Eat

The old: Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant
New York City was once a world-renowned oyster town, and this beloved 90-year-old hero of the half shell, situated in Grand Central’s lower level, reminds diners of that former glory. Two large rooms flank a white-topped counter where eaters can choose from around 30 varieties of bivalves. Since the delicacy isn’t terribly filling, try one of the famously huge desserts: the apple pie bursts forth with razor-thin slices of fruit. Grand Central Terminal, Lower Concourse, 42nd St (at Park Ave),
+1 212 490 6650; www.oysterbarny.com.

The new: Marlow & Sons
Marlow & Sons doesn’t approach GC when it comes to oyster variety, but it boasts a convivial atmosphere where there’s always something worth shelling out for. This Williamsburg bar and grocery store comes courtesy of Mark Firth and Andrew Tarlow, the team that packs ’em in at Diner next door, and the excellent Marlow & Daughters butchers. Small wooden tables and benches dot the sidewalk in front and inviting plank tables fill the relaxed back dining room. 81 Broadway, Brooklyn, +1 718 384 1441; www.marlowandsons.com.

Sleep

The old: The Waldorf-Astoria
First built in 1893, the original Waldorf-Astoria was the city’s largest hotel before it was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building. The current art deco Waldorf opened in 1931 and now has protected status as a historic hotel. The rooms, with wingback chairs, love seats, rich colours and layered fabrics, feel as if they were decorated by Upper East Side socialites of yore. Those socialites would feel right at home at the exclusive new Louis Vuitton-owned Guerlain Spa. Double-check your attire before entering the hotel – you won’t be allowed in if you’re wearing a baseball cap and ripped jeans. 301 Park Ave, +1 212 355 3000; www.waldorf.com.

The new: Soho House New York
In a town full of chic sleeps, private members’ club-cum-swish-hotel Soho House New York remains the hippest place to rest your head. The rooms exploit their ex-warehouse proportions well, stretching out with soaring ceilings, fashionably bashed sofas and, in the larger rooms, free-standing baths at the foot of the beds. The Cowshed spa, which started life in Somerset sister property Babington House, has crossed the Atlantic well and is in line with the hotel’s ramshackle chic. The rooftop pool and bar out-eye-candied the Sex and the City girls in an infamous episode, and it remains the exclusive playground of the trendiest of Manhattanites. Guests, of course, bypass the velvet rope and an evening spent pout-spotting is worth the room rate alone. 29 9th Avenue, +1 212 627 9800; www.sohohouseny.com.

Do

The old: The Brooklyn Bridge
It used to be that no life in New York was complete without having embarked on a sunset stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge. Opened in 1883, the neo-gothic suspension bridge is an architectural icon – and one that’s met a fate both kind (Manhattan) and cruel (I Am Legend) in many a blockbuster. Bike or walk the 6,775-foot stretch from west to east and you can reward yourself with skyline views and cold treats at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.

The new: The High Line
It’s not a bridge proper, but the views from this elevated ‘park in the sky’ (formerly home to a 1930s freighter) are just as spectacular. Pedestrians can relax among local flora from Staten Island’s Greenbelt Native Plant Center, sunbathe on rolling chaises longues, snap pics of Meatpacking District mayhem from the Gansevoort Overlook, and – round the 17th and 10th mark – see clearly down to the Statue of Liberty. Look for the unveiling of part two (20th to 30th Streets) next year. www.thehighline.org.

For more information, see Time Out New York.

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