Feast on New York's food, drink, art and literature
A hedonist's weekend in The City That Never Sleeps
So, you’ve cruised past the Statue of Liberty (smaller than you thought, right?), admired the view from the Empire State, watched a Broadway musical and braved the catherine wheel of capitalism that is Times Square. In this, the ultimate city, the opportunities for iconic (or dare we say clichéd) moments are endless.
But what if you’ve done all that (or don’t give a damn about the top 10 tourist guide lists)? If you’ve only got a weekend in New York, it’s time to experience its other facets – food, drink, art and literature. There’s also time for a smattering of retail, though rest assured, it will be far from the seething hordes invading the vast chain stores on Midtown’s Fifth Avenue. Welcome to New York.
Saturday
On weekends, The City That Never Sleeps becomes The City That Lies In. Most people don’t stir till late morning, and plenty of shops and restaurants don’t
bother to open until noon. Luckily, Katz’s (katzsdelicatessen.com) is open all day on Saturday. Established in 1888, this no-nonsense dinerstyle deli in the ever-so-gritty Lower East Side is justifiably renowned for its pastrami beef sandwiches (and for a certain infamous scene in When Harry Met Sally).
(chelseamarket.com). Deciding what to have is hard – will it be oysters from Cull & Pistol or a grilled gruyere and rosemary ham sandwich from Lucy’s Whey? Designed by Renzo Piano, the Whitney Museum of American Art’s new building is at the High Line’s southern tip.
would’ve made them, before heading to bed.
Sunday
Indulging in that great New York pastime – queuing – is inevitable at the café recently opened by the Jewish deli Russ & Daughters (russanddaughterscafe.com). You’ll be glad you did. Put your name on the waiting list (there are no reservations) and head to Caffe Vita roastery round the corner for a coffee. When it’s your turn to take your placeat Russ & Daughters’ marble-topped bar, order a Breakfast Martini or Bloody Mary and dig into scrambled eggs with lox on rye, or pastrami-cured salmon on a pretzel.
TIPS
GETTING AROUND You need never be bemused by New York’s subway system again: the Citymapper app (iOS and Android) niftily calculates the best routes to take between two destinations (for a variety of different transport modes) and how long it will take.