Midtown

There’s no store in the world like Bergdorf’s—they have every designer we’ve ever loved, impeccable service, and miles of shoes. Shop and then eat at BG, a restaurant with fantastic salads, brilliant deviled eggs—and fabulous cocktails, so you could also eat, cocktail, and then shop, for the more dangerous version. Packed with socialites, movers and shakers, and big personalities of all ilks, it’s a bon vivant paradise with an amazing view of Central Park.

The Aman is New York’s most expensive hotel, and the rooms are appropriately big (and drop-dead minimalist-spectacular), the ceilings soaring, and the pool enormous. The restaurants are incredible (and the city’s most-sceney, as they’re only for guests for now, so only the most skilled string-pullers can get an exception), especially the exquisite Japanese Nama. Don’t miss the spa, whatever you do: Anyone (not just guests) can reserve treatments, which occur in beautiful, generous rooms with some of the best practitioners in New York. The cryo experience is especially fantastic.

If you’re looking for primary medical care that’s holistic and thoughtful, with a preventive approach, The Lanby delivers. A membership—which you can pay month to month—gets you on-site lab work to get a comprehensive overview of your health, as well as personalized support through food (the registered dietician is incredible), movement, supplementation, and more. Unlimited visits (in person or virtually) mean you feel taken care of whenever something health-related arises—minor or more serious—and there’s a concierge who handles scheduling appointments and finding outside referrals for anything from a fertility doctor to a therapist to a rolfing expert and beyond. The space itself is chic—we love the wallpaper in the bathroom—colorful, and inviting.

From the people that gave us (and continue to give us) the brilliant Olmsted in Brooklyn, Five Acres is incredibly delicious, inventive, and even healthy.

There are about a million places to grab a drink in NYC, though few are as sexy as Baccarat Hotel’s Grand Salon. And few serve a mean afternoon tea in addition to evening cocktails and bites. True to the hotel’s more-is-more aesthetic, the interior is all velvet and silk, punctuated by museum-worthy displays of the exquisite crystal that made Baccarat a household name. 

You know Baccarat, the lavish, storied crystal maker. But do you know Baccarat, the lavish, storied hotel in the heart of Midtown? The building it’s housed in is, unsurprisingly, looks like an ice cube. Inside, once you get up the elevators, it’s all cascading chandeliers, fairytale-looking wallpaper, slick marble, and sexy dim lighting. Speaking of marble, the indoor pool has a checkerboard bottom, which combines with the semi-private cabanas, has a way of transporting you to France the second you dip your toe. Maybe it’s the tufted fainting couches, maybe it’s the four-poster beds and crisp white sheets, but the rooms and suites are somehow minimal and over-the-top at the same time. And the spa? Yeah, it’s La Mer.

Eleven Madison Park alum Connie Chung has opened her first restaurant, focusing on casual Chinese cuisine. Every dish packs a punch, but it’s the Peking duck we can’t stop dreaming about: crispy-skinned, falls-off-the-fork-tender duck on a bed of fluffy rice and marinated cucumbers, all made even more perfect chased by a cold beer. The family-style menu is a steal at $45 for two and holds up well as takeout, although there is outdoor seating available. Images courtesy of Evan Sung.

Clean Market gathers the A to Z of modern wellness under one swanky midtown roof. Cryotherapy, IV drips, infrared saunas, a functional latte bar—which translates to nut milk(y) coffees supercharged with all manner of mushroom dusts—and veggie-packed smoothies are just the beginning. We love grabbing a smoothie to go (The Core—with coconut water, greens, lemon, and pear—is easily our favorite). Toss one of the turmeric power shots—which you can boost with CBD, chlorophyll, oregano oil, and other goodies—into your bag for later. We did.

By night, the Rose Bar comes alive, often with the who’s who of New York’s music, art, and fashion scenes thanks to a packed roster of cultural events. But we love to dip into the blush-colored bar for a cocktail in the early afternoon, when the scene is more mellow. Sinking into those pink velvet seats and simply admiring the beautiful rosy décor after a long day running around the city is—in our book—a form of therapy. Walls are heavy with works from the twentieth century’s heavy hitters like Richard Prince, Keith Haring, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, and in the depths of a New York winter, when the limestone fireplace is lit, there is nowhere cozier for an afternoon cocktail.

In its former life as the home to America's first professional theatrical club, the Lambs, this Midtown hotel was a hangout for the entertainment world’s brightest stars, like Irving Berlin and Fred Astaire, to name a couple. Today, it’s The Chatwal, a luxury hotel—one of Manhattan’s under-the-radar gems, where its relatively small size (just 76 guest rooms) makes it a good choice for visitors who are turned off by the busyness of the megahotels nearby. The interior is an ode to its Art Deco history, which has the delightful feel of a glamorous ocean liner, and we love the fun little details (like backgammon sets, playing cards, and copies of The Great Gatsby) in the rooms.