Fast isn’t always best. Bette Midler once famously said “When it's three o’clock in New York, it's still 1938 in London.” Okay, New York has been, and may still be, the world’s most happening city… If you visit regularly for New York Fashion Week, you’ll probably discover recently established places and new things to see and do, every time you’re there. But I like to find hang-outs that are a little more off-beat and unusual - where things happen at a slightly slower pace.
Even if you start at the digital centre of the world, you can always slow down later: The new NYC Information Center, close to Times Square, has 16 enormous flat screen monitors, where you can use Google Earth to create your own virtual tourist trail. You can even download the route onto your mobile ‘phone. Or, if you prefer to do this is in advance of your trip, there’s also a website, which you can check out here.
If the pace gets a little too much and you find you’re need a bit of a breather, why not stop off at Paley Park – an urban oasis on the site where the famous Stork Club used to be. Privately funded by the ex-CEO of CBS William Paley, and built in 1967, this ‘pocket park’ is a small cobbled area, with walls on three sides that are decked out with a huge fountain and hanging ivy to blot out the noise from the passing traffic, creating a Zen-like environment that’s rather a curiosity…
It’s perfect for taking a few moments out, allowing you to collage your memory with a curiously handy journal from ShopCurious.
Of course, you could also make a hasty retreat to The Meatpacking District (MPD) - with a heritage of over 250 slaughterhouses - and now a favourite hang-out for actors and fashionistas. Thankfully, the area has recently become home to The High Line, a former freight transportation facility that’s been transformed into a stylish green walkway, raised up above road level.
Originally in use from the early 1930s to around 1980, the line was derelict until its recent (and ongoing) reclamation. Planted with grass, shrubs and even decked out with sun-loungers, the 3 mile long, eco-friendly track is a great way to see what’s going on from above.You can also pop by one of the newest bistros in the area, Recette, where the chef is Gordon Ramsay trained Jesse Schenker.
After all, you may need to take another breather before London Fashion Week hits this ‘slow’ town…
Do you?
never been to NY :(
ReplyDeleteThe High Line looks like my kind of place though! they were going to try and do this on the old derelict train line through shoreditch, but I think they're about to re-open it as a normal train line again instead, which is kind of 'green' too I suppose, although I personally would always prefer the urban re-wilding!