Gay New York New York City City Guide

Curation by Yasmina Rodríguez, words by Nick Papa

Fifteen-course tasting menus, the rarest vintage clothes, exotic cocktails, panoramic views from above and unexpected waterfront pleasures. This is New York City, where hundreds of years of ambition, concrete and American dreams have culminated in a city where there’s so much to do that it became famous for never sleeping. The city is quite literally packed with things to see and do — all in a compact space that gives the impression of a never-ending pavement of skyscrapers. If planned correctly, New York City can still provide those quirky, tourist-obligated experiences, but also elevate the everyday with local flavour and off-the-beaten-path finds. If you’re in search of a definitive New York City travel guide, you’ve come to the right place.

The best hotels in New York City

Few hotels on earth carry a legend quite like the Hotel Chelsea. This red-brick Gothic Revival pile on West 23rd Street has sheltered everyone from Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen to Patti Smith and Andy Warhol, and its storied corridors once hummed with a creative energy that couldn’t exist anywhere else. Today, under the meticulous stewardship of Sean MacPherson, Ira Drukier, and Richard Born, the Chelsea has been masterfully reimagined without losing an ounce of its mythic soul. Mosaic floors, wrought-iron balconies, and stained-glass windows whisper of the past, while 158 distinctively furnished rooms offer marble bathrooms, rainfall showers, and soaking tubs in the suites. Four dining and drinking venues — including the convivial Lobby Bar and the spirited Spanish-Basque El Quijote — along with a rooftop spa and fitness centre make it a world unto itself.

Equally atmospheric, though in an entirely different register, the Bowery Hotel sits at the intersection of the Lower East Side and East Village and amounts to one of downtown Manhattan’s most enduring pleasures. The lobby is a masterclass in artful atmospherics: hand-carved dark wood panels, opulent Edwardian antiques, an open fireplace, and silk palm trees that evoke the feeling of an English country pile improbably transported to New York. The 135 rooms and suites are dressed in antique Turkish rugs and hardwood floors beneath soaring factory windows, with marble bathrooms and C.O. Bigelow amenities throughout. The Italian trattoria Gemma pulls in a chic creative crowd, while the moody lobby bar — with its no-photographs policy — maintains an air of insider exclusivity. The hotel has been awarded a Michelin Key in recognition of its exceptional character.