Sanders Travel Centre staff, Pinki Meals, is our in-house New York expert. Her frequent travels to the Big Apple provide us a wealth of knowledge of the city's restaurants, hotels, night life and attractions. Her recent ventures have unveiled some exciting hot spots. We're happy to share some of them with you here. For more great NYC tips and tricks of the trade contact your Sanders Travel Advisor.
The Setai 5th Avenue
As the newest Capella resort in North America, the Setai boutique property offers a beautiful, sleek New York design with the high standards of luxury service you would expect from the Capella brand. I would still consider this to be mid-town for those who are convinced that is the only place to be, but it is a bit out of the busiest part. You can walk out the door without having to dodge people, you can get a cab easily and it is still an easy walk to the theater district/5th avenue shopping. The hotel is very modern in style, has a fantastic street level bar (Bar on Fifth), and the staff were wonderful. While we didn’t dine in the restaurant, we did order room service for a late dinner and it was delicious, as well as reasonably priced…for hotel room service.
400 Fifth Avenue between 37th and 38th
This is so cool for people who don’t mind venturing over to Brooklyn. It is open…rain or shine… in Fort Greene on Saturdays and in Williamsburg (fabulous view of Manhattan) on Sundays. We did a Sunday and not only is the flea market a feast for the eyes and appetite, but Williamsburg itself is fun to explore. There is even a surf bar (complete with sand floor) that is well worth stopping in just to see the decor (brooklynsurfbar.com). I recommend the Blue Crush. From Williamsburg, we made our way over to Brooklyn Heights, stopping in at the Heights Café (www.heightscafeny.com) for a refreshment and then walked back to Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge. (Under the bridge is Grimaldi’s Pizza….a Brooklyn institution. There is always a line, but it moves pretty quickly and the pizza is fabulous.) This wasn’t our first time to walk the bridge, but it is always a breathtaking stroll, no matter how many times you’ve done it. Brooklyn
We ate at Les Halles, home base of Anthony Bourdain. It has a true NY feel, some outdoor seating, great food and is reasonably priced. It’s also across the street from the new Gansevoort Hotel on Park Avenue, where we went up to the roof for drinks. It was quite the people watching scene.
411 Park between 28th and 29th leshalles.net Grammercy Park/Murray Hill
Eataly is the largest artisan Italian food and wine market in the world, but aside from the market, there is a rooftop restaurant and beer garden. Those venues hadn’t opened yet when we were there, so we picked up some wine and cheese, etc. at the market, and walked across to Madison Square Park for a picnic.
200 5th St, entrance is on 5th and 23rd eatalyny.com Flatiron District
We stopped at Meme this Mediterranean spot for lunch and had a wonderful Greek salad. It’s a charming (small) place with some outdoor seating and there seemed to be a lot of “locals” eating there, which I take to be a good sign. Added plus…it’s right around the corner from the famous Magnolia Bakery and yes, we did stop there for a cupcake. Hudson Street in general had a bunch of little bistro type restaurants with outdoor seating.
The High Line is a major park development that begins in the meatpacking district, with the majority of it being in West Chelsea. It was an elevated rail line that has been converted to green space. The views of the city and Hudson river are fantastic and all along the route are benches, food vendors, and art. It’s a little hard to describe, but really an urban oasis that is worth seeing. Gansevoort to 34th Street thehighline.org Meatpacking District/West Chelsea
What better place to be in the Spring than on a Mediterranean cruise. My favorite itinerary would be one that begins in Rome. You definitely will want to arrive a few days early to recoup from your jet-lag and explore the history of Rome. Get yourself a private guide and spend a couple of days touring this amazing city. One could spend a full day alone in the Vatican City. After Rome, transfer about an hour and half to Civitavecchia and board the world’s best small cruise ship, Seabourn Cruises. This is a small luxury all-inclusive cruise line and happens to be my favorite. You will be awe-struck when you enter your beautiful suite. Get yourself a verandah to enjoy the views and deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. A nice ending would be Monte Carlo and spend an extra night before you return to the US. A top notch place to stay is the Hotel Metropole. The grounds are absolutely stunning. It’s a great way to end your European adventure.
