Though it’s not quite the same as it was when F. Scott Fitzgerald hung out here (along with contemporaries like Ernest Hemingway), you can soak in the old-timey ambience—assuming you can get a table. Read more.
Take a trip to this staid midtown chapel, where F. Scott Fitzgerald married his wife, Zelda. Unlike the over-the-top parties portrayed in The Great Gatsby, theirs was a small affair with only 8 guests Read more.
To coincide with the launch of a special Gatsby-inspired jewelry line, on which the film's costume designer collaborated with Tiffany, the ritzy shop has decorated its windows with a Jazz Age theme. Read more.
This couturier teamed up with Great Gatsby costume designer Catherine Martin to create the glitzy gowns & accessories for the film; see those costumes & behind-the-scenes video, at an exhibit at here. Read more.
This Art Deco lounge, located on the Empire State Building’s ground floor, features drinks created with the Great Gatsby’s characters in mind. Read more.
Alexander Calder's Saurien holds its own despite sitting beneath the cantilevered corner of a skyscraper. See other large-scale works in 590 Madison Avenue’s indoor sculpture garden. Read more.
These figures were created by artist George Segal as a tribute to the Stonewall Inn raid and ensuing riots of 1969, which unfolded nearby.
The massive steel sculpture, officially titled Alamo, weighs in at one ton. People come to spin it, just as the artist intended. Read more.
Noguchi combines art and architecture, pointedly emphasizing the setting: A gray cylindrical hole in the cube’s center offers a focused view into the building directly behind it. Read more.
The Wall initially welcomed controversy when the building’s landlords began selling billboards on the space in 1973. The piece was reinstalled at a higher level in 2007 to allow for advertising below. Read more.
The winner of a national competition organized in 1996 by Public Art Fund, this widely criticized work explores time, history and the city’s perpetual movement. Read more.
MoMA helped to popularize Robert Indiana's design by commissioning it for use on its Christmas cards in 1965. Read more.
The 7,000-pound Wall Street Bull was created in optimistic response to the 1987 stock market crash and dropped in front of the New York Stock Exchange overnight in 1989. http://tmout.us/knzkC
Eat this: Beef tongue with sauce gribiche, pig’s head, lobster-leek terrine, halibut with romesco, lamb neck with olives and agnolotti, chard gratin, baba au rhum Read more.
At the SF chainlet's Williamsburg branch, pair 20 types of bangers (including bratwurst, andouille & wild boar) w/ 1 of the 24 beers on tap, like Green Flash Double Stout & Great Divide's Imperial IPA Read more.
Eat this: Sweetbread tacos, skirt steak tacos, lamb on naan, kimchi posole, Jacob’s Ladder Feast. Drink this: 5 Island Horchata spiked with dark rum and Fernet Vallet, excellent tart house margarita. Read more.
Eat this: Guacamole with pistachios, queso fundido with lobster, roasted carrots with mole, masa crisps with shrimp and sea urchin mousse, squid and potatoes with black mole, vanilla marquesote Read more.
Eat this: Guacamole, queso fundido, corn tamale, short-rib empanadas, chipotle shrimp tacos, churros Read more.
The signature sammie features 3-day-brined pork shoulder rubbed w/ a spice mix, then smoked & slow roasted & finished on a toasted ciabatta roll w/ red-onion jam, mustard aioli & a dash of hot sauce. Read more.
Smørrebrød—the open-faced Danish sandwiches—arrive on the New York sub scene @ this modernist cafe. House-made rye is topped with ingredients like beef tartare or chicken salad & baked root vegetables Read more.
Like a boozy remake of Weird Science, a trio of cocktail geeks have forged their own fantasy babe from scratch. Drink this: Evelyn Rose—gin, hibiscus tea, rose water, Lillet syrup and lemon. Read more.
Drink this: The OJ-splashed Brancolada elevates the piña colada w/ herbal & minty Branca Menta—the result is at once sophisticated & dangerously easygoing, like a Ph.D. student gone on spring break. Read more.
Eat this: Octopus “salami,” house-cured capocollo, eggplant caponata, focaccia with stracchino, cavatelli with peas and ricotta, carne misti, acqua pazza Read more.
Though the main-course pastas are the high point of a meal here, there are substantial proteins, too. Eat this: Escarole salad, octopus, sweetbread agnolotti, linguine with clams, pumpkin budino Read more.
Executive Chef Daniel Humm (also of NoMad) earned top honors as our 2013 Chef of the Year, in part due to the reinvented tasting menu here—a hymn for Gotham’s dining history. Read more.
The slim restaurant’s sardine-can-size kitchen sends out wild riffs on sushi, like pork-belly or chopped-beef-with-uni & more gluttonous dishes like a grilled cheese sandwich oozing melted foie gras. Read more.
This Korean joomak delivers exactly what NYC's nocturnal gastronauts crave most: a new & exciting way to drink & eat at the same time. Order a fiery communal bowl of the late-night-only Korean ramen. Read more.
Here, the Jammer is the pièce de résistance—a streusel-wreathed, preserve-dotted concoction that fittingly came to baker Dorie Greenspan in her sleep. These sweets are what dreams are really made of. Read more.
A wood-fueled smoker from Austin’s Franklin Barbecue produces gloriously pink slices of beef burnished with black pepper and smoke-infused lacings of fat in the popular Pat LaFrieda brisket. Read more.
This PS1 revival has the same over-the-top spirit as the spectacular Queens diner original. The menu, which changes daily, runs to veal brains, blood pudding and big, seared slabs of foie gras. Read more.
Proletariat is a much-deserved look into no-holds-barred beer geekdom, blissfully free of TVs, generic pub grub & high-fiving mooks. It holds only 12 stools & its menus have been replaced w/ a QR code Read more.
The New Nordic Wonder award winner's tasting menu turned the forest’s prickly underbelly—all hairy roots, funky fungi & fallen leaves—into some of the most stunning plates of 2013. Read more.
Blanca, winner of the Best Big-Pimpin' Brooklyn award, serves some of New York’s priciest high-concept cooking to just 12 flush diners a night in 20-odd courses of tweezer-plated perfection. Read more.
NYers keep turning out in droves at this nondescript storefront, dabbing their sweat-beaded brows & fanning their overheated mouths for relief from chili-oil-soaked peanut noodles & peppered pickles. Read more.
There are flawless standards here—a strapping Manhattan, a tingly champagne cocktail fizzing w/ sugar & Angostura bitters—but big-swinging bar talents really come out to play w/ their original drinks. Read more.
Lines wind out the door at 2013's Best New Bakery winner for skillfully balanced bites like fudgy date-cocoa Montego Bay bars and a killer chocolate-chip cookie teeming with gooey nubs. Read more.
Beer store with a bar? Beer bar with a store? Whatever the hell it is, this erudite yet unpretentious ode to all things ale beguiled wide-eyed beer novices and grizzled hops nerds alike. Read more.
This new-world delicatessen, a Noho spin-off of the Brooklyn flagship, won the title of Best Sandwich Shop in 2013. Read more.
This pasta lover's dream won the 2013 Best New Italian Spot award. From an open kitchen, Chef Toscano dispatches blackened tentacles of meaty octopus and gorgeous pastas woven around cockscombs. Read more.
2013's Best New Restaurant winner astonishes with its all-in pursuit of luxury: radishes dipped like bonbons in shells of butter & roasted chicken w/ foie gras & truffles tucked beneath its skin. Read more.
Each theater has paired seats and tables where twosomes can nosh while taking in indie and retro flicks. Split the Nitehawk Queso, with melted cheese, black beans, spicy chorizo and cooling guac. Read more.
Get close to your date in the corner banquette at Spotted Pig alum Nate Smith’s tavern. Sample dishes from the roating menu, and pair them with a craft beer or market-driven cocktail. Read more.
Pick up provisions for a home-cooked Italian meal at Mario Batali’s massive retail-restaurant complex. You can also choose from one of six on-site eateries. Read more.
Reserve a table in the main dining area, outfitted with a romantic chandelier and a bright fireplace that’s used to warm focacce, ciabatte and pizzas before they’re served. Read more.
Explore this institution’s collection of titillating photographs, films and all manner of erotic ephemera. Stop by the souvenir shop and pick up a copy of Adult Mad Libs to play with your date. Read more.
This offshoot of the original Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre can’t be beat for a cheap and hilarious date. Plus, you’ll look especially cool on the off-chance that a big-name comedian shows up. Read more.
This East Village restaurant is outfitted with vintage wallpaper and pages from a 1915 etiquette text. Sample one of the pre-Prohibition quaffs, like the Sherry Cobbler (sherry and lemon juice). Read more.
This space, which reopened last October after receiving a face-lift, will appeal to both cultural connoisseurs and dilettantes alike with live music, theater shows and more. Read more.
Impress your date at this intimate dinner spot, which offers shareable Asian “tapas” created by chef King Phojanakong. The small plates are also affordable, with most in the $7–$12 range. Read more.
Starting February 9, DJ Ceremony and Apathy Angel will host Corruption at Tammany Hall, a burlesque show, on Thursdays at 9pm. It’s followed by a free dance party at 11pm. Read more.
Get cozy in a velvet booth at this mescal bar adorned with folk art, statuettes, masks and other mementos of the co-owners’ travels. Taste the namesake spirit in a flight of three one-ounce pours. Read more.
This subterranean bar, gallery and performance space hosts regular music and comedy events, such as the monthly Acoustic Night and the weekly Comedy Night hosted by Aaron Glaser and Danny Jolles. Read more.
Couples visit this theater to canoodle in the dark while watching quality indie fare. Landmark hosts one of the best midnight-movie series in town, screening both cult faves and classics. Read more.
At the weekly Quizz-Off (Wed 7:30pm), teams battle through six rounds of questions with hopes of scoring a bar tab (first place $75, second $40, third $15). Read more.
It’s free to sing at Queereoke, an LGBT-friendly karaoke night (Tue 10:30pm). The song list includes more than 1,000 tunes. For a little extra courage to serenade your date, turn to $3 well drinks. Read more.
Awe a new love at this New Orleans–inspired saloon, where you can sample one of 26 varieties of absinthe, or pick a selection from barkeep Maxwell Britten’s smart cocktail list. Read more.
The latest venture from Porchetta’s Sara Jenkins is this date-night–friendly spot. Sample one of the unfussy pasta dishes, like anneloni rings tossed with mustard greens and house-made lamb sausage. Read more.
Sample quirky treats like the decadent Salty Pimp, a chocolate-dipped vanilla cone with dulce de leche and sea salt. The shop is small, so get your cones to-go. Read more.
Win major points with a beer lover at this subterranean gastropub: A selection of 12 stellar craft and microbrews is always on tap. Read more.
Romance your companion over a cocktail at this old-fashioned space. Try the Fairbanks (gin, dry vermouth, grenadine and apricot brandy) and enjoy nostalgic dishes like oysters Rockefeller. Read more.
Aside from exhibiting all types of media (such as fanzines, old cameras and arcade consoles), the facility also offers a 267-seat cinema with multiple weekend screenings. Read more.
The most famous of rinks is still as cramped as ever. Unless you plan on going early in the morning or between 9am and noon on Thanksgiving, expect a one- to two-hour wait. Read more.
From late October until the end of February, Bryant Park opens a no-charge skating rink. Don’t get too excited: The admission may be free, but you gotta pay $13 to rent skates (or BYO). Read more.
This menswear shop has a general-store vibe with knickknacks like slingshots, Silly Putty and toy airplanes. Pick up Hill-Side printed skinny ties and store-brand baseball caps. Read more.
This cozy boutique makes gift giving easy. The selection of pretty, tasteful items—from handmade jewelry to artisanal home goods—offers something for every hostess, birthday girl and bride-to-be. Read more.
Owner Loriann Smoak brings worldly finds to this Nolita boutique. The bright, white, marble-detailed shop is loaded with garb from local and international designers. Read more.
All items at this cheerful Soho flagship range in price from $10 to $200, perfect for any budget. Shoppers can also personalize items with the on-site monogramming machine. Read more.
Nordstrom’s high-end philanthropic boutique donates 100 percent of its profits to select charities that benefit the youth of New York City and is a favorite among celebs like Lady Gaga and ?uestlove. Read more.
This minimalist shop specializes in of international gifts and oddities from small companies and family businesses. Read more.
Owner Urte Tylaite has curated a diverse collection of gifts, home goods and personal accessories that are well-made and wallet-friendly. Read more.
This colorful shop has a curated collection of local and international products with a focus on home décor and quirky stocking stuffers. Read more.
A vacant storefront was transformed into a makeup shop for The Smurfs movie. It was so convincing that passersby actually tried to enter it. Read more.
See the old City Hall stop, one of NYC’s most majestic stations with vaulted ceilings and Art Nouveau skylights. Stay on the downtown 6 as it passes through the station on its way to the uptown track. Read more.
The main concourse boasts a hidden staircase that’s used by Grand Central employees. You can see the brass cylinder that conceals the steel steps in the center of the information booth. Read more.
The Spears Building on West 22nd Street featured loading docks that led right onto the High Line. Those docks now help support the 22nd Street Seating Steps in the park's second section. Read more.
Take the Stage Door Tour to see the 20-foot-high domed ceilings and Art Deco flourishes of Roxy’s Suite, built for vaudeville producer Samuel Lionel “Roxy” Rothafel. Read more.
New Yorkers used to celebrate New Year’s Eve here until the New York Times threw the mother of all ragers at their new Times Square offices in 1904. We’ve been going back ever since. True story. Read more.
When the New York Times moved into offices at Broadway and 42nd Street on Dec 31, 1904, it threw a party so legendary that New Yorkers started to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Times Square every year. Read more.
Ride vintage wooden escalators dating back to 1902. Look for them on the Broadway side of the shop between the eighth and ninth floors. Read more.
Look left when inbound or right when outbound on the upper level to see Track 61, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt old private platform. His armor-clad train car is still there. Read more.
Your request for a book used to be shot throughout the building via giant brass pneumatic tubes. Now obsolete, the pipes can still be viewed at the clerk’s desk in the third-floor catalog room. Read more.
The giant anchorages of this suspension bridge were supposed to double as shopping arcades. The inside of each features the same Gothic design as the towers, plus 50-foot-high cathedral ceilings. Read more.
Through an unmarked (and locked, sorry) door on the 102nd-floor observation deck is a narrow terrace that was once intended to be a docking station for airships moored to the mast Read more.
The best hotel for a staycation has perfected the urban-resort concept. The tri-level pleasure complex boasts a pool with an open view of the Empire State Building, five bars and the Exhale spa. Read more.
The best year-round market brings together 150 local vendors carrying all manner of vintage, handmade and antique wares. The Flea will move to its winter location on November 26. Read more.
This West Village institution is the best bar to sing solo in front of strangers. Just scrawl your name and request on a napkin and leave it atop the baby grand for the live pianist. Read more.
This beloved dive is the best bar to sing your heart out in a group. Every night, a pianist mines the Great American Songbook well into the wee hours for Broadway babies from all over the city. Read more.
Together with the 92nd Street Y, this is the best place in NYC to see a not-boring lecture. Events here are typically quirkier and cheaper then uptown and often include a beer. Read more.
Come here for Gameshow Speakeasy, the best game night in NYC, featuring wisecracking panelists from NYC’s nightlife circuit and a famous mystery guest. Read more.
Catch the Happy Ending Series here, it’s the best reading series with a twist. Big names are required to take a risk onstage: Jesse Ball once taught the crowd how to steal a book from B&N. Read more.
The best literary hot spot boasts a warm atmosphere, well-curated selection and convivial café. It also has the city’s first Espresso Book Machine, which prints a growing number of texts on demand. Read more.
The best small venue for checking out headlining comics has seen Dave Chappelle, Susie Essman, Tracy Morgan and others grace its stage. Read more.
UCBT is the best place to laugh at funny people before they end up on TV. Nearly every sitcom on NBC’s Thursday-night lineup features performers who honed their craft at the Chelsea venue. Read more.
The best theater to catch your favorite old movie has exquisite repertory and revival programming such as pre-Code oldies, ’70s NYC crime thrillers and French classics —plus gourmet snacks! Read more.
At the best music store for vinyl fiends, you’ll find garage rock, electronic, jazz, folk and world (to name but a few genres) and releases by local bands and labels. Plus, free in-store performances! Read more.
The best spa for pampering on the fly has aestheticians ready to primp and polish at a moment’s notice. Plus, buy three best-selling products to get a complimentary makeup application. Read more.
The best store to blow your paycheck in stocks covetable finds from around the world—both luxury threads and more affordable goods like indie mags, CDs and hip accessories. Read more.
The best store to blow your paycheck in stocks covetable finds from around the world—both luxury threads and more affordable goods like indie mags, CDs and hip accessories. Read more.
French-leaning small plates can be cobbled together to compose an excellent & affordable meal here. Try the classic croque madame ($10) or the brandade ($9), a pot of featherlight whipped salt cod. Read more.
Try the Rosejat Rápida—a paella riff made with short noodles instead of rice—which incorporates poached chicken, chorizo and briny cockles. It’s one of our #100best dishes and drinks of 2011. Read more.
Here, grilled cheese receives the star treatment & all sandwiches are under $11. Try the rich melted Gouda, offset with pickled jalapeños, sweet guava jam & creamy black-bean hummus on brioche ($10). Read more.
This beergarden offers plentiful perches, live bands and eighteen drafts, including German microbrews like Hofbrau Dunkel.
