{"id":18471,"date":"2026-02-02T03:10:27","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T03:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/?p=18471"},"modified":"2026-02-03T00:40:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T00:40:52","slug":"new-york-turns-it-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/new-york-turns-it-on\/","title":{"rendered":"New York turns it on."},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row row_type=”row” type=”full_width” in_content_menu=”” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”18473,18474,18475,18476,18477,18478,18479″ img_size=”full” type=”flexslider_fade”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” type=”full_width” in_content_menu=”” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_column_text]Energy crackles through New York City like an invisible electric fence and you know you shouldn\u2019t touch it, but you just can\u2019t help yourself. Every street, every corner delivers a jolt. Look up, ZAP! Central Park Tower slices the sky. In the distance, POW! The Chrysler Building\u2019s sexy art deco curves beckon. At street level, ZZZT! A surge of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu hits as you realise you\u2019ve walked these streets before\u2026 just with friends from your favourite sitcom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019d think NYC might feel intimidating, all that in-your-face power and, yes, a bit of arrogance. But there\u2019s a thrill here you can\u2019t deny. Life is happening here, and when you’re in the middle of it, you feel like you\u2019re part of something big.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BT visited in March. The snow had melted, the cherry blossoms were just beginning to pop in Central Park, and stylish black coats still ruled the sidewalks. Then, out of the crisp blue came an unseasonably hot Saturday where the temperature soared to 86\u00b0F (about 30 on the \u201ccrazy Aussie scale,\u201d as one local put it). The day screamed: PARK! And all New Yorkers listened. The city emptied into its shared backyard, Central Park. Hot dog queues snaked through crowds, jazz musicians improvised all over the place, and carriage horses trotted past like a merry-go-round. You couldn\u2019t have staged a more New York moment if you tried.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But for BT, buzz alone doesn\u2019t cut it. We travel with our stomachs. And we need <\/i>to talk about just how good the food is in NYC. What? <\/i>Yes, we know American food often gets a bad rap \u2013 huge portions, greasy carbs and bland flavours \u2013 but nothing could be further from the truth here. This city is pure joy for foodies. There\u2019s even a hint of a Japanese-style approach at some spots: a focus on doing one thing and doing it spectacularly. Sure, some of the humility is swapped for a little swagger\u2026 but hey, it\u2019s New York. (Scroll down for our favourite dining hits.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Choosing just one base in a city packed with great options? Too hard. So we didn\u2019t. We mixed it up, changing accommodation three times to soak up the vibes of three completely different neighbourhoods and enjoy three amazing hotel experiences. It also gave us the chance to discover each area\u2019s local flavour, plan our sightseeing around nearby attractions, and pick up a fresh set of concierge tips at every stop. BT was, quite literally, a moveable feast.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/b><\/p>\n

First stop: the Meatpacking District<\/b><\/p>\n

Once the land of slaughterhouses, now a playground of fashion houses, buzzy eateries and galleries (hello, Whitney Museum). Bonus points for the High Line. Could there be a better place to take your morning walk and first bite of the Big Apple? We stayed at Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC<\/b>, where contemporary cool mixes with sophistication and a touch of playfulness. If it were a cocktail, it\u2019d be a cosmopolitan: elegant, bright, and a little sassy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Next stop: uptown and the unforgettable Mark Hotel <\/b><\/p>\n

This hotel\u2019s striking black-and-white lobby is picture perfect and an irresistible backdrop for a selfie. For such a high-end sophisticated hotel, it\u2019s not pretentious in any way. Rather, it\u2019s all warmth, generosity, and style. The Mark Hotel is so good that only a city like New York can lure you away from its charms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Final stop: the Lower East Side<\/b><\/p>\n

We swapped the Upper East Side\u2019s polish for downtown spunk. This neighbourhood pulses with the spirit of its feisty immigrant roots. We checked into the recently opened, and oh-so-cool, Nine Orchard, a stunning hotel set inside the historic Jarmulowsky Bank. But it doesn\u2019t just sit here \u2013 it belongs<\/i>. And let\u2019s be honest: there isn\u2019t a swankier spot for blocks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/b><\/p>\n

Some of BT\u2019s highlights:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Food:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

JG Melon, a NY institution if you\u2019re after THE <\/i>burger experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Via Carota, reservations are almost impossible, but they save loads of tables for walk-ins. We rolled the dice and got lucky!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Balaboosta, for gorgeous Israeli food.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Knickerbocker Bagels, when NYC cops, firefighters, and locals queue for bagels, you fall in too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prince St Pizza, thin crust and the most standout sauce ever\u2014even if you do end up wearing it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hand pulled noodles in Chinatown.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Drinks:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Bar Pisselino\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Swan Room\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hotels:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The Mark Hotel\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nine Orchard\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sights:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

You know them, but one you mightn\u2019t is the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum. This unexpected cool gem pairs modern art and design with the opulence and charm of Andrew Carnegie\u2019s grand old mansion. The contrast is powerful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Book:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Walk With Me New York <\/i>by Sarah Kaufman\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Elise Wackett, Travel Writer<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row row_type=”row” type=”full_width” in_content_menu=”” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”18473,18474,18475,18476,18477,18478,18479″ img_size=”full” type=”flexslider_fade”][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” type=”full_width” in_content_menu=”” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_column_text]Energy crackles through New York City like an invisible electric fence and you know you shouldn\u2019t touch it, but you just can\u2019t help yourself. Every street, every corner delivers a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18471"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18503,"href":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18471\/revisions\/18503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benallatravel.com.au\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}