
New York, New
York
New York may not be the country's "official" capital, but let's face it; it is the center of everything that's cool in the United States—from fashion, art and music to publishing and cooking. And then there are the industries: finance, advertising and media ensure that movers and shakers gravitate to the Big Apple to conquer their respective industries. After work, New York offers everything from chic lounges and the world's best restaurants to world-class museums. Whether you're here for business, pleasure or both, it's impossible to get bored in the Big Apple.
|
Facts
to Know Before You Go |
Transportation:
Taxi: Cabs are one of the easiest ways to travel into Manhattan
from any airport. The flat-rate fare from JFK is $55,
plus tip and tolls. Fares from Newark Liberty International
Airport are also flat-rate, but depending on zone,
will run cost anywhere from
$50 to $80. Trips between
LaGuardia are Manhattan are metered and generally
run between
$25 and $50.
Shuttle: For travelers who don't mind
sharing a ride, several shuttle services, such as Airlink
New York, offer reliable transportation to area
airports. A one-way fare from JFK to Manhattan will
cost between $15 and $20. Expect to pay $10-$20 from LaGuardia or $20-$25 from Newark.
Limousines: Taking car services to and from New York
airports is standard operating practice for New York
business types; in fact many companies have accounts
that allow their employees to pay with vouchers. There
are two options when taking a car service from any
of the New York area airports. To arrange service
when you land, call from the Ground Transportation
Center and expect a car within ten minutes. Or, opt
for the Meet and Greet service by making a reservation
before your arrival. Your driver will be waiting for
you in baggage claim, but do note, there is a premium
charge of $15 to $25 for this service.
AirTrain:
JFK: The long-awaited light-rail service connecting
JFK to Manhattan is finally here. Travelers
can take AirTrain to the Jamaica
or Howard Beach
station and
transfer to the subway. A one-way ticket to
Midtown Manhattan sells for $7.
Newark: AirTrain also offers
service at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Connect to the Amtrak to reach Manhattan,
or hop on NJ Transit for other destinations
in New Jersey. For $11.55 passengers can reach
New York's Penn Station in 30 minutes.
LaGuardia: AirTrain is not
available, but city buses take travelers to the nearest subway station. |
Information:
Printed throughout the country, The New York Times covers news from around the world and includes a comprehensive business section each day.
Read all over the world, The Wall Street Journal is the world's biggest newspaper dedicated solely to business. Published for more than 100 years, "The Journal" includes business profiles, stock tables, futures data and business headlines from around the world.
Delivered every Monday morning, Crain's New York Business News is focused entirely on business news within New York. It includes company lists, industry reports and small business profiles.
The tabloid newspaper, the New York Daily News, which calls itself "New York's picture newspaper," has a small business section. Likewise, the sensationalist New York Post also includes a small daily business section.
|
For
more on Big Apple travel, see our guide to the Best
of New York.
Ready to book a trip now?
Click here for exclusive savings. |
The Alex
205 E. 45th St.
New York, NY 10017
212-867-5100 |
|
| |
Set in busy Midtown East, The Alex is a stylish oasis in counterpoint to the chaos of New York. With chic-retro furniture and a great in-house eatery (Riingo), The Alex is actually more than just a place to see and be seen. For the on-the-move business traveler, you couldn't ask for more: in-room wi-fi and a business center are good enough for some travelers, but The Alex takes it a step further with its patented "Alex Business Cart," a portable cart crammed with a fax, printer, scanner and other equipment. The extra-soft beds covered with Frette linens, will inspire enough good sleep before any important meeting.
Gramercy Park Hotel
2 Lexington Ave. (Park Ave. S.)
New York, NY 10010
212-920-3300, 866-784-1300 |
|
| |
Once a stately, but luxury-laden property, the Gramercy received a serious touch up in 2007 when hip hotelier Ian Schrager bought the building and went to work on it. Now guests have private roof club access (an impressive place for a meeting, if there ever was!) and the chic-ed out rooms include original art by Julian Schnabel and Maarten Bass, high-speed Internet access, portable computers and fax machines (upon request), and a state-of-the-art telecommunications system with two-line telephones and conference call capabilities. After a chaotic day of wheeling and dealing you can hit up the "Aerospace gym" or the "Aerospa."
Robert De Niro may be one of the greatest living American actors, but he sure knows how to open a hotel. This Tribeca property, conveniently located close to downtown financial institutions and Wall Street, is bedecked in a rustic and simple manner. The brick building is meant to look as though it has been around for generations. Service is optimum: guests are greeted curbside by name and, rather than checking in, are handed a flute of champagne and taken right to their plus-sized rooms, which have all the perks you'd expect from a hotel of this caliber, including free wi-fi. The in-house Italian-inflected eatery, Ago, is a destination for foodies and celebs alike.
The pace here is smooth and efficient, the surroundings handsome and elegant. The hotel's 730 rooms are attractively done in a modern-Swedish style, with clean lines and soft grey and blue fabrics. All rooms have numerous business amenities: Aeron chairs, free high-speed Internet access, VCRs, CD players and more. Suites also come with fully equipped kitchens and spectacular views of Central Park . One of the largest concierge staffs in the city excels at securing entry to the city's trendiest venues. For those who need more practical assistance, computers, cell phones and secretarial services are all available in the business center. Doing business in Lower Manhattan? A complimentary limousine will take you to Wall Street.
The Plaza
768 Fifth Ave. (Central Park S.)
New York, NY 10019
212-759-3000, 800-257-7554 |
|
| |
The stately lady of New York City hotels, The Plaza shut down in 2005 to be partially converted to condos—much to the sadness of luxury biz travelers everywhere. But it reopened in 2008, looking shinier and cleaner than ever. And now this Central Park-hugging hotel is loaded with everything a business traveler needs to get the job done, including wi-fi and a state-of-the-art business center. You're not just paying to stay in one of the most opulent hotels in the country—you're paying to a part of New York City history. |
Bar Boulud
1900 Broadway
New York, NY 10023
212-595-0303 |
French/Bistro/Wine Bar
14/20
$$$$$ |
You want to go somewhere fancy for a business dinner and, perhaps, famed French chef Daniel Boulud comes to mind. But his flagship eatery, Daniel, is out of your price range (and may be booked). So hit up his more casual Lincoln Center wine bar, which has all the flair you'd expect from one of New York's best chefs, but is more laid back and easier on the wallet. The 500-strong wine list (of which many are from the Burgundy and Rhone regions) the charcuterie from famed Parisian butcher Gilles Verot, and other meat-centric dishes have helped make Bar Boulud a go-to place for fine fare in a snap.
|
|
Steakhouse/American
14/20
$$$$$ |
When is a steak not a steak? When it's so lavish on the taste buds you have to wonder if the cows had been raised on another planet. Enter Benjamin Steakhouse, located a couple blocks from the New York Public Library in the Dylan Hotel. The headliner dish—the prime aged porterhouse for two—isn't cheap, but it's worth it. The humungous cut of meat—which is pre-cut before it arrives at your table—is actually enough for four. Side dishes include obligatory and better-than-average creamed spinach and crispy onion rings.
|
Benoit
60 W. 55 th St. (Fifth Ave.)
New York, NY 10019
646-943-7373 |
French/Bistro
15/20
$$$$$ |
It's hard to imagine now, but there was a moment in 2007 when all signs of prolific French chef Alain Ducasse were gone from New York City. But the following year, he made quite the comeback, first opening up Adour and then Benoit, an outpost of his casual Parisian bistro. And like its flagship eatery on the Seine , this Midtown eatery does not disappoint. Executive chef Sebastien Rondier serves up dishes like steak tartare, light but juicy roast chicken, and veal tongue topped off with a foie gras mousse.
|
 |
|
For all his lewd eccentricities, it's easy to forget that British chef Gordon Ramsay sure knows how to run a restaurant. The New York outpost of his eponymous London eatery didn't start off on a good foot, but after a chef change, this Midtown restaurant has fully come into its own—and New York foodies and critics alike are applauding; that is, after they've put their knives and forks down. Recommended appetizers include a topnotch roasted Hudson Valley foie gras with an almond crust and creamed turnips, nicely finished with a ham gastrique that enlivens the flavor and adds the necessary touch of saltiness. For entrees, be sure to try the excellent baked fluke with almond bread, celery hearts, cucumber and Concord grapes, finished with a Champagne velouté or the classic roasted cannon of lamb served atop a rich-tasting confit shoulder.
|
Le
Bernardin
The Equitable Building
155 W. 51st St. (Sixth & Seventh Aves.)
212-489-1515
|
French/Seafood
18/20
$$$$$ |
The verdict is in. After more than 15 years of beguiling
boulevardiers and becs fins with things that swim,
Le Bernardin can claim to be the best fish restaurant
in New York, America and arguably even the world.
A minimalist dinner might offer among other refinements
a faintly sweet sliver of grilled eel adorned with
one flowering chive or simple raw tuna doused with
olive oil and spices. To experience Chef Eric Ripert's
repertoire at its best, order the $120 tasting menu.
But be warned, this is not a place for the faint-of-wallet.
Wine and food prices are heart-throbbing. |
Monkey Bar
Hotel Elysee
60 E. 54 th St. (Madison & Park Aves.)
212-838-2600 |
Pan-Asian
13/20
$$$$$ |
Chris Cheung is on to something: his re-interpretation of Chinese cuisine is a spectacle to behold. The menu, categorized by "Cold," "Dim Sum," "Barbeque," and "Wok," is highlighted by dishes like grilled scallops and oysters, sprinkled with truffles; Sichuan pepper-crusted salmon, wading in Meyer lemon marmalade, complemented the flaky salmon; and the lobster king pao, caressed by a potato basket. On the dim sum side, one bite into the perfectly steamed Chinese bao buns filled with liquid foie gras, and you'll taste the essence of Cheung's experiment. The future looks bright (and it's stuffed with deliciousness or sprinkled with shavings of savory delight).
|
All New York Tours
VIP Heliport, Midtown Location
West 30th Street and 12th Avenue
702-233-1627
www.allnewyorktours.com
New York may be a great town to see on foot, but why not take to the air and take it all in? From the seven minute city fly-by to a fully customized tour of the Northeast, a helicopter tour will let you see as much as you can, as fast as you can. The popular Niagara Falls tour includes ground transportation to the falls but must be booked seven days in advance.
Boeing-Boeing!
Longacre Theatre
220 W. 48 th St.
212-239-6200
www.boeingonbroadway.com
In this entertaining French play, an adulterous Paris-based architect (played by Bradley Whitford) rotates between three different airline stewardesses to comic effect. But when the women's schedules in Paris intersect, high-jinxes ensue. The cast has received rave reviews from the New York theater press.
Bridgemarket
409 E. 59 th St. (First & York Aves.)
www.thefoodemporium.com
Developers eyed the cathedral-like space under the Queensboro Bridge , once the site of a farmer's market, for decades before British designer Sir Terence Conran transformed the site into a swanky complex. With his restaurants, bar, food market and furniture store, this previously abandoned area has been legitimized and renamed Bridgemarket.
Gottino
52 Greenwich Ave. (Perry St.)
New York, NY 10014
212-633-2590
Chef Jody Williams (late of Gusto and Morandi) has opened up this Italian-accented wine bar in the West Village, much to the delight of neighborhood folk who appreciate a nice glass of Barolo with their artisan cheese. The loungey space with a marble-topped bar is the perfect place to blow off some steam after a busy day of meetings or to impress a colleague with your "great taste" in New York City wine bars.
Museum of Modern Art (Moma)
11 W. 53rd St. (Fifth Ave.)
New York, NY 10019
212-708-9400
www.moma.org
New York's 630,000-square-foot Museum of Modern Art (or Moma) hit a high note when it re-opened in 2006 after a long reconstruction process (led by Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi). The collection here is a who's who of late-19th and 20th-century art from Van Gogh, Cezanne, and Seurat to Picasso, Klimt, and Pollock. After a long-day of art gawking, you'll certainly have built up quite an appetite. Moma has taken care of that too. Gabriel Kreuther's culinary art is not to be missed at the stylish in-house eatery, The Modern. |
Ready to book a trip now?
Click here for exclusive savings. |
P050498 |
(Updated:
07/03/09 HC) |
|