery sister to The Standard Hotel atop the High Line
Cost: From $275
Location: 25 Cooper Sq. (Bowery at East Fifth Street), East Village
Noteworthy: A swooping design by architect Carlos Zapata
It will hardly be a surprise that staying in a hotel in NYC isn't cheap, especially if you opt for hip neighborhoods and cool architecture and decor. While the Bowery hardly exudes hipness, the connotations of the thoroughfare are changing, thanks to buildings like Cooper Union, the New Museum and this hotel that towers above its surroundings. The verticality might be its best draw, giving guests great views of Lower Manhattan. The restaurant and bar spaces are well done, and a renovation in progress will hopefully make those even better.
More info: The Standard, East Village
Dream Downtown Hotel: Two maritime union buildings converted into a hotel
Cost: From $275
Location: 355 W. 16th St. (near Ninth Avenue), Chelsea
Noteworthy: A glass-bottom pool visible from the lobby
The sloped facade of Albert C. Ledner's design for the National Maritime Union is a direct diagram of the city's zoning envelope, which facilitates light to the streets and is usually addressed through tiered setbacks. Ledner made this wall even more distinctive through round windows that directly reference his client.
Fifty years later the building was converted to a hotel. Handel Architects made even more circular openings, extending them throughout the rest of the design. Between the angular building and a lower rectangular slab on the south are an outdoor deck and pool; the latter has a glass bottom that is visible from the lobby below through (no surprises) large circular openings in the ceiling.
More info: Dream Downtown Hotel
Cost: From $275
Location: 355 W. 16th St. (near Ninth Avenue), Chelsea
Noteworthy: A glass-bottom pool visible from the lobby
The sloped facade of Albert C. Ledner's design for the National Maritime Union is a direct diagram of the city's zoning envelope, which facilitates light to the streets and is usually addressed through tiered setbacks. Ledner made this wall even more distinctive through round windows that directly reference his client.
Fifty years later the building was converted to a hotel. Handel Architects made even more circular openings, extending them throughout the rest of the design. Between the angular building and a lower rectangular slab on the south are an outdoor deck and pool; the latter has a glass bottom that is visible from the lobby below through (no surprises) large circular openings in the ceiling.
More info: Dream Downtown Hotel
Ace Hotel: The old Breslin Hotel, renovated and now a popular spot for tourists and locals alike
Cost: From $99
Location: 20 W. 29th St., Garment District
Noteworthy: The lobby is a magnet for local creative types working on their laptops.
The hotels included in this guide illustrate that selecting one can be as much about a hotel's amenities as its rooms. (Disclosure: I haven't stayed at any of these hotels.) The Ace Hotel's lobby and adjacent storefronts (coffee shop, restaurants, retail) have made the spot one of the most popular for locals as well as people visiting from out of town.
The dimly lit lobby is always crowded, usually by people staring at their laptops. The eclectic design, by Roman & Williams, extends to the other spaces off the lobby, but they all work together to create a microcosm of hipness in an area (wholesale and Flower District) where one would have least expected it.
More info: Ace Hotel
Cost: From $99
Location: 20 W. 29th St., Garment District
Noteworthy: The lobby is a magnet for local creative types working on their laptops.
The hotels included in this guide illustrate that selecting one can be as much about a hotel's amenities as its rooms. (Disclosure: I haven't stayed at any of these hotels.) The Ace Hotel's lobby and adjacent storefronts (coffee shop, restaurants, retail) have made the spot one of the most popular for locals as well as people visiting from out of town.
The dimly lit lobby is always crowded, usually by people staring at their laptops. The eclectic design, by Roman & Williams, extends to the other spaces off the lobby, but they all work together to create a microcosm of hipness in an area (wholesale and Flower District) where one would have least expected it.
More info: Ace Hotel
Wythe Hotel: The conversion of a 1901 factory into a 72-room hotel
Cost: From $179
Location: 80 Wythe Ave. (at North 11th Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Noteworthy: A rooftop bar with views of Manhattan
If any neighborhood exudes the hipster phenomenon, it is Williamsburg; reach its center by getting off the L train at the first stop in Brooklyn. Its gentrification this century has been predominantly residential, but the Wythe adds a hotel to that mix, bringing tourists to an area they might otherwise pass over or see very little of.
Morris Adjmi's design added floors atop the old brick factory building, popping it up proudly above its neighbors. A restaurant and bar are popular neighborhood spots, offering some great views of Manhattan — views that will disappear in the coming years as developers build up along the East River waterfront.
More info: Wythe Hotel
Cost: From $179
Location: 80 Wythe Ave. (at North 11th Street), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Noteworthy: A rooftop bar with views of Manhattan
If any neighborhood exudes the hipster phenomenon, it is Williamsburg; reach its center by getting off the L train at the first stop in Brooklyn. Its gentrification this century has been predominantly residential, but the Wythe adds a hotel to that mix, bringing tourists to an area they might otherwise pass over or see very little of.
Morris Adjmi's design added floors atop the old brick factory building, popping it up proudly above its neighbors. A restaurant and bar are popular neighborhood spots, offering some great views of Manhattan — views that will disappear in the coming years as developers build up along the East River waterfront.
More info: Wythe Hotel
Must-Visit Shops
MoMA Design Store: The SoHo store for the Museum of Modern Art
Location: 81 Spring St., SoHo
Noteworthy: A bright interior designed by 1100 Architect
Visitors to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on the Upper East Side can browse the bookstore inside the museum or walk across the street to visit the design store. Yet in SoHo those two types of stores are combined into one, in a two-story space designed by 1100 Architect. Upstairs are furnishings, design objects and children's toys, while downstairs are books, furniture and a Muji store. It's no surprise that the selection of modern design elements is top notch.
More info: MoMA Design Store
MoMA Design Store: The SoHo store for the Museum of Modern Art
Location: 81 Spring St., SoHo
Noteworthy: A bright interior designed by 1100 Architect
Visitors to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on the Upper East Side can browse the bookstore inside the museum or walk across the street to visit the design store. Yet in SoHo those two types of stores are combined into one, in a two-story space designed by 1100 Architect. Upstairs are furnishings, design objects and children's toys, while downstairs are books, furniture and a Muji store. It's no surprise that the selection of modern design elements is top notch.
More info: MoMA Design Store
ABC Carpet & Home: Seven floors of furniture, carpets and furnishings near Union Square Park
Location: 888 Broadway (at West 19th Street), Gramercy
Noteworthy: There is something for everybody in this huge store.
ABC Carpet & Home is about the size of a department store, but its eclectic selection of furniture and wares makes it something else entirely. The carpets are located on the top floor, but a walk down reveals modern and contemporary furniture, antiques, knickknacks, jewelry and just about everything else in between. It's more a bazaar than a single store, stemming from the seven floors and the juxtaposition of diverse objects throughout. Those on a budget can head down to the basement to see what has been marked down by about half.
More info: ABC Carpet & Home
Location: 888 Broadway (at West 19th Street), Gramercy
Noteworthy: There is something for everybody in this huge store.
ABC Carpet & Home is about the size of a department store, but its eclectic selection of furniture and wares makes it something else entirely. The carpets are located on the top floor, but a walk down reveals modern and contemporary furniture, antiques, knickknacks, jewelry and just about everything else in between. It's more a bazaar than a single store, stemming from the seven floors and the juxtaposition of diverse objects throughout. Those on a budget can head down to the basement to see what has been marked down by about half.
More info: ABC Carpet & Home
Van Alen Books: The ground-floor bookstore of the nonprofit Van Alen Institute
Location: 30 W. 22nd St., Chelsea
Noteworthy: New York City's only bookstore devoted to architecture and design
MoMA may have a good selection of books, but even better is Van Alen Books near Madison Square Park. It is the only bookstore in NYC devoted to architecture and design titles, filling the gap left by the closure of Urban Center Books in 2010.
The store is also remarkable for the design of its small yellow space (200 square feet). Architecture firm LOT-EK inserted some steps made from old doors that act as seats during book launches and other events.
More info: Van Alen Books
Location: 30 W. 22nd St., Chelsea
Noteworthy: New York City's only bookstore devoted to architecture and design
MoMA may have a good selection of books, but even better is Van Alen Books near Madison Square Park. It is the only bookstore in NYC devoted to architecture and design titles, filling the gap left by the closure of Urban Center Books in 2010.
The store is also remarkable for the design of its small yellow space (200 square feet). Architecture firm LOT-EK inserted some steps made from old doors that act as seats during book launches and other events.
More info: Van Alen Books
Hidden Gems
Paley Park: A classic "vest pocket park" in Midtown
Cost: Free
Location: 3 E. 53rd St., Midtown
Noteworthy: The trees and waterfall drown out the sounds and sights of the surrounding traffic and buildings.
New York is a city of streets, so its hidden gems are places of respite from the traffic and crowded sidewalks. Paley Park is a small space (42 by 100 feet) whose effect is much greater than its size.
A half block from Fifth Avenue, the spot is a great place for sitting down beneath the honey locust trees and letting the sound of the waterfall wash the city away.
The park was designed in 1967 by Zion & Breen, and four years later came another vest pocket park nearby: Greenacre Park, designed by Hideao Sasaki. Both of these parks predate the city's legal privately owned public spaces, which grant developers additional square footage in exchange for public spaces. These two parks and their owners give back to the city without the need for further profit.
More info: Paley Park; Greenacre Park
Paley Park: A classic "vest pocket park" in Midtown
Cost: Free
Location: 3 E. 53rd St., Midtown
Noteworthy: The trees and waterfall drown out the sounds and sights of the surrounding traffic and buildings.
New York is a city of streets, so its hidden gems are places of respite from the traffic and crowded sidewalks. Paley Park is a small space (42 by 100 feet) whose effect is much greater than its size.
A half block from Fifth Avenue, the spot is a great place for sitting down beneath the honey locust trees and letting the sound of the waterfall wash the city away.
The park was designed in 1967 by Zion & Breen, and four years later came another vest pocket park nearby: Greenacre Park, designed by Hideao Sasaki. Both of these parks predate the city's legal privately owned public spaces, which grant developers additional square footage in exchange for public spaces. These two parks and their owners give back to the city without the need for further profit.
More info: Paley Park; Greenacre Park
Close at General Theological Seminary: The central green space of the seminary's full-block home
Cost: Free
Location: 440 W. 21st St., Chelsea
Noteworthy: A peaceful alternative to the people-packed High Line nearby
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church occupies most of a full city block in Chelsea. Its collection of primarily 19th-century buildings surrounds a central green space called the Close. Access to the space is limited to certain days and times; buzz the gate on West 21st Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues to gain access.
This photo shows the new residential development capping the block on Ninth Avenue, Chelsea Enclave, designed by Ennead Architects and completed in 2010. Since then the seminary's dorms have been converted to condos, and construction of a building on West 20th Street has begun. Let's hope these changes respect the quiet of the Close, a pleasing antidote to the busy High Line.
More info: Close at General Theological Seminary
Cost: Free
Location: 440 W. 21st St., Chelsea
Noteworthy: A peaceful alternative to the people-packed High Line nearby
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church occupies most of a full city block in Chelsea. Its collection of primarily 19th-century buildings surrounds a central green space called the Close. Access to the space is limited to certain days and times; buzz the gate on West 21st Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues to gain access.
This photo shows the new residential development capping the block on Ninth Avenue, Chelsea Enclave, designed by Ennead Architects and completed in 2010. Since then the seminary's dorms have been converted to condos, and construction of a building on West 20th Street has begun. Let's hope these changes respect the quiet of the Close, a pleasing antidote to the busy High Line.
More info: Close at General Theological Seminary
Ford Foundation Atrium: Headquarters of the Ford Foundation, near the United Nations
Cost: Free
Location: 320 E. 42nd St. (enter on East 43rd Street), Turtle Bay
Noteworthy: The glass and Cor-Ten steel building has a 160-foot atrium at its core
The Ford Foundation's headquarters represent the short-lived trend of covering buildings in Cor-Ten steel in the 1960s. Too much of the material can be brutal, but in the building designed by Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates with landscape architect Dan Kiley, the atrium space softens the steel. Large glass walls face south and east, bringing light into the 160-foot-high space. Walking about the atrium is a delight, as it involves a lot of ups and downs among the various terraces and vegetation.
More info: Ford Foundation Atrium
Cost: Free
Location: 320 E. 42nd St. (enter on East 43rd Street), Turtle Bay
Noteworthy: The glass and Cor-Ten steel building has a 160-foot atrium at its core
The Ford Foundation's headquarters represent the short-lived trend of covering buildings in Cor-Ten steel in the 1960s. Too much of the material can be brutal, but in the building designed by Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates with landscape architect Dan Kiley, the atrium space softens the steel. Large glass walls face south and east, bringing light into the 160-foot-high space. Walking about the atrium is a delight, as it involves a lot of ups and downs among the various terraces and vegetation.
More info: Ford Foundation Atrium
David Rubenstein Atrium: Privately owned public space near Lincoln Center
Cost: Free
Location: 61 W. 62nd St., Upper West Side
Noteworthy: Vertical green walls, circular skylights and a large mural create a pleasing space.
While privately owned public spaces are meant to give the public something in exchange for the developer's ability to build higher, too often the spaces are badly designed or limited in their audience. The latter was the case with a semiopen through-block connection across from Lincoln Center; its main element was a climbing wall, hardly an amenity for all to use.
Now used by Lincoln Center for a discount ticket booth and (frustratingly, since the booth then closes) the occasional performance, the space is now fully enclosed and more in line with today's use of public space (eating, sitting, using Wi-Fi).
Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the space is comfortable; it's defined by skylights, a long mural and a couple vertical green patches near the entrances.
More info: David Rubenstein Atrium
Cost: Free
Location: 61 W. 62nd St., Upper West Side
Noteworthy: Vertical green walls, circular skylights and a large mural create a pleasing space.
While privately owned public spaces are meant to give the public something in exchange for the developer's ability to build higher, too often the spaces are badly designed or limited in their audience. The latter was the case with a semiopen through-block connection across from Lincoln Center; its main element was a climbing wall, hardly an amenity for all to use.
Now used by Lincoln Center for a discount ticket booth and (frustratingly, since the booth then closes) the occasional performance, the space is now fully enclosed and more in line with today's use of public space (eating, sitting, using Wi-Fi).
Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the space is comfortable; it's defined by skylights, a long mural and a couple vertical green patches near the entrances.
More info: David Rubenstein Atrium
Noguchi Museum: An industrial building converted by artist Isamu Noguchi into a studio and museum
Cost: $10; pay what you wish the first Friday of every month
Location: 9-01 33rd Rd. (at Vernon Boulevard), Long Island City, Queens
Noteworthy: The enclosed garden is a beautiful space where you can enjoy Noguchi's sculptures.
In 1974 Japanese-American Isamu Noguchi purchased a 1920s factory in Long Island City, turning it into a warehouse and studio. Eleven years later (three years before Noguchi's death) the building opened as a museum.
To this day the museum presents Noguchi's sculptures within the building and courtyard spaces he designed; it's rare to see such a fusion of art and architecture by an individual artist in NYC (the Donald Judd Studio will open in 2013 after rehabilitation).
Long Island City is now home to a number of important arts institutions (MoMA PS1, the Museum of the Moving Image, Socrates Sculpture Park), but the Noguchi Museum excels in creating a peaceful place for the contemplation of art.
More info: Noguchi Museum
Tell us: What are your favorite places for soaking up design in New York City?
Cost: $10; pay what you wish the first Friday of every month
Location: 9-01 33rd Rd. (at Vernon Boulevard), Long Island City, Queens
Noteworthy: The enclosed garden is a beautiful space where you can enjoy Noguchi's sculptures.
In 1974 Japanese-American Isamu Noguchi purchased a 1920s factory in Long Island City, turning it into a warehouse and studio. Eleven years later (three years before Noguchi's death) the building opened as a museum.
To this day the museum presents Noguchi's sculptures within the building and courtyard spaces he designed; it's rare to see such a fusion of art and architecture by an individual artist in NYC (the Donald Judd Studio will open in 2013 after rehabilitation).
Long Island City is now home to a number of important arts institutions (MoMA PS1, the Museum of the Moving Image, Socrates Sculpture Park), but the Noguchi Museum excels in creating a peaceful place for the contemplation of art.
More info: Noguchi Museum
Tell us: What are your favorite places for soaking up design in New York City?
A couple notes on the information that follows: Costs provided are for adults not eligible for a discount; in most cases child and senior prices are lower. And all the places are in Manhattan, with address and neighborhood provided, unless noted otherwise.